Yukon Ancestors: Find your Yukon ancestors with the Yukon & Alaska Geneaology Centre

 One of the drawbacks to Yukon genealogy research is the lack of online record sets. A good site to help your research is YukonAlaska.com. 

http://yukonalaska.com/pathfinder/gen/

The site has compiled information from the massive 6,000 page database from Murray Lundberg. They have organized the information into several categories. 

Historic Yukon & Alaska Hotels, Roadhouses, Saloons & Cafes Index - Proprietors and Managers

While everyone thinks of the gold rush miners, there were many others who flocked to the Yukon. Some of them made their money by operating establishments that catered to the miners. This alphabetical list of over 1200 names Includes many women, which is exciting to see. Women tend to be left out of historical records if they didn't come from wealthy backgrounds. Each entry gives the name of the establishment they own or ran, location, and years it operated. Some enterprising souls ran more than one. here's a section of the D's that show several people that belonged to more than one venture

http://yukonalaska.com/pathfinder/gen/rhse_ownersDG.html

Index to British Yukon Navigation Company Employment Applications at the Yukon Archives

The British Yukon Navigation Company's River Division built and ran steamer ships, and dominated the traffic of the Yukon river for the first half of the 20th century. This handy index lists all the personnel records held by the Yukon Archives. If you find your ancestor, you can order a copy of the file from the Archives' website. 

Information that can be found in the employee files can include:

• age, possibly birth date as well
• marital status
• birthplace
• names and address of parents if living, or next of kin and relationship if parents are deceased
• years experience in the steam boat industry
• past injuries, extent and who their employer was at the time
• work history -includes the ship and line
• last employer and reason for leaving
• emergency contact
• certificates obtained
• signature

The amount of information you can get from these records make me wish I had a steamboat ancestor. The finding aid from the Yukon Archives states that the occasional record from the Air Division is included in the fonds.

 Ship Passenger Lists

This section lists the passengers on the following ships in 1899

• Gleaner 
• Lully C 
• Ruth
• Clifford Sifton

They have also provided a link to Explore North's comprehensive lists of vessels that traveled within both Alaska and the Yukon.

The Matanuska Colony: The New Deal in Alaska

This takes you to another page on the Explore North website. It provides a good overview of the history of the Alaskan colony. It also gives the names of the 203 families living in the colony at the time when the draws for land tracts was held. Though this section is not Canadian history per se, there was much travelling between Alaska and the Yukon in the past. It's worth a look if there are gaps in your ancestor's history.

http://www.explorenorth.com/alaska/matanuska_colony.html

Klondike Stampeders

If your ancestor was an American or Australian who got gold fever, you might find them on these lists. There are four lists, compiled from the "Pan for Gold" database at the Dawson Museum in Dawson City, Yukon

• Klondike Stampeders from Montana (approximately 620 names)
• Klondike Stampeders from Australia (approximately 260 names)
• Klondike Stampeders from California (over 4,000 names)
• Klondike Stampeders from Seattle, Washington (over 4,000 names)

The lists show what checkpoint they came into the Yukon through. You can find out the date and checkpoint. They also have death/departure details for many. For those who died, they list the death date and location. For those who left, they list departure date and address they are going to. A separate group of those who died in the Chilkoot Avalanche in 1897/98 have their own section. here's the list of California 

http://yukonalaska.com/pathfinder/gen/CaliforniaDb.htm

Biographies of Yukon & Alaska Pioneers

This section takes you a series of biographies of people connected to Alaska, the Yukon, and the Arctic in general. Some listed can be as simple as an obituary. Others are extensive, including photos are reference material for further reading. Here's part of the biography for the colorful John Leonard, who was a balloonist in the Yukon in 1899. It even has a photo.

http://www.explorenorth.com/library/bios/leonard-john-balloonist.html

Other Yukon & Alaska Genealogy Resources

This last section contains links to help you further your research. It has links that cover not only Alaska and Yukon, but the Northwest Territories and Nunavut too. 

52 Ancestors: Week 27 - Finding Ancestors in Yukon Newspapers

This week's 52 Ancestors theme is "Independent". When I think independent, the first thing that comes to my mind is those that settled in the Yukon. Whether the attraction was the gold rush in last years of the 19th century, or homesteaders going off the grid in the 20th and 21st centuries, the Yukon has always attracted those with an independent spirit.

One of the problems with Yukon research is that the records just aren't there like in the more settled areas of Canada. According to Statistics Canada, the population of the Yukon in 2017 was estimated to be just under 40,000. That's present day. Can you imagine how sparsely populated it was in the late 1890s, when 100,000 gold seekers descended on the area in the space of 3 years.

Though civil registration started in the Yukon in about the same time as the Gold Rush, it was sporadic at best. It wasn't until about 1930 that it was a standard practice to record births, marriages and deaths. Early church records are dependent on the diligence of the missionaries. Anyone who has tried to research missionary church records in other areas of Canada know that they can be haphazard at best, and non existent at worst.

Newspapers were an important source of information for the sparsely populated areas in general. I imagine they would have been especially important for those in the Yukon. Even if your ancestor didn't permanently settle in the Yukon, newspapers might your best chance of finding a record of them while they passed through. Here's a few interesting tidbits I found looking through Yukon newspapers:

In Dawson City in 1903, there was a growing problem of "women offenders":

Apparently in 1901 in Whitehorse, a Mr. Fred Trump felt the need to let everyone know that he no longer employed a Mr. Ernest Levin, and was no longer responsible for the man's debts:

Here's one about a young man having his feet frozen from the Klondike Nugget in 1898. He had falsely been reported dead in Seattle newspapers.

So where to find newspapers?

Google News Archive
This is an underused resource by many genealogists i general. They have several runs of digitized newspapers from the Yukon. These are not complete runs by any means. However, the digital images are incredibly clear and sharp. I've provided links to the newspapers I've found:

• Dawson Daily News  1901, 1903-1924
• The Dawson Record 1903
• The Yukon Sun (Dawson) 1899-1904
• The Yukon World (Dawson) 1904-1905
• The Weekly Star (Whitehorse) 1903 and 1904
• Whitehorse Star 1901-1904

Yukon Archives

The Yukon Archives has both microfilmed and original newspapers. Along with Yukon newspapers, they also have collections of newspapers from cities in North America that were also affected by the Gold Rush. They participate in inter library loan, which is exciting. You can find their contact information here. This is what their website says about their newspaper collection:

...The newspaper collection consists of over 50 individual mastheads, including the Dawson Daily News, 1899-1953; Klondike Nugget, 1898-1903; Yukon Sun, 1899-1904; Whitehorse Star, 1901-to date, and other early Yukon newspapers in their original form and on microfilm. To augment local coverage, the Archives has microfilm of 1897-1898 papers from major North American cities which were affected by the Gold Rush; such as Seattle, San Francisco, Edmonton and Vancouver. The Archives also subscribes to more than 40 northern oriented current newspapers, including Yukon community papers...

The Yukoner
This free history magazine has biographies, historical accounts, photos and stories. They were 32 issues, and they are free to download from the site.


Canadiana
Of course Canadiana would have digitized newspapers. Is there anything this site doesn't have? A search of Yukon newspapers gave me:

• Yukon Daily Morning World The years stated say 1853-1855, but what I saw were dates in the early 1900's
• The Klondike Nugget 173 issues from 1898-1900
• Klondike Morning Times 2 issues from 1897

While searching for your Yukon adventurer, don't forget to check out Northern British Columbia and Alaskan newspapers. Both places often reported on what was going on in the Yukon. This is especially true not only during the Gold Rush, but when the Alaska Highway was being built.

52 Ancestors: Week 9 - The Canadian Court System and where to find records

Week 9 of 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks has the prompt "At the Courthouse". If you're new to Canadian research, it is important to know a little about the Canadian Court System to find the records you need.

There are two main court systems that genealogists concern themselves with. The Provincial/ Territorial Courts, and the Provincial Supreme Court (or Court of the Queen's Bench). The majority of records that genealogists look for will be in one of these two options. Of course, as with anything else, each province does things a little differently. So who covers what?

Newfoundland and Labrador

The Newfoundland Provincial Court handles the following:

• Youth crimes
• Civil Court cases up to $25,000
• Criminal cases except Indictable Offenses (also known as Felonies in the American Court system)
• Inquiries of accidental or mysterious deaths or fires
• Family law  (Adoption, Child Support, Paternity, Marriages not performed in a church, for example)
• Provincial Offenses

The Supreme Court of Newfoundland handles the following:

• Civil Court cases over $25,000
• Wills and Estates
• Divorce
• Guardianship of minors' personal affairs and finances
• Appeals of decisions from the Provincial Courts
• Criminal Cases of Indictable Offenses

Take note that in some areas of Newfoundland, there is no Family Court at the Provincial Court. In these cases, one would look to the Supreme Court for the records pertaining to Family law.

Prince Edward Island

The Provincial Court of Prince Edward Island handles minor criminal cases, Youth Law, and provincial offences

The Supreme Court of Prince Edward Island handles the following:

• Wills and Estates
• All Family Law
• Small Claims Court
• More serious criminal cases
• Appeals from tribunals and the Provincial Court

The Prince Edward Island Court of Appeal handles the appeals from the other two courts.

Nova Scotia

The Provincial Court of Nova Scotia has jurisdiction of the following:

• All criminal cases except Murder
• Inquiries into suspicious deaths
• Youth Justice Act
• Family Court  matters outside the municipalities of Cape Breton and Halifax
• Small Claims Court handles civil cases under $25,000
• Provincial Offenses

The Supreme Court of Nova Scotia presides over:

• Murder cases
• Family law in the municipal districts of Cape Breton and Halifax
• Appeals from the lower Courts
• Divorce
• Bankruptcy
• Civil cases over $25,000

Wills and Estates are handles through the Probate Court of Nova Scotia.

Nova Scotia Court of Appeal is where final appeals from the Supreme Court are held.

New Brunswick

The Provincial Court of New Brunswick handles:

• Youth Criminal Justice
• Criminal matters except murder
• Provincial offenses

The Court of Queen's Bench of New Brunswick handles:

• Murder cases
• The Family Law division handles all matters relating to Family Law
• Appeals of the Provincial Court
• All Civil cases

Wills and Estates are handled through the Probate Court of New Brunswick.

The New Brunswick Court of Appeal handles appeals from the Court of Queen's Bench.

Quebec

Because of the complex balancing act that Quebec performs between French and English law, the first thing you should do is read the Court of Quebec's webpage of their history. Quebec is unique to the rest of Canada in that it's civil code originated from French law, yet it's criminal code follows English law.

The Court of Quebec is divided into divisions. According to the website, the Civil Division handles 

 "...all plaintiff claims involving monetary value or interest – in relation to the object of the dispute – that are less than $85,000, except claims for alimony, class actions and those reserved for the Federal Court of Canada...".  

If the amount of the claim is less than $15,000, it is handled by the Small Claims Court. 

The Criminal and Penal Division handles any criminal proeedings that are not under the jurisdiction of the Provincial Superior Court.

The Youth Division handles:

• Youth Criminal Justice
• Adoption
• Welfare of Minors

The Superior Court of Quebec has jurisdiction over:

• Appeals of other Courts
• Family Law
• Bankruptcies
• Civil cases over $70,000
• Jury Trials in Criminal matters
• Wills and Estates

The Court of Appeal of Quebec handles appeals from the Superior Court, and also in lower courts in certain circumstances.

Ontario

The Ontario Court of Justice has jurisdiction over:

• Family law is practiced in the Family Court
• Most criminal cases are tried in the Criminal Court
• Provincial offenses
• Child Protection
• Adoptions
• Youth Criminal Justice

The Ontario Superior Court of Justice handles:

• Appeals from lower Courts
• Serious Criminal Matters
• Wills and Estates 
• Bankruptcy
• All civil matters. If under $25,000 it is handled through the Small Claims Court
• All Family Law not covered by the Ontario Court of Justice
• Divorce

Keep in mind matters relating to spousal or child support, and child custody/ access can be handled by either court.

The Court of Appeal for Ontario handles appeals from all lower courts.

Manitoba
The Provincial Court of Manitoba has jurisdiction over almost all criminal matters. Outside of Winnipeg, they also handle a limited amount of Family Law.

The Court of Queen's Bench has 2 divisions:

The General Division deals with criminal and civil litigation matters. The also hear appeals from the Provincial Court.

The Family Division handles all cases pertaining to Family Law and Child Welfare.

The Court of Queen's Bench is also where Wills and Estates are handled.

The Manitoba Court of Appeal handles the appeals from the lower courts.

Saskatchewan
The Saskatchewan Provincial Court has jurisdiction over the following:

• Most criminal cases
• Civil cases up to $30,000
• Some Family Law matters, but only those outside Regina, Saskatoon and Prince Albert
• Traffic and municipal laws

The Court of Queen Bench for Saskatchewan handles:

• The most serious criminal cases
• Civil cases over $30,000
• Divorce and division of assets
• Custody and access to children
• Wills and Estates
• Appeals from the Provincial Court

The Court of Appeal handles appeals from the other courts

Alberta

The Provincial Court of Alberta has jurisdiction over:

• Most of the criminal cases 
• Most civil cases under $50,000
• Child support, custody and access
• Spousal support
• Guardianship

The Court of Queen's Bench of Alberta handles:

• The most serious criminal offenses
• Civil cases over $50,000
• Divorce and division of property
• Wills and Estates
• Appeals from the Provincial Court

The Court of Appeal of Alberta handles appeals from the other courts

British Columbia

The Provincial Court of British Columbia has jurisdiction over:

• Child Welfare
• Child custody and access
• Adult guardianship
• Spousal and child support
• Civil claims $5,001 to $35,000
• Most criminal cases
• Youth Criminal justice
• Provincial and municipal offenses

The Supreme Court of British Columbia handles

• Appeals from the Provincial Court
• Civil claims over $35,000
• Divorce and Division of Property
• Adoptions
• Wills and Estates

The Court of Appeal of British Columbia handles appeals from the lower courts.

Yukon

The Yukon Territorial Court has jurisdiction over:

• Most criminal cases
• Youth Justice cases
• Child protection
• Civil cases under $25,000

The Supreme Court of the Yukon handles:

• Appeals from the Territorial Court
• The most serious criminal cases
• Divorce and division of property
• Custody and Access
• Child and spousal support
• Wills and Estates

The Court of Appeal of Yukon handles appeals from the lower courts. Take note that the BC Court of Appeal also handles cases from the Yukon. If you can't find a record of it in the Yukon, check in Vancouver as well. The judges from this court also sit in the Appeals Courts of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.

Northwest Territories

The Territorial Court of the Northwest Territories has jurisdiction over:

• Most criminal cases
• Territorial offenses
• Child protection
• Custody and Support
• Civil cases up to $35,000

The Supreme Court of the Northwest Territories handles:

• Appeals from the Provincial Courts
• More serious criminal cases
• Divorce
• Wills and Estates
• Civil cases over $35,000

The Court of Appeal for the Northwest Territories handles appeals from the lower courts. The judges also sit in the Appeals Courts of the Yukon and Nunavut. In special cases, they can also deal with cases from Alberta.

Youth Justice cases be heard in either the Territorial Court or the Supreme Court.

Nunavut

The territory of Nunavut is unique in Canada. The Nunavut Court of Justice handles all civil, criminal, Probate, and Family Law matters. There is no division between a Territorial and Supreme Court.

The Nunavut Youth Court handles cases relating to Youth Criminal Justice.

The Nunavut Court of Appeal handles all appeals. The judges also sit for the Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Alberta Appeals Courts.

A final note, if your ancestor is Indigenous. Many of the Provinces have special courts for cases involving Indigenous or Aboriginal people. These courts work hand in hand with the Native communities. From what I understand, community elders have a say in matters that come before the courts, with a focus on reformation and community involvement.

52 Ancestors: Week 5 - Don't Forget to Check Out Libraries

This week's 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks prompt is "At the Library". Libraries are such an over looked resource for genealogy. There is so much focus given to Museums, Historical Societies and websites such as Ancestry and Family Search. People seem to forget that libraries can hold wealth of information as well, especially local history. A lot of genealogical and historical societies will provide copies of their work to a local library. If you're lucky enough to come across a library that have genealogy enthusiasts on staff, the amount of local history and information on local families is amazing.

The library systems of major urban centers are great sources for genealogy. They also have well developed websites to help you find out what they have on hand, along with virtual exhibitions. Most of them also provide links to local societies and archives as well. But don't forget about smaller cities and towns. Sometimes you can find better information there, because they have a much more focused area of service. Often they are also the archive of the area.

Another set of libraries to look into are University and College Libraries. Because of their academic nature, they often have copies of out of print books and journals. Photograph collections and research papers can also give you insight into your ancestors' lives. Some campus libraries have very specialized collections geared to their curriculum, so you never know what you might find.

In our digital age, libraries have had to become innovative to keep with the times. Many offer research services. Don't have an Ancestry, FindMyPast, or My Heritage subscription? Check your local library. Many offer free access through their computers on site. Want access to newspaper databases? Many libraries provide access to sites such as ProQuest of major newspapers. Some you can even access through their website from the comfort of your own home with a valid library card.
Provincial Archives such as the Archives of Ontario and the Provincial Archives of New Brunswick have inter library loan with libraries across the country. You can get microfilms sent to your library on loan. Pretty handy for researching from a distance.


I tried to compile a list of library websites for each province and territory. These lists are by no means complete. They are just a starting point.

Newfoundland and Labrador

• Newfoundland and Labrador Public Libraries
• Memorial University Libraries
• College of the North Atlantic
• Newfoundland Legislative Library

Prince Edward Island

• Prince Edward Island Public Libraries and Archives
• University of Prince Edward Island Robertson Library
• Holland College Library

Nova Scotia

• Nova Scotia Provincial Library - scroll down to access the links to each regional library system
• Libraries, Archives and Museums Nova Scotia
• Acadia University Vaughan Memorial Library
• Saint Mary's University Patrick Power Library
• Cape Breton University Library
• Dalhousie University Library
• Mount Saint Vincent University Library
• Nova Scotia Community College Libraries
• St. Francis Xavier University Angus L Macdonald Library
• Universite Sainte Anne Louis R Comeau Library
• University of King's College King's Library

New Brunswick

• New Brunswick Public Libraries
• Mount Allison University Library and Archives
• Legislative Library of New Brunswick
• University of New Brunswick Libraries
• University of Moncton Champlain Library
• University of Moncton Anselme-Chaisson Centre for Acadian Studies

Quebec

• Quebec City Public Libraries
• Montreal Public Libraries Network
• BAnQ
• Westmount Public Library
• Longueuil Public Libraries
• Ponte-Claire Public Library
• Bishop's University Library
• McGill University Library
• Concordia University Library
• University of Quebec Chicoutimi Paul Emile Boulet Library
• Universite of Quebec Montreal
• Universite of Quebec Rimouski
• Laval University Library

Ontario

• List of Ontario Public Libraries from the Government of Ontario
• Brock University Library
• Laurentian University Library and Archives
• City of Kawartha Lakes Library - I wrote a blog post of the Lindsay Branch. You can see it here.
• Carleton University MacOdrum Library
• University of Guelph Library
• Trent University Library and Achives
• Redeemer University College Library
• Queen's University Library
• Lakehead University Library
• McMaster University Library
• University of Toronto Library
• University of Waterloo Library
• Wilfred Laurier University Library
• Queen's University Library
• University of Ottawa Library
• York University Libraries

Manitoba

• List of Manitoba Public Libraries from the Manitoba Government
• Manitoba Libraries - scroll to the bottom to use the interactive map of all public and private libraries in the province
• Brandon University John E Robbins Library
• University of Manitoba Library
• University of Winnipeg Library

Saskatchewan

• Regina Public Library
• Saskatchewan Public Libraries Directory
• University of Saskatchewan Library
• University of Regina Dr. John Archer Library
• First Nations University of Canada Library

Alberta

• The Alberta Library
• Alberta Library Systems
• Alberta Public Library Directory
• Athabasca University Library
• University of Lethbridge Library
• University of Alberta Libraries
• University of Calgary Library

British Columbia

• Public Library Interactive map from the BC Government
• Courthouse Libraries BC
• Points to the Past Digital Library Collaboration
• Camosun College Library
• Trinity Western University Norma Marion Alloway Library
• University of British Columbia Library
• Simon Fraser University Library
• University of Victoria Libraries

Yukon

• Points to the Past Digital Library Collaboration
• Yukon Public Libraries
• Yukon College Library

Northwest Territories

• Northwest Public Library Services
• Legislative Library of the Northwest Territories
• Aurora College Libraries

Nunavut

• Nunavut Public Library Services
• Nunavut Arctic College Libraries

When all else fails, use Google and type in your area of research and keyword "library". Also check the local government websites. Small libraries may not have a website. The local government websites will at least have contact information for the libraries in their jurisdiction.

Probate Records Part 7: The Territories and some Final Tips

In this last segment, we're going to take a look at The Canadian Territories.

The Yukon
Probate in the Yukon used to be handled by the Territorial Court. Today it is handled by the Yukon Supreme Court. It sits mainly in Whitehorse, but does travel to other communities if needed. The central registry for Supreme Court proceedings is located in Whitehorse. The contact information is on their website here.

The Yukon Archives has estate files from 1897-1950. They can be be viewed at the Archives. The records held there are mainly from when the Territorial Court handled the records.

The Northwest Territories
Probate is done through the NWT's Supreme Court. Like the Yukon, the Supreme Court sits mainly in Yellowknife, but will travel to other regions as needed. Requests for access to probate files is done through the Court Registry - Office of the Clerk.

The NWT Archives has a collection in their holdings of estate files from 1926 to 1947. However, due to privacy laws, access is restricted. It is part of the RCMP fonds, so I would imagine any permissions for access would have to come through them.

Because the borders of the Northwest Territories changed so drastically through the years, it would be a good idea to check with the Manitoba, Saskatchewan  and Alberta Provincial Archives in your search. I know Manitoba especially has records relating to the Northwest Territories.

Nunavut
This territory is unique in that there is one unified Court in the Territory called the Court of Justice. Like the other territories, the court primarily sits in Iqaluit,but routinely travels around the territory to give it's residence a chance to resolve legal matters locally.

Since Nunavut only came into existence in 1999, you will not find "historic" probate cases. For this you will have to refer to the records of the Northwest Territories.

General Sources and Tips
To finish off this series of posts, here are some general sites and tips for finding wills:

1. CanLII- The Canadian Legal Information Institute is a non-profit site that has court decisions from across Canada. I typed in "estate" in the keyword search, and got over 96,000 decisions from across Canada. You can also first narrow down by the province or territory of your particular interest.

2. Check the Canada Gazette to see if there is mention of your ancestor's probate. This is especially true if your ancestor was part of the government, or had significant assets.

3. Always check in land records for your province of interest. Wills were sometimes registered in Land Registry offices to prove an heir has title to land.

4. Though Provincial Archives are your best source for looking for wills and probate, don't overlook local Archives and Societies. They might have an index, or some might have microfilms or transcriptions of the Provincial Records.

5. Whether in Provincial or local Archives, look beyond the obvious Court fonds. If the Archive has a collection such as "McDonald family fonds", be sure to check that collection out as well. I've seen more than one that have wills or estate papers in the collection.

Yukon Ancestors: yukongenealogy.com

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Yukon

If you're lucky enough to have an ancestor that spent time in the Territories, it's a double edged sword. You know they're probably going to have the kind of life story that we as genealogists crave. But you also know that genealogy in Canada's North doesn't come as easy as in the South. If you have a Yukon ancestor though, then you're in luck. Yukon Genealogy is a government funded website to give research on that adventurous ancestor a jump start.

http://www.yukongenealogy.com/index

You can get right to searching three ways on the home page: Yukon Genealogy Archives, Specialty (Deaths, professions, etc.), or Dawson City Museum Pan for Gold.

Just for fun, I entered "McDonald" with no filters. I got hundreds of results, broken down first by the three main databases, then by specific source. The range of source material is incredible. It would take me years to go through them all, so I scrolled way back to the top and filtered to just Yukon Archives Genealogy results.

http://www.yukongenealogy.com/search?search=McDonald&archives_people=1

As you can see in the picture, the database has

• Name
• Home Town
• Call Number
• Occupation
• Yukon Location
• Nationality
• Notes

Now, the Call Number is the location of the record at the Yukon Archives. If you see where I've circled above, there is a link there that says Source. Click that and a pop up window gives a brief explanation of the records they've created the database from. At the bottom of that is a link that says View the Sources. Clicking on that link will not only give you an itemized list of all the sources used (and there are a lot), but also the matching call numbers. Now you know exactly what record you should be looking at to see the original. You also have the option of printing all the results near the top of the results section. That can come in handy if you ever make it to the Archives. You'll notice in my results that the list starts out with 2 ladies who married McDonald men, and a man by the name of Chisholm applying for a liquor licence for McDonald and Aurora Hotels. The results will not only give you a McDonald surname, but anywhere McDonald is found. 

I checked the Yukon Archives' main website, and they do offer reproduction services. You can check out the information on their service here.

Next I decided to use the Specialty (Deaths, Professions, etc.) filter. You also have the option of filtering this one even further to a specific record set

• Francophone Yukoners
• Sourdough Air Display, 1971-2006
• Yukon Barristers Roll
• Pioneer Cemetery,1900-1965
• Yukon River Basin, Deaths and Burials, 1887-2007
• Grey Mountain Cemetery,1960-1976
• Yukon News Obituary Index, 1966-2005
• Missing in the Klondike, 1898-1958
• Yukon Businesses
• Census 1891 & 1901: First Nations Communities
• Whitehorse Star Weddings, Births & Deaths, 1964-1965

Even if you don't filter even farther, the results are broken down by record set. It will even tell you if nothing was found in a particular collection.

Each record set has different headings, and by clicking Source beside the Title, you can find out more about each one. The majority of them were taken from archival material at the Yukon Archives. I found it a little amusing that under Yukon Businesses, almost all the McDonalds listed ran bars, saloons, hotels, and roadhouses. Apparently customer service runs in the McDonald genes.

The last main filter, Dawson City Museum Pan for Gold, is a great database if your ancestor had anything to do with the Gold Rush. Just look at the individual record sets:

One set I found interesting was the Dawson City Mortuary Records,1898-1938. The notes contain a great deal of information. This was the entry for a Daniel H. McDonald:

MACDONALD H. Daniel, 48 years (McDonald); crushed by caterpillar tractor, Bear Creek; March 4, 1933, Dr. Nunn; St. Paul's Church, Hillside Cemetery; IOOF; teamster

Not bad. In one entry we know when, where and how he died. We have the doctor's name who was in attendance.We know where he's buried. We know an approximate birth year (1933-48=1885). He was a member of the I.O.O.F and a teamster. Just that one entry gives us a few avenues of research. Here's another one for a Finlay McDonald:

MCDONALD Finlay, 59 years; ptomaine poisoning, St. Mary's Hospital; May 30, 1919, Culbertson & LaChapelle; funeral at St. Andrew's Church; Yukon Gold Company; paint man.

Here we know when, where, and how he died. We can put his birth around 1860. We know where his funeral was and which funeral home handled it. We know he was a paint man for the Yukon Gold Company. We can look at church records, funeral home records, hospital records, and employment records to find out more about him. In case you were wondering, ptomaine poisoning is food poisoning from bacterial contamination of food.

Going along the tab bar at the top are these headings:


Links
Here you can access sets of links by clicking on highlighted text. First is websites and contact emails for government organizations, historical sites and societies, churches, universities, and genealogy webpages. Quite a few of the links don't work any more, but a quick google search should be able to take you to the updated link.

The next highlighted text will take you to Yukon specific sites. There's City and Territorial Government contact info, churches, and fraternal organizations. You can also get info for Historical organizations and info to contact the various First Nations. There's also info on newspapers.

Lastly is the contact information and website link to the Yukon Archives. There's a link to a handy 90 page PDF on researching there. It's free to download and will give you everything you need to prepare for a visit to the Archives.


Tips for Family Research
This page is a general tip page on beginning family history research. But if you scroll down to the bottom, they have provided forms to print off to help you keep organized:

• Family History Worksheet
• Family Homes
• Family Tree
• Family Records by Generation
• Family Records Vital Statistics
• Military Records
• Oral histories
• Schools and Graduations
• Employment History
• Immigration Records
• Research Log

Everyone keeps records differently, but you're sure to find at least one form that works for you.

Acknowledgements

Maintained by the Yukon Archives, the site had funding from both the Yukon Government and the Canadian Government.. Links to the Archive and the government departments that provided funding is here.

Getting Lost in City Directories

This post is a little later in the week than normal. That's because I finally broke a major brick wall in my family history research by using city directories.

I took a day trip to the Archives of Ontario on April 19th with members of the Kawartha Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society. My purpose was to look at the Toronto City Directories on microfilm to track my great grandparents John W McDonald and Edna Johnson. On a whim I decided to try and look for my grandmother Madelynn Douglas' family. I never met my grandmother, and the only information I had on her was that she had a brother Marshall and a sister Irene. I did not know her parents' names, or even a date of birth. Well, by looking at the directory for 1948 I found her! I took note of the address (600 Roselawn Avenue) and then looked through the rest of the Douglas names in the directory. I found the following people also at that address:

Jas H Douglas
Lawrence J Douglas
Marshall Douglas

By looking at other years I was also able to find an Irene Douglas living at this address as well. Using the information I gleaned from the directories, I've managed to find and track the family through the voter's lists on Ancestry back to 1935. I've determined that James H Douglas and his wife Mary are my great grandparents. Lawrence and Irene are of voting age in the early 1940's, which means they are over 21 (the voting age at the time). This means that they were born before 1921. I managed to find a Douglas family in Toronto in the 1921 census that has a Lawrence and Irene listed as children. They are at a different address than 600 Roselawn. Thanks to inter library loan between the AO and my local library, I've been bringing in a few years of city directories microfilms at a time to track the family back from 1935 to 1921, to try and determine if the 1921 family belongs to me.

If you haven't looked at city directories, then you are missing out. I can't believe I didn't think to go this route before for my Douglas family. They contain a wealth of information on an individual:

• occupation
• place of employment
• home address
• whether they owned or rented their home
• others living with them
• In the Toronto directories I looked at for the WWII years, those in active service had "act ser" next to their names. This gives you another avenue of research for your ancestor. 

The directories are usually broken up into 3 sections. There will be a business directory, a surname directory, and the last is a street directory. The street directory is helpful for you to see who your ancestor's neighbours are, and how the neighbourhood looked. Was there a church close by? Perhaps they worshiped there. Who's their next door neighbour? Perhaps that person was a witness to a marriage or baptism.

In the beginning of the directory are all kinds on information about the area. You can see names and addresses of churches, commuity groups, and government institutions. If your ancestor held public office, then they'll be listed in the front pages. You can lose yourself looking at ads for area businesses. There's also usually statistical data about the area. For instance, in the 1926 Toronto directory:

• The population of Toronto proper was 650, 055. The surrounding suburbs' population was 95,181. 
• In 1925 The Toronto Hydro Electric system served 143, 648 customers
• There were 333 churches
• There were 167 schools
• 60% of the population were home owners

I've compiled a list of places to look for city directories:

General Sites

• Internet Archive has many city directories in their database. These are free to view and free to download. You can download either the whole directory, or just a page by right clicking on the image of the page, and saving as a picture. In the search box, use the key words "City directories" and the name of the area you are looking for to see if it has been uploaded to the site.
• Ancestry has a database called Canada, City and Area Directories, 1819-1906. They cover various cities across Canada. 
• Check the local library of the area you are researching. Many libraries have collections of directories, either originals or on microfilm. If you live in a bigger city, check to see if your local library has other cities on microfilm. For instance, the Toronto Public Library system has directories for British Columbia and Quebec as well. 
• Our Roots have digital images of city directories among their many local histories. Use their search function to see what's available. 
• Library and Archives Canada has directories from different parts across the country. They come in print, microfilm , and digital forms.
• FamilySearch has many directories available on microfilm. Check out the wiki for what they have and microfilm numbers.

Newfoundland and Labrador

• Newfoundland's Grand Banks Genealogy Site has transcriptions of directories covering various years between 1864-1936.
• Memorial University of Newfoundland has some early 20th century directories digitized online.
• City of St. John's Archives has city directories covering 1885-2000. Contact them to check on what years are available and how to access.

Prince Edward Island

• The Island Register has a great chart listing various directories and where to find them. Some have been transcribed on their site.
• The University of Prince Edward Island's Robertson Library has some city directories in their holdings. They can only be viewed onsite.

Nova Scotia

• Nova Scotia Archives has the 1907-1908 directory online. Onsite, they have both print and microfilm of various years. Contact the Archives for availability.
• City of Halifax Archives has directories in their holdings for both Halifax and Dartmouth.

New Brunswick

• The Provincial Archives of New Brunswick has a searchable index of the Hutchinson's 1865/1866 and 1867-1868 Directory, and the Lovell Directory 1871. They are also on microfilm.
• The New Brunswick GenWeb has transciptions of the Eastern Division of the 1912 Telephone Directory.

Quebec

• BAnQ has city directories for both Quebec City and Montreal. They cove various years from 1822-2010, and are available online.
• Don's List has various Montreal directories online. You should also take a look at the Ottawa directories they have. The Ottawa directories also include Hull.

Ontario

• The Archives of Ontario has not only Toronto directories on microfilm. They have city and county directories from all over the province, going back to the 1800's. As I mentioned above, they do inter library loan if you aren't able to look at them onsite.
• Queen's University has some directories in their holdings. Contact them for rules of access.

Manitoba

• Peel's Prairie Provinces has the Henderson's Directories for various areas. These have been uploaded and are available to view online.
• Past Forward has Winnipeg directories digitized from 1880-1965.
• The Manitoba Genealogical Society has an extensive collection of Henderson Directories in their resource library.

Saskatchewan

• Peel's Prairie Provinces  has directories for Saskatoon, Moose Jaw, and Regina.
• The Provincial Archives of Saskatchewan has some directories in their holdings. contact them for availability and access.
• City of Saskatoon Archives  have directories in their holdings. Contact them for availability and access.

Alberta

• Peel's Prairie Provinces has directories available online for different areas of the province.
• Provincial Archives of Alberta has directories onsite for various areas of Alberta.
• Alberta Family Histories Society has directories available on site.

British Columbia

• British Columbia Genealogical Society has an extensive collection of directories at their Walter Draycott Library in Surrey.
• viHistory has a database of the Nanaimo and Victoria directories for 1882, 1892, and 1902.
• Vernon and District Family History Society has PDF transcriptions for the Vernon City Directories of 1889, 1898, 1909, 1910, 1919, 1921, and 1924.

The Territories

• Anchorage Borough, Alaska GenWeb has some early 20th century directories available to view online for the Yukon.
• Peel's Prairie Provinces' Manitoba directories also include the Northwest Territories.

A few final reminders when researching city directories:

• Always read the front few pages to see who's been included. For instance, in the 1926 Toronto directory, these people weren't included:

1. Maids, domestic servants, and employed young girls under the age of 18
2. Married women and female relatives over 18 that are unemployed
3. Young girls living at home and not employed
4. Students in all levels of schooling, including colleges and universities
5. Office and messenger boys, and boys working in factories under 18 years of age
6. Children under school age
7. Inmates of hospitals, asylums, convents, orphan's homes, and institutions
8. "Foreigners" from China, Russia, Balkans, and Central Europe. 
9. Transients living in hotels, boarding houses, and rooming houses

• Also check for the index to abbreviations. Checking this can save you a lot of grief trying to figure out what that occupation is supposed to be, or what an asterisk beside their name means.
• Due to printing deadlines, the information may not be the most current. If your ancestor moved to the area in 1921, then they may not show up until 1922.
• A lot of directories have an "Addendum". This is an alphabetical list of people and businesses that were added too late to be inserted into the regular directory. 
• As with census records, check variations for your ancestor's name. In my recent research, Madelynn Douglas was listed as "Madeline". Also check under middle names. Through researching voter's lists later, I realized that though Madelynn's brother was listed as "Marshall Douglas" in city directories, in voter's lists he is "George M Douglas". Even her father switched between "James H" and "Henry J"in the directories.

Well, back down the rabbit hole for me. I have more searching to do in directories.....

Religious Records Part 7 - The Territories

To wrap up the series on religious records, we are in this post looking at the Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut.

Yukon
According to the Canadian Encyclopedia entry on the Yukon, 50 percent of the people had no religious affiliation, 46 percent claimed Christian denominations, and 1 percent claimed Native spirituality. There was nothing else listed for the remaining 3 percent. There is a a rather interesting 1990 paper prepared for the Yukon Government on the history of the church in the Yukon. The link to it is here.

The Yukon Archives does have some church records in their holdings. I typed "church records" in the archival descriptions database and got several hits. The collections I clicked on did not have much in the way of actual baptisms, marriages and burials. But, there were photographs, session minutes and journals, among other things in the fonds. They are worth taking a look at too. You never know if your ancestor will be named somewhere, or if you might get lucky and find a photograph.

They have also compiled a pdf of researching genealogy at their Archives. It's 90 pages long but an incredible source of information for them. The link to the pdf is here. The religious records section is on page 25.

The Yukon GenWeb has contact information on their website for Catholic and Anglican church Archives.

The Dawson City Museum does have some church records in their holdings. The link list their collections. Though none state church records specifically, if you click on the each fond, you will find descriptions of each individual collection. I went through and there are three or four collections that include church related records.

Northwest Territories
According to the Wikipedia page, in 2001 most residents identified themselves as Catholic. The protestant sects were the next largest, and 17 percent stated no religious affiliation. The Virtual Museum has a good overview of the missionary work in the North.

Because the Northwest Territories once included parts of many of the provinces, you may have to look at these provinces to find the records you are looking for. As far as the current boundaries of NWT, there is not much available outside of the Church Archives themselves.

The FamilySearch wiki has contact information for the United and Presbyterian Church Archives that pertain to the Northwest Territories.

The Northwest Territories Public Library has some reference guides available to help you search for records for this area. By enetering "church records" into their online search, I got seven hits, all guides and indexes.

The Hudson's Bay Archives (through the Archives of Manitoba) has a couple of collections related to church records here.

Nunavut
According the the New World Encyclopedia, the majority of residents are Anglican, Catholic,  and "Born again Christianity". As with Yukon and the Northwest Territories, there is a history of missionary work here. Click on the link above in the Northwest Territories section for an overview.

Nunavut is a new area, being established in 1999. Before this it was a part of the Northwest Territories, so you will most likely find what you need by looking at NWT genealogy resources.

.