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The Event
From 1666 to Confederation in 1867, 98 regional and colonial censuses1 were taken. Individuals answered a variety of questions, including those about housing, livestock, crops, buildings, armaments owned (for example muskets or swords), churches, etc. Questions related to the raising of taxes or armies, and the assessment of resources, could also be asked.
The British North America Act (also known as the Constitution Act of 1867) called for the taking of a census every ten years, to determine parliamentary representation based on population. Under the provisions of the Census and Statistics Act (which received Royal Assent2 16 May 1905) a general census of Canada was to occur in 1911, and every ten years thereafter, and a census of population and agriculture was to be taken in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta in 1906, and every ten years thereafter. Furthermore, when the Acts creating the provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta were passed, the information generated in quinquennial censuses (ie: censuses occurring every five years) was to be used to determine parliamentary representation and public land revenues for the new entities.
The forms and instructions prepared by the Census and Statistics Office received government of Canada assent on 15 May 1906 and were published in the Canada Gazette 21 May 1906. The 1906 census then officially began 24 June 1906.
A commissioner was appointed to each province to co-ordinate the census effort. Reporting to the commissioners, enumerators were then assigned to a clearly defined area.
It was their duty to enter on the schedules every family or household in their respective areas, in order of visitation, every person by name having his or her home or place of abode with such family or household, and also all particulars relating to the farm land, crops and live stock of persons in such areas, as called for in the schedules; and every enumerator upon the completion of his work was required to take and subscribe an oath declaring as the exactness of the record as a statement of the facts sought for by the Census and Statistics Act.3
In all, six hundred and seventy-three enumerators visited twenty-two census districts, divided into six hundred and two enumeration area units. These units were made up of cities, towns, groups of townships, Indian reserves, and other less well-defined areas.4
The Records
The enumeration effort and the published data were all based around the basic census documents known as schedules. Originally, two schedules, or pages of census questions, were compiled:
- Population and Live Stock
- Agriculture
For individuals out of reach at the time of enumeration, "Special Form A" was to be completed.
1906 Census Records at Library and Archives Canada
In 1955, the Dominion Bureau of Statistics5 was authorized by the Public Records Committee6 to film and destroy the original paper records of the 1906 Census. As a result, only a microfilm copy of the 1906 census exists as an archival holding. The microfilming of these records was not of consistent quality and not all images are decipherable. Unfortunately, the destruction of the paper records means that there is no recourse when a record is unreadable.
On each microfilm reel, researchers will find a title page listing the year of the census (ie: 1906), the name of the province, the district number and name, the sub-district number and name and the number of pages in the grouping. The pages are not always consecutively ordered and in some cases may be non-existent.
These records and those of previous censuses are described in the Statistics Canada fonds, formerly Record Group 31.
The digitized copies of the census found on the Library and Archives Canada website have been made by scanning the microfilms of the 1906 census. As exact copies, a page that was indecipherable on microfilm will be similarly indecipherable on your computer screen. You should also note that the introductory pages from the microfilm (which identify the year of the census, the name of the province, name and number of the district and sub-district and the number of pages) have not been scanned.
Indexing the 1906 Census
Volunteers with the Alberta Family Histories Society and the Automated Genealogy project are working on name indexes for the 1906 census. If you find a reference of interest, you can link to the image of the actual page to see the complete details for that individual. For additional panning and zoom features, you should note the reference (District, sub-district and page number) and then access the page from our database rather than linking to the image from one of the two index sites.
Please note that spelling variations of names are common. Also, it is sometimes difficult for indexers to interpret the handwriting of the enumerators, especially on pages with poor legibility. If you cannot find a reference in the index, you should search the census pages for the place where your ancestors resided.
Alberta Family Histories Society: 1906 Census (Prairies) Index and Transcriptions
Automated Genealogy: Index to the 1906 Census of the Northwest Provinces
How to Purchase or Borrow Microfilm Copies For libraries, organizations and individuals who wish to purchase microfilm copies of the Census of the
Northwest Provinces 1906, please see our web site under Services: Obtain copies of records:
Purchasing microfilm. The reels are 35 mm. The reel numbers are listed below: Census of the Northwest Provinces 1906
| Microfilm Number |
From:
District - Sub-district |
To:
District - Sub-district |
Province |
| T-18353 |
1-1 |
1-11 |
MB |
| T-18354 |
1-12 |
4-4 |
MB |
| T-18355 |
4-5 |
7-8 |
MB |
| T-18356 |
7-9 |
9-9 |
MB |
| T-18357 |
10-1 |
11-4 |
MB,
SK |
| T-18358 |
11-5 |
13-36H |
SK |
| T-18359 |
12-36B |
15-1 |
SK |
| T-18360 |
15-2 |
16-33 |
SK |
| T-18361 |
16-34 |
19-26A |
SK,
AB |
| T-18362 |
19-26B |
21-23 |
AB |
| T-18363 |
21-24 |
22-3 |
AB |
If you wish to borrow microfilm, please see
this section under Services: Borrow microfilm. |
