Thanks to Library and Archives Canada, we have free online access to not only the Canadian Census Indices but the opportunity to view the original recorded Census documents for the years listed below. While the 1921 census records are not available on the Libraries and Archives Canada site, they provide a link to Ancestry.com where the records are accessible for free (without subscription). Also provided on the Library and Archives website is an explanation of how each census was collected, common abbreviations, the instructions provided to enumerators and any issues regarding that particular year’s census or database. Electoral maps are provided, if available. District and sub-district census information is also listed. Census districts or county boundaries may have changed over time.
| Year | Area | Date of Enumeration | Interpretation of Age |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1770-1856 | Returns on Microfilm | ||
| 1825 | Lower Canada | June 20 – September 20 | None Provided |
| 1831 | Lower Canada | June 1 – October 1 | None Provided |
| 1842 | Canada East (current day Quebec); Canada West (current day Ontario) | February 1 | None Provided |
| 1851/52 | Canada East, Canada West, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia | January 11, 1852 | At Next Birthday |
| 1861 | Canada East, Canada West, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island (some of the New Brunswick records are only available on microfilm) | January 14 (Canada East and Canada West); March 30 (Nova Scotia); August 15 (New Brunswick); Date unknown for Prince Edward Island | At Next Birthday |
| 1870 | Manitoba | July 16 | At Next Birthday |
| 1871 | Canada | April 2 | As of Census Date |
| 1871 | Ontario | April 2 | At Last Birthday |
| 1881 | Canada | April 4 | At Last Birthday |
| 1891 | Canada | April 6 | As of Census Date |
| 1901 | Canada | March 31 | At Last Birthday |
| 1906 | Northwest Provinces | June 24 | At Last Birthday |
| 1911 | Canada | June 1 | At Last Birthday |
| 1916 | Prairie Provinces | June 1 | At Last Birthday |
| 1921 | Canada | June 1 | At Last Birthday |
If you prefer working with microfiche, the census records for Wellington County are available at the Guelph Public Library, the Wellington County Museum and Archives, and the University of Guelph McLaughlin Library. If you are planning a trip to view a specific census year, it is recommended that you contact the facility ahead of time to determine if they have that particular year.
- Note: 1851 Census records for Erin Township and Guelph and 1891 Maryborough Township records are not available.
Read more on why Census records are important to researchers, here.