Digital Resources - Quebec

A large part of family history research involves searching within databases. The Family History department has several databases for you to use at the library. The main databases we will refer to are the following:

• Ancestry Library Edition: International genealogy resource with the largest online Canadian family history collection, searchable by surname. Many digitized records are available for viewing, printing, and saving. A list of resources within Ancestry, relevant to Quebec can be found by conducting a search by location. Ancestry Library Edition is available at all Surrey Libraries branches.
• Family Search Affiliate Library Access. A large, free database available anywhere that is administered by the Church of Latter-Day Saints and has many digitized collections not found elsewhere. Surrey Libraries has Affiliate Library status with Family Search, allowing users at the library to access many digital images of original documents that would otherwise be locked to home users. Available at all Surrey Libraries branches.
• FindMyPast. An international genealogy resource with a large collection of Canadian records, searchable by surname. Many digitized records are available for viewing, printing, and saving. Available only at our Cloverdale branch.
• BMS2000: This is a cooperative database with the birth, marriage, and death (burials) records for Quebec and “New France.” Data is collected from 24 genealogical societies in Quebec province. It contains over 15 million records from the 16th to 20th Centuries. Available only at the Cloverdale Library.
• PRDH: This database contains over 2.4 million Quebec and “New France” records of various types from the 17th to 19th Century. The majority are baptism, marriage, and death records from parishes, missions, and Catholic institutions. The database also includes over 26,000 Protestant marriages, name censuses from 14,000 households in various locations, and a variety of passenger lists. Available only at the Cloverdale Library.
• American Ancestors. This database provides access to records covering the United States, eastern Canada, the British Isles, continental Europe, and beyond, including one of the most extensive online collections of early American genealogical records, the largest searchable collection of published genealogical research journals and magazines, and the largest collection of U.S Catholic records online. Available only at the Cloverdale Library.