G2G: Error 400 Bad Request for Library and Archives Canada Census Records

Question

Is anyone else starting to have errors for their source links to Library and Archives Canada census records? Census records links that previously worked are suddenly starting to generate errors. When I replace the link it works, but it appears to be identical to the one replaced. Is this something to do with the switch that is underway with Canadian census records? This will be a major headache if all CDN census record links have to be updated.

Comments

Jim, could you please give an example of one of the problematic links, and a profile containing that link?

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Just checked a bunch of LAC census links on profiles I manage and didn't find any problems. Perhaps a temporary problem, their site is janky sometimes.

Answer 1

Ok, I found an example: Labossiere-350. There you have replaced this link (among others):

https://central.bac-lac.gc.ca/.item/?app=Census1881&op=&img&id=e008146472

That is clearly wrong, and could never have worked. The section op=&img should be op=img. You replaced it like that, giving

https://central.bac-lac.gc.ca/.item/?app=Census1881&op=img&id=e008146472

which does work.

Where did the original erroneous link come from? Did you enter it yourself manually, or get it from Sourcer or some other extension?

The reason these DBE 966 suggestions are appearing now is that Aleš is progressively running a scan of all links on all profiles. This has not been done for a while, so a lot of new suggestions are appearing.

Comments

Hello Jim: Thank you for your answer. For most of my Canadian census records, I find them myself at LAC and copy - paste them directly from the LAC site. What I have noticed recently and this happens with URL's from Findagrave as well, it that when I click on the URL to copy it, sometimes stray "&" ampersands will get inserted at random. This may have been happening with LAC URL's and I have never noticed it before. Just one more thing to be extra cautious about. I will have to be sure to test them all as I go as well. Thanks,again, Jim.

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Thank you for the reply, Jim. I'm glad this sounds like an explanation. I agree that testing each link after inserting it in a profile is good practice.

Answer 2

Keep in mind that Library Archives Canada makes no claim to having stable links. Breakages do occur on a regular basis if links are used to internal resources.

Answer 3

They have been in the process of transitioning to an new website. There is a notice at the top of the main Census page. https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/census/Pages/census.aspx

Perhaps the hiccups are a result of that. I have been wondering how it will affect my links but have not come across any problems so far. 

Answer 4

I have been systematically going through my ancestor’s profiles changing the URL to the pdf version of the page, which seems to have worked.

The new search facility at Library and Archives Canada takes a lot of getting used to, but all the pdf versions of the pages are still there.

Comments

hey Wendy, can you tell me how you actually find them?  Have done a few searches via Google in the past few days, all I get are statistical reports about the censuses, the actual censuses being lost in the woodwork somewhere.  Trying to do a search for anything is absolutely miserable.  Past links are working fine on profiles I put them on, since I always linked to PDFs.

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Hi Danielle!

I used to be able to find with google, but use this page on the newly reorganised site - https://recherche-collection-search.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/Census/Index

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thanks, had found this before, works poorly, as it insists on including all censuses and locations, one has to reset the d.. thing each time an alternate name is tried.

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I agree. I was used to the old version and found it easier.

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Absolutely hate the new version and have had the same error messages as Jim. Then Outlook for Mac updated yesterday and tossed all my old messages and my calendar. Finally fixed that, but am getting so tired of updates that make things worse rather than better.

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I think we should all make comments to Archives Canada on their new system, they actually ask for feedback on their pages.  Let them know it's a disaster.

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Good idea, Danielle. They had a similar problem with the new images page. The thumbnails were no longer navigable. I complained and they did give me a workaround until it was fixed, so, yes, let's comment and see if they fix the census pages.