Dates of the Canada Censuses....and birth ages given
http://www.generations.on.ca/genealogy/canadian-census.htmand the dates plus information on the data
http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/genealogy/022-911.002-e.htmlInterpreting the Census / Column HeadingsHere is a breakdown of the page...including employment codes, which helps if the mode of employ is illegible....
http://www.collectionscanada.ca/archivianet/1911/006003-100.04-e.html#bI have been finding that some people aren't aware of how to view
more on the censuses at this site. As I was a newbie, also (still am)
... and finally looked around and also tried several things....
http://www.automatedgenealogy.com/Sounds complicated, but it's easy once used to it....
Click on the year of census ( blue link)....
Scroll down to the surname index database ( people are missing this feature)
and submit surname...(can select first letter of given but suggest wait for next step)
Scroll down..this window will prompt a given name... If there are only a few
listed below, this won't be necessary....
If too many (eg. you have a listing all "A's on that page and you need a William,
suggest trying the given ( forename), and if it can't be found, only select first initial, or the first three letters of the name....
On 1901 - If you can't find it...use no given name at all and look through each
page of listings...Must be done, in case Evan was down as Ivan....and George
will NOT find Geo, but Geo will find George...Dot won't find Dorothy, or visa versa.
Dates can be out by considerable amounts, but if you know it, try it, with lots of
+- years selected, but with databases sometimes less is more. Dates can be
out a decade or more for a number of reasons....
SPLIT SCREEN for actual image viewingWhen your ancestor is on the list...go to the blue page number and the names
in the order as on the page will be listed...check what number on the list your
family is....then look at the top left of the page...The blue links will prompt you
to a split screen, or lge, med, small....These are the actual census images
on-line.... If you choose large, it is easier scrolling...but split screen will show
you more, (ie...year of immigration...and more)
Again at top...the page positioning links are in blue ...top(1-10) bottom(43-50)
top of page, etc. ...then use the red arrows to maneuver on the screen...practice this as it's a bit confusing at first...
If you see a mostly black screen, the viewer is showing you the view you last
left it in, so you may have to hit the "dot" to center yourself once again....
If you can't find your ancestors on the list, go up to the top, choose as many
other names as you think may have been mistaken for a letter or left out
as an unknown (shown as???) and hit merge...Now it will search out those
with that surname also...Be creative...as I sometimes sit and write the name..
look at it and see what I might think some letters might be confused for others....
along the same vein... go back to the alphabetical srname list, choose the first
letter of the surname and go through those listings...Unfortunately only available on the 1901 right now....
If you know the area in which they lived you can also search within that area to by using that surname index or viewing it alphabetically if no results are given on the database & they might be misstranscibed....
All the best and Good luck with your searches....J.J.