One of the main goals for genealogists in searching historic newspapers is to find obituaries. Obituaries are a gold mine of information. They provide death dates and locations, funeral and cemetery information and sometimes mote importantly - information about the relatives of the deceased's family and extended family. This family name information is often not found anywhere else.
During May and June, 2018 I have been updating the links to online obituary and obituary index collections that are available to search for free. There are a total of 126 online database links that I have found for Canada. Of these, 41 have been added since the previous update.
So not only can we search old newspapers for these gems, we can get transcriptions and get directed to the location of the obituaries from these indexes. Please be aware that if you find a desired obituary in an index, that the holder of the actual
Here are alternative means to newspaper searching to find obituary information, listed by the link to each province's list of free links. Please be aware that if you find a desired obituary in an index, that the holder of the actual obituary (e.g., library or genealogical society) may charge a small fee to send you a copy of the obituary itself.
(Updated June, 2018; added links are in Bold)
(Please note that there are a substantial number of obituary indexes available via RootsWeb. This site is currently unavailable and undergoing a significant re-construction. I will add these record indexes in a future update when RootsWeb comes back online)
General Canada
- Canada Obits
- Canadian Obits
- Canadian Health Obituaries Index File
- Canadian Mennonite Obituaries
- Canadian Necrology Database
- Acadian and Maritime Obituaries
- Der Bote death notices and obituaries index (1924–2008)
- Der Bote obituaries index (1950–2004)
- The Obituary (multi-province)
- Royal Canadian Mounted Police obituary card index and notices, 1876-2007
Alberta
- Canadian Obituaries Forum - ALBERTA
- Canadian Obits - Alberta (scroll to top)
- Alberta Canada Obituaries
- Alberta Family Histories Society Obituaries
- Alberta Genealogy Research
- Bawlf Sun Obituary Index 1907-1911
- Drumheller Mail 2008 -
- Edmonton Newspaper Obituaries (Index only)
- Germans from Russia Obituary Index
- Glenbow Museum Newspaper Clippings
- Medicine Hat News Obituaries
- Mennonite Historical Society - Alberta Obituaries
- Northwestern Alberta Obituary Index
- Lethbridge Genealogy Society - Obituary Indexes
- Slave Lake Lakeside Leader Obituaries
- South Peace Regional Archives Surname Database
- Southern Alberta Obituary Index 1997-2010
- Southwestern Alberta 1970 to 1984 Index
- Southwestern Alberta Obituary Index 1885-1959
If you wish to search this province's historic newspapers for obituaries, click on Alberta Online Historical Newspapers Summary
British Columbia
- British Columbia Obituaries (Links to obituary collections from over 100 BC newspapers)
- Canadian Obituaries Forum - BRITISH COLUMBIA
- Canadian Obits - British Columbia (scroll to top)
- Coquitlam Obituary Indexes
- BC Local New Obituaries 1978 -
- Kamloops Newspapers Obituary Index 1987-
- Kelowna & District Genealogical Society Obituary Index
- Mennonite Brethren Herald Obituaries: 1961-2010
- Parksville/Qualicum Obituaries 1948 to 1994
- Vancouver Sun Obituaries & Guest Books
- Victoria Newspapers, 1858-1936
- Victoria Daily Times, Death Notices Index 1901-1939
If you wish to search this province's historic newspapers for obituaries, click on British Columbia Online Historical Newspapers Summary
Manitoba
- Canadian Obituaries Forum - MANITOBA
- Canadian Obits - Manitoba (scroll to top)
- Crandall Obituaries (transcriptions)
- Brandon Obituaries
- Brandon Sun Obituaries 2008-
- Manitoba Obits
- University of Manitoba Retirees Obituaries (transcriptions)
- Winnipeg Free Press Passages
If you wish to search this province's historic newspapers for obituaries, click on Manitoba Online Historical Newspapers Summary
New Brunswick
- Canadian Obituaries Forum - NEW BRUNSWICK
- Canadian Obits - New Brunswick (scroll to top)
- Daniel F Johnson's New Brunswick Newspaper Vital Statistics
- Fredericton Daily Gleaner - Burial Permit Listing 1902-1903; 1908-1911; 1915-1919
- Index To Death Roll of the St. John Globe Newspaper 1897 - 1926
- Kings County Record Newspaper: Death Index, 1897-1936
- Mgr Donat Robichaud Genealogical and Historical Research Collection
- Misc. New Brunswick Obits 1878-1886. Abstracted from The Dominion Annual Register and Review.
- New Brunswick, Canada Obituaries and Death Notices Collection
- Restigouche County Obituaries
- Telegraph Journal Obituaries
If you wish to search this province's historic newspapers for obituaries, click on New Brunswick Online Historical Newspapers Summary
Newfoundland and Labrador
- Canadian Obituaries Forum - NEWFOUNDLAND
- Canadian Obits - Newfoundland (scroll to top)
- Newfoundland Canada Obituaries
- Newfoundland, Canada Obituaries and Death Notices Collection
- Newfoundland Obituaries Transcribed
- Newfoundland Obituaries from Nova Scotia Newspapers (transcriptions)
If you wish to search this province's historic newspapers for obituaries, click on Newfoundland and Labrador Online Historical Newspapers Summary
Nova Scotia
- Canadian Obituaries Forum - NOVA SCOTIA
- Canadian Obits - Nova Scotia (scroll to top)
- Cape Breton Obituaries
- Nova Scotia Obituaries
- Pictou County Roots Society Obituary Index
- Nova Scotia Obituaries - Elizabeth Logan Collection (clippings)
- Guysborough County Cemeteries
If you wish to search this province's historic newspapers for obituaries, click on Nova Scotia Online Historical Newspapers Summary
Ontario
- Canadian Obituaries Forum - ONTARIO
- Canadian Obits - Ontario (scroll to top)
- Adolphustown Fredericksburgh Heritage Society Obituaries (transcriptions)
- Brantford Expositor Index
- Collingwood Public Library Obituary Finder
- Elgin County Newspaper indexes
- Fort William Daily Times Journal Obituary Index (1900-1972)
- Halton News Obituary Index
- Hanover Post Death and Obituary Index
- Huntsville/Muskova Genealogy and Obituary Index
- Ingersoll Chronicle Birth, Marriage and Obituary Index
- Ingersoll Times Birth, Marriage, and Obituary Index
- Ingersoll Tribune Birth, Marriage, and Obituary Index
- London Free Press Obituary Index 1945 to 1950 and 1967 to 2014
- Mennonite Obituary Archives of Ontario
- Norfolk County Newspaper Indexes
- Ontario Genealogical Society Provincial Obituaries
- Oshawa Newspaper & Obituary Index
- Our Ontario Death Notice and Obituary Index
- Pickering Local History Collection Obituary Search (clippings)
- Port Arthur Daily News/News-Chronicle Obituary Index (1906-1972)
- Thunder Bay Chronicle Journal Obituary Index 1972-1989 1988-1997 1998-2017
- Thunder Bay Sentinel Death Index (1875-1879 / 1891-1895)
- West Grey Public Library - Births, Marriages, Deaths and Obituary Indexes
- Waterloo Region Record Death and Obituary Index
- Windsor Public Library Obituaries
- Woodstock Newspaper Indexes and Obituaries
If you wish to search this province's historic newspapers for obituaries, click on Ontario Online Historical Newspapers Summary
Prince Edward Island
- Canadian Obituaries Forum - PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND
- Canadian Obits - Prince Edward Island (scroll to top)
- Island Register Obituary Book
- Island Register Stray Book
- Belfast, P.E.I. Scrapbook, 1901-1912
- P.E.I. Memorial Scrapbook
- Prince Edward Island Deaths and Obituaries (more current transcriptions)
If you wish to search this province's historic newspapers for obituaries, click on Prince Edward Island Online Historical Newspapers Summary
Quebec
- Canadian Obituaries Forum - QUEBEC
- Canadian Obits - Quebec (scroll to top)
- Avis de décès en ligne/Online Obituaries
- Centenaires Decedes
- Keneder Adler (1908–1932) (Transcribed obituaries)
- Généalogie Québec - Death Notices (Over 1.4 million obits)
- Missisquoi Cowansville Observer Newspaper Births, Marriages, and Deaths 1872-1908 (transcriptions)
If you wish to search this province's historic newspapers for obituaries, click on Quebec Online Historical Newspapers Summary
Saskatchewan
- Canadian Obituaries Forum - SASKATCHEWAN
- Canadian Obits - Saskatchewan (scroll to top)
- Moose Jaw Times Obituaries
- RCMP Obituary Index (1933-1989)
- Regina Leader Obituaries (2000-)
- Saskatchewan Genealogical Society Obituary Index
- Saskatoon Obituary Index : 1946 Onward
- Saskatchewan News Index 1884-2000 (obituary index items)
- Saskatoon Star Phoenix Obituaries (1987-)
If you wish to search this province's historic newspapers for obituaries, click on Saskatchewan Online Historical Newspapers Summary
Good Luck and Happy Hunting!
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