Nova Scotia Ancestors: Civil Registration Gets a Makeover

Those of us with Nova Scotian ancestry are very excited that the Nova Scotia Archives recently redesigned their Civil Registration section on their website. We're ecstatic that downloads of records are now FREE. Now, downloads were quite reasonably priced before, but I know for myself that I only ordered records for my direct line. Collateral lines I only viewed the records, which were always free to view. But the old version's zoom function was clunky and the records could still be hard to see. I decided for this post to check the site out and see what I could find.

https://archives.novascotia.ca/vital-statistics/

My first thought when going to the redesigned page is how clean and modern the site looks. The design also now aligns with the rest of the website in appearance. 

The History of Civil Registration in Nova Scotia. 

Though registration began in 1763 for marriages, mandatory registration for BMDs didn't happen until 1864. However, between 1877 and 1908, registration requirements lapsed for births and deaths. Because of this, there are a lot of gaps. Unfortunately for me, my great grandmother Edna Johnson's birth falls into this time period, and there is no record of her birth with NS Vital Statistics.

Don't lose hope though. Delayed registrations of births happened for many years after 1908. These delayed registrations can be a gold mine, because of the supporting documentation provided. Here's a good example among my collateral line of the surprises you can find. Edna's oldest son Burrell BOUTILIER was born in 1912. He falls outside the gap in birth records, but later in life he appears to have ran into problems as to his legal name. When I searched for his birth records, I found this

But then I also got these supporting documents

Not only do I have a copy of his baptism, but a legal affidavit signed by my great grandmother! I'm especially excited by it because the affidavit was signed less than a year before I was born.

As of this post, the NS Archives holds the records for births pre 1921, marriages pre 1946, and deaths pre 1971.

Searching

If you're wanting to search just by a last name, just enter it into the search field. This method of searching will result in a huge amount of results. For a more targeted search, click on the More Search Options

This will open up the search box to this

On your results screen, you can filter the results by births, marriages, or deaths.

My great grandmother Edna had a little sister listed in the 1911 Canadian Census transcribed as Lana. She was gone from the 1921 Census. I found this record when I was first starting out in genealogy research, so didn't know enough to question the transcription. I was also not as interested in collateral lines. Almost 15 years later, I'm much more proficient at reading handwriting. I've also learned the importance of looking at siblings. I looked at the record again. Analyzing the handwriting made me realize that her name wasn't Lana, it was Iona. I decided to see what happened to her. According to the Census she was born in 1910. So I did a search of an Iona Johnson in Halifax County. Only one result popped up, for a Nina Iona Johnson. When I clicked on the birth record, this is what popped up on the screen.

Now the big image you can zoom in and out of. It's the little one you want to click on though. This will open the image in a new window. Here you can also zoom in and out. Here is also where you can download the image to your computer by right clicking and using Save image as...

So I found her birth. But what about a marriage or death? I tried using Nina Johnson/ Johnston/ Johnstone and no results. I was stumped. I put it to rest and started looking at other collaterals. My great grandmother Edna had a child die quite young with her first husband Everard Boutilier named Wesley Boutilier. I decided to find Wesley's death registration. I found it, and lo and behold right next to it was Nina Iona's death registration. For some reason she was registered under Boutilier.

I really like the new and improved site. Once you get the hang of the changes in navigating it, the site is actually very user friendly. The fact that records are now free to download is a boon to those of us with large families having large families.  I am hoping that the NS Archives will eventually add the following features:

• Search by first name only. Right now in order to search, you must enter a last name. If I had been able to search by first name, I might have been able to find Nina Iona's death registration. Instead I stumbled onto it.

• The previous version allowed you to go back to the search results without having to do a new search. The only way you can do it on the new site is by clicking the back arrow to go back to the previous web page. 

• I would really love it if they took a cue from the Provincial Archives of New Brunswick's Civil Registrations. On their website, they have indexed birth records by parents' names as well as the name of the registered person. 

• A soundex option on the name search. Edna's grandmother was Martha Eisenhauer. Anyone who researches that name knows just how many variations of that name there are. Right now to search Eisenhauer, I need to search each variation separately.

Researching 20th Century Ancestors with the 1940 National Registration File

Tracking Canadian ancestors after the 1921 National Census can be frustrating at times. Those with Western Canada ancestors recently had the 1926 Census released to the public. Canadian law says that a Census will only be released after 92 years. The 1931 National census won't be eligible for release until 2024. If past experience is any indication, it will be a longer wait than that before the general public will get to see it. 

Provincial privacy laws dictate when birth, marriage, and death records get released. There are some mid 20th century marriage and death records available, depending on the province. However, as far I know, no provinces allow any births past 1919 or so. Because you can't depend on BMDs and Census records, you have to look outside the box to find your ancestor. 

One of these sources is the 1940 National Registration File. This excellent resource was created under the National Resources Mobilization Act, 1940 and the War Measures Act. They are held by Statistics Canada. Between 1940 and 1946, every person over the age of 16 was required to register. The only exception were people:

• serving in the military
• who were a member of a religious order
• confined to an institution

The purpose of the files were to establish a pool of people who could contribute to the war effort. The obvious reason was to identify potential people for conscription into the military. But, they also wanted to know who had training in agriculture, nursing, or other special skills that might be used to contribute to the war effort here at home as well. Once completed, people were given registration cards to carry for proof they had registered. 

So what information can you get? There were two different forms for men and women. Library and Archives Canada has sample images of them on their blog. I've found a link to a PDF of instructions for registrars/ You can find it here. On both forms, the following information was asked:

1. Full Name
2. Address at time of registration and date of registration
3. Age last birthday and birth date
4. Marital Status- Single/Married/Divorced/Widowed
5. Dependents- Sole support of Mother/Father/ Number of children under 16 years/ Number of other dependents? Do you partially support anyone?
6. Country and place of birth - Yourself? Mother? Father?
7. Are you a British subject and by what means? If not born in Canada, provide details of Immigration and/or Naturalization
8. Racial Origin
9. Languages known- English? French? Other (state details)
10. Education-level of education
11. General health- good/fair/bad. Any disabilities and details.
12. Disability pension- War pension? Workman's Compensation? Old Age or Blind?Other (provide details)
13. Employment information (the questions and detail wanted were slightly different for men nd women)
14. Agricultural experience and details- Brought up on a farm? Worked on a farm? How long? Drive a tractor? Use farm equipment? Handle horses? Milk a cow? Other farm work?
15. Men- past military experience, and if rejected for military service in the present war. Women- whether you could contribute to the war effort at home, and in what way

Because of the nature of the collection, these records do not fall under the 92 year rule that our Census records do. They instead fall under the Privacy Act. If a person has been deceased for more than 20 years, then the information contained in the file is no longer considered personal and therefore private information. The rules are simple. If your ancestor:

• Was born less than 110 years ago- proof that death occurred at least 20 years ago must be submitted with your request. A death certificate is the preferred proof, but they will also accept an obituary.
• Born 110 or more years ago - no proof of death is necessary

Take note that if your ancestor died between 1940 and 1946, then their file may have been destroyed. 

 

This is not a free resource. But it is reasonable for the information you get. Each successful search is $45. According to Statistics Canada the following conditions apply:

• Canadian clients add either 5% GST and applicable PST or HST.
• All sales are final.
• Orders under $250 must be prepaid.
• Clients outside Canada pay in Canadian dollars drawn on a Canadian bank or pay in equivalent US dollars, converted at the prevailing daily exchange rate, drawn on a US bank.
• Shipping charges: no shipping charges for delivery in Canada. For shipments to the United States, please add $6 per issue or item ordered. For shipments to other countries, please add $10 per issue or item ordered. 

The best way to have a successful search is to provide as much information as you can. The records are arranged by electoral district, so having at least an approximate address is essential. You can try to find this by City Directories (see my blog post on how to find them). Voter's Lists on Ancestry are another option (I wrote about them previously here). You might also want to check Tax Roll records in Municipal archives.

https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/en/catalogue/93C0006

If your ancestor was born over 110 years ago, you can use the online form . If it was less than 110 years ago, then you can mail your request and supporting documents to:

Statistics Canada

Census Microfilm and Pension Search Sub-Unit

B1E-34, Jean Talon Building

170 Tunney's Pasture Driveway

Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0T6

You might also be able to email your request to statcan.censuspensionsearch-recherchesurpensionrec.statcan@canada.ca.

My maternal line is quite well documented. It's my paternal lines that I'm having trouble with, especially my great grandfathers. I've never been able to positively confirm birth or parental information on either one. I had suspicions both were in World War I. However, with such common names and very little birth information, finding their service files is an act of frustration. I was really hoping to get new avenues of research with their forms. So I requested searches of each of my paternal great grandparents. They were all born in the late 1800's, so I was able to use the online form and gave Stats Can the following information:

• James Henry "Harry" Douglas - lived at 600 Roselawn Avenue, Village of Forest Hill, York South, Ontario (according to 1940 Canada Voter's List). Born @1888 in either Ontario or in England

• Mary Douglas (nee McArthur) - lived at 600 Roselawn Avenue, Village of Forest Hill, York South, Ontario (according to 1940 Canada Voter's List). Born @1883 Scotland.

• John Wellington "Jack" McDonald - lived at 17 Reed Street (1935 death cert. for child), and at 34 McMurrich in 1942/1943 (City of Toronto Directory and tax rolls). Born @1894 in either Ontario or NY state. His occupations have been listed as labourer, factory worker, driver

• Edna McDonald (nee Johnson/Jordan, previous married names -Boutilier and Fredericks)- lived at 17 Reed Street (1935 death cert. for child), and at 34 McMurrich in 1942/1943 (City of Toronto Directory and tax rolls). Born @1894 in Nova Scotia.

I gave approximate years of birth as opposed to specific dates to leave wiggle room if needed. I submitted the online form on Dec 31. I received a reply Jan 2 confirming receipt of my requests. Each great grandparent was given their own reference number, and I was told that I would receive an answer within 60 days. To my surprise I received an email earlier than expected on Feb 6. They let me know that all four of my searches were successful. In the email they gave me a final total, and then payment options. I chose to phone in with credit card information. It took me a few tries but I was able to get through on Feb 7. I was told that my documents would come by courier, and I received them exactly 1 week later on Feb 14. My package included for each great grandparent:

• a typed transcription of the form
• a typed extract from the form showing Name/ Address/ Date of Birth/ Age/ Place of Birth/ Date of Registration
• a photocopy of the microfilmed original registration. A nice bonus because now I have a copy of each of their signatures.

John McDonald and Edna Johnson

My great grandmother Edna Johnson's line goes back to the settlers of Lunenburg, and I've documented it quite well. I didn't obtain any earth shattering information, but I wasn't really expecting to. I might have been more upset that her microfilm image wasn't very clear if I didn't have her so well documented already. Thankfully, the other three I requested were clear as a bell. I did however, find that she was skilled in sewing, and could milk a cow. 

Great grandfather John McDonald stated his birth was in Kingston, Ontario. He stated he lived on a farm until 13 years old and had skills in handling horses and driving a tractor. His mother was born in Dublin, Ireland, and his father in Belfast, Ireland. This matches information from his marriage to Edna. This brings up some interesting puzzles though, as through DNA I strongly think my great grandfather was adopted. I'm beginning to suspect he didn't know he was adopted. But the best information I got was military service. He stated that he served from Aug 7 1914 to May 19 1919 as part of the 14th Montreal Battalion. He also stated he was rejected for military service in WWII due to being unfit due to being deaf in his left ear.

Headstone of James Douglas and Mary McArthur

My other paternal great grandfather James Douglas stated he was born in Woodstock, Ontario and his parents in Southern England. I've always wondered why he was buried in Woodstock, having lived in Toronto and Windsor between 1921 and his death in 1966. He had stated on the 1921 census he was born in Ontario, but 2 of his children were born in Scotland. I suspected it was military service that landed him in Scotland but I could not find a Canadian WWI service record for him. His military service stated on the 1940 registration has potentially given me an answer. He stated that he served with the English Imperial Army as part of the Army Service Corps from 1915 to 1917. I've been looking in the wrong record set the whole time. No wonder I didn't find him.

My great grandmother Mary McArthur gave me a critical nugget of information on her form. She stated that her father was born in Argyleshire, Scotland. I have been trying to narrow down which of two Dougal McArthurs was her father. One was born in Argyleshire, and one wasn't. Now I know which Dougal to trace farther back. I also found that she stated she had been trained as a registered nurse. 

This is just a sampling of what information I found out. For each of my great grandparents I also found out employment details both current and past, and other little interesting tidbits to file away for future research. I know that shilling out extra money on a record set can make you think twice. Especially one where you are not sure of what information you'll get. But take it from me. For about $50 a person, it was definitely money well spent on my part.  

Quebec Ancestors: Church Indexes on Family Search

Those with Quebec ancestors are lucky in the fact there are a tremendous amount of church records digitized online. This is especially true for Catholic ancestors. But if you're having trouble finding a record, you might want to look at Family Search's browse only collection Quebec Index to Civil Copy of Church Records, 1642-1902.

One of the unique things about the province is that churches supplied the entries for government civil registration. This continued until well past when other Provincial governments had their own forms. This collection contains the indexes to the civil copies of the baptisms, marriages and burials in the province from 1642 to 1902. there are over 1.3 million images in the collection. They are in French, but the Family Search wiki provides some guides:

• French Genealogical Word List
• Quebec Languages
• Handwriting Help Sheet

To navigate the collection, you'll first narrow down by denomination:

• Catholic
• Catholic and Non Catholic
• Non Catholic

You then further your search by:

• County and City or Town
• Record Type - Baptism, Marriage, or Burial
• Name Range, Year Range, Archival Number

https://www.familysearch.org/search/image/index?owc=waypoints

In all three sections, you can find some or all of the following information:

• Date of baptism, marriage, or burial
• Place of baptism, marriage, or burial
• Residence
• Baby's name
• Bride/ Groom names
• Deceased's name
• Parents' names
• Names of witnesses
• Cause of death
• Date of birth or death
• Occupation

Catholic

This section only has one section by location: Ile-de-Montréal, Lapraire, Chambly, Vaudreuil-Soulanges counties. It has the following record types:

• Baptisms Index
• Baptisms Index (Alphabetical)
• Baptisms Index (Chronological)
• Burials Index (Alphabetical)
• Marriages Index (Alphabetical)
• Marriages Index (Females)
• Marriages Index (Males)

Each section is further divided into the name range, year range and reference number. Most of the index cards appear to be hand written, but there are a few typed ones as well. Here's one for a marriage:

They were married at Ste. Brigide on 6 June 1874. This card unfortunately does not have parents' names, but some do.  The Fo. 104 refers to the entry number from the church's registers. 

Keep in mind that the first subsection, Baptisms Index, only gives first names of the child. If your ancestor was born illegitimate, you'll definitely want to look at this one. I found several in there.

Catholic and Non Catholic
This section covers only the Judicial District of Saint-Francois. It is further divided into 3 sections:

• Births Index (Alphabetical)
• Deaths Index (Alphabetical)
• Marriages Index (Alphabetical)

The cards in this section look more like standard forms, where the writer can just fill in the required information. The digitizing for this section isn't the best, but it's still fairly readable. Here's a birth record:

Non Catholic

This section covers three locations:

Ile-de-Montréal, Lapraire, Chambly, Vaudreuil-Soulanges counties

• Baptisms Index (Alphabetical)
• Burials Index (Alphabetical)
• Marriages Index (Females)
• Marriages Index (Males)

Judicial District of Beauharnois

• Baptisms Index (Alphabetical)
• Burials Index (Alphabetical)
• Marriages Index (Alphabetical)

Judicial District of Bedford

• Baptisms Index (Divided alphabetically and by year)

These are either index cards, or alphabetical lists. Here's a list of deaths with A surnames from 1881/1882/ part of 1883 in Bedford.

Next Step

The obvious next step is to find the original record. There will be information not included in these indexes. You can take the information from the indexes and then go to BAnQ's website to find the original.

52 Ancestors: Week 30 - Using the Drouin Collection

The prompt for week 30 of 52 Ancestors is "Easy". Contrary to how it looks on genealogy shows, researching your ancestors is not easy. Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge fan of these shows. I just wish they would let people know how much research time went into making these hour long shows. Because of this, I was having a hard time coming up with a record set that made for easy research. The closest thing I could find to easy in my own research experience is the Drouin Collection.

Those of us with Catholic ancestry, especially French Catholic, know what a treasure this collection is. Covering the years 1621-1967, this collection holds millions of baptismal, marriage and burial records. You can find records from Quebec, Ontario, New Brunswick, and parts of the United States. They also cover Acadia, of which present day Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island were a part of. They don't just contain records of French Canadians. They are also records for those with British, Italian, Irish, and Polish roots. Don't have Catholic ancestors? You should still look at the collection. There are non Catholic records mixed in among the collection as well. While the majority of records are in French, there are English language registers as well. This amazing record set is named after Joseph Drouin, the founder of the Drouin Genealogical Institute. Through the work of him and later his son, it now contains over 3.6 million microfilmed images of the registers kept by the clergy. They also have collections of notarial records, obituaries, and genealogies.

So where can you find this amazing collection online?

Ancestry
Of course Ancestry has some of the goodies in their databases. If you're an Ancestry subscriber, you'll want to check out what they have:

Quebec, Canada, Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection), 1621-1968 - This fully indexed collection contains images of the registers sent to the government. Since in Quebec these served as civil registration records, you will find non Catholic records as well.

Quebec Notarial Records (Drouin Collection), 1647-1942 - The notary was an important figure in Quebec. They handled wills, marriage contracts, property transactions, and inventories, just to name a few. This collection contains the repertoires and indexes of the individual notaries.

Acadia, Canada, Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection), 1757-1946 - The contain the registers of the clergy in what used to be Acadia. It also covers post deportation records from Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. I know from experience that while the majority is indexed, some pages are not. If you can't find what you're looking for, make sure you also use the browse feature.

Ontario, Canada, Catholic Church Records (Drouin Collection), 1802-1967 - The collection contains the registers for French Catholic parishes in Ontario. I've just recently found a French Catholic line in my tree that settled in Ontario. I've only just started using this collection, so I'm not sure how well indexed it is as of yet.

U.S., French Catholic Church Records (Drouin Collection), 1695-1954 - This collection contains French Catholic parish records from 11 US States. My new found Ontario Catholics spent a lot of time migrating between the Cornwall area of Ontario and the Fort Covington area of New York State. This is another collection I've only just started delving into, so I can't say as to how well indexed it is.

U.S. and Canada, Miscellaneous French Records (Drouin Collection), 1651-1941 This collections is a hodge podge of genealogies, jounals, letters, registers of notaries, acts, manuscripts and topographic dictionaries. I haven't delved into it as of yet, so I can't say how well indexed it is.


Genealogy Quebec
If you don't have an Ancestry subscription, you might want to look at subscribing to Genealogy Quebec. Of course, some of us have subscriptions to both. While Ancestry has a lot, this website has what Ancestry doesn't. It is the website of the Drouin Genealogical Institute, so it gives you access straight from the horse's mouth, so to speak. There are 3 subscription options:

• 24 Hour Access- Unlimited searches and the ability to view 75 images. Cost is only $5.00
• Monthly subscription - Unlimited searches and access to 75 images per day. Cost is $13.00 per month
• Annual Subscription - Unlimited searches and access to 1050 images per week. Cost is $100 per year

Prices are in Canadian dollars. Taxes are extra for Canadian residents. No taxes apply if you live outside of Canada. Besides the Drouin Collection itself, here's what they also offer:

1.LAFRANCE

• All Quebec Catholic baptisms and burials 1621-1861
• All Quebec Catholic marriages 1621-1918
• All Quebec Protestant marriages 1760-1849. 1850-1861 will be available soon
• A partial collection of Catholic baptisms, marriages and burials from 1862-2008

Each indexed transcription (certificate) also includes links to the original register image.

2.Marriages and Deaths 1926-1997

This Collection has most marriage and death information from all areas of Quebec. Marriages also include the ability to see the original document. This collection is not limited to Catholics. They cover all regious denominations, and civil marriages as well.

3.Obituaries

• Internet Obituaries - 1999 to present day, covering all of Canada. Updated daily.
• Newspaper Obituaries - 1860 to present day, covering all of Quebec
• Death cards - 1860 to present day, covering all of Quebec. Indexed by Name and Date
• Tombstones - 1850;s (ish) to present day, covering all of Quebec and parts of Eastern Ontario. Indexed by name and text on stone, these have photographs

4.Drouin Institute's Great Collections

This is an indexed database of several of the publications the Institute was involved with. There are 13 publications listed. In the interest of space, I'm inserting a screen shot of what the collection offers:

https://www.genealogiequebec.com/en/tools

5.NBMDS

This collection provides birth marriage and death information compiled from genealogical Socities working in partnership with the Institute. It covers parishes in Quebec, Ontario and the United States. It covers the years from 1727-2011, and does not contan links to original records. However, you can use the information obtained from this collection to narrow your search in their other collections.

6.Connolly File

A collection of Quebec baptism, marriage and burial records. There are both Catholic and Protestant records, and cover the years 1621-2018. These are compied from original sources, and I do not think they include original images.

7.Drouin Institute's Family Genealogies

A collection of 203 Family Genealogies produced by the Institute during the 20th century. They contain information in them from 1621 to their date of publication. most of these of Quebec based. Not all the books that they have produced have been digitized, and they are always looking to hear of any out there not listed.

8.Census

• Quebec 1881
• Quebec 1901
• Ontario 1881

This is a transcription database. There are no images attached.

9.Notarized Documents

This indexed database contains images for noarized documents throughout Quebec from 1800-1980. You can search by name, by notary, by date and by document type.

10.Postcards

Over 250,000 postcards have been digitized and indexed. You can search by sender and recipient. They cover the years 1980-2002, and deal mostly with Quebec.

11.Acadia

There are over 96,000 family files of Acadian families in this collection. Covering 1621-1849, it includes BMD information. There are links to original records, and in some cases birth entries will include links to subsequent marraige and/or burial entries for the family. It can be searched by name, parish and date.

12.Druoin Institute's miscellaneous Collections

This is a mixed bag of several different sources. There are digital images. Here is a screenshot showing what sources are in the database

https://www.genealogiequebec.com/en/tools

13.BMD Cards
This is a collection of index cards showing baptism, marriage, and burials. The database shows you the image of the index card, but not the original documents. They cover 1621-2000, and were provided by the Quebec Family History Society. They cover Quebec, Ontario and United States.


14.City Directories
If your ancestors lived in Montreal or Quebec City, you'll want to delve into this collection. They are fully digitized, but not fully indexed. The Lovell directories for Montreal cover 1843-2000. The Marcotte directories for Quebec City and the surrounding area cover 1822-1904. However, it does not have all years.


Look at what you get for only $100 per year! Even if you don't want to commit to a year, the daily and monthly options are also extremely affordable. 

Vital Statistics Part 6 - Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut

In the first 5 parts, we've traveled across the Provinces from the Maritimes to British Columbia. In the final installment of the series, we're going to look at the Canadian Territories.

Source: http://ontheworldmap.com/canada/province/yukon/yukon-road-map.html

Yukon
Yukon was originally part of the Northwest Territories. The first non native person to reach the Yukon was Sir John Franklin in 1825. Though the Hudson's Bay Company kept contacts in the area, we didn't really see a boom in population until the 1890's during the Gold Rush. Some civil registration records go back to this time period, but they are very scarce. Records did not become more complete until the 1930s and 1940s. All records are held by Yukon Health and Social Services. Fees for documents are only $10.00, which is nice to see. These are their guidelines on access:

Birth Certificates:

• The person named on the certificate
• The recorded parents
• Written authorization of one of the above
• Guardian of the person named (proof required)
• Executor of the Estate ( copy of death certificate required)

Marriage Certificates:

• Either party of the marriage
• Written authorization of one of the above

Death Certificates:

• You must show valid reason for obtaining the certificate

This series of articles is about civil registration. However, from the initial research that I've done so far, someone researching here is definitely going to have to think "outside the box". The records are just too new and incomplete to go about it the same way as you would for other areas of Canada. So I'm including links to the Yukon Genealogy website and their PDF download "Genealogical Research at the Yukon Archives". If you have an ancestor that was in the Yukon, you'll need these links.

The FamilySearch wiki on Yukon civil registration is here

Ancestry has a very small Yukon BMD collection here

Cyndi's List has BMD links for all three Territories together here

Source: http://ontheworldmap.com/canada/province/northwest-territories/nwt-road-map.html

Northwest Territories
This area has been a part of Canada since 1870. Before this it was owned by the Hudson's Bay Company and the British Government. At various points it has included parts or all of the Yukon, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Nunavut, Ontario, and Quebec. Vital Statistics go back to 1925, but as with Yukon they are incomplete. All records are kept by Health and Social Services. Fees are $20.00. Here are the guidelines for access:

Birth Certificates:

• Person named on the certificate
• Recorded parents
• Written authorization of one of the above
• Legal representative of the child or parents
• Child or grandchild of the person named
• A person who needs it for legal purposes
• An officer of the Crown or government employee who needs it in the official duties

Marriage certificates:

• Either party of the marriage
• Legal representative of either party
• Parents or guardian if the party was under 18 at the time of marriage
• Children of the marriage, for legal purposes
• Written authorization of either party
• A person who needs it for legal purposes
• An officer of the Crown or government employee who needs it in the official duties

Death certificates:

• Member of the immediate family or next of kin
• A person who needs it for legal purposes
• An officer of the Crown or government employee who needs it in the official duties

The Northwest Territories looks to be another area where you will have to be creative for BMDs. I looked, but there does not seem to be any genealogy information or links on any of the government websites. I would suggest looking at GenealogySearch.org for helpful links.

The FamilySearch wiki on civil registration of the NWT is here.

Ancestry has no collection unique to the Northwest Territories. However, they suggest you look at the broader collections that are here.

Cyndi's List's Territorial collection of BMD links is in the above Yukon collection.

Source: http://ontheworldmap.com/canada/province/nunavut/map-of-nunavut-with-cities-and-towns.html

Nunavut
Our newest area of Canada, Nunavut came into existence in 1999. For records before then, researchers will have to look at the Northwest Territories. Nunavut records are held by Registrar General. I went onto the Government of Nunavut website. It is very difficult to navigate. It was only by typing in "Birth Certificates" in the search box was I able to find out information. Here's the guidelines:

Birth Certificates (fee is $10.00):

• Person named on the certificate
• The recorded parents
• Written authorization of one of the above
• Legal representative of the person named
• Spouse of the named person
• A person requiring it for legal purposes
• An officer of the Crown or government employee needing it in their official duties

Marriage certificates (fee is $25.00):

• Either party of the marriage
• Legal representative of either party
• Parent or guardian of either party if they were under 18 at the time of marriage
• Children of the marriage if needed for legal purposes
• Written authorization of either party
• A person needing it for legal purposes
• An officer of the Crown or government employee requiring it in the official duties

Death Certificates (fee is $10.00):

• Immediate family or next of kin
• A person needing it for legal purposes
• An officer of the Crown or government employee needing it in their official duties

A search using the word "genealogy" had no results. Like the NWT, I would look at  GenealogySearch.org for helpful links.

There is no wiki on Nunavut on FamilySearch.

As with the Northwest Territories, there are no unique Nunavut collections on Ancestry. They suggest using the collections listed here

The Cyndi's List links on civil registration in the Territories is in the Yukon section.


As this series of posts has shown, navigating Canadian records depends a great deal on provincial legislation. Some areas are more "genealogist friendly" than others. Happy searching!

Vital Statistics Part 5 - Alberta and British Columbia

In the next to last installment of the series, we're looking at Alberta and British Columbia.

Source: http://ontheworldmap.com/canada/province/alberta/alberta-road-map.html

Alberta
Alberta became a province in 1905. However, there are some civil registration records that go back to 1898, when it was still considered part of the Northwest Territories. Older record are in the custody of the Provincial Archives of Alberta. they hold live births older than 120 years old, still births over 75 years, marriages over 75 years, and deaths over 50 years.

One of the great things about the PAA's website is that clicking on the "How to" link for genealogy, it will explain in detail what they have and where to find it. Unlike other sites I've examined, they also have a PDF download on various indexes right on their website. I clicked on the first link "Marriage Registrations 1898-1902 (GR1983.0236)", and on the index it gives the following information:

• PAA no.
• Name of the couple
• Collection it comes from
• Year of marriage
• Access code
• Use conditions
• Container number
• Remarks
• Description on the status of the record

Copies of the record are $10.50. You will not get a photocopy. You will get a typed transcript instead. Also take note that you do not get same day service by going to the Archives in person. All requests can take up to 10 days.

If you are looking for records more recent than the above guidelines, then you need to go through Service Alberta. Here are their requirements to access:

Birth Certificates:

• Yourself (if over 14 years old), or the parent of the person on the document
• Guardian, trustee or legal representative (proof required)
• Person with a court order (proof required)
• If the person is deceased, only adult next of kin or legal representatives of the deceased's estate can apply. A death certificate, proof of relationship, and/or proof of representation must be supplied. Next of kin is defined as parent, sibling, child, spouse, or "adult interdependent partner". If there are none of the above eligible, then an adult relative may apply. 

Marriage Certificates:

• Either party of the marriage
• Guardian, trustee, or legal representative (proof required)
• A person with a court order (proof required)
• If deceased, the adult next of kin or legal representatives can apply. Next of kin qualification is the same as with birth certificates, as is the requirement of proof. If there is no eligible next of kin, then an adult relative can apply.

Death Certificates

• Adult next of kin. Same requirements apply as for birth and marriage certificates. As well, if there are no eligible next of kin, then an adult relative may apply.
• Legal representative of the estate (proof required)
• Guardian of the deceased (proof required)
• A person with a court order (proof required)
• A person who had joint tenancy with the deceased (proof required)
• Funeral home representative

There are no eligibility requirements for a search. They will tell you if a record was found, but they will not provide you with any other information.

The FamilySearch wiki on BMD's is here

You can access Ancestry's BMD collection here

Cyndi's List of links for Alberta Vital Statistics is here

UPDATE March 1, 2017: See Shannon Switzer Cherkowski's tip on the Provincial Archives of Alberta below in the comments section. By getting photocopies from them, you can save yourself some money on fees.

UPDATE March 22, 2017: The Provincial Archives of Alberta now has indexes online for vital statistics. You will not see the actual record, or a transcription. What you will get is name, location and registration number and year . Use this information when you submit a request to the Archives. Note that the same restrictions apply for access as before. The indexes can also be downloaded to your computer.

Births 1870-1879:
The indexes are organized alphabetically by surname.

Marriages 1870-1942
There are three indexes. The first is by Bride's name, the second is by Groom's name, and the third is Indigenous Marriages. Each index is then further broken down alphabetically by surname.

Deaths 1870-1967
There are four sets of indexes for deaths. The first two are Deaths 1877-1950, and Deaths 1925-1966. They are both further broken down alphabetically by surname. The third is Indigenous Deaths. 

It is broken down alphabetically, but there is also a sub index labelled "Inuit". The last set is called Overseas Deaths.  

Source: http://ontheworldmap.com/canada/province/british-columbia/bc-road-map.html

British Columbia

British Columbia became a province in 1871. Civil Registration officially began in 1872. Some records are from earlier than that but not all records have survived. Older records are at British Columbia Archives. They have births 1854-1903, marriages in two databases that together go from 1859-1940, and deaths from 1872-1995. I searched under their genealogy database for the last name BOUTILIER. One of my distant Nova Scotia Boutilier relatives came up under marriages. By clicking on the link, I was able to see the digital image of his marriage registration. I could then save it to my computer by right clicking on the image. I did notice however that not all results had digital images attached. 

Record requests go through the British Columbia Vital Statistics Agency. After some navigating of the site I was able to find out how to get certificates for genealogical purposes. The fee is $50.00. They will do a search, and if there is a record then you will get a copy. If there is no record, then the $50.00 is considered a search fee.

Here are their access requirements:

Birth Certificates:

• Person named or parents named on the certificate
• Guardian (proof required)
• Person with written consent of any of the above.
• If the person is deceased for less than 20 years, then a relative may apply (proof of relationship required).
• If the person has been deceased more than 20 years, and if the record is more than 120 years old, then anyone may apply. You will need to provide proof of death if the record is less than 120 years old.

Marriage Certificates:

• Persons named on the certificate
• Written authorization from either marriage party
• If one of the parties is deceased, then a relative may apply. You will have to show both proof of death and proof of relationship.
• If BOTH parties are deceased more than 20 years then anyone can apply as long as they show proof of death.
• If they record was created more than 75 years ago then anyone can apply.

Death Certificates:

• A relative of the deceased. Proof of relationship is required.
• Written consent of the above
• If the death is more than 20 years old, then anyone may apply.

In all three types the definition of relative is parent, child, sibling, spouse, grandparent or grandchild. 

Family Search wiki on BMDs is here

Ancestry's BC BMD page is here

Cyndi's List collection of BC links is here

Part 6 will be the last post of the series. In it we'll take a look at Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut.

Vital Statistics Part 4 - Manitoba and Saskatchwan

Well, we've made it through the Maritimes, Ontario, and Quebec. Now we're going to start across the Prairies and look at Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

Source: http://ontheworldmap.com/canada/province/manitoba/manitoba-road-map.html

Manitoba
Although Manitoba became a province in 1870, civil registration did not begin until 1882. However, compliance was an issue until around 1920. Therefore the records before 1920 are sporadic.

Unlike the other provinces we've looked at so far, all records are held at the Vital Statistics Agency. They do not transfer older records to the Provincial Archives.

If you click on the website's "genealogy" link, it says that certain records are not restricted. They are;

• Births 100 years or older
• Marriages 80 years or older
• Deaths 70 years or older

Search and document fees are $30.00. 

All other records are restricted. These records have the following criteria for access:

Birth certificates:

• Person named on the certificate
• Parents named on the certificate, or the child's legal guardian (proof of guardianship required)
• Representative of one of the above (written proof must accompany the application)

Marriage certificates:

• Either party of the marriage
• Parents or children of the parties if both are deceased
• Representative of one of the above (written proof must accompany the request)

Death certificates:

Anyone with a valid reason can get a death certificate. Only next of kin of the deceased can get a copy of a death registration.

The FamilySearch Wiki link for Manitoba is here

Ancestry's BMD collection for Manitoba is here

Cyndi's List's Manitoba BMD links are here

Source: http://ontheworldmap.com/canada/province/saskatchewan/saskatchewan-road-map.html

Saskatchewan

Even though Saskatchewan didn't become a province until 1905, there are records of civil registration that go back as far as 1878. Like Manitoba though, they were not strictly enforced until around 1920.

Again like Manitoba, there are no BMDs transferred to Provincial Archives. All records are kept at Vital Statistics eHealth Saskatchewan.

Under the "genealogy" tab, it states that you can access their Genealogy Index for:

• Births more than 100 years old
• Marriages more than 75 years old
• Deaths more than 70 years old

Take note: This is a new work in progress from the looks of things. Births are indexed. Deaths are available up to 1916. Marriages are NOT available yet.

Once you have located the record in the index, you can then order a genealogical copy for $50.00. It will be stamped on it "for genealogical purposes only". I don't have any Saskatchewan ancestors that I know of, but I put in "John McDonald". He's my biggest brick wall ancestor. I know he wasn't born in Saskatchewan. Trust me though, that has got to be one of the most common names in early Canada, so I knew I would get lots of hits. I got 17 results in births, and 23 in deaths.

Now, Saskatchewan seems to have much stricter policies than other provinces to access to copies of records. These guidelines apply no matter if the record falls into the time frames above or not:

Birth certificates:

• Person named on the certificate if they are over 15 years old
• Parents listed on the certificate if the person is under 18 years old
• Legal guardian (proof must be submitted with application)
• Representative of one of the above (proof must be submitted with application)
• A person who needs it to prove Metis or Treaty Status (proof must be provided with application)
• Court appointed Guardian or Trustee of the person named
• Representative of Social Services of First Nations Child and Family Services acting on the person's behalf
• A Saskatchewan court order or subpoena (copy of order must be submitted)
• A spouse ONLY if the person is deceased

Marriage certificates:

• Either party of the marriage
• An adult child of the marriage
• A representative of any of the above (written authorization required)
• Legal custodian of one of the above (proof required)
• A person needing to prove Metis or Treaty Status (proof required)
• Representative of one of the parties' estate (proof required)
• Saskatchewan court order or subpoena (copy of order must be submitted)

Death certificates;

• Spouse if married at time of death. I assume this means the divorced spouse cannot apply.
• The parent named on the registered birth of the deceased
• An adult child of the deceased (18 years or older)
• Legal custodian of one of the deceased (proof required)
• Representative of the estate (proof required)
• A person needing to prove Metis or Treaty Status (proof required)
• Saskatchewan court order or subpoena (copy of order must be submitted)
• A person who is a joint tenant and needs to prove death for land title purposes (proof of joint tenancy required)
• Death registrations can only be given to professionals either involved in the death registration, or needing it in the course of their duties

As well, for any of the above, you will also need to submit one piece of government ID as proof of who you are. Or, you can submit two pieces of non photo ID, but one of them must have your signature. 

FamilySearch wiki on Saskatchewan BMD is here

Ancestry's Saskatchewan BMD collection is here

Cyndi's Lists's Saskatchewan civil registration links are here

In Part 5 we will look at Alberta and Saskatchewan. 

Vital Statistics- Part 3 - Ontario and Quebec

In the first two parts of this series we looked at the Maritime Provinces. Now let's look at Ontario and Quebec.

Source: http://ontheworldmap.com/canada/province/quebec/quebec-road-map.html

Quebec
One of the oldest settled areas of Canada, Quebec has BMD records that go back as far as 1621. Records up to as late as 1993 were mainly just copies of church entries. By law, churches were required to send copies to government archives. In 1994, the government started keeping their own vital records sets. From about 1926, you did not need a church record to register a life event. As of the 1960's, some births and marriages were being registered only in the civil registers.

Records before up to 1915 are held by the Bibliotheque et Archives nationale du Quebec (BANQ).
My own Quebec ancestry is before 1800. My own needs on vital statistics in Quebec has been serviced by the Drouin, so I do not have experience myself in using BANQ. The majority of it is in French, but with the "Franglais" I heard as a child and my French classes through school, I was able to navigate it fairly easily. I use Chrome as a browser, and was able to translate some of the pages as well.

After 1915, you must go through the Directeur de l'etat civil. Here are their guidelines on certificates, or "acts":

Birth certificates:

• If living, you must be one of the people named on the certificate, or someone representing them. You will need to submit an explanation if you are not the named person, and a copy of a document showing you are acting on their behalf.
• If deceased, you can apply if you are the spouse, child, or sibling. However, you will have to show proof of relationship.
• As the applicant, you will also have to verify your own identity with a photocopy of two documents. One must be photo ID and one must show your address. Their website lists all recognized forms of ID.

Marriages Certificates:

The requirements are the same as birth certificates.

Death Certificates:

Requirements are the same as birth certificates.

Unlike some provinces, I did not find anything on their website about doing genealogical searches for a life event. I am assuming they will not conduct searches. If I am wrong, then by all means let me know and I will update.

The FamilySearch wiki on Quebec is here

Ancestry's Quebec BMD collection is here

Cyndi's List of Quebec BMD links is here

Source: http://ontheworldmap.com/canada/province/ontario/large-detailed-map-of-southern-ontario.html

Ontario

In Ontario, mandatory civil registration began on 1 July, 1869. Records are routinely transferred to the Archives of Ontario for indexing.  As of writing this, they have births 1869-1917, marriages 1801-1934, and deaths 1869-1944 on microfilm. There is also a collection of deaths overseas 1939-1942. Take note though that marriages before 1869 are rather sporadic and incomplete. Due to recent changes in legislation, birth registrations will now not be transferred to the archives until 104 years have passed. This means that we will not see 1918 births transferred until the year 2023. I know, I let out a groan for this too, because the births I'm interested in happened in the 1920s. Marriages for 1935 and deaths for 1945 have been transferred over, but are currently closed for indexing. Microfilms can be accessed through inter library loan.

Anything after these years are in the custody of the Office of the Registrar General. I've used their service, and it's a fairly simple process. Here are their guidelines:

Birth Certificates:

• If living, only the person named on the certificate, their parents or the guardians can apply. Guardianship must be proved.
• If deceased, then you must be next of kin, or the administrator of the estate, You will have to provide proof of death.

Marriage certificates:

• The parties to the marriage, the parents or children of the marriage, or their legal representatives can apply. Proof of legal representation is required.
• If one or both parties are deceased then next of kin can apply. Next of kin are parents, children and siblings. If they are all deceased then extended next of kin can apply. They are classified as aunts, uncles, cousins, nephews, nieces, grandchildren and grandparents.

Death Certificates:

There are no restrictions on death certificates. However, only next of kin or extended next of kin can apply for a certified statement of death.

The Registrar General will also do birth, marriage and death searches for a fee. This was a handy tool for me. My aunt and I had thought that my great grandparents had never married (long story). However, talking to my dad, I found out they actually had, but not until my aunt was a very young child. Using my aunts's year of birth and my great grandfather's year of death I was able to ask for a search of the intervening years. I received a letter stating that a marriage had indeed taken place, with the date of the marriage. We were then able to apply for the marriage certificate. Searches cost $15.00 for every 5 year period. 

The FamilySearch wiki on Ontario BMD's is here

Ancestrys' BMD collection is here

Cyndi's List BMD links for Ontario are here

In Part 4 we will continue westwards and look at Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

Vital Statistics Part 2- Nova Scotia and New Brunswick

Last week we looked at Newfound and Labrador, and Price Edward Island. Now let's look at Nova Scotia and New Brunswick:

Source: http://ontheworldmap.com/canada/province/nova-scotia/nova-scotia-road-map.html

Nova Scotia
Civil registration in Nova Scotia is rather convoluted. Marriages began as early as 1763. However, it was optional, and the surviving records are incomplete. Births and deaths didn't start until 1864, and these along with marriages continued until 1877. From 1877 to 1908 there is a noted lapse on births and deaths. Compliance was not enforced during this time period, so the records are hit and miss. From 1908 on wards, the records have been maintained continuously. But just because your ancestor falls into the "black hole" time periods, don't give up hope. For many years after 1908, the Vital Statistics Office offered a voluntary delayed birth registration process. This was so those people born before 1908 could have their birth officially recorded. This was especially helpful when applying for pensions and passports. Some of these delayed registrations go back to the mid 1800's.

Nova Scotia is one of the more "genealogist-friendly" provinces on access to BMD's. Once a specific time period is reached, records are transferred from the Vital Statistics Office, Service NS to the Nova Scotia Archives. The policy is 100 years for births, 75 years for marriages, and 50 years for deaths. The records are transferred at the end of the calendar year that the event occurred.

At the Archives, you can access the records by going to novascotiagenealogy.com. This site has been a huge part of my own research. Use the quick search to start. For instance, I typed in "Johnson, Freeman", my 2x great uncle. I got 4 possible marriages, and 3 possible deaths. His name isn't that common though, so there weren't that many hits. His father James Johnson is a much more common name. I got 22 births, 69 marriages, and 67 deaths. Now keep in mind they list results chronologically, not alphabetically, so you'll have to flip through no matter if they are James A Johnson or James R Johnson. Under the results is an advanced search option if you need to narrow things down a bit. By clicking on "view" next to the entry, you can see a digital image of the original record. What I love is that you have the option to buy a copy of the record as well right on the site. A digital copy costs $11.17, and a paper copy $22.39.

If you're looking for a record that hasn't been transferred to the Archives, then you will have to go through Vital Statistics. These are their guidelines:

Birth Certificates:

• They will not issue birth certificates less than 100 years ago for genealogy.

Marriage Certificates

• Short form certificates do not seem to have a restriction.
• Long form certificates are restricted. 

Death Certificates

• They will only issue death certificates after 20 years and if the person would be 75 years old or older.

Now, one of the great things about Service NS is that they have a link for genealogists. It explains in detail what you can and cannot apply for. They also offer limited searches for a fee. You can take a look at the fee structure and helpful hints here.

The FamilySearch wiki for Nova Scotia vital records is here.

Ancestry's collection of Nova Scotia vital statistics can be viewed here.

Cyndi's List's collection of links can be viewed here.

Source: http://ontheworldmap.com/canada/province/new-brunswick/new-brunswick-road-map.html

New Brunswick
Marriages in New Brunswick began registration in 1812, but births and deaths were not required to be registered until 1888. Originally it was done at the county level. It wasn't until 1920 that all registrations were to be forwarded onto the Registrar General. Not all of the original county books from 1888 to 1919 have survived. Missing are the counties of Westmorland, Sunbury, and Madawaska.

The Registrar General annually transfers records to the Provincial Archives of New Brunswick (PANB). The policy seems to be 95 years for births, and about 50 years for marriages and deaths. Right now on their website, you can access births to 1921, and marriages and deaths to 1965.

Now the PANB is one of my favourite sites. They are one of the most "genealogist-friendly" sites out there, As an added bonus, their site is geared to those of us researching from a distance.  Most of the BMD entries are accompanied by a digital image. The absolute best thing is that they can be downloaded to your computer FOR FREE! One thing to keep in mind is that PANB indexes the records with the exact spelling that is on the document. So be prepared to use soundex and name variations. The other good thing is that they've indexed birth records not only by the child's name but by the parents' names as well. For instance, I typed in Anne MCLAUGHLIN, my great grandmother. In the search results, along with her marriage to my great grandfather Patrice MALLAIS, there were registrations for 3 of their children.

For more recent BMDs, you must go through Service New Brunswick. These are their guidelines on access:

Birth certificates:

• If it is not for yourself, then you must have written permission from that person, or proof of death.
• If you are the parent of the person whose certificate you are applying for, you don't need permission if they are under 19 years old.

Marriage Certificates:

• If you are not one of the parties listed on the certificate, then you need written permission from them, or proof of death

Death Certificates:

There does not seem to be a restriction on who can apply for a death certificate. 

Service New Brunswick will do searches for more recent records. There is a fee of $15 for a three year search, and $10 for each subsequent three year search. They will not issue a certificate, but will give you a "statement of facts" if a record is located. 

FamilySearch's wiki of New Brunswick vital statistics is here.

Ancestry's New Brunswick vital statistics are here.

Cyndi's List of New Brunswick links is here.

In Part 3 we will look at Quebec and Ontario.

Vital Statistics- Part 1 Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island

The three main records all genealogists look for are birth, marriage, and death. We refer to these as the BMD's. It's from these three events that we build the rest of our records around. So where do we find them?

Registrations for the BMD's is handled by provincial and territorial governments. Each has started registration at different times, and have different regulations on public access. So, lets take a look at each province and territory.

Source: http://ontheworldmap.com/canada/province/newfoundland-and-labrador/newfoundland-and-labrador-road-map.html

Newfoundland and Labrador 

Civil registration began in 1891. Before this, the only records available are church records. The only way to obtain a copy is through Service NL. However, at the provincial archives (The Rooms), you can look at microfilms of some records. According to their website, they have on microfilm births 1891-1899, marriages 1891-1922, and deaths 1891-1949.

According to Service NL, you can get a copies with the following conditions:

Birth Certificate:

• If it is for yourself (you must be at least 16 years old)
• You are the parent or guardian (with proof of guardianship)
• Have written authorization from one of the above
• A court order or if it is to comply with a specific Act or regulation (proof is required)
• If the person is deceased you need proof of death. As well you need to be next of kin, or the executor, trustee or administrator of the estate. If not, you need written authorization from one of these people

Marriage Certificate:

• Either party of the marriage
• Written authorization from either party
• A court order
• If both parties are deceased, then proof of death is required. You would still need to be the child or parent of one of the parties, or the executor, trustee, or administrator of the estate. If not, you will need written authorization of one of these people

Death Certificates

There are no restrictions on who can apply for a death certificate.

The FamilySearch wiki on Newfoundland and Labrador has details of FamilySearch's holdings. You can access their page here.

Ancestry does not have a lot of Newfoundland and Labrador records. Click here to see the list.

Cyndi's List has a collection of links for vital statistics here.

Source: http://ontheworldmap.com/canada/province/prince-edward-island/large-detailed-map-of-pei-with-cities-and-towns.html

Prince Edward Island

Though marriage licenses were issued as far back as 1787, government birth and death registrations did not start until 1906. At their provincial archives online section (PARO), they have baptisms 1777-1923, marriage licenses 1827-1919, and deaths pre 1906. They also have deaths 1906-1916. Deaths from 1917-1919 are in the process of data entry. Deaths from 1920-1960 are also available. To obtain copies you must go through the government. On their website the following rules of access apply:

Birth Certificate:

• you or a parent can apply, as long as the parent's name is on the registration
• written authorization from the person or the person's parents
• a lawyer acting on your or your parents' behalf
• a court order

Marriage certificate:

It does not say on their website who can apply if you are not either one of the parties involved

Death Certificates:

It does not say on their website who can apply.

Now that being said, I did find this website called PEI Island Information. On it's website it says the following about the vital statistics office:

"This office holds an index of baptisms for the period from 1886-1919, and official birth records from 1840-present, marriage records from 1886-present, and death records from 1906-present. This information is not open to the public, however, a staff member will check the records and issue a certificate if the record is 100 years old or older for a fee if you are a direct descendent of the person whose record you wish to obtain."

 The last update to this website was in 2014. My suggestion would be to contact the government to find out exactly what the restrictions are.

FamilySearch's wiki on PEI is here.

A list of Ancestry's PEI records can be accessed here.

Cyndi's List for Vital Statistics can be accessed here.

In Part 2 we'll look at Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.