In Canada, Quebecers are the most interested in researching their family history and the least likely to think we dwell too much on the past.
I believe one of the reasons for Quebecers’ interest in family history is because their ancestors settled in New France more than 400 years ago. Outside of Quebec, most Canadians cannot talk about their ancestors settling here generations ago.
When I attended Université Laval in Quebec City many moons ago, I clearly recall how my fellow students would boast about how long their family had been in the province.
In a recent survey, conducted for the Association for Canadian Studies, 70 percent of Quebec respondents said they’re interested in researching their family history or ancestry — the highest percentage among Canadian provinces.
The poll also found that people who are most worried about the abandonment of language and culture by future generations are more likely to trace their ancestry.
What is especially promising is that overall the poll found that 40 percent of respondents said they’ve often or occasionally searched online for records about their family history, while 65 percent have spoken with family members in an attempt to get more information about their ancestors.
Read more in this Montreal Gazette article.
Very interesting. And stands to reason – so cool that they CAN trace back because of the church records. I do have a friend in Nova Scotia whose family came over late in the 18th century 🙂