Estimated # of Service Files

Estimated Schedule & Actuals

This is the fourth update to My Estimate of when your CEF Service File will be Digitized article posted in December 2015. Library and Archives Canada posts updates on their blog on the 15th of each month, however this month’s update went online yesterday.

The latest figures show that as of October 15, 2016: 347,005 of 640,000 Canadian First World War service files have been digitized and uploaded to their database where they can be viewed online for free. These currently include soldiers with surnames up to and including Mahony.

My original estimate assumed LAC would digitize and upload 11,300 files a month however in the last three months they have digitized an average of 13,129 files and are now ahead of my estimated schedule. If this rate is maintained over the coming months I will update the estimates in the blue table for my next update.

The digitizing team has now begun tackling the ~80,000 service files for surnames beginning with “M“, a daunting task especially when they reach the mountain of Mc’s and Mac’s. I can’t help but think it would be similar to the feeling one gets when driving from Vancouver to Halifax and then reaching northern Ontario.

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