Documents & Records

1906 Census of the Northwest Provinces

Basics

In 1905, Alberta and Saskatchewan joined Confederation. The following year, a special census of the new provinces was held, in order to track population growth on the prairies. Manitoba, which had joined Confederation in 1870, was also covered by this special census.

Although overall numbers of Chinese on the prairies were still quite small at this time, they were increasing quite dramatically in relative terms. Between the 1901 and 1911 censuses, the number of Chinese in Alberta increased more than 7-fold, from 235 to 1787. Saskatchewan had 957 Chinese in 1911, more than 23 times the number - 41 - it had recorded in 1901. Numbers in Manitoba increased more than four-fold, from 206 to 885.

Information about each enumerated individual was recorded under the following column headings in the 1906 Census of the Northwest Provinces:

Name of each person in family
Relation to head of family
Sex
Single, married, widowed or divorced
Age
Country or place of birth
Year of immigration to Canada
Post office address
Location

Section
Township
Range
Meridien

Information about livestock holdings was recorded in the five last columns.

Finding the Records

At the Vancouver Public Library

A full name index for the 1906 Census of Population of the Northwest Provinces is available on the Ancestry Library Edition electronic database. Links to digitized images of original images are provided. Free access to Ancestry Library Edition is available at any location of the Vancouver Public Library. Remote access from home is not available.
The Vancouver Public Library collection includes a microfilm copy of 1906 Canadian census records:

1906 Census of Population of the Northwest Provinces, 11 microfilm reels (1906)
Ref. 929.3 MA33n
The census microfilm collection is located in Fine Arts and History on Level 6.

Online

Although Ancestry Library Edition (see above) is the most efficient way of searching the 1906 Northwest provinces census, there are several options for those who are unable to visit the Vancouver Public Library or wish to research from home:

The original records of the 1906 census have been digitized by Library and Archives Canada and are available online. The census can be searched geographically. View the records in Library and Archives Canada's Census of the Northwest Provinces, 1906 database.
Automated Genealogy: Index to the 1906 Census of the Northwest Provinces
This database represents the efforts of a volunteer project aimed at transcribing and providing free access to the entire 1906 Census of the Northwest Provinces. As of February 1, 2006, about 75% of the records had been transcribed and can be searched by name. Both general and province-specific searches are possible.
The Alberta Family Histories Society has digitized and transcribed 1906 census records on its 1906 Census of Canada (Prairies) Transcriptions page.

Photo banner: Detail from VPL Historical Photograph 78362