British Columbia Vital Records: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 14:46, 26 October 2012

Background[edit | edit source]

British Columbia became a province in 1871. Provincewide registration of birth, marriage, and death records began in 1872. A few records were made for events which took place before 1872 but were registered later. Many births, marriages, and deaths were not registered in the early years. Vital records began to be kept more systematically in 1920.

Availability Vital records of births more than 100 years old, marriages more than 75 years old, and deaths more than 20 years old are available online and on microfilm. Vital records that are more recent must be requested on forms available from the British Columbia Vital Statistics Agency.

Some births, marriages, and deaths not recorded in vital records may be in church records. British Columbia vital records are restricted for many years before they can be made public:

Birth records, 100 years.
Marriage records, 75 years.
Death records, 20 years.

For additional information about vital records in Canada, including research strategies, see Canada Vital Records.

Finding the Records[edit | edit source]

British Columbia Archives-Royal British Columbia Museum

Birth (1854-1903), Marriage (1872-1936), Death (1872-1991) Online index with images - free.

Vital Statistics Agency

818 Fort Street

Victoria, BC V8W 1H8

CANADA

Phone: 250–952–2681

Fax: 250–952–2587

Mailing Address:

P.O. Box 9657

STN. PROV. GOVT.

Victoria, BC V8W 9P3

CANADA

Vancouver Public Library

350 W. Georgia St.

Vancouver, BC V6B 6B1

CANADA

Phone: 604–331–3740 (newspapers, magazines)

Phone: 604–331–3710 (history, government, genealogy)

Fax: 604–331–3744

Cloverdale Library

5642 - 176A Street

Surrey, BC V3S 4G9

CANADA

Phone: 604-598-7320

Copies of vital records are 50 cents per copy in person or $5 if ordered by mail or e-mail.

British Columbia Archives

Index only to births, marriages, deaths - free

Family History Library[edit | edit source]

Many births, marriages, and deaths are listed in the Master Index Card File, British Columbia Family History Library .) Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1986–7. The original records were filmed at the British Columbia Genealogical Society, Richmond, BC. British Columbia films of death registers are no longer available at the Family History Library. See the free online index and images listed above in Finding the Records - British Columbia Archives-Royal British Columbia Museum

Wiki articles describing theses collections are found at:

Online Indexes[edit | edit source]

The following links provide further information:

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 ''[[Canada|Canada]] [[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] [[British Columbia|British Columbia]] [[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] [[British_Columbia_Vital_Records|Vital Records]]''
-== Background  ==
+=== Background  ===
 British Columbia became a province in 1871. Provincewide registration of birth, marriage, and death records began in 1872. A few records were made for events which took place before 1872 but were registered later. Many births, marriages, and deaths were not registered in the early years. Vital records began to be kept more systematically in 1920.
-'''Availability''' Vital records of births more than 100 years old, marriages more than 75 years old, and deaths more than 20 years old are available on microfilm. Vital records that are more recent must be requested on forms available from the British Columbia Vital Statistics Agency.
+'''Availability''' Vital records of births more than 100 years old, marriages more than 75 years old, and deaths more than 20 years old are available online and on microfilm. Vital records that are more recent must be requested on forms available from the British Columbia Vital Statistics Agency.
-Some births, marriages, and deaths not recorded in vital records may be in church recordsBritish Columbia vital records are restricted for many years before they can be made public:
+Some births, marriages, and deaths not recorded in vital records may be in church records. British Columbia vital records are restricted for many years before they can be made public:
 *Birth records, 100 years.
@@ Line 15: / Line 15: @@
 For additional information about vital records in Canada, including research strategies, see [[Canada Vital Records|Canada Vital Records]].
-British Columbia information can be found at:
+=== Finding the Records  ===
-:'''Vital Statistics Agency'''
+:[http://www.bcarchives.bc.ca/BC_About_Archives/news.aspx?id=8705 '''British Columbia Archives-Royal British Columbia Museum''']
+:Birth (1854-1903), Marriage (1872-1936), Death (1872-1991) Online index with images - free.<br><br>
+:[http://www.vs.gov.bc.ca '''Vital Statistics Agency''']
 :818 Fort Street
 :Victoria, BC V8W 1H8
 :CANADA
-:Telephone: 250–952–2681; Fax: 250–952–2587<br><br>
+:Phone: 250–952–2681
+:Fax: 250–952–2587<br><br>
 :Mailing Address:
@@ Line 27: / Line 31: @@
 :STN. PROV. GOVT.
 :Victoria, BC V8W 9P3
-:CANADA
+:CANADA <br><br>
-:Internet: [http://www.vs.gov.bc.ca/ www.vs.gov.bc.ca]<br><br>
-:'''Vancouver Public Library'''
+:[http://www.vpl.vancouver.bc.ca/ '''Vancouver Public Library''']
 :350 W. Georgia St.
 :Vancouver, BC V6B 6B1
 :CANADA
-:Telephone: 604–331–3740 (newspapers, magazines)
+:Phone: 604–331–3740 (newspapers, magazines)
-:Telephone: 604–331–3710 (history, government, genealogy)
+:Phone: 604–331–3710 (history, government, genealogy)
-:Fax: 604–331–3744
+:Fax: 604–331–3744 <br><br>
-:Internet: http://www.vpl.vancouver.bc.ca/<br><br>
+:[http://www.surreylibraries.ca/location-hours/4684.aspx '''Cloverdale Library''']
+:5642 - 176A Street
+:Surrey, BC V3S 4G9
+:CANADA
+:Phone: 604-598-7320
+:Copies of vital records are 50 cents per copy in person or $5 if ordered by mail or e-mail. <br><br>
-*http://www.vpl.ca/branches/LibrarySquare/his/StudyGuides/finding_bc_civil.html
+:[http://www.bcarchives.gov.bc.ca:9000/sn-4BA3024/gbsearch '''British Columbia Archives''']
+:Index only to births, marriages, deaths - free
-*[http://www.bcarchives.gov.bc.ca:9000/sn-4BA3024/gbsearch British Columbia Archives] Index only to births, marriages, deaths.
+<br>
-*[http://www.bcarchives.bc.ca/BC_About_Archives/news.aspx?id=8705 British Columbia Archives-Royal British Columbia Museum] Birth (1854-1903), Marriage (1872-1936), Death (1872-1991) index with images.
 === Family History Library  ===
-Many births, marriages, and deaths are listed in the ''Master Index Card File'', British Columbia Family History Library .) Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1986–7. The original records were filmed at the British Columbia Genealogical Society, Richmond, BC.
+Many births, marriages, and deaths are listed in the ''Master Index Card File'', British Columbia Family History Library .) Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1986–7. The original records were filmed at the British Columbia Genealogical Society, Richmond, BC. British Columbia films of death registers are no longer available at the Family History Library. See the free online index and images listed above in [[British Columbia Vital Records#Finding_the_Records|Finding the Records - British Columbia Archives-Royal British Columbia Museum ]]
 '''Wiki articles describing theses collections are found at:'''