Source:British Columbia, Canada. Royal BC Museum Vital Records Collection

The following is copied from the Royal BC Museum web site

Vital Events Records (Births, Marriages and Deaths)

British Columbia vital event registrations are the official government records of births, marriages and deaths, which, for the most part, occurred in BC. The 3423 World War II deaths of soldiers from British Columbia, reported on forms supplied by the BC Vital Statistics Branch, are a notable exception.

In Canada, civil registration of vital events, is a provincial responsibility and was introduced in BC in 1872 (SBC 1872, c.26), a year after BC became a province of Canada. The British Columbia Vital Statistics Agency is the body currently responsible for the registration of births, marriages, and deaths in British Columbia. While the original records collected since 1872 remain in its custody, copies of certain years and an index are publicly available, with release dates determined by the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and the Vital Statistics Act.

Marriage and death registrations date from 1872, birth registrations from 1854 (pre-1872 births registered after 1872). Marriage registrations are available 75 years after the date of marriage, and death registrations are available 20 years after the date of death. Updates are annual. As of 2004, birth registrations must be over 120 years old. Because the time period had been 100 years, records to 1903 are still available but there will not be an update until 2025. For birth, marriage and death registrations that have not been released contact the BC Vital Statistics Agency.

It is important to note that these records are not certificates but the original registrations of a birth, marriage or death which contain greater detail than certificates. Certificates are only issued by the BC Vital Statistics Agency upon request by authorized parties.

Resources

• Royal BC Museum Genealogy Collection- Basic Search Page