Church records should be consulted for birth, death, or marriage information prior to 1882. Civil registration of vital statistics was not generally practiced in Canada until provincial governments took responsibility in the late nineteenth century. The first parish was founded at Red River in 1818 by two Catholic priests. The Church of England (Anglican) began in the same area in 1820. The Methodists were established at Rossville in 1840, and the Presbyterians first arrived in Assiniboin in 1851. Many religious groups such as Baptists, Lutherans, and Mennonites were established in the 1870s as a result of the arrival of large numbers of Germanic and Slavic immigrants. The Congregationalists, Methodists, and some of the Presbyterians were combined in 1925 to form the United Church of Canada.

A few Church of England, Presbyterian, Roman Catholic, and United Church of Canada registers are available on microfilm at the Provincial Archives. The Church of England registers are indexed to 1900. For a complete list of Church of England, Roman Catholic, and Presbyterian registers held by the Provincial Archives see “Genealogical Sources in the Province of Manitoba,” Genealogical Journal 8:98.

Copies of various parish registers and other church records may be found in the National Archives of Canada and at the Family History Library.

Many records prior to 1884 as well as most records since then are still located in various parishes and congregations. For more information on the location and availability of these church records, contact Vital Statistics Consumer and Corporate Affairs or contact the appropriate denomination.

Anglican

Diocese of Rupert’s Land
935 Nesbitt Bay
Winnipeg, MB R3T 1W6
CANADA
Telephone: 204-453-6130

Roman Catholic

Archdiocese of Winnipeg
50 Stafford Street
Winnipeg, MB R3M 2V7
CANADA

Archdiocese of St. Boniface
151 Avenue de la Cathédrale
St. Boniface, MB R2H 0H6
CANADA

Presbyterian

Archives of the Presbyterian Church
Knox College
59 St. George Street
Toronto, ON M5S 2E6
CANADA

Lutheran

Central Canada Synod
211-2281 Portage Avenue
Winnipeg, MB R3J 0M1
CANADA

Baptist

Baptist Federation of Canada
91 Queen Street
Box 1298
Brantford, ON N3T 5T6
CANADA

United Church of Canada Archives

Manitoba Conference
University of Winnipeg
515 Portage Avenue
Winnipeg, MB R3B 2E9
CANADA
Telephone: 204-783-0708

Orthodox

Ukrainian Greek Orthodox Church
9 St. John’s Avenue
Winnipeg, MB R2W 1G8
CANADA
Telephone: 204-582-8709

Mennonite

Mennonite Heritage Centre
600 Shaftsbury Blvd.
Winnipeg, MB R3P 0M4
CANADA
Telephone: 204-888-6781

Jewish

Jewish Historical Society
# 404-365 Hargrave Street
Winnipeg MB R3B 2K3
CANADA
Telephone 204-942-4822
Fax 204-942-9299

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