Title and statement of responsibility area
Title proper
Birth registration index
General material designation
- textual record
- microform
Parallel title
Other title information
Title statements of responsibility
Title notes
Level of description
Series
Reference code
Edition area
Edition statement
Edition statement of responsibility
Class of material specific details area
Statement of scale (cartographic)
Statement of projection (cartographic)
Statement of coordinates (cartographic)
Statement of scale (architectural)
Issuing jurisdiction and denomination (philatelic)
Dates of creation area
Date(s)
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1854-1903 (Creation)
- Creator
- British Columbia Vital Statistics Agency
Physical description area
Physical description
2 microfiche [Bf00045]
Publisher's series area
Title proper of publisher's series
Parallel titles of publisher's series
Other title information of publisher's series
Statement of responsibility relating to publisher's series
Numbering within publisher's series
Note on publisher's series
Archival description area
Name of creator
Biographical history
The British Columbia Vital Statistics Agency (BCVSA) is responsible for determining and registering births, deaths and marriages and for issuing certificates related to these events. The agency also performs civil marriage ceremonies through private marriage commissioners, issues marriage licences, administers legal changes of name, files and searches for wills notices, performs genealogical tracing, and maintains a special purpose registry for registering cases of congenital anomalies and various handicapping conditions. In addition, the agency provides statistical and research services for various government programs, universities and special interest research groups. The registration of births, deaths and marriages in British Columbia was entrusted to the Registrar General of Titles under the Births, Deaths and Marriages Act of 1872 (SBC 1872, c. 26). Until 1911 the Registrar reported to the Department of the Attorney General, except for the years 1899 to 1901 when the office was under the Department of the Provincial Secretary. In 1911 the Registrar General of Titles became the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages under the Provincial Board of Health, which reported to the Department of the Provincial Secretary. The Vital Statistics Branch was created within the Provincial Board of Health under the control of the Provincial Health Officer in 1933, and was renamed the Division of Vital Statistics in 1936. The Division of Vital Statistics became the British Columbia Vital Statistics Agency in 1996. The Provincial Board of Health was removed from the Department of the Provincial Secretary to become the Department of Health and Welfare in 1946. It was subsequently renamed the Department of Health and Hospital Insurance (1959), the Department of Health (1973), and the Ministry of Health (1976). The Division of Vital Statistics remained part of this organization throughout these changes.
Custodial history
Scope and content
The series consists of a single alphabetical index created by the Vital Statistics Agency, for British Columbia birth registration records, 1854 to 1903. The index is computer output microfiche from the original electronic index that appeared on the BC Archives web site in 1999. It contains information that can be used to find individual registrations on the microfilm of the birth registrations.
This information consists of one complete alphabetical listing by surname of births registered within the Province of British Columbia. Each entry contains: name of the person; registration number (the format is year-province code-finding number, e.g., 1879-09-006017); the event date (the format is year/month/day, e.g., 1879/05/29); gender; event place (e.g., Victoria); microfilm reel number assigned by the BC Archives (the B number) and number given to the microfilm reel by the Genealogical Society of Utah (referred to as the "GSU microfilm number" ). The information in the online and microfiche indexes is provided only for the purpose of locating registrations and should not be taken as authoritative. The final authority for all registration information is the registration document itself.
To find an individual registration, first look up a person's name in the alphabetical listing. When you have found the right name and event, make note of the registration number, the event date, and the BCA or GSU microfilm reel number. Instructions for locating the actual registration can be found in the finding aid for GR-2965.
Notes area
Physical condition
Immediate source of acquisition
Transferred by British Columbia Vital Statistics Agency, 1999. No further updates until 2025.
Arrangement
Language of material
Script of material
Location of originals
Availability of other formats
Restrictions on access
There are no access restrictions.
In 2004, the 100 year restriction on the release of birth registrations was changed to 120 years (SBC 2004, Chap. 55). The index and registrations for 1904 will therefore not be released until 2025.
Terms governing use, reproduction, and publication
Finding aids
A finding aid is available. http://search-bcarchives.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/Document/Finding_Aids_Atom/GR-3001_to_GR-3500/gr-3103.pdf
Associated materials
See GR-2965 for the associated birth registrations from 1854-1903.
Accruals
General note
Accession number(s): 93-6243