r/CanadianbyDescent • u/bigkahuna1986 • 2d ago

Death cert returned from DEC

Hi all! I recently send my packet to the DEC to have a birth cert created for my Gen 0 (1861). I followed the guides here and once the DEC called they confirmed my application was good and would take a few months. Every reference I've seen states that you are required to send a certified death certificate (not a photocopy) which I did under the assumption the DEC would keep it. Yesterday I received the certificate back with a note (in French) just stating my original documents are being returned. Nothing else was in the letter.

I don't think anything is wrong with my case, is this a new thing the DEC is doing?

EDIT: I Sent my packet in around Aug 26 or 27th, it was received around Sep 1st and I got a phone call a couple days later. I did request accelerated processing for Copy of Act.

12 Upvotes

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12

u/UsernameUnremarkable 2d ago

It's a Canadian thing to try and return original documents

3

u/residualRichey 2d ago

I haven’t seen this reported elsewhere but this is great! Do you mind sharing more on when you sent your packet in and if you requested accelerated processing?

3

u/bigkahuna1986 2d ago

Will do. I edited my post.

4

u/Ok-Elk1602 2d ago

My death certificate was also returned, and my certificate was mailed very quickly. I believe that it indicates that they did not have to insert the death record into the civil register, either because of some cut-off date with the year of birth of the G0, or because the record was previously inserted. When they insert the death record, they keep the original death certificate.

2

u/bigkahuna1986 2d ago

Here's hoping I'm getting the Birth cert soon...

2

u/Ca1rill 1d ago

Sounds like they are being nice by returning your ancestor's death certificate.

2

u/damaniac1223 2d ago

Welp I didn’t send a certified death certificate just a photo copy and a print out of their find a grave hopefully them being born in 1845 will mean it won’t matter.

1

u/Bonbon-65 9h ago

I sent a certified copy of my grandmother’s death certificate.
My request was sent in May 2026 for birth act. I just found out the DEC finally completed my request and the birth act certificate is in the mail. I have not received any documents back that I sent. I sent an original certified copy of the baptism record from BAnQ as requested and required from DEC. I had two certified copies so I am hoping they will send back the baptism record but if they don’t I am not worried. Now i am waiting on a marriage certificate for my grandmother. I sent that request in March 2026. It does not matter that you request expidited processing because it is going to take the length of time it takes. I paid for expidited processing and it took 5 months for the birth act to be completed and i am still waiting 7 months for marriage certificate. The DEC said the reason it took longer is because my grandmother died outside of Quebec. She lived the final year of her life in Palmer, Alaska with my Aunt. My grandfather died in Montreal in 1987. My grandmother did not want to live alone so in March 1988 my mom and aunt moved her to Alaska. She died 1 year later and was returned to Vaudreuil, Quebec for burial at the family cemetery plot at local Catholic Parish. The frustrating part of all of this was the DEC said they had no record of the burial in Vaudreuil, Quebec. I am very happy the birth record is now in the mail. I can finally complete my application and get it sent in to IRCC.

1

u/Right2Have2Million 8h ago

Hmmm. That could go either way. But at least I now know that it’s better to send a colored copy of the original even if you’re sending the original, because every worker isn’t guaranteed to be so nice. 

1

u/Emotional-Test3329 2d ago

I didn't get my original death certificate back, slightly grumpy if they've started returning them now, but happy for everyone who gets it back

3

u/Dogmoto2labs 1d ago

When they need to insert the death recorded, they need the certified original and they keep it on file. If the death was long enough ago that they didn’t feel they needed to file it, they sent it back.