Research Service

The Archives offers long-distance research services to patrons who may not be able to visit the Archives in person.

The fee for this service is $40.00 (Canadian or US funds) per hour. We now accept credit cards!

Patrons may apply for this service by mail or email. Please avoid general requests such as “I’m looking for any information you have on the Smith family” or “I’m looking for information about Elgin County railway history.” Wherever possible, limit requests to a particular individual, organization or company and request specific classes of records – census data; registrations of birth, death or marriage; photographs; cemetery records, etc. To further assist us and to avoid duplication of effort, please also provide a summary of your existing research, identifying any information you have already found and the information sources you have already investigated.

Before applying for long-distance research services, we suggest that patrons investigate ancestry.ca, an online genealogical research service providing access to key classes of records for family history research. For researchers who are able to visit us in person, the Archives provides no-charge, self-service access to this resource under license to the Elgin County Library.

Our resources and service mandate allow us to accept only research requests with a tangible connection to Elgin County. Work will not commence until a $40 deposit for the first hour of research is received (cheques payable to: Elgin County Archives). Most requests can be completed in two hours or less, but If more time is likely to be required, staff will inform patrons in advance of the potential cost. To request the service or for more information, please contact us.

Easter Holiday Closure Notice
Family Day Closure Notice
Graphic to indicate holiday closures at Elgin County Facilities. The Elgin County Administration Building, Provincial Offences Administration Building, and Elgin County Heritage Centre will be closed on Friday, December 23rd at noon. Regular business hours will resume on Tuesday, January 2nd, 2024.