Census Records

Census returns are the official enumeration of the Canadian population,

• From 1851 to 1951, a nation-wide census was taken in Canada every ten years.
• Starting in 1906, a special census of the Prairie Provinces (Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba only) was conducted every ten years.
• Starting in 1956, the census of the entire country return was taken every five years.

The census returns list each person individually with information about each person such as age, date of birth, sex, country or province of birth, religion, racial or ethnic origin, year of immigration, occupation, marital status, education, and address or location of land.

The first census to include all of Canada from Nova Scotia to British Columbia was taken in 1881, which is the first census to include the area now known as Saskatchewan.

Portions of the Canadian census from 1881 to 1911 related to Saskatchewan are available to view on microfilm. We do not have copies of other census years.  Because of statutory restrictions over the use of more recent enumerations, 1926 is the latest Canadian census available for public research.

For more information about Canadian census records and to access digitized versions of these records, please visit the Library and Archives Canada Census page. Also, visit their Census Search page.