[Unboxing the Archives title card. Video title: Tracing Your Family History. Archives of Ontario (AO) and Government of Ontario Trillium logos, still photo of the AO montage wall featuring various records as the background image]
Narrator: Hi—are you eager to start tracing your family history in Ontario?
[Close-ups of photo of Daniel G. Hill Jr. and May Edwards Hill 50th wedding anniversary, 1967 (I0027967) and Burket family photo of four men and one boy, 1920 (I0052489)]
Narrator: This video highlights a few of our most popular records for family history research and how to access them.
[Pan shot footage of AO’s public facility exterior on York University’s Keele campus at 134 Ian Macdonald Boulevard, Toronto, from a distance, with people and vehicles passing by]
Narrator: With unique collections that date back to the 16th century, the Archives of Ontario is a premier source of information about the history of the land we now call Ontario and its people.
[Two family members of different generations seated at a table in the AO’s public Reading Room, looking at records together]
Narrator: Through your ancestors in Ontario, you and your family have your own stake in the province’s history.
[Close-ups of a photo of a group portrait of Mr. and Mrs. J. Edwards’ wedding at the Welsh Church, circa 1880 (I0052491) and a photo of Mr. and Mrs. Lee and their children, circa 1900 (I0052487)]
Narrator: Researching your ancestry can help you form a direct, personal link with the past and create a valuable family legacy for generations to come.
[Reference archivist helping a researcher at a computer in the AO Reading Room, pointing to information on the screen]
Narrator: You’ll be the detective, but our knowledgeable staff are here to help you navigate our databases, collections and resources.
[Close up of birth, marriage and death registrations from the AO’s collections, panning in to show specific information on the records. Records include:
Birth registration for Mary Pickford, born Gladys Louise Smith in Toronto on April 8, 1892 (RG 80-2-0-373, D307558)
Marriage registration for William Dawson Fisher and Mary Forscey, March 10, 1915 (RG 80-5-0-779, D309801)
Death registrations for City of London, Middlesex County, 1902 (RG 80-8, D302764)]
Narrator: Among the most useful records for tracing your family history in Ontario are historical birth, marriage and death registrations—also called “vital statistics.”
These records contain the names of your ancestors; the dates and places connected to their birth, marriage or death; and other valuable information. Most of the vital stats in our collections date from 1869 onwards, when they started to be registered with the Government of Ontario, but earlier records may exist in county or district registers.
[Researcher at a computer in the AO Reading Room, viewing a marriage registration online]
Narrator: You can find vital statistics in our collections by using the self-serve microfilm in our Reading Room, or by exploring the digitized records on FamilySearch.org and Ancestry.ca.
[Close-up of wills from the AO’s collections, including:
Jessie Cameron Laidlaw’s last will and testament, June 12, 1930 (F230-3, B437626)
Last will and testament of Matilda Anne Ridout, 1881 (F 65-7-0-1, B299595)]
Narrator: Family history researchers also frequently consult historical estate files in Government of Ontario court records. These files, dating from as early as 1793, can contain wills that provide information about the disposition of your ancestor’s property. Whether your ancestor left vast amounts of land or money or a few modest belongings, estate records can provide valuable evidence about family connections, relationships, and your ancestor’s life in Ontario.
[Researcher retrieving a reel of microfilm from cabinets in the AO Reading Room]
Narrator: Many estate files, and the indexes to locate them, are available on self-serve microfilm in our Reading Room.
[Close-up examples of different land records:
Deed of Land for town lot in Amherstburg from Mary McCurdy to James Campron, November 2, 1889
Map of Blenheim Township, 1876 (I0073706)
Sale of Crown Land to Catherine MacKey of the Township of Head in the County of Renfrew, July 3, 1863 (RG 53-1, Land Patent books, Crown Sales)
Township of Muskoka Lakes – Medora, August 1869 (I0051448)]
Narrator: Land records are another important source for family history research. These date from the 1790s and include Crown Land Records, documenting the grant, sale or lease of Crown land, and Land Registry Records, documenting the history of land transactions between individuals, groups, or companies.
Land records can help you: situate your ancestor in a specific time and place; differentiate between people with the same name; and understand your ancestors’ relationships with others and their communities.
[Researcher examining the Ontario Land Records Index on microfiche in the AO Reading Room]
Narrator: Microfilmed records and indexes in our Reading Room can help you navigate the many types of land records in our holdings.
[Pan shot of inside of AO’s vaults]
Narrator: Vital statistics, wills and land records are just some of the many documents in the Archives of Ontario’s collections that can help you trace your family’s roots in the province.
[Screen recording of AO’s webpage with the Tracing Your Family History tab highlighted]
Narrator: Start your story of the past today! Our Tracing Your Family History webpage provides the information, research guides and tools needed to begin your journey.
[Text: ontario.ca/archives; reference@ontario.ca; Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube social media logos; AO and Government of Ontario Trillium logos, with image of AO image montage wall as background]
Narrator: Experience the Thrill of Discovery with the Archives of Ontario.