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Manitoba
Manitoba was originally part of a vast territory granted to the Hudson's Bay Company in 1670. From 1682, when York Factory was established, to 1812, which saw the arrival of the first settlers on the Red River, the only settlements were fur trading posts built by the French and the English. Both entered interracial marriages with the Native Peoples, thereby creating a large Métis population. On November 19, 1869, the Government of Canada acquired all the land belonging to the Hudson's Bay Company, commonly called Rupert's Land. On July 15, 1870, Manitoba became a province in the Canadian Confederation, though consisting only of the small region called the Red River Settlement. Manitoba's current borders were established in 1912. The arrival of the railway in 1870 had a major effect on the population, which doubled in 20 years with the arrival of immigrants from eastern Canada, the United States and Europe. Genealogists interested in ancestors who lived in Manitoba use the main kinds of genealogical sources. However, a large amount of information on ancestors can be found in land records, particularly "homestead" records. In addition, researchers interested in Métis ancestors have a number of resources available on Native genealogy in Manitoba. The official provincial government Web site [www.gov.mb.ca/splash.html] contains useful information about the province and its historic records. The Archives of Manitoba is the main repository of official records on the history of the province. For more information on genealogical resources in the Archives of Manitoba, see A Genealogical Guide to the Archives of Manitoba [www.gov.mb.ca/chc/archives/genealogy/gen_text/outside_records.html]. The Archives of Manitoba is also the repository for the archives of the Hudson's Bay Company [www.gov.mb.ca/chc/archives/hbca/index.html], which describes the activities of this company that was founded in London in 1670. The Manitoba Archival Information Network [http://scaa.usask.ca/main/] gives you access to other important resources held in many archives. Many libraries hold reference books, local histories, family histories and other books on genealogy. Library and Archives Canada allows you to Browse Lists of Canadian Library Web Sites and Catalogues by province. Each province and territory has its own GenWeb [www.rootsweb.com/%7Ewebsites/international/canada.html] site where you can access many databases and obtain information on resources available in each province. The Canadian Encyclopedia Online [www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/] allows you to learn more about the history, geography and people of Manitoba. The sections on Sources by Topic and Links of this site can provide more useful information about how to do genealogical research in Manitoba. You can also access databases from our Directory of Canadian Genealogical Resources - AVITUS.  |
