Census

Search the Census Records
Search for census records matching specific criteria, in any of the available census years. In addition to the general search, there is also an occupation search and a religion search.

Victoria Municipal 1871 Census
This database contains records of the municipal census for Victoria in 1871. This was not part of the national census, so the available data is different from the other census records. The 1871 Victoria census data can only be searched on its own; it is not linked to the other census searches.

Vancouver Island 1881 Census
This database contains detailed records of 18,623 people, including First Nations (i.e. aboriginal) people enumerated on Vancouver Island and the adjacent Gulf Islands of British Columbia in 1881.

Vancouver Island 1891 Census
This database comprises nominal records for 36,206 native and non-native people enumerated on Vancouver Island and the adjacent Gulf Islands of British Columbia in 1891.

Vancouver Island 1901 Census
This database is derived from the 1901 census of the City of Victoria (Census District No. 4) and consists of 22,243 records. The data was initially transcribed by the Canadian Families Project [CFP] in 1997. The data base also includes over 25,000 records from Census District No. 3 (Vancouver). These records enumerate communities outside Victoria, such as Esquimalt, Saanich and Metchosin; and communities within the districts of Alberni, Cowichan, Nanaimo and Comox on Vancouver Island. Data for District No. 3 (Vancouver) was provided by the British Columbia Genealogical Society [BCGS] in 2006.

The CFP transcribed data from every field on the 1901 nominal census schedule. The BCGS transcribed personal and family data, but did not transcribe employment or income data. Accordingly, census data for residents in the City of Victoria is more complete than data for up Island residents. Collectively, however, the datasets provide a very detailed demographic picture of Vancouver Island in 1901.