Census of Canada, 1901

Numbered in the Order of Visitation

Column 1. Dwelling house
A count of the houses. To be numbered in the order visited by the enumerator.

Column 2. Family or household
A count of the family or household. Two or more families that occupied the same house were to be numbered separately.

Personal description

Column 3. Name of each person in the family or household on March 31, 1901
Was to be entered with the surname (or last name) first.

Column 4. Sex
Denoted by the letter "m" for male and "f" for female.

Column 5. Colour*

• Denoted by the letter "w" for whites (people of European descent), "r" for red (Native Canadians), "b" for black (people of African descent), "y" for yellow (people of Japanese or Chinese descent).
• Children who were of mixed Caucasian and other heritage (that is, red, black or yellow) were to be designated as members of the appropriate non-white race.

* These terms were used by the enumerators in 1901 and do not reflect current usage when describing a person's background.

Column 6. Relation to head of family or household

• The head of the family (or household or institution) was to be entered as such (that is, Head), with the remaining members of the group indicated through their relation to the Head (wife, son, daughter, servant, boarder, lodger, partner, etc.).
• Those persons in an institution could be described as an officer, inmate, patient, prisoner, pupil, etc.

Column 7. Single, married, widowed or divorced
Denoted by the letter "s" for single, "m" for married, "w" for widowed and "d" for divorced.

Column 8. Month and date of birth
To be noted through the first syllable for each month, except in the cases of May, June or July, which were to be written in full.

Column 9. Year of birth
To be entered in full for each individual.

Column 10. Age at last birthday

• The number of years completed before March 31, 1901.
• For children under one year of age, fractions were used (for example, for 2 months, "2/12" was indicated).

Citizenship, nationality and religion

Column 11. Country or place of birth (if in Canada, specify province or territory, and add "r" for rural or "u" for urban)

• For people born outside of Canada, the name of the country of origin (for example, England, Scotland, Ireland, Germany, France, etc.).
• For people born in Canada, the name of the province or territory.

Column 12. Year of immigration to Canada
The year the person moved to Canada from another country.

Column 13. Year of naturalization
If individuals had applied for their citizenship papers, but had not yet gained full citizenship, they were to be marked as "pa".

Column 14. Racial or tribal origin

• Generally traced through the father.
• Aboriginal people were to have their "racial or tribal origin" traced through their mothers, with the specific name of the First Nation entered.

Column 15. Nationality

• The word "Canadian" for those who lived in Canada and who had acquired rights of citizenship.
• For Non-Canadians, the country of their birth, or the country to which they professed allegiance.

Column 16. Religion

• The religion to which an individual claimed to belong written in full.
• Abbreviations were used if the name was too long.

Principal profession or trade

Column 17. Profession, occupation or trade or means of living of each person (if person has retired from profession or trade, add "r" for retired)

• Only the main profession was to be recorded.
• The branch of industry, trade, etc. in which the person worked was to be given.

Column 18. Living on own means
For people living on income from other sources than salary, like superannuation, annuities, pensions, etc.

Column 19. Employer
A person whose work was done by other individuals; that person paid those individuals a salary or wage.

Column 20. Employee
Someone who worked for salary or wages and was paid by others.

Column 21. Working on own account
Doing their own work.

Wage earner

Column 22. Working at trade in factory or in home
(Specify by "f" for factory and "h" for home, or both as the case may be.)

Column 23. Months employed at trade in factory
Number of months employed in a trade at a factory.

Column 24. Months employed at trade in home
Number of months in their trade in a home.

Column 25. Months employed in other occupation than trade in factory or home
For those who were employed in an occupation other than their trade, or if an individual who usually worked at a trade was engaged in any employment.

Column 26. Earnings from occupation or trade $

Column 27. Extra earnings (from other than chief occupation or trade) $

Education and language of each person 5 years of age and over

Column 28. Months at school in year
For those over 5 and under 21 years old.

Column 29. Can read

Column 30. Can write

Column 31. Can speak English

Column 32. Can speak French

Column 33. Mother tongue (if spoken)

• The individual's native language.
• To be entered if the person spoke the language, whether fluently or not.

Column 34. Infirmities (if infirmity dates from childhood, add "from childhood")
a. Deaf and Dumb
b. Blind
c. Unsound mind.
The degree of the infirmity needed to have reached the stage of incapacity to be noted.