This update is part of the Bill C-3 citizenship by descent hub, with the Citizenship guide. Genealogy company Ancestry has added an index of 570,090 Quebec obituaries to its website. These records could assist millions of Americans with Canadian ancestry in proving Canadian citizenship by descent, following recent changes to Canada's citizenship law.

The collection, titled Quebec, Canada, Drouin Institute Obituaries, 1902 to 2025, went live on September 23. It comprises records from Quebec newspapers, compiled by the Drouin Institute, a Montreal genealogy firm founded in 1899.

The significance of these records stems from Bill C-3, which changed Canada's citizenship law in December 2025. This legislation removed the first-generation limit, which had previously prevented Canadians born abroad from passing citizenship to their children also born abroad. This change potentially allows millions of Americans with Canadian ancestry to qualify for citizenship by descent.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, IRCC, states that an application for proof of citizenship cannot be supported solely by third-party records. IRCC also notes that when third-party records like these exist, official documents likely exist too.

These obituaries can help individuals uncover family links and official records necessary for proving Canadian citizenship. They assist in identifying the correct records, connecting different generations, resolving name changes, and locating relatives who may also be eligible for citizenship.

Individuals can use the information from these obituaries to identify and request official documents, such as birth or marriage records. To confirm citizenship, an application for proof of citizenship must be submitted to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada to obtain a Canadian citizenship certificate.

The addition of Quebec obituaries to Ancestry's website offers a new resource for individuals to research their Canadian ancestry. This resource can potentially help them gather the necessary information to support claims for Canadian citizenship by descent.