Canadian Census Records are free to access on Library and Archives Canada (LAC), which include records as early as 1825 up to 1916. 1921 Canadian Census records are available, but currently only through Ancestry.ca, however, if you do not have a subscription to Ancestry.ca/com, your local library likely has a subscription, which is free to use.
What you will find in a census record: Family members, place of birth, geographic locations, occupations, etc…
Notation: Census records are very often incomplete and/or incorrect. The records provided for the Simard/Seymour family have been assessed to ensure they are the correct family. Particularly, names were often misspelled as people were not able to read or write, making them often unable to spell their own names. Relying on the census taker to interpret spelling, in our family’s case, with heavy French accents, meant mistakes were common. It is important to take into account: location, neighbours (often family members), dates, phonetic spelling of names, Anglicized versions of names i.e., Simard becomes Seymour…in one census Scmor (1881 Census), etc… All these taken together with other documentation can help determine if you have the correct family.
Library and Archives Canada: Canadian Census Records Link (http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/census/Pages/census.aspx). Both .jpg and .pdf files are available online.
Household of Thomas Simard/Seymour
(Click image to enlarge)
1881
Census Location: Winchester, Dundas, Ontario
Thomas Age: 25, Marcella Age: 24
Direct Link to this Census on LAC
1891
Census Location: Township of Cornwall, Ontario
Thomas Age: 38, Marcella Age: 35
Direct Link to this Census on LAC
1901
Census Location: Township of Cornwall, Ontario
Thomas Age: 49, Marcella Age: 44
Direct Link to this Census on LAC
1911
Census Location: Cornwall Township, Stormont, Ontario
Thomas Age: 57, Marcella Age: 53
Direct Link to this Census on LAC
NOTE: Thomas does show in earlier Census Records in the household of his parents: Jean Baptiste & Marie Elisabeth (Hervieux) Simard found in Early Simard History Link