Local History and Genealogy Resources at your Fingertips!
Where does your family story begin? With your grandmother’s shortbread recipe? With your great-grandpa’s tall-tale of the one that got away? These are the stories that matter, the ones that you’ll be talking about for years. And now you can share them with everyone. Help us preserve Innisfil’s community memory by sharing your favourite stories or photos with Our Stories Innisfil.
Getting Started
The easiest way to start researching your family history is by writing down what you already know. Start with yourself and work your way backwards through your family tree.
Go through family records (letters, diaries, birth, marriage and death certificates, photo albums), and look for clues about your ancestors. Family histories can become very complicated, so be sure to follow these guidelines while doing your research:
- Keep track of the information you find and where you find it, as well as the resources where you did not find anything. This will prevent you from consulting the same source twice.
- Ask other family members what they know about your ancestors and if they have any records or photos which might provide more information.
- Be sure to write down more than just names and numbers. Keep track of where your ancestors came from, how they got to Canada and where they lived.
Our Stories Innisfil
Our Stories Innisfil is the place to go for historic photos of Innisfil from the collection of the Innisfil Historical Society and countless donations from local families and other community members. Look up your ancestors, schools, or your neighbourhood to see what’s available.
This database also invites you to listen to audio and video oral history interviews with local residents, browse past issues of the Innisfil Historical Society’s newsletter, find maps to heritage plaques and themed utility boxes throughout the Town of Innisfil, and so much more!
Local History Collection
Located at the Lakeshore Branch of the Innisfil ideaLAB & Library, this should be your first stop if you are researching your roots in Innisfil. We have books, cemetery records, newspapers, and birth, death and marriage indexes available on microfilm. Did we mention there’s even a new microform reader that makes it easier than ever to save and print digital scans? In addition, the Local History Collection houses the historical scrapbooks created by the Stroud Women’s Institute. Look for the call number LH REF 971.317 Str
Visit us at 967 Innisfil Beach Road in Alcona or give us a shout at 705-431-7410
Ancestry
Access to Ancestry is available in-library only. Search family histories using Ancestry Library Edition. We promise it’s not just a ploy to get you to come visit us more often you can search records from North America, Europe and across the world, as well access great genealogy resources and tools. You can access the site by visiting http://www.ancestrylibrary.com from any of our three branches. For access to the Archives of Ontario through Ancestry, click here (in-library use only for both resources). To learn more about using Ancestry visit the How-To Website
Books
The Library’s collection of genealogy books changes frequently as new titles are added. The exciting part is that you can use our Library catalogue to search for books on a variety of genealogy subjects. Click on the links below to see what’s available today: Genealogy | The Local History Collection | Census
Cemetery Records
Cemetery records are held locally by the organization responsible for the burial site. This includes churches, crematoriums, and in the case of municipal cemeteries, town offices. Contact the local public library for the area you are interested in for more information on the records available for a particular region.
The Ontario Genealogical Society has made over 95% of Ontario’s cemetery records available online; search by name, town, cemetery and other fields.
The Innisfil ideaLAB & Library holds the following cemetery records in the Local History Collection at the Lakeshore Branch.
| Title | Author |
Bethesda Cemetery: part of the north half of lot 5, concession 3, Innisfil Township, Simcoe County, Ontario Ontario Genealogy Societ | Ontario Genealogy Society, Simcoe County Branch |
| Cemetery Inscriptions: Tecumseth and West Gwillimbury Townships, Simcoe County, Ontario (with historic notes) | Tecumseth and West Gwillimbury Historical Society, Simcoe County Branch |
| Clement’s Cemetery, also known as Cherry Creek Cemetery or Second Line Cemetery: part of the north half of lot 16, concession 1, Innisfil Township, Simcoe County, Ontario | Wallace, Ross. Ontario Genealogical Society, Simcoe County Branch |
| Roman Catholic Cemetery at the Church of the Assumption of Our Lady, Ewart Street, Bell Ewart, Ontario: part of the north half of lot 24, concession 4, Innisfil Township, Simcoe County, Ontario | Wallace, Ross. Ontario Genealogical Society, Simcoe County Branch |
| St. Peter’s Anglican Church Cemetery, Churchill, part of the north half of lot 15, concession 3, Innisfil | Ontario Genealogical Society, Simcoe County Branch |
| Surnames in St. James Cemetery (United), Stroud, On.: lot 15, concession 9, Innisfil Township, Simcoe County | Ontario Genealogical Society, Simcoe County Branch |
| Three Private Cemeteries: Gibbins cemetery, lot 11, conc. 11; Abandones cemetery, lot 10, conc. 11; Soules cemetery, lot 26, conc. 13 | Ontario Genealogical Society, Simcoe County Branch |
| Tombstone Inscriptions in St. John’s Anglican Church cemetery, Cookstown: lot 1, concession 1, Innisfil Township, Simcoe County | Ontario Genealogical Society, Simcoe County Branch |
| Tombstone Inscriptions of Sixth Line Cemetery: lot 15, concession 5, Innisfil Township, Simcoe County | Ontario Genealogical Society, Simcoe County Branc |
| Union Cemetery (also known as Baptist cemetery), Goldie Street, Bell Ewart, Ontario: part of the north half of lot 24, concession 4, Innisfil Township, Simcoe County, Ontario | Wallace, Ross. Ontario Genealogical Society, Simcoe County Branch |
Census Records
Innisfil ideaLAB & Library holds a number of census reels on microfilm for our region in the Local History Collection at the Lakeshore Branch. But even more census records are available elsewhere online!
Available on reel in library:
1842 – Home District
1851 – York
1861 – Renfrew, Simcoe, York
1871 – Simcoe, York
1881 – Simcoe, York
1891 – Simcoe, York
1901 – Simcoe
Library and Archives Canada Census Index Includes 1825, 1831, 1842, 1851, 1861, 1871, 1881, 1891, 1901, 1906, 1911, 1916
The Catalogue of Census Returns 1666-1901 database allows you to identify the microfilm reel numbers for specific places and counties. Use the Census of the Northwest Provinces, 1906 and the Census of Canada, 1911 databases to identify microfilm reel numbers for those years.
Also available on microfiche in library is the 1851 census for the city of Manchester, United Kingdom, including the following regions: Salford-Regent Road, Manchester, Chorlton Upon Medlock, Oldham-Below-Town, Salford-Greengate (including Trinity Ward), Hulme, and Ashton-Under-Lyne.
Newspapers
Newspapers are great for finding birth announcements, obituaries, and human interest stories. Older editions of some local newspapers are available on microform in the Local History Collection at the Lakeshore Branch.
The Bradford Witness: 1960, 1962 to 1985
The Cookstown Advocate: 1902, 1919, 1936, 1940 to 1953
The Innisfil Scope: 1973 to 1977, May to December 1979, January to July 1980, March 4, 1981, March 1986 to April 2014 on microfilm. We also have January to October 1985, and August 1987 to December 1998 on microfiche.
The Innisfil Journal: 2010 to 2012, May 2013 to December 2014
The Innisfil Examiner: January 2007 to December 2014
The Barrie Examiner – Innisfil Edition: December 2005 to December 2006
Globe and Mail 1844-2010: You can also access full text of the Globe and Mail from 1844-2010 from home at any time using your Innisfil ideaLAB & Library card. Amazing!
Toronto Star Historical (1894-2015): Full text to the newspaper now available anywhere with your Library card.
Vital Statistics
Innisfil ideaLAB & Library has vital statistics for Ontario, available on microfilm at the Local History Collection at the Lakeshore Branch. The records may include: name, date of event, place of event, name of involved officials and/or relatives.
Birth Indexes, 1869-1914
Marriage Indexes, 1873-1929
Death Indexes, 1869-1939
Birth, Marriage & Death Index, 1869
Marriage Index, 1870-1873
Genealogy for Indigenous Ancestors
The Innisfil ideaLAB & Library has created this guide to provide resources that may assist beginners and experienced researchers alike to trace their Indigenous ancestry in Ontario and across Canada. It is by no means a complete list and will be continuously updated as new materials appear. If you know of a resource, either online or in print, that you would like to see included here or added to the Library’s collection, please contact questions@ourstoriesinnisfil.ca with your suggestions or inquiries.
Booklist of Resources at the Library
Online Resources
Library and Archives of Canada:
Archives of Ontario:
Simcoe County Archives:
Archives of Manitoba:
- Hudson’s Bay Company Archives [includes name index of Hudson’s Bay Company Employees]
Other Resources:
- Métis Nation of Ontario – Researching Your Métis Ancestors
- Woodland Cultural Centre – Resource Library
- National Centre for Truth & Reconciliation – Residential School Name Database
- Family Chronicle – Researching Aboriginal Ancestors in Ontario (September/October 2009)
- Oshweken Genealogical Society
- Iroquois Genealogical Society [based in Irving, NY]
- Gale Family Library [Minnesota] – Ojibwe [Anishinaabe] Family History Research Overview
Researching one’s genealogy is always a challenge, and gaps in the historical record create frequent roadblocks. This is, however, only one of the many additional barriers facing those who wish to trace their Indigenous ancestry. Having to conduct research through structures of record-keeping and definitions of ethnicity created by colonial administrations that could not accommodate Indigenous naming practices, language and writing systems, and ideas of kinship can be an overwhelming task. Moreover, the borders drawn by colonial powers throughout North America were made with no regard for Indigenous territories or migration patterns, and continue to divide many groups between provinces, states, and even across national lines today. This is in addition to countless racist policies such as the involuntary relocation of entire populations to reserves; the loss of culture, traditions, language, and forced names changes conducted in the residential school system; and the intentional breaking of familial ties during the Sixties Scoop and through discriminatory practices like birth alerts.
We understand that the difficult nature surrounding certain aspects of Indigenous genealogical research may cause a resurgence of intergenerational trauma and grief. If you are struggling, please reach out to any of the following toll-free help lines:
Indian Residential School Crisis Line – 1-866-925-4419 – A national service for anyone experiencing pain or distress as a result of their residential school experience.
First Nations and Inuit Hope for Wellness Help Line – 1-855-242-3310 – The Hope for Wellness Help Line offers immediate mental health counseling and crisis intervention to all Indigenous peoples across Canada. Service is available in Cree, Ojibway, Inuktitut, English and French. Callers may ask about the availability of services in the language of their choice. (24 hours a day, 7 days a week)
Métis Nation of Ontario’s (MNO) Healing and Wellness branch – Facilitates and coordinates programs, services, and activities to address the holistic needs of Métis people in Ontario at the provincial, regional, and local levels. 24-hour Mental Health and Addictions (MHA) Crisis Line, available in English and French. Once connected services can be delivered in person, over the phone, or by video conference.
Urgent: 1-877-767-7572
Non-urgent: 1-800-263-4889
Genealogy for Black Ancestors
The Innisfil ideaLAB & Library has created this guide in order to provide resources that may assist beginners and experienced researchers alike to find their Black and African-American ancestors in Ontario, in Canada, and in the United States. It is by no means a complete list and will be continuously updated as new resources appear. If you know of a resource, either online or in print, that you would like to see included here or added to the Library’s collection, please contact questions@ourstoriesinnisfil.ca with your suggestions or inquiries.
Booklist of Resources at the Library
Online Resources
Ontario-Based
- Chatham-Kent Black Historical Society – Family Genealogy
- Ontario Black History Society
- Archives of Ontario – The McCurdy Collection
- Buxton Museum’s Arlie Robbins Research Library Collection
- Black History in Ontario
Canada-Wide
- Library and Archives of Canada – Genealogy for Black Canadians
- Ancestry by Alicia – Genealogical Resources for Black Canadians
North American and International
- Black Past – Genealogical Resources
- Black Family Research – Records of Post-Civil War Federal Agencies at the National Archives
Conducting genealogical research on Black and African-Canadian/American ancestors has historically been a challenge in both Canada and the United States due to scant record-keeping. Those trying to track down their ancestors often hit a “brick wall” due to the legacy of slavery: enslaved people rarely, if ever, had their full or even partial names included in the more traditional sources of genealogical information such as census reports, and Black people were rarely able or allowed to create their own records. Moreover, the post-emancipation prevalence of institutional racism and prejudiced policies create additional barriers to finding information because these records were often not well-maintained or may never have been created in the first place.
Digging Deeper
Canadian Genealogy Centre:
No genealogical research project could be considered complete without a visit to the Canadian Genealogy Centre website. The Canadian Genealogy Centre is run by National Archives of Canada and holds millions of items related to the history of our country and people. They provide many services for the genealogist and are the primary source for a number of different types of records.
Obituaries:
If our local papers or the Historic Globe and Mail are not of help, try web sites like Obituary Daily Times
Immigration Records:
Library and Archives Canada produces microfilm copies of immigration which you can request through Interlibrary Loan. Visit the following sites and note the reel numbers you would like to request, and view them on our microform reader in the Local History Room at the Lakeshore Branch:
Border Entries: 1908-1918 | 1919-1924 | 1925-1935
Passenger Lists | Ocean Arrivals
Web Links:
- Cyndi’s List
- FamilySearch
- Ontario Ancestors – (formerly known as the Ontario Genealogical Society)