1916 Canada Census of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta

The population of Canada's western half grew significantly in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries as the Canadian Pacific Railway was completed and immigrants began to settle in the area. The province of Manitoba, which was originally created in 1870 and was comprised basically of the city of Winnipeg, continued to expand in size over the years. In 1905 its borders were redefined as the provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan were created.

Beginning in 1906 a special census of the Prairie provinces was taken 5 years after every national census from 1906-1956. In 1956 national censuses began being taken every 5 years. These special censuses allowed the government to keep track of the rising population in these regions of the country.

This database is an every name index to individuals enumerated in the 1916 Census of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta and also includes images of the original census documents.

What Areas are Included:

The 1916 census included the provinces of Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan.

Why Census Records are Important:

Census records provide many details about individuals and families. They are useful for pinpointing individuals and families in a particular time and place and depict certain aspects of their lives. Because of the amount of information provided in censuses, combined with the fact that individuals are generally shown in "family groups", censuses are often the first sources turned to when beginning family history research.

Censuses can also be good sources for placing ancestors in historical context. Censuses allow us to study people both as individuals and as groups in communities. This gives us multiple perspectives on history. For example, the 1916 census was taken in the middle of World War I. Not surprisingly, this census was the first Canadian census to take an in-depth look at military service and Canadian military training camps. How did the War affect your ancestor and his community?

How the Census is Organized:

For the 1916 census each province was divided into census districts. These districts were subsequently divided into sub-districts. Districts were roughly equivalent to electoral districts, cities, and counties. Sub-Districts were based off of towns, townships, and survey land descriptions. Each District and Sub-District was assigned a number for administrative purposes. The District Number is unique only to the province in which it belongs and the Sub-District Number is unique only to the District in which it belongs.

Questions Asked:

• Number of family, household, or institution in order of visitation
• Name of each person in family
• Military service
• Place of habitation (township, range, meridian, and municipality)
• Relation to head of household
• Sex
• Marital Status (Single, Married, Widowed, or Divorced)
• Age
• Country or place of birth
• Religion
• Year of immigration to Canada
• Year of naturalization
• Nationality
• Race
• Can speak English
• Can speak French
• Other language spoken as mother tongue
• Can read and write
• Occupation
• Employment