Sorry, you need to enable JavaScript to visit this website.

Culture & History

  • Chinese Immigration Certificates and Forms

    Legislative controls on Chinese immigration to Canada resulted in a very cumbersome system overseen by the Chief Controller of Chinese Immigration in Ottawa. The system generated a number of certificates, which were issued to Chinese people. These certificates provide very useful genealogical information, and can be a link to Immigration Records.

     

  • Chinese Names

    Chinese names can be a challenging, complex subject that may have a significant impact on your research prospects.

  • Chinese Names in Canada

    Learn how Chinese names were often changed in Canada based on western customs and pronounciation differences.

  • Chinese-Language Resources

    Useful resources on Chinese-language materials for Chinese Canadian Genealogy.

  • Church Records

    Church records of baptism, marriage and burial are an important source of genealogical information, particularly for years prior to the beginning of civil registration.

  • Church Records

    Christian outreach to Chinese immigrants in Canada began as early as the 1870s, when Methodists started a Chinese mission school in Victoria, B.C. Most early missionary work among the Chinese was done by Methodists and Presbyterians. Anglican activities were limited prior to the 1920s, when missions were established in several B.C. locations. Other denominations were generally more informal in their efforts to minister to the Chinese community.

    The early missions offered English-language classes and a variety of social services, which attracted many Chinese. Christian missionaries were also

  • Civil Registration

    Civil registration refers to records of births, marriages and deaths collected by the government. In Canada, civil registration is a provincial jurisdiction.

    Birth, Marriage and Death Newspaper Announcements

    There are four types of announcements that may appear in newspapers and which sometimes include useful information for genealogists:

    • Birth announcements
    • Marriage announcements
    • Death notices
    • Obituaries

    The difference between death notices and obituaries is that death notices usually provide basic information, the main purpose of which is to inform people of the location and time of funeral

  • Civil Registration

    Birth, marriage and death records can provide a wealth of information for the genealogist.

  • Clans and District Associations

    Overseas Chinese who shared the same surname — although not directly related — assumed that they may have had a common, remote ancestor, and that in the broad sense of the word (zong), they were clansmen to each other. The majority of Chinese immigrants in Canada belonged to a few large clans and shared a small pool of surnames.

  • Coats of Arms

    Not many people can claim to have a coat of arms. Explore heraldry further in our page dedicated to the topic.