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Western Canadian directories on the Internet

Over the past few years I have been keeping track of city directories in Western Canada, and have produced three editions of a book listing the ones available on microfilm or microfiche.

Now, more and more of these directories are being made available on the Internet, so it's time to produce another kind of guide... and a listing of what's online. This list will be expanded as more directories are posted on web sites. Note: Unless otherwise indicated, these sites have scanned images of the directory pages.

Manitoba:

Henderson's Winnipeg 1922 -- from Ancestry.com

Saskatchewan:

Regina 1885 -- From Library and Archives Canada

McPhillips Saskatchewan 1888 -- From Peel's Prairie Provinces

Moose Jaw 1890 -- From Peel's Prairie Provinces

Henderson's Regina 1919 -- From Peel's Prairie Provinces

Henderson's Saskatoon 1952 -- From "The Recents"

Henderson's Regina 1955 -- From "The Recents"

Alberta:

Spurr's Edmonton District 1895 -- From Peel's Prairie Provinces

Spurr's Edmonton District 1895 -- From ourroots.ca

Lowe's Edmonton 1899 -- From Peel's Prairie Provinces

Didsbury, Alta., area 1909 -- From Peel's Prairie Provinces

Didsbury, Alta., area 1909 -- From ourroots.ca

Henderson's Edmonton 1920 -- from "The Recents"

Henderson's Calgary 1927 -- from "The Recents"

Henderson's Calgary 1932 -- from "The Recents"

Henderson's Edmonton 1943 -- from "The Recents"

Who's Who in Alberta 1969 -- From ourroots.ca

British Columbia:

First Victoria Directory 1860 -- From Library and Archives Canada

B.C. and Victoria 1863 -- From ourroots.ca

Database of Pacific Coast 1867 -- From ancestry.ca

Transcript of Nanaimo directory 1882 -- From vihistory.ca

Transcript of Victoria directory 1882 -- From vihistory.ca

McKenny's Pacific Coast 1883-84 -- From ourroots.ca

Vernon -- transcripts of six directories 1889-1924 -- From the Vernon and District Family History Society

Henderson's Vancouver and Victoria 1890 -- From ourroots.ca

Williams' Victoria and Nanaimo 1890 -- From ourroots.ca

Williams' Vancouver and New Westminster 1890 -- From ourroots.ca

Williams' British Columbia 1892 -- From ourroots.ca

Transcript of Nanaimo directory 1892 -- From vihistory.ca

Transcript of Victoria directory 1892 -- From vihistory.ca

Transcript of Victoria directory 1902 -- From vihistory.ca

Henderson's Victoria 1920 -- from Ancestry.com

The sources:

Ourroots.ca has a superb collection of local histories. Better yet, they are all searchable, so finding your family will be easy as can be.

Peel's Prairie Provinces is the grand-daddy of resources for the Prairies. Records that have been available on microfiche for years are now being placed online.

Library and Archives Canada is putting directories online, although the emphasis so far is on Ontario and the Maritimes.

Vihistory.ca is the premiere resource for research on Vancouver Island, including census and directory extracts.

Vernon and District Family History Society is a very active organization in the North Okanagan Valley. Check their cemetery work as well!

The Recents is a private site loaded with good information. It's well worth a look.

A guide to what is available the old-fashioned way:

Western Canadian Directories on Microfiche and Microfilm
Third edition, published April 2003. By Dave Obee. Expanded and updated -- twice the size of the second edition. This guide lists local directories that have been reproduced in microform, and lets researchers know what to look for. It includes entries for directories covering Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia, and the Yukon between 1860 and 1995. Directories are an invaluable resource for the years between censuses, as well as for the later years, where census records are not available, and this guide will help you find them. C$9.95

This book is available on Interlink's Canada page

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