Prince Edward Island (PEI), Canada’s smallest province, requires unique research strategies due to its distinct land history and centralized archives. Success depends on utilizing the records housed at the PEI Public Archives and Records Office (PARO) and specialized digital collections focused on the Island’s history and communities.
Prince Edward Island is one of eastern Canada’s maritime provinces, off New Brunswick and Nova Scotia in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The large island is marked by red-sand beaches, lighthouses, and fertile farmland, and is renowned for seafood like lobster and mussels. Charlottetown, the capital, is home to Victorian government buildings & the modern Confederation Centre of the Arts, with a theatre and art gallery.
Area: 5,660 km²
Population: 156,947 (2019)
Capital: Charlottetown
Canadian Postal abbr.: PE
Confederation: July 1, 1873 (8th)
Demonym(s): Prince Edward Islander, Islander, PEIer
Counties & Municipal Districts Including Former and Dissolved
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_municipalities_in_Prince_Edward_Island
Cities and Towns
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_population_centres_in_Prince_Edward_Island
Essential Records at PEI Archives and Libraries
PEI research benefits from a highly organized and centralized set of resources, with many key collections focused on the Island’s unique land system.
Provincial Archives
The provincial archives are complemented by a strong library system that aids genealogical research.
Genealogical Societies
Facebook Pages & Groups
Facebook groups can be valuable for connecting with other researchers who have local knowledge of PEI families and communities.
- Atlantic Canada DNA Genealogy
- My Island My Roots- Prince Edward Island (PEI) CA Genealogy DNA GEDmatchPrince Edward Island Genealogy
- Souris PEI History and Genealogy Group
Map Archives
PEI’s history of proprietary land ownership means maps and land records are crucial for tracing ancestors.
- Island Imagined – over 1,000 high resolution maps of PEI, from 1574 to present day.
Other Resources
A wealth of digital collections, local histories, and specialized indexes are available online through various university and library projects.
- Robertson Digital Collection
Island Archives – the main jumping off point for most of the Library’s digital collections
Bowing Down Home – an innovative ethnography of Prince Edward Island fiddling.
BookLives – tracing the people who once owned the books found within UPEI’s Provenance Collection.
Island Lives – a collection of local histories for PEI, as well as some key publications about Island history.
Island Magazine – full text access to the Island Magazine (published by the PEI Museum and Heritage Foundation).
Island Voices – a collection of folklore and oral history field recordings produced by Reg “Dutch” Thompson, providing a rich history of the Island.
Island Narratives – stories of thirteen Island communities that have been collected and digitized by a team of youth researchers, and including oral history interviews, photographs and documents donated by community members.
Island Newspapers – a collection of PEI’s historic newspapers, starting with The Guardian and Haszard’s Gazette, with new titles being added regularly.
PEI Documents Online – the full text of the Journals of the Legislative Assembly of PEI starting from the 32nd General Assembly (March 1894) to the present day plus biographies of former Members of the Legislative Assembly and a selection of audio recordings.
Prince of Wales Digital Archive – a collection of images, documents and media reflecting the history of Prince of Wales College, a predecessor institution to UPEI.
The Red & White – full text access to the campus magazine of St. Dunstan’s University (SDU) from 1909 – 1969.
Selkirk Collection at Canadiana.org – Information about the Scottish Settlers organized by Thomas Douglas the 5th Earl of Selkirk
Saint Dunstan’s University – A Decade of Growth: 1954-1964 – a site commemorating the heritage of Saint Dunstan’s and celebrating the ongoing contribution of the SDU community to our University
Telling Island Stories – a collaborative community digitization project that facilitates the contribution and curation of historic materials by community members and accessible both from this site and the Telling Island Stories iPad application.
UPEI Magazine – full text access to the official University magazine, published from 1983-2004.
Ready to Dive Deeper into Prince Edward Island?
You have the records and the strategies. The key to unlocking your PEI family history is persistence in the provincial archives and connecting with local institutions.
- Need Expert Guidance? If your brick wall involves a missing pre-1871 record or an elusive Loyalist ancestor, get a personalized Research Plan or Brick Wall Busting Session with an Atlantic Canada expert. Book a free 30 Minute Consultation
- Want More Stories? Listen to our podcast for ancestral stories about migration and settlement in the Maritimes, including those tenant farmers who first populated St. John Island. Check out our YouTube Channel