Q: I have recovered two newspaper articles from the Toronto Reference Library Newspaper Archives. They relate to a motorcycle / car collision in which two of my relatives were killed in 1930. One is noted as coming from Rockton, the other is from Galt and they indicate a coroners inquest took place. If those records still exist, would they be with the town, county or the province?
A: [From Brenda Dougall Merriman, CGRS, CGL] - This is not easy to answer in a specific way. Coroners were (and appear still are) County- or Region-type positions, although they all come under the provincial Ministry of the Attorney General. Coroners' records for Wentworth County (Rockton) and Waterloo County (Galt) are not listed on the Archives of Ontario website, so they are likely retained somewhere in the current Hamilton-Wentworth Region and Waterloo Region bureaucracy. I could find next to nothing on the Ontario government website re Attorney General, so I suggest your questioner tackle the websites of those two Regions to locate an appropriate address. It will likely be a department concerned with "health." The records are only public after 100 years, so after contact is made, it will be necessary to apply for 1930 material on a provincial Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act access form.
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Q: I'm looking for 1924 Coronor records from Cardiff Township, Haliburton, County. The records are not in Ontario Archives or Haliburton East records at Wilberforce, Haliburton or Minden. Can you advise were I might look next?
A: [From Anonymous] www.serviceontario.ca, 1-800-461-2156 or 416-325-8305. Cost ., just received coroner's & doctor's report on deceased relative from Eagle Lake Ont!
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Q: Where can I find information and records on prisoners in Ontario penitentiaries between 1837 and 1851?
A: Inmate records are of an administrative nature and would be kept at the individual prisons. Obtaining this information may involve contacting either one specific prison or the prisons in the area involved. For instance Kingston Pennitentary has been the subject of many historical books on its first one hundred years and I believe that it has its own archives. To my knowledge there is no specific province-wide agency that has such info. {Special Thank you to Laura Carter for her help in answering this question}
I would contact the ministry of the Attorney General for penal system inquiries, even that long ago. They do have an "archive" division, because I have used it
ATTORNEY GENERAL
'Archives Division'
720 Bay St
Toronto ON M5G 2K1
General Inquiry: 416-326-2220
TTY: 416-326-4012
Fax: 416-326-4007
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Q: Where can I get prison records from Mimico Reformatory in the 1950's?
A: Try the Archives of Ontario in the Preliminary Inventory of the Ministry of Correctional Services (RG20) area. There you can find jail files for inmates 1939-1957... also probation & parole files, adult & juvenile case files, records for industrial schools, jails, detention centres and industrial farms. There is a 30 year restriction on personal information and some files may be closed altogether.
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Q: Would records still exist of any search for a person (teenage girl) who disappeared from her home and family shortly after 1891? How may I find them?
A: [From Forebears Research] -- The Toronto Police Archives (accessible through the Metro Police I believe) should be able to help. If she was a minor, then the Children's Aid currently may know what existed then in this capacity. Beyond that, if she was found dead at some point there should be a coroner's report. There may be some school records from the time that could have useful details although not specifically to do with the search, rather info on her personally.
You should also check the newspapers in the area where she resided in 1891, as well obituaries, wills and other such events of the remaining family members.
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