Hi David

I think Vital Statistics departments of each Province varies a bit in their rules of accessibility. Many Provinces - not all, this is fairly new services put online by some Provinces, and some offer free searchable databases, restricted within timeframes decided by that province. The free databases public a bit of basic info, and if you want the rest of the info from that record, you must order and pay a fee for copies of it.

I have NOT found that kind of free searchable (or payable) database for Ontario, so they must still completely control access through their Dept of Vital Stats.

The Province's time frames and dates of people they list is a huge wide range across Canada for accessing. Manitoba deaths of more than 70 years ago, BC only 20 years ago!

Example, Manitoba site restricts access to records to:
Births more than 100 years ago
Marriages more than 80 years ago
Deaths more than 70 years ago
http://vitalstats.gov.mb.ca/Query.php

and BC which looks like the info is still on microfiches and such and the index is of what they hold:
http://www.vs.gov.bc.ca/genealogy/electronic_index.html
(note BC FALLEN SOLDIERS: they also have: Index data related to the deaths of 3,423 British Columbians overseas during World War II. )

This BC site, below, has some accessible info online:
http://search.bcarchives.gov.bc.ca/s...bsearch/Deaths

Bottom line? Each Vital Stats dept per province does things differently

Karmen