1931 Canadian Census -- early research

1931 Canadian Census

On June 1, 2023, the 1931 Census was released with digital images only. Ninety-two years ago, enumerators began to visit their assigned area. They were given a list of instructions on how to interpret the questions that they were to ask each family.

     Not long after the release, Library & Archives Canada ran into difficulties. Needless to say, genealogists were anxious to search for their families. Many, like me, have parents who were recorded during that time. Both of my parents were listed on the 1921 census. In 1931, both were living in the same localities as they had in 1921. My mother’s family had not moved, but my father’s had. I knew where they lived in 1931 from city directories.

    Because the Library & Archives site was giving errors in linking to the images. Genealogist Ken McKinlay discovered a workaround and posted the information on Facebook. I followed his advice and I was able to locate my father with his family.  I went through each sub-district in North Grey, Ontario, and I noted that Owen Sound was divided into three wards – Bay district, which included mainly the east side of town in the valley and up on the east hill, likely north of 10^th Street; the West District and the River District, which included the family and north of 10th Street. I would have to look more closely at a map and the census to accurately to narrow which ward to look at.

By the second day, I found my mother and her family after Ancestry posted the images. It was helpful that I could move page by page within a sub-district.

    They were on a farm and my great-grandmother was enumerated at the next house. They lived across the lane from each other.

     I noticed that the family names near where my father lived were the same as when I was a child.  We lived across the road from my grandparents.

    In addition, I have gone through the Markham area, noting which places were included in each sub-district. My interest there were the surnames of families who came in 1794 with William Berczy/

    In the past, I never sought out the instructions for the commissioners and enumerators, but I did this time.

    Library & Archives Canada has resolved the initial problems.

 

I will continue to share what I learned, in separate postings,  

 

© 2023 Janet Iles