Does anyone have info on where were the passenger ports in southwest Ontario that took immigrants/emigrants (who had taken a train from Toronto, instead of going through Lake Erie) from Lake Huron to Chicago in the 1880's? For example, were cities like Kincardine, Goderich, or Southhampton passenger ports? What passenger ships departed from these Ontario ports and how long did it take to get to Chicago.

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My great grandfather was born in ontario in 1871 and died 1965 in Ontario. I can't find any record of birth. Old age pension would have been available to him in 1965. What type of information would he had to submit to qualify and how would I be able to obtain this

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I want to put together a family tree and I don't know how to find relatives on my father's and mother's side. Is there a site I can go to and look up the parent's of my parent's and so on and so on?

The answer is dependent upon the place and time period. A small portion of genealogy records are available online, a larger portion are only available via the "old fashioned" route (libraries, archives, etc.). The chances of finding a website that already has your family tree laid out for you are slim. There are websites that will help you climb your family tree by offering records online but again they are dependent upon place & time (where are you looking and when?). Your best bet would be to first familiarize yourself with how to climb your family tree, then start climbing. On OntarioGenWeb we offer dozens of articles showing what genealogy records are available for what year and what place, as well as how to access these records. We also offer a Beginner's Guide and a Beginning Your Ontario Research guide.

How can I find out the county I want to look in? I know the areas, but not the counties

By using the Ontario Locator. It has a listing of Ontario place names and what townships & counties they are located in.

I'm looking for 1924 Coronor records from Cardiff Township, Haliburton, County. The records are not in Ontario Archives or Haliburton East records at Wilberforce, Haliburton or Minden. Can you advise were I might look next?

[From Anonymous] www.serviceontario.ca, 1-800-461-2156 or 416-325-8305. Cost $22., just received coroner's & doctor's report on deceased relative from Eagle Lake Ont!

I am trying to figure out what abbreviations meant in early documents from land registry books. Specifically, there is an abbreviation that looks something like "B&P" which is neither a mortgage nor a deed transfer (those are clear). One example: Original patent to John Lemmon, Donald Cameron B&P Dec 10 1814 to Donald McDonald is the next line, John Lemmon et al to Donald Cameron B&P April 1 1814 is the third line

[From Bob] It wouldn't mean Bought & Paid?

[From Patty] In Brenda Dougall Merriman's book Genealogy in Ontario, there is a really good section on Land Records. I did not find B&P, but I did find B&S-meaning "bargain and sale". Perhaps this is a variation of that. There are other abbreviations-M for mortgage, QC or Rel for Quit Claims or Releases, A of M or D/M for assignmnets and discharges of mortgages, etc. Now what those all mean I have no idea! Hope it helps...

[From Andrew] The nearest I can figure is that it's a legal acronym for "Bid and Proposal". If you see this link and near the bottom it references B. & P. as part of the case law about indemnification of debt when that debt must shared amongst two parties so involved in the transaction. This is not the only place that B&P shows up as part of land transactions, but seemed to be a concrete example. Also it could be Business and Profession - but that seems highly unlikely, and hardly relevant. Hope this can help. Andrew

[From Anonymous] I do believe that should be B&S which would mean bought and sold.

I have managed to have receive a copy of Mimico Correctional Centre Prison Records (RG20-43-1) for an uncle but unfortunately it seem there are no Inmate Case Files for the centre for 1950 onwards. The register tells me that he was sentenced in Peterboro by W R Philp on June 28 1950. He was sentenced to 5 mths and released Nov 27 1950. Can anyone tell me if there would be a record of the trial in Peterboro?

See Court Records

Where would one find records of the "family passengers" of canadian soliders marrying in England and returning to Ontario after ww1?

[From Cathy] -- You should check the Passenger Lists of ships from England to Canada. You could try http://www.ingeneas.com/ingeneas/index.html or http://www.findmypast.com

Is there a way to convert an entry from the 1881 Census of Canada to a street address. I have found members of my family in the 1881 Census in District 105, Sub-Dist A, Div 2, Page 26, Household #125. I cannot find anything more and would like to find a street address in Ottawa for the entries.

Have you consulted an Ottawa city directory? This would give an address and allow you to track the family between each census.

Are there any Ontario records (birth or death) before 1869?

See our pages on what's available By Year

I am trying to verify that an ancestor of mine, who was a personal representative of the Sovereign and acting out the duties of Canada's Keeper of Customs for (Quebec and Ontario) Between the years of 1820 1830. Are there any government or private resources that contain information about who was the head customs officer for this period for Quebec and Ontario? The individual’s name was Sir Richard Cross.

Probably! As Canada was not yet a country you might find these records are kept in England (see the UK National Archives: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk)

My grandmother was adopted and we already know her mothers family, can i get the records, because i think it names her father. Can i do this or do i need her to do it?

Unfortunately at this time neither of you can do it. Adoption records are currently sealed under Ontario law. There are efforts to change this decision, keep an eye on our Important Announcements page for updates.

2009 Update: Ontario adoption records are now 'open'. The adoptee or their next-of-kin (proof required) can apply for a copy of the adoption record. See Access to Adoption Records Act.

I am missing relatives that are nowhere and am now wondering if, when they did the census from 1851 on did they do census in the Mental Asylums, if so where are they located. I am looking mainly for the Middlesex Ontario area

Mental asylums were enumerated but not under the same schedule as the personal census. Schedule A was the personal census, Schedule B was the agricultural census. Institutions were enumerated under a different schedule - to find this schedule consult the microfilm itself as only Schedules A and B were made available online at Library & Archives Canada. Note that these schedules were only microfilmed for the 1851, 1861 and 1871 census returns.

Would there be any record of an adoption in small town Ontario in 1887? The fact of the adoption was always a well-kept secret. I am interested in learning something of the birth mother and her family.

Prior to the Adoption Act in 1921 formal adoption was rare. For that time period you should seek Guardianship Records (Court Records).

My paternal grandfather died on May 10, 1935 and the family was always silent as to where he died. He was suffering from depression due to an accident that took his right forearm. We always thought he died in a mental health facility but were never told. I checked with the hospitals in London and St. Thomas and there was no record of him. Was there a hospital in Gravenhurst where he might have been a patient in 1935? How can I find out if that is where he died?

Start by getting a copy of his death registration. It will name his place of death. If he did in fact die in a hospital you'll find out which one.