Historical Canadian newspapers are filled with stories of everyday triumphs and challenges, as well as regular activities in local communities, across the Dominion of Canada, and around the world.

At a personal level, by looking through old Canadian newspapers you might find a charming announcement of your great-grandparents' engagement in The Toronto Star. Or you could discover an advertisement in New Brunswick’s Daily Gleaner that features your ancestor's newly opened bakery.

Whether you’re just getting started with family history research or you’re looking to understand more about your family in a specific location and during a certain period of time, old newspaper archives can provide fascinating insights that bring names on a page—and in a family tree—to life.

Using Historical Newspapers for Family History Research

Official records like censuses and marriage and birth certificates typically document basic demographics and vital statistics, yet Canadian newspaper articles may provide interesting details around those facts. Old newspapers are one of the best resources available when it comes to seeking out intriguing details that add colour to your family history. For instance, if your ancestor was born March 15, 1941 in Alberta, did you know that was also the date of one of the worst snowstorms in Canadian history? Read about it in the Edmonton Journal.

As you delve into research through historical newspapers, keep in mind the general coverage each type typically provides. Both can be used to fill out your family story, but in different ways.

• Local newspapers, with their regional focus, tend to include items that are of interest to the local community, such as birth, marriage, and death notices, announcements about community events, and local business ads. They usually cover some national news, but their general focus is closer to home.
• National newspapers can help you understand your ancestors within the larger context of history—and could speak to stories of great wartime heroism or loss.

Types of Articles to Search in Canadian Newspapers

Consider exploring a variety of newspaper articles to flesh out your family story. You might even find related photographs or drawings.

• Community activity reports range from coverage of local sporting events and public meetings, to visits by out-of-town relatives and neighbourhood fairs. These types of articles can suggest what your ancestors’ daily lives might have been like, as they often describe social interactions within the community. You might find a 1912 article in The Victoria Daily Times that details a family member’s involvement in a local charity event. Or perhaps you’ll discover a 1901 article about your ancestor’s participation in the local suffrage movement.
• Obituaries are treasure troves of personal details, shedding light on people’s lives, relationships, hobbies, and personal milestones. In some cases, they might include information about family connections that opens new doors for research. An obituary from the Ottawa Citizen in 1948, for example, could reveal that your great-grandfather was a decorated war veteran, celebrated by his family and the community.
• Birth and marriage announcements may confirm official records, but they might also provide fresh clues about other family connections and social networks. Your grandparents’ 1935 marriage announcement in the Whitehorse Daily Star could contain the names of relatives and friends who attended the ceremony, plus the venue, giving you new names and places to research.
• Advertisements provide a glimpse into the economic conditions and daily life of the past. If a family member is listed in census records as a grocer, shopkeeper, or specializes in a specific trade, check to see if you can find an ad in the paper for their service or business. An advertisement from the Manitoba Morning Free Press in 1914 might highlight the services offered by your great-grandfather's blacksmith shop.
• Editorials reflect societal attitudes and cultural values, providing context to the era your ancestors lived in. An editorial in the Montreal Gazette during the 1830s might discuss the implications of the Rebellions of 1837-1838, providing a backdrop for understanding the political climate your ancestors lived in.
• Crime and catastrophe reports usually tell dramatic accounts of arrests and trials. They also describe accidents, natural disasters, or other terrible events that impacted communities—and possibly your family. If you had relatives in Hull or Ottawa in the late 1890s and early 1900s, explore Ottawa Citizen archives from May 1900 to learn how they might have been impacted by the Hull-Ottawa Fire of 1900. And if your ancestors lived in Hallifax during World War I, were they among the 25,000 people who lost their homes in the Halifax Explosion in 1917?
• Military news items could include personal stories of enlistments, valour, and the roles played by soldiers in significant events. For instance, articles from The Winnipeg Free Press during World War II provide detailed accounts of the Battle of Normandy. You might discover that one of your ancestors was part of the Canadian forces that landed on Juno Beach on D-Day, June 6, 1944.
• Business and industry news covers the establishment of new businesses, activities such as strikes, developments in particular industrial fields. Reviewing local or national news stories about the industries tied to your family story, during a specific time period, could give you new insights about how your family made a living and when they might have struggled or flourished. Could someone in the family listed as a logger in the 1931 Census of Canada have been involved in the 1934 Vancouver Island Loggers’ Strike? Check for news articles in the Vancouver Sun. And if maple syrup production is part of your family legacy, you can read about industry innovations by browsing through the Quebec Chronicle-Telegraph archives. Maybe these developments helped your family in some way.

Tips for Using Old Newspapers to Find Information on Key Events in Canadian History

Searching through editions of historical newspapers can be fun, but it’s also easy to get overwhelmed by the vast amount of information. Here are a few suggestions about how to approach your search:

• Set a clear research goal: This can help you maintain a clear direction and facilitate deeper, more meaningful discoveries. For example, you may want to research one ancestor at a time. If so, compile all known details about that person, including birth, marriage, and death dates, and any locations they lived in. If, in the course of your research, you come across new names listed in an obituary, for example, make note of them (and the page and edition of paper in which they appeared) so you can look into them later.
• Focus on specific dates and locations. Identify the date range and places that intersect with your ancestor's life. Then, use search filters to narrow down to newspapers from the relevant area and period.
• Be aware of variations in regional languages. For example, terminology and expressions used in Quebec's French-language papers may differ from those in English-language papers from other provinces.
• Cross-reference with other records. To validate and expand upon the information found in newspapers, cross-reference with other historical records available on Ancestry. For example, if you find an obituary, look for matching birth and death records and search the names of relatives.

Browse Canadian Newspaper Collections on Ancestry^®

Ancestry has more than 20 different record collections of newspapers that cover the range of Canadian provinces and territories and that span the 19th to 21st century.

Among those, the largest offerings—by far—are indexes from Newspapers.com^™. These collections allow you to search for content from Newspapers.com directly on Ancestry. (An additional subscription may be necessary to view original article images on Newspapers.com.) Here’s a sampling of the different collections available.

• Canada, Newspapers.com^™ Stories and Events Index (1800s to current): This comprehensive index includes more than 924 billion (yes, billion!) items, providing access to articles and announcements across Canada. Its rich array of personal stories and coverage of significant historical milestones serves as an indispensable tool for Canadian family history research.
• Canada, Newspapers.com^™ Obituary Index, 1800s-current: This subset of the broader "Stories and Events Index" contains more than 44 million records.
• The Lethbridge Herald: This regional newspaper covers the agricultural heartland of Alberta.
• Winnipeg Free Press: This archive contains mostly mid-20th century editions.
• The Saskatchewan Gazette, Changes of Name (1917-1950): This unique collection focuses on the publication of name changes. These changes can occur for a variety of reasons, such as a woman who takes her husband’s name upon marriage, or an immigrant who wants to Anglicize their name.

Trace Your Family’s Life Journey With Old Newspapers

From the local nuances about events captured by regional publications to the broader national narratives chronicled within major newspapers, newspaper archives reveal the social, economic, and political landscapes that shaped your ancestors' lives. They can enable you to piece together personal stories against the backdrop of significant historical events and facilitate a deeper understanding of your family’s history. Visit the Canadian Newspaper Collection on Ancestry to begin your research.