Thursday, February 26, 2009

Ancestry.ca and the World Archives Project

Ancestry.ca let us know yesterday that the World Archives Project has already started in Canada with the soon to be released "Ontario, Canada Marriage Registers by Clergy, 1896-1948."

If you go on Ancestry.ca, a mnetion is made that the project is 80% done already, so I guess they are trying to make sure that people know about it and will help them make it over the top.

They have said that it will be free when completed, and will include approximately 24,000 names as registered by the clergy under the Resignation Act of 1896.

No where do they say that this is already available at the Ontario Archives by microfilm (it is) and is also available by the Mormons - but it will be available on the Internet for the first time when it is completed by Ancestry.ca.

You can go to the site to access the download page and for instructions on how to use the indexing tool.

As Karen Peterson, Marketing Director of Ancestry.ca says, "Historical record preservation and access go hand-in-hand so it is important that institutions, business and individuals all play an active role to ensure that as many Canadian records are preserved for future generations as possible."