The Provincial Archives of New Brunswick is providing a new vital statistics search platform, making it easier for people to access the data.
The new platform was developed by the Archives, Finance and Treasury Board’s Office of the Chief Information Officer and Service New Brunswick.
“The launch of the new vital statistics search platform demonstrates our commitment to modernizing public services through digital solutions that improve how people access important government records and information,” said Finance Minister René Legacy.
Significant modernization efforts in recent years have been undertaken to improve access to archival records through digitization, enhanced online tools and service improvements.
More than one million historical vital statistics records are now available online, including birth records more than 95 years old and marriage and death records more than 50 years old.
In less than a year, access to historical photographs has expanded to more than 150,000 images from about 2,200 images.
“The archives continue to preserve New Brunswick’s documentary heritage while improving public access to historical records,” said provincial archivist Joanna Aiton Kerr.
“The new platform builds on decades of innovation by providing enhanced digital tools that make it easier for New Brunswickers, researchers and families to find and access the records they need.”
The Provincial Archives of New Brunswick was the first archives in North America to make historical vital statistics records available online in 1998 and has processed more than 44 million searches since 2008.
Recent amendments to the Citizenship Act have resulted in a significant increase in requests for historical records from people seeking documentation to support citizenship applications. The new search platform helps respond to this increased demand.
