The following is a press release issued by Library and Archives Canada:
Library and Archives Canada (LAC) is pleased to announce that in collaboration with Ancestry® and FamilySearch International, we are providing a free, searchable index of the 1931 Census of Canada through Census Search. This marks the completion of phase two of the plan to make the census accessible to Canadians on our website following the initial release of the census earlier this year.
The value of this census to Canadians whose families were in the country at the time and to other researchers is significant. The 1931 Census is a snapshot of a time of tumultuous change in Canada. It is the first census in which more than 50% of Canadians lived in urban centres, rather than rural areas. It is also the first census to consider how many Canadians had radios in the home, indicating an interest in learning how Canadians were integrating technology in their homes. Furthermore, it is the first mass release of Depression-era employment data, which makes it a significant milestone in such research.
This searchable index of the census replaces the temporary database of images that we published in June, so you may need to update your bookmarks and favourites. Using Census Search makes it much easier to locate individuals and offers features such as being able to move from page to page within a subdistrict. LAC is very pleased with the progress we are making on improving access, but this isn’t a finish line for us. We will be making updates and correcting data issues as we continue to fulfill our mandate to preserve Canada’s documentary heritage and make information—like this census—available to everyone.