I am traveling to the Oshawa/Whitby area for research. Where do I go to do the research please?

Start with the County GenWeb that covers your area of research. In this case, Durham County GenWeb. Many GenWebs include a list of local repositories and our coordinators can be contacted for suggestions if needed.

My uncle name was Edward Conway born 1921 died 1945, in India served in the Canadian army. Married to Gladys Margaret Conway of London, Ontario. My question is how do I go about finding their children, and their children's children.

First, check out our How can I find someone in Ontario who may, or may not be deceased? post as the tips included there will work here as well.

To the list of things to check include London city directories (available at London Public Library). Start with the last known year of contact (1945?) and search forward to see if they remained in the city or not.

If Edward died while serving in the Canadian Army you can request a copy of his service file from Library & Archives Canada.

How can I find someone in Ontario who may, or may not be deceased?

If presumed living...

• Social Media: Regardless of age people are flocking to social media to stay in touch with far-flung relations. Don't restrict your search to just the person you seek. If you know of any relations, spouse, children, etc. try them all!

• Search Engines: Try Google and the new genealogy-focused site Mocavo.

• Telephone Listings: Canada 411, if they have a publically listed phone number it'll be here. There is also an option to do a reverse address search. Some phone providers (like Telus) also offer their own phone listings that may not be available on Canada 411.

If presumed deceased...

• Death Records: Are only available to next-of-kin or a legal representative until 72 years have passed. After 72 years death registrations are released to Archives of Ontario and can be publically viewed.

• Cemetery Records: Search OCFA, OGS, CanadaGenWeb's Cemetery Project and other websites that offer Ontario cemetery recordings.

• Obituaries: Obituary Daily Times offers an index of some Ontario obituaries, mostly from the past decade. If you know the last known residence of the person you're seeking check local newspapers, many Ontario newspapers now offer an online index of obituaries from 2002 onward.

If you are unable to locate the person in question broaden your search to include their family. A parent, sibling, or child's obituary might yield new clues. Don't forget to browse some online trees to see if someone else is researching the same family.

Is there a CDN oriented search engine that against a name inquiry will return place names, ages and related persons similar to www.peoplefinders.com or www.intellius.com for the States? I must be missing something,or maybe CDN privacy laws restrict this.

No, the closest is http://canada411.ca which lists only names, addresses & phone numbers of telephone subscribers.

Is there a database/website in Canada similar to the Social Security Death Index in the USA, and if so what time period does it cover and where do I access it?

No, Canada does not have a similar database.  We do have Social Insurance but those records remain private.

Would like to contact or find family, that i never knew, before i pass on .. where do i start.?

As with any genealogy project, start with what you know. Have you put together a family tree with the information you currently have? Listed all known aunts, uncles, cousins, etc?

Dig out your address book and Christmas card mailing list (and those of any relatives you do have contact with). Doesn't matter how old this information is, it'll give you a place to start.

Use http://canada411.ca to see if they still live at the address. If not seek out city or phone directories for that place starting with the year of last known contact.

Use http://canada411.ca to cold call possible relations. Look up person(s) that share names of relations or those with their surname in their last known place of residence.

Get in touch with the genealogy societies where your shared ancestors lived. Inquire if anyone is seeking your shared ancestor.

Put an ad in the newspaper of their last known residence.

Track down deceased relations and use that information to find the living. Obituaries are fantastic resources and some cemeteries or funeral homes may be willing to act as an intermediary and pass along a letter from you to next-of-kin.

Use our Brick Wall suggestions and Research Checklist.

I need to confirm before I pay, that you have my birth certificate

OntarioGenWeb does not issue birth certificates (or marriage or death certificates).

To order a birth certificate you must apply for it through Ontario.ca or look in the blue pages of an Ontario phone book. There is also a toll free number to call (see the Ontario.ca website) if you have questions.

Keep in mind that they will not confirm or deny the existence of a birth certificate, and in order to get a copy of your own birth certificate you will have to provide proof of your identity.

Do you know where I could find a recent (ie 2000 or later) map of Ontario that shows all the counties/districts?

The Ontario map we offer on the maps page shows all the counties/districts pretty much as they are today. It does not show municipalities which is what you'd get if you were able to find a current map showing this information (Rand McNally offers maps of this sort in book form but only for Southern Ontario).

What is the best method to find children of relatives who hve died in the last 10-15 years?

First you must know when and where your relatives died. If you don't know start with the OCFA to track down burial information. Once you have a date and place you can find an obituary that may list names and places of children. You can then use 411 or telephone listings to track them down. Another option would be to contact the funeral home and request contact with the next of kin listed.

How can I find out if a business still exists, or a person still lives in a certain house?

Visit the GenWeb site that covers that area and see if there are addresses that may assist you, or even a researcher in that area willing to help. If you'd like to hire a researcher, see OntarioGenWeb's list of researchers . If you'd like to trade, see OntarioGenWeb's Trading Post . On the internet you can try a search on Sympatico . Over the phone you could call Information at 1-(area code)-555-1212. Be aware that long distances charges and a small fee do apply (usually under $2 depending on your telephone service)