Genealogy Quebec’s search engine now lets you add a spouse to your searches, for even more detailed and targeted results.
Advanced Search
Advanced Search now allows you to add the spouse of the person you are searching for, in addition to the father, mother, and up to five types of events: birth, marriage, death, residence, and publication.
This new option helps the engine better target results associated with a couple, such as their marriage or records related to their children.
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Search for your ancestors among more than 100 million images and historical documents.
To use Advanced Search, first go to the search engine. By default, the engine uses Basic Search. To access more detailed options, simply click Advanced Search.
Adding family members to your search
To add a spouse to your search, make sure Advanced Search is enabled, then select the type of individual to add.
The engine then uses this information to evaluate the relevance of the results. The more a document matches your search parameters, the higher it will appear in the results list.
You can also use the “Must match” checkbox to require the spouse to be explicitly present in the document. When checked, documents that do not mention this individual in the defined role are excluded from the results.
To explore Genealogy Quebec’s search engine features in more detail, consult our user guide here.
A new search feature has been added to Genealogy Quebec’s folder-based collections – including the Drouin Collection – helping you locate relevant registers and images faster than ever before.
Search folder and file names
In all folder-based collections, you can now search for a parish, city, year, surname or keyword, and quickly find every matching folder and file within the collection.
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Explore over 100 million historical records and discover your family history with Genealogy Quebec today!
One of the most important genealogical resources for Quebec and French-Canadian research, the Drouin Collection contains parish registers and civil records from Quebec, Ontario, Acadia, New England and other regions connected to French-Canadian history.
These collections bring together a wide range of archives preserved by the Drouin Institute, including photographs, family documents, parish material, historical files and other unique records.
Search for traces of your family, city, parish, school, business or local community, and uncover documents that go beyond standard baptism, marriage and burial records.
City Directories
Trace your ancestors through the streets, homes and businesses of the past with Genealogy Quebec’s city directories. Access the directories of cities such as Montreal, Quebec, Laval, Ottawa and Hull, Cornwall, Rimouski and more, going back to the 19th century.
BMD Cards
The BMD Cards are index-style writeouts of baptism, marriage and burial records, often containing the key names, dates and places needed to identify the original record. They can be especially useful for regions or periods not covered elsewhere, and with the new search feature, you can search for a family name and quickly find matching card files.
Genealogy Quebec’s search engine now lets you add a father and mother to your searches, for even more detailed and targeted results.
Advanced Search
Advanced Search now lets you include up to five event types — birth, marriage, death, residence, and publication — as well as a father and mother to your searches. Access the search engine here to try these new features.
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Don’t miss this opportunity to explore your roots at a reduced price!
To use Advanced Search, first go to the search engine. By default, the engine uses Basic Search. To access more detailed options, simply click Advanced Search.
Adding family members to your search
To add family members to your search, make sure Advanced Search is enabled, then select the individual(s) you want to add. As of today, you may add a father and/or a mother to the search. The engine will then use this information to match you with the most relevant documents. The more a document matches your search parameters, the higher it will be ranked in the results list.
You can also use the “Must match” checkbox to require the explicit presence of one or more individuals in the record. When selected, records that do not mention the individual(s) in their defined role are excluded from the results.
It is also possible to perform a search without adding a subject, but only in specific cases: searching for a father only, a mother only, or a father and mother together. This type of search can be useful when, for example, you want to find all the children of a couple.
The search above will find all records on the site where the parents are Albert Lavigne and Camille Duguay.
To explore Genealogy Quebec’s search engine features in more detail, consult our user guide here.
My Folders let you save records you find on Genealogy Québec and organize them into custom folders. Organize your finds your way: by person, family, place, parish, lineage, or research project.
Update the name and/or add a description, and click Save.
You can change a folder’s name and description at any time.
Delete a folder
Open the folder you want to delete.
Click Edit folder (gear icon).
Click Delete folder, then confirm. This action cannot be undone.
Naming your folders
Use clear, descriptive folder names so you can find them quickly. You can name folders by person, family, region, parish, or lineage—whatever matches your workflow. Here are some suggestions:
Tremblay family
Descendants of Marie Gagnon
Notre-Dame Parish (Montréal)
Project: maternal line
Louis Cyr
Save a record to a folder
From a record page
Go to the page of the record you want to save.
Click Save, then select the folder you want. You can also create a new folder directly from this drop-down menu.
You can save the same record to multiple folders.
From My Folders
In one of your folders, find the record you want to add to another folder, then click the + icon.
The Add to a folder menu opens. Select the folder or folders you want to add the record to.
Remove a record from a folder
Open My Folders and select the folder you want.
Click the trash icon on the record you want to remove.
The record is removed from the current folder only.
Browsing My Folders
Find a folder
The search bar lets you search your folders by name—start typing to narrow the list.
Pagination and navigation
Up to 20 folders are shown at a time in the navigation panel. Within a folder, up to 20 records are shown per page, in the order they were added (most recent first).
Limits
You can create up to 500 folders on your account. A maximum of 200 records can be added to each folder.
Additional information and FAQ
Institutional access
My Folders isn’t available when you’re using the site through an institutional access (library, university, etc.).
Expired subscription
Even if your subscription has expired, you can still access My Folders and continue to manage and view your folders. However, you’ll need to resubscribe to view the full record pages on the site—only the previews remain visible in your folders.
Privacy
Your folders are private and only visible within your account. Other Genealogy Quebec members can’t access them.
Legacy Tools
My Folders isn’t available in Genealogy Québec’s Legacy Tools. You can only save records found through the Global Search engine.
Interest in Canadian citizenship by descent has increased sharply following recent changes to Canada’s citizenship rules—most notably Bill C-3 (in force December 15, 2025), which removed the first-generation limit to citizenship by descent in some situations.
For many applicants, the main challenge is not understanding the concept of citizenship by descent—it is proving a clear, documented lineage from the applicant to the relevant Canadian ancestor.
This article focuses on the practical side of that problem: how to build a proof-ready lineage trail using historical records.
A note on the “official process”
Citizenship eligibility and application requirements must always be taken from official Government of Canada resources. In most cases, the official workflow involves:
The sections below focus on what applicants can control: building a documented lineage trail that supports the file.
How to prove your lineage: a practical approach
Think “chain of evidence,” not “family tree”
For citizenship-by-descent research, the goal is usually not to build a large family tree. The goal is to build a chain connecting one generation to the next:
You → parent → grandparent → (repeat) → Canadian ancestor
Each link in that chain must be supported with documentation that clearly identifies the person and the relationship. A single weak link can create uncertainty that affects the entire chain.
Prioritize records that establish parent-child links
The most useful documents are typically those that explicitly identify parents or clearly connect generations. In many lineages, the “core” record types are:
Birth records or baptism records
Marriage records
Death records or burial records
These records are valuable because they can provide the names of parents, the spouse, places of origin or residence, and other identifiers that help confirm the correct person, and establish filial links between individuals.
Marriage records often name the bride and groom’s parents, helping move one generation back when documenting a lineage for Canadian citizenship by descent. This GenealogyQuebec.com example shows how original historical sources connect generations.
From online research to a certified copy
Genealogy databases such as Genealogy Quebec help locate the correct record and confirm the family links, but IRCC applications typically require official documents or certified true copies from the appropriate authority.
Here’s how you can go from your online research to the certified copy:
Locate the record (birth/baptism, marriage, death/burial) using indexed search and open the original image when available to confirm you have the right person. Record the reference details (parish/municipality, date, type of act, names, page/act number or image reference).
Request the official or certified version from the appropriate authority:
For Quebec civil-status certificates/copies of acts, this is typically the Directeur de l’état civil.
For older Quebec parish registers held by the archives, a certified reproduction can be requested from BAnQ. Here is an English-language guide that will guide you through the process.
For the rest of Canada, request the official certificate from the vital statistics office in the province/territory where the event was registered (contact list: Vital statistics offices by province/territory).
Follow IRCC’s checklist for what to submit (format, quality, translations).
Quebec birth records (Drouin Collection): using baptisms to obtain a certified copy
In many historical Quebec cases, the “birth record” researchers need is actually a baptism entry recorded in a parish register. These parish registers are often found through the Drouin Collection on GenealogyQuebec.com, where researchers can view the original images and extract the exact reference details.
Example of a Quebec baptism (“birth”) record from the Drouin Collection on GenealogyQuebec.com, showing the original register image alongside indexed details such as the parents’ names, date, and parish—key information for documenting a lineage for Canadian citizenship by descent.
Once the correct record has been identified online, the next step for official purposes is to obtain an official certificate or a certified copy from the appropriate authority (in Quebec, this is typically the Directeur de l’état civil, or BAnQ for older parish registers).
For parish church records, the underlying record usually is the same parish register entry you’ll have found through your research—BAnQ simply issues the certified copy which is required for the citizenship application process. Once the correct act is found, note the key identifiers (parish, date, names, page/act) and file a BAnQ request for a certified reproduction.
Ultimately, Canadian citizenship by descent is a documentation exercise: build a defensible lineage chain, then obtain the official or certified documents required for submission.
For research that runs through Quebec and Acadia/New Brunswick (and selected Ontario records), GenealogyQuebec.com is one of the most comprehensive resources available: it lets you search and verify births/baptisms, marriages, and deaths on original document images and indexed results, so you can pinpoint the exact act before requesting the official or certified copy from the appropriate authority. Start your research on GenealogyQuebec.com to locate and verify the records needed to document your lineage chain.
This article is provided for general information only and does not constitute legal advice. Canadian citizenship rules are fact-specific and may change. Always confirm your situation and the current requirements using official Government of Canada (IRCC) resources.
A brand-new collection of directories and censuses featuring over one million individuals is now available on Genealogy Québec!
New collection
This collection features directories and censuses spanning the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries from across Quebec. While the information varies by source, records often provide key details such as the city and year of residence, date of birth, and occupation.
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Explore over 100 million historical records and discover your family history with Genealogy Quebec today!
16,000 images from the registers of 35 parishes in Quebec and Acadia have been re-digitized in high definition on Genealogy Quebec, offering greatly improved readability.
Re-digitized Registers
Nearly 1.5 million parish register images from Quebec and Acadia have now been re-digitized — exclusively on Genealogy Quebec.
At first glance, you might assume that Genealogy Quebec is exclusively dedicated to the history of Quebec families. In reality, the site’s mission goes far beyond the province’s borders. GenealogyQuebec.com is about tracing French-Canadian and Canadian ancestry across North America — and that includes a wealth of documents from Ontario, home to countless descendants of Quebec settlers.
If your roots stretch into Ontario, you’ll find nearly five million records and images covering the province’s rich genealogical history right here on Genealogy Quebec. Below is an overview of the Ontario material available to our members.
Discover your Ontario ancestors with full access to millions of records.
Begin your journey with a free 7-day trial to Genealogy Quebec.
Ontario’s birth, marriage, and death records form the backbone of genealogical research, and Genealogy Quebec offers hundreds of thousands of them in searchable and image form.
Across our collections, you’ll find 100,000+ births, 450,000+ marriages, and 140,000+ deaths from Ontario, along with 220,000 family files that group key life events and family relationships.
The Drouin Collection Records add depth with the parish registers of over 250 Ontario parishes and locations, totaling more than 290,000 digitized images, while our BMD Cards collection includes 118,000 handwritten or typewritten cards containing birth, marriage, and death information of Ontario residents.
When using the global search engine, you can refine your results by location using the filters on the left side of the page.
Start by selecting Canada, and choose Ontario to display only records from that region. It’s an easy way to focus your research and quickly find Ontario ancestors.
Obituaries and Headstones
Obituaries and cemetery records are essential for tracing more recent generations and uncovering family connections that parish records alone can’t reveal.
Genealogy Quebec features nearly 1.3 million Ontario obituaries, drawn from both online and newspaper sources. These obituaries often include detailed biographical information, family relationships, and even photographs, making them invaluable for documenting 20th- and 21st-century ancestors.
Complementing these are over 42,000 headstone photos from Ontario cemeteries, providing an enduring record of burial sites and family links.
All of these collections can be searched through Genealogy Quebec’s global search engine.
1881 Ontario Census
The 1881 Ontario census on Genealogy Quebec includes over 1.9 million indexed individuals, providing a detailed snapshot of the province’s population at the time. These records capture information on age, birthplace, language, religion, and place of residence — essential data for situating your ancestors in their historical context.
You can search the entire 1881 census through Genealogy Quebec’s global search engine and cross-reference results with other Ontario collections to expand your family history research.
Other Historical and Genealogical Documents
Beyond parish records, obituaries, and censuses, Genealogy Quebec also offers a variety of unique Ontario sources that bring additional depth to your family research.
Within theglobal search engine, you’ll find over 1,100 notarized contracts, offering insights into property transactions, agreements, and other civil matters that help flesh out family histories.
Généalogie Saint-Laurent – 64,000+ images featuring obituaries, family genealogies, repertories, and wedding photographs.
The Chesterville Record – 12,000+ digitized pages from a historical Ontario newspaper.
Cornwall Directory (1973–1980) – 1,700+ pages documenting local residents and businesses.
Great Ottawa and Hull City Directories (1875–2000) – coming early 2026, a collection of over 150,000 images of directories covering the Ottawa–Hull region.
Together, these archives highlight Ontario’s cultural and genealogical richness and make Genealogy Quebec a one-stop destination for discovering the province’s past.
Why Ontario Matters in French-Canadian Genealogy
French-Canadian presence in Ontario dates back to the 17th century, when explorers, missionaries, and fur traders from New France traveled along the Ottawa River and the Great Lakes. Permanent French-Canadian settlement, however, developed mainly in the late 18th and 19th centuries, as families from Quebec moved westward in search of farmland and work in forestry, mining, and railway construction. These movements established enduring Francophone communities in regions such as Ottawa, Sudbury, and Hearst, which remain culturally vibrant today.
Historically, the border between Ontario and Quebec was far less rigid than it is today. Many individuals who believed they lived “in Quebec” were, in fact, residing in areas that are now part of modern Ontario. Exploring Ontario records on Genealogy Quebec helps reconnect these intertwined histories — tracing French-Canadian families on both sides of a border that was once much more fluid.
Accessing Ontario Records on Genealogy Quebec
Most Ontario genealogy records mentioned above can be searched directly through Genealogy Quebec’s global search engine, while others are available in their own dedicated sections elsewhere on the site. Through the search engine, you may perform free searches — results will show limited details, giving you a glimpse of the records available before subscribing.
To access full record details and explore millions of Ontario and French-Canadian documents in depth, start your free 7-day trial at GenealogyQuebec.com.
• 70,000 new obituaries • From across Canada • Covering the period from September 2024 to September 2025 • Available through the search engine in the Internet Obituaries collection
Acadian Obituaries – Viateur Robichaud Collection
• 65,000 new obituaries • From Acadia • Covering the years 1967 to 2024 • Available through the search engine in the Newspaper Obituaries collection
Obituaries of French-Canadian Descendants from Alberta – Northwest Genealogical Society Collection
• 2,800 new obituaries • Primarily from Alberta • Covering the years 1960 to today • Available through the search engine in the Newspaper Obituaries collection
91,000 new images from the registers of 39 parishes have been added to Genealogy Quebec!
Parish Registers
These 91,000 new images come from the Cornwall region in Ontario and span from the 18th century to the 1990s. They can be consulted in the Drouin Collection Records under the folder “Ontario/Alexandria, Diocèse d’ (Catholiques)/”.
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Enjoy 25% off the yearly subscription to Genealogy Quebec up until September 26!
Don’t miss this opportunity to explore your roots at a discounted rate!
Here is the list of parishes added through this update.
Alexandria (Sacré-Cœur) — 1911–1977
Alexandria (St-Finnan’s) — 1836–1977
Apple Hill (St-Anthony) — 1914–1977
Collected Data and Memories of R. J. MacDonald
Cornwall (Blessed Sacrament) — 1965–1977
Cornwall (Christ-Roi) — 1964–1977
Cornwall (Cimetière Notre-Dame Cemetery)
Cornwall (General history of Diocese Alexandria-Cornwall)
Cornwall (Hôtel-Dieu) — 1929–1990
Cornwall (Nativité) — 1887–1977
Cornwall (Orphelinat) — 1909–1952
Cornwall (St-Columban’s) — 1834–1977
Cornwall (Ste-Croix) — 1954–1977
Cornwall (Ste-Thérèse-de-Lisieux) — 1955–1977
Cornwall (St-Félix-de-Valois) — 1937–1977
Cornwall (St-François-de-Sales) — 1937–1977
Cornwall (St-Jean-Bosco) — 1944–1977
Cornwall (Sts-Martyrs-Canadiens) — 1963–1977
Crysler (Notre-Dame-du-Rosaire) — 1879–1977
Dalkeith (St-Paul) — 1940–1977
Diocèse d’Alexandria (32 paroisses) — 1977–1990
Finch (St-Bernard) — 1946–1977
Glen Nevis (Ste-Marguerite-d’Écosse) — 1881–1977
Glen Robertson (St-Martin-de-Tours) — 1920–1977
Glen Walter (Précieux-Sang) — 1913–1977
Green Valley (Ste-Marie-de-l’Assomption) — 1956–1977
Greenfield (Ste-Catherine-de-Sienne) — 1894–1977
Histoire d’un Diocèse – Alexandria-Cornwall
Ingleside (Our Lady of Grace) — 1898–1977
Lancaster (St-Joseph) — 1904–1977
Lochiel (St-Alexander) — 1863–1977
Martintown (St-Guillaume) — 1949–1977
Maxville (St-Jacques) — 1946–1977
Moose Creek (Notre-Dame-des-Anges) — 1883–1977
St-Andrews West — 1807–1978
St-Raphaël — 1804–1976
St-Régis — 1762–1977
The Fate of Glengarry
Williamstown (St-Mary’s) — 1854–1977
The Drouin Collection Records
The Drouin Collection Records, also known simply as the “Drouin Collection,” consist of digitized images of parish registers (baptisms, marriages, and burials) covering all of Quebec and French Acadia, as well as parts of Ontario, New Brunswick, and the Northeastern United States. The collection spans from the opening of the parish registers up to the 1940s–2000s, depending on the parish.
You can access them with a Genealogy Quebec subscriptionat this address.
