Finding an Ancestor on Canadian Ships Passenger Lists

 There are no comprehensive ships passenger lists of immigrants arriving in Canada prior to 1865. Until that year, shipping companies were not required by the government to keep their passenger manifests.  

However there are individual Immigration projects and databases online that may be of help in your search for ancestors. You will find  a comprehensive list of all known pre-1865 substitute passenger lists at Filling in the Gaps

Library and Archives Canada (LAC) holds immigration records from 1865 to 1935. These are searchable online but from 1865-1922 are not searchable by passenger name. From 1922-1935 the images are searchable by passenger name.

To obtain a copy of your own landing record, you must submit an Application for a Certified True Copy, Correction, or Replacement of an Immigration Document to Citizenship and Immigration Canada Alternatively, you can apply for a Permanent Resident Card

Finding Records in Canadian Ships Passenger Lists

There are no comprehensive ships passenger lists of immigrants arriving in Canada prior to 1865. Until that year, shipping companies were not required by the government to keep their passenger manifests.  However there are individual Immigration projects and databases online that may be of help in your search for ancestors

The National Archives of Canada (NAC) aka Library & Archives Canada (LAC) holds immigration records from 1865 to 1935. These are searchable online but from 1865-1922 are not searchable by passenger name. From 1922-1935 the images are searchable by passenger name.

To obtain a copy of your own landing record, you must submit an Application for a Certified True Copy, Correction, or Replacement of an Immigration Document to Citizenship and Immigration Canada Alternatively, you can apply for a Permanent Resident Card

Library & Archives Canada New Immigration Database!

Olive Tree Genealogy just received the following announcement:

Library and Archives Canada is pleased to announce the launch of a new online database, Immigrants to Canada, Porters and Domestics, 1899–1949.

This online database allows you to access more than 8,600 references to individuals who came to Canada as porters or domestics between 1899 and 1949. Names were taken from lists contained in the Central Registry Files series of the Immigration Branch (RG76 BIA) and other files held at LAC.

Start searching porters and domestics now!

This looks like it will be a great addition to existing Canadian Immigration records. I'm off to see if any of my British family are to be found there.

Don't forget you can also search for ancestors on ships on OliveTreeGenealogy.com