Religious denominations
within the province have their own hierarchy which must
be understood if you want the best chance of finding religious
records. Many individual denominations and even dioceses
within a particular faith have their own archives.
Some religious archives will serve research requests, usually
charging a fee for work done. Others place severe restrictions
on releasing any personal information. Religious archives
have limited staff, operating hours, and duplication services.
Call before visiting to insure the records you require are
available.
Anglican
The Anglican Church in Ontario maintains a regional archives
system. Their "Ecclesiastical Province of Ontario"
has no relation to the territorial boundaries of the "political"
Province of Ontario. For example, Northwestern Ontario is
part of the Ecclesiastical Province of Rupert's Land, based
in Winnipeg. Always check the geographical collecting boundary
for each archive. For detailed information, see their Guide
to the Holdings of the Ecclesiastical Province of Ontario.
(Agincourt: Generation Press, 1990) Anglican Church of Canada General Synod Archives
600 Jarvis Street
Toronto, Ontario
M4Y 2J6, 416-924-9192 x 278/279
Mon.-Fri. 9:00am - 4:30pm Administration records for the General Synod of the
Anglican Church of Canada. Holds no genealogical or
biographical material; contact the diocesan Anglican
Archive of the geographical area you are interested
in.
Records of the Anglican Diocese of Algoma
Marthe Brown
Laurentian University Archives
Laurentian University
935 Ramsey Lake Road
Sudbury, ON P3E 2C6
(705) 675-1151 ext.3306
Website: http://laurentian.ca/library/archives/genealogy_e.php
MBrown@laurentian.ca
By appointment only The Diocese extends from Thunder Bay in the west to North Bay in the east. Its northern boundary rests on the old boundary between the Canadas and the Hudson's Bay Company lands formed by the height of land dividing the Atlantic and Arctic watersheds. On the south boundary is the American border, although most of this runs through Lakes Superior and Huron. At its eastern end, the Diocese extends south to include the districts of Muskoka and Parry Sound.
Anglican Diocese of Huron Archives
Huron College
1349 Western Road
London, Ontario
N6G 1H3, 519-438-7224 x 284
By appointment Tues. 9:00am - 4:30pm
Records related to the Counties of Bruce, Grey, Huron,
Perth, Waterloo, Lambton, Middlesex, Oxford, Brant,
Essex, Kent, Elgin, and Norfolk.
Anglican Diocese of Keewatin
c/o Business Administrator, Synod Office
915 Ottawa Street
Keewatin, Ontario
P0X 1C0, 807-547-3353
By appointment.
Website: http://www.gokenora.com/~dioceseofkeewatin/
Records related to lands west of a line from the City
of Thunder Bay to the settlement of Winisk on Hudson's
Bay including the Districts of Rainy River, and the
western halves of Kenora and Thunder Bay.
Holdings of Diocese of Algoma & Moosonee Archives, Laurentian University
Marthe Brown
Laurentian University Archives
Laurentian University
935 Ramsey Lake Road
Sudbury, ON P3E 2C6
(705) 675-1151 ext.3306
Website:
http://laurentian.ca/library/archives/genealogy_e.php
MBrown@laurentian.ca
By appointment only Records related to lands east of a line from the City
of Thunder Bay to the settlement of Winisk on Hudson's
Bay and north of the arctic watershed, including the
Districts of Cochrane, the northern halves of Thunder
Bay and Sudbury, the northern third of Algoma and Kenora,
and most of Timiskaming.
Anglican Diocese of Niagara Repository
c/o Division of Archives and Research Collections
McMaster University Library
1280 Main Street West
Hamilton, Ontario
L8S 4L6, 905-525-9140 x 2079; 905-546-0625 fax
Mon.-Fri. 9:00am - 5:00pm Otherwise by appointment Records related to the Counties of Wellington, Halton,
Wentworth, Haldimand, Lincoln, and Welland.
Anglican Diocese of Ontario Archives
90 Johnson Street
Kingston, Ontario
K7L 1X7, 613-544-4774; 613-547-3745 fax
Tues. & Thur. 1:15pm - 4:30pm or by appointment
Website: http://ontario.anglican.ca/archives/
Records related to the Counties of Hastings,
Prince Edward, Lennox and Addington, Frontenac, Leeds and
Grenville.
Anglican Diocese of Ottawa Archives
71 Bronson Avenue
Ottawa, Ontario
K1R 6G6, 613-232-7124; 613-232-7088 fax
Mon. & Wed. 9:00am - 12:00pm, 1:00am - 4:30am; Tues.
& Thur. by appointment
Website: http://www.ottawa.anglican.ca/archives.shtml
Records related to the Counties of Renfrew, Lanark, Carleton,
Russell, Prescott, Dundas, Stormont, Glengarry, and the
District of Nipissing east of North Bay. Fees are charged
for certified copies, reproductions, and genealogical
research. Photocopying of Parish Registers is not permitted.
Anglican Diocese of Toronto Archives
Synod House, 135 Adelaide Street East
Toronto, Ontario
M5C 1L8, 1-800-668-8932 or 416-363-6021; 416-363-7678 fax
Winter hours: Tues.-Wed. 9:00am - 4:00pm; Mon., Thur., Fri.
by appointment.
Summer hours: Tues.-Wed. 9:00am - 3:00pm or by appointment
Website: http://www.toronto.anglican.ca/index.asp?navid=160
Records related to the Counties of Simcoe, Peel, York,
Ontario, Victoria, Durham, Haliburton, Peterborough, Northumberland,
and the east third of Dufferin.
Provincial Archives of Manitoba
200 Vaughan Street
Winnipeg, Manitoba
R3C 1T5, 204-945-3971; 204-948-2008 fax
June-Labour Day: Mon.-Fri. 9:00am - 4:00pm
Mid-Sept.-May: Tues.- Sat. 9:00am - 4:00pm
Website: http://www.gov.mb.ca/chc/archives/
Records of administration for the General Synod for
the Ecclesiastical Province of Rupert's Land. Holdings
contain no genealogical material. For listing of their
holdings, see their Guide to the Holdings of the
Archives of Rupert's land. (Winnipeg, St. John's
College Press, 1986).
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Anglican Orders and Agencies Cathedral Church of St. James Archives
65 Church Street
Toronto, Ontario
M5C 2E9, 416-364-7865
By appointment
Website: http://www.stjamescathedral.on.ca/archives.asp?pgid=5
Archive contains only records of that cathedral. Trinity College Archives
6 Hoskins Avenue
Toronto, Ontario
M5S 1H8, 416-978-2019
Mon. 9:00am - 12:30pm and by appointment
Website: http://www.trinity.utoronto.ca/archives/
Wycliffe College Archives
5 Hoskins Avenue
Toronto, Ontario
M5S 1H7, 416-979-2870
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Baptist
Be aware that, as with other Anabaptist faiths, people
are only baptized as adults; there are
no infant baptisms. In addition, marriage records are extremely
limited for many Baptist churches because, as one author
was told when enquiring of a marriage in the Ottawa area,
"the Baptist church fully recognizes the separation
of church and state and since it is the states' responsibility
to keep official marriage records, the church did not see
the need to do so themselves." Canadian Baptist Archives
McMaster Divinity College
McMaster University
Hamilton, Ontario
L8S 4K1, 905-525-9140 x 3511
Mon.-Fri. 9:00am - 4:00pm Records of the Canadian Baptist federation, including
the Baptist Convention of Ontario and Québec,
the Baptist Union of Western Canada, and the Union d'églises
baptistes françaises; records of McMaster University
(to 1957); John Milton Society for the Blind; Plymouth
Bretheren (19th Cent.); limited personal papers.
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Episcopal Methodists (see United)
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Evangelical Ontario Bible College/ Ontario Theological Seminary
Archives
J. Wm. Horsey Library
25 Ballyconnor Court
North York, Ontario
M2M 4B3, 416-226-6380; 416-226-6746 fax
By appointment. Records of the College and its predecessors; records
of the Seminary.
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Friends, Society of (see Quaker)
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4936 Yonge Street, Suite 105
North York, Ontario
M2N 6S3, 416-220-1967
By appointment. Records of the society; material relating to Huguenot surnames and lineages. return to top of page ![](/web/20061220093434im_/http://www.archives.gov.on.ca/english/pics/blue_dot.gif) Jewish
Besides the archives listed below, see also the Canadian
Jewish Congress/ Congrès Juif canadien, National
Archives, 1590 avenue Docteur Penfield, Montréal,
Québec, H3G 1C5, 514-931-7531, Mon.-Thur. 9:00-16:30,
Fri. 9:00-13:30; By appointment. Ottawa Jewish Historical Society
151 Chapel Street
Ottawa, Ontario
K1N 7Y2, 613-789-7306; 613-563-4593 fax
Mon. & Wed. 10:00am - 4:30pm or by appointment
Website: http://ojhs.ca/
Records and other media relating to the Jewish community
in the Ottawa region primarily as an ethnic group. Religious
records form a fraction of their holdings. Ontario Jewish Archives
4600 Bathurst Street
Willowdale, Ontario
M2R 3V2, 416-635-2883 x 170; 416-635-1408 fax
By appointment during Mon.-Thur. 9:00am - 4:45pm, Fri.
9:00am - 2:00pm
Website: http://www.ontariojewisharchives.org/
Records of the Jewish Federation of Greater Toronto
and the Canadian Jewish Congress (Ontario Region); other
material relating to the Jewish community in Ontario.
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Lutheran Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada Eastern
Synod Archives
75 University Avenue West
Waterloo, Ontario
N2L 3C5, 519-745-3505
Mon.-Fri. 8:30am - 4:30pm The collection is presently at Wilfrid Laurier University
at the above address but they do not have the staff
to supply reference services. Instead, contact Rev.
Eric Schultz at 519-886-9770.
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Mennonite Mennonite Archives of Ontario
Conrad Grebel College
Waterloo, Ontario
N2L 3G6, 519-885-0220
By appointment during Mon.-Fri. 9:00am - 5:00pm
Website: http://grebel.uwaterloo.ca/mao/
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This archives holds the records only for those Presbyterian
churches which did not join with other churches & denominations
to form the United Church in 1925. It is important to know
whether the early Presbyterian Church you are interested
in is still a Presbyterian Church today. Presbyterian Church in Canada Archives & Records Office
50 Wynford Drive,
Toronto, Ontario
MM3C 1J7, 416-441-1111 or toll-free at 1-800-619-7301
Mon.-Fri. 9:00am - 4:45pm
Website: http://www.presbycan.ca/archives/
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Protestant Orders and Agencies Christian Labour Association of Canada Archives
5920 Atlantic Drive
Mississauga, Ontario
L4W 1N6, 905-670-7383
By appointment. Records of the Association. This is a labour archives
with a "Christian" orientation, not a religious
repository. Access to personal information is by permission
only. Salvation Army Archives
George Scott Railton Heritage Centre
2130 Bayview Avenue
Toronto, Ontario
M4N 3K6, 416-481-4441 Records of the Salvation Army throughout Canada and
Bermuda; related material.
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Quaker
Quaker Archives
Pickering College
16945 Bayview Avenue
Newmarket, Ontario
L3Y 4X2, 905-895-1700
By appointment. Records of the faith in Canada beginning 1798.
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Roman Catholic
The Roman Catholic Church in Ontario maintains a regional
archives system. Always check the geographical collecting
boundary for each archive. The holdings of each archives
go back only to when that Diocese was formed. For earlier
records, check the archives for the Diocese that originally
administered that region (e.g. Diocese of Hamilton material
before 1856 is at the Toronto or Kingston Diocesan Archives).
Most of the sacramental registers (baptisms, marriage,
burial and confirmation registers) have been filmed by the
Latter Day Saints (with the exception of the Hamilton diocese)
and are available up to 1910 on loan through the various
LDS family history centres. The microfilming was done so
that priests in the local churches did not have to deal
with genealogical inquiries. Individual churches do not
have the staff to cope with genealogical requests. Diocese of Alexandria-Cornwall Archives
Box 1388
220 Chemin Montréal
Cornwall, Ontario
K6H 5V4, 613-993-1138; 613-937-4931 fax
Mon.-Fri. 9:30am - 11:30am, 1:30pm - 4:00pm Records related to the Counties of Glengarry and Stormont
beginning 1802; St. Regis Parish Records (Akwasasne
First Nation) 1765-1992. Many Sacramental Registers
have been copied by Brother Houle (see Ottawa entry).
Diocese of Hamilton Archives
700 King Street West
Hamilton, Ontario
L8P 1C7, 905-528-7988; 905-528-1088 fax
Chancery Off hours, Summer: 9:00am - 4:00; Winter: 9:00am
- 4:30pm
Archivist usually available Mon.-Thur. mornings. Records related to the Counties of Brant, Bruce, Grey,
Halton, Waterloo, Wentworth, and four Townships from
Dufferin County, beginning 1856; limited records of
religious activity to 1850s.
Diocese of Hearst Archives
Boìte 1300
Hearst, Ontario
P0L 1N0, 705-362-4903
Access is restricted due to limited staff. Call for details. Records comprising mainly the southwestern part of
the District of Cochrane beginning 1917.
Archdiocese of Kingston Archives
St. Mary's Cathedral
279 Johnson Street
Kingston, Ontario
K7L 1Y5, 613-546-5521
Website: http://www.romancatholic.kingston.on.ca/genealogical research.htm
Records related to the Counties of Frontenac, Lennox
and Addington, Leeds, Grenville, Dundas, Prince Edward,
the southern half of Hastings, and the southwestern
part of Lanark beginning 1800. Sacramental Registers
up to 1910 available from the L.D.S. Family History
Centers.
Diocese of London Archives
1070 Waterloo Street North
London, Ontario
N6A 3Y2, 519-433-0658; 519-433-0011 fax
Mon. Fri. 9:00am - 3:00pm
Website: http://www.rcec.london.on.ca/Archives.htm
Records related to the Counties of Middlesex, Elgin,
Norfolk, Oxford, Perth, Huron, Lambton, Kent, and Essex
beginning 1767. Sacramental Registers 1767-1910 available
from the L.D.S. Family History Centers. Diocesan Archivist
will do limited genealogical research on a fee for hours-of-research
basis.
Diocese of Moosonee Archives
Marthe Brown
Laurentian University Archives
Laurentian University
935 Ramsey Lake Road
Sudbury, ON P3E 2C6
(705) 675-1151 ext.3306
http://laurentian.ca/library/archives/genealogy_e.php
MBrown@laurentian.ca
By appointment only
Website: http://laurentian.ca/library/archives/genealogy_e.php
Records comprise of northern Part of the Provinces
of Ontario and Québec beginning 1900. Also, contact
archives of the Oblate Province of St. Joseph (Oblats
de Marie Immaculée, 3456, av. du Musée,
Montréal, Québec, H3G 2C7), and the Archives
Deshâtelets (Oblate Central Archives) in Ottawa
(see below).
Archdiocese of Ottawa Archives/ Archives de l'Archidiocèse
d'Ottawa
1247 Kilborn Place
Ottawa, Ontario
K1H 6K9, 613-738-5025
Website: http://www.ecclesia-ottawa.org/e-front-frame.html
Records related to the Counties of Carleton, Russell,
Prescott, the Townships of Darling, Pakenham, Ramsay
and Lavant of Lanark County, and the City of Ottawa
for 1820-1912. Majority of the Sacramental Registers
have been copied by Brother Herbert Houle, Brother of
the Sacred Heart, 2240, rue Fullum, Montréal,
Québec, H2K 3N9. For genealogical assistance,
contact the Genealogical Society of Ottawa, Box 8346,
Ottawa, Ontario, K1G 3H8.
Diocese of Pembroke Archives
Box 7
188 Renfrew Street
Pembroke, Ontario
K8A 6X1, 613-732-7933
Website: http://www.diocesepembroke.ca/index.html
Records related to the Counties of Renfrew and neighbouring
portions of Ontario and Pontiac Counties within Québec
beginning 1850. All Sacramental Registers available
from the L.D.S. Family History Centers.
Diocese of Peterborough Archives
350 Hunter Street West
Peterborough, Ontario
K9J 6Y8, 705-745-5123
By appointment. Records related to the Counties of Peterborough, Northumberland,
Victoria, part of Haliburton County, part of the Region
of Durham, and the Districts of Parry Sound and Muskoka
beginning 1840.
Diocese of St. Catharines Archives
122 Riverdale Drive
St. Catharines, Ontario
L2R 4C2, 905-648-0154
Website: http://www.romancatholic.niagara.on.ca/historye.htm
Records related to the Counties of Haldimand, Lincoln,
and Welland beginning 1858; limited records of religious
activity to 1840s.
Diocesan Archives, Diocese of Sault Ste. Marie
Box 510, 387 Algonquin Avenue
North Bay, Ontario
P1B 8J1, 705-476-1300 Records related to the Districts of Sudbury, Algoma,
Manitoulin, and portions of the District of Nipissing
north and west of Lake Nipissing beginning 1880. Sacramental
Registers up to 1910 available from the L.D.S. Family
History Centers.
Archives of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Toronto
Catholic Pastoral Centre
1155 Yonge Street, Suite 505
Toronto, Ontario
M4T 1W2, 416-934-0606
By appointment only
Website: http://www.archtoronto.org/archives/index.htm
Records related to the Counties of York, Peel, Simcoe,
Metropolitan Toronto, the Regional Municipalities of
York, Peel, and part of Durham, part of Dufferin County,
and the remainder of Dufferin County, beginning 1830.
Sacramental Registers up to 1910 available from the
L.D.S. Family History Centers. Holds Burial Registers
for St. Paul's and St. Michael's Cemeteries; part of
the Diocese of Upper Canada 1826-1841 records from which
the Dioceses of Kingston, Toronto (1841), Hamilton (1856),
and St. Catharines (1858) were created.
Diocese of Thunder Bay Archives
1306 Ridgeway Street East
Thunder Bay, Ontario
P7E 5J5, 807-622-8144 or 807-343-9313 Records related to the Districts of Thunder Bay, Kenora,
and Rainy River beginning 1952; limited records of religious
activity to 1890.
Diocese of Timmins Archives
65 Jubilee Avenue East
Timmins, Ontario
P4N 5W4, 705-267-6224; 705-267-6226 Records related to the District of Timiskaming and
the southeastern part of Cochrane. Material before 4
October 1922 was destroyed by the Haileybury Fire. No
genealogical material in collection.
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Roman Catholic Orders and Agencies
The ecclesiastical "province" or "provincialate"
of an Order has no relation to the territorial boundaries
of the "political" Province of Ontario. Check
that the geographical area you are interested in falls within
their collecting boundary. Archives, Society of Jesus, Upper Canada Province
Regis College, 15 St. Mary Street
Toronto, Ontario
M4Y 2R5, 416-922-5474; 416-922-2898 fax
Mon. Fri. 9:00am - 16:30pm, by appointment Records of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) in Canada.
Christian Brothers (De La Salle Brothers)
Provincialate Archives Centre
5 Avonwick Gate
Don Mills, Ontario
M3A 2M5, 416-444-4479; 416-445-0492 fax
By appointment. Records of the Order; records of related schools.
Congregation of Christian Brothers Canadian Archives
R.R. 8
Orangeville, Ontario
L9W 3T5, 519-941-4882
By appointment. Records of the Congregations and related material.
Grey Sisters of the Immaculate Conception
700 McKay Street
Pembroke, Ontario
K8A 1G6, 613-732-9925, 992
By appointment. Records of the Order and related material.
Jesuit Fathers of the University of Sudbury Archives/
Archives des Pères Jésuites de l'Université
de Sudbury
University of Sudbury
Ramsey Lake Road
Sudbury, Ontario
P3E 2C6, 705-673-5661
By appointment. Records of the Jesuit Fathers in the Diocese of Sault
Ste. Marie, the Collège du Sacré-Coeur
de Sudbury; related material.
Religious Hospitallers of St. Joseph
St. Joseph Province Archives
16 Manitou Crescent East
Kingston, Ontario
K7N 1B2, 613-389-0275 x 116
By appointment. Records of the communities and hospitals administered
by St. Joseph Province.
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United
City of Ottawa Archives
174 Stanley Avenue
Ottawa, Ontario
K1M 1P1, 613-564-1348 or 1352; 613-564-7356 fax
Mon. - Fri. 8:30am - 4:30pm
Website: http://ottawa.ca/residents/heritage/archives/index_en.html
Records of the Ottawa portion of the Montréal/
Ottawa Conference including regional courts and local
churches for the County of Carleton; Records of the
Ottawa and the Seaway Valley Presbyteries. For a list
of their holdings, see their Guide to the Local
Church Records, Montréal/ Ottawa Conference,
United Church of Canada. 2 Vols. (Ottawa, Montréal/
Ottawa Conference Archives committee, 1986).
United Church of Canada Archives, Manitoba and
Northwestern Ontario Conference
c/o Rare Book Room
University of Winnipeg Library
515 Portage Avenue
Winnipeg, Manitoba
R3B 2E9, 204-783-0708
By appointment.
Website: http://www.united-church.ca/archives/home.shtm
Records of the Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario Conference
including the pre-1925 Presbyterian, Methodists, and
Congregational records.
United Church of Canada Archives, Montréal/
Ottawa Conference
Bishop's University Library
Lennoxville, Québec
J1M 1Z7, 819-821-0204, 514-288-6862
Mon. - Fri. 9:00am - 5:00pm
Website: http://www.montrealandottawaconference.ca/Archives/index2.htm
Records of the Montréal/ Ottawa Conference (see
above) including the pre-1925 Presbyterian, Methodists,
and Congregational records.
United Church of Canada/ Victoria University Archives
73 Queen's Park Crescent East
Toronto, Ontario
M5S 1K7 416-585-4563
Mon. - Thurs. 10:00am - 4:45pm
Note: entrance is off of 95 Charles Street West
Website: http://unitedchurcharchives.vicu.utoronto.ca/index.shtml
Records of the national courts of the United Church
and its uniting denominations (Methodist, Congregational,
many Presbyterian, and Evangelical United Brethren);
regional courts and local Ontario churches (excludes
Carleton, Dundas, Glengarry, Grenville, Prescott, Russell,
and Stormont at City of Ottawa Archives); records of
Victoria University; related material. For details,
see their A Record of Service: A Guide to Holdings
of the Central Archives of the United Church of Canada.
Occasional Paper No. 1 (Toronto: United Church of Canada/
Victoria University Archives Press, 1992).
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