LibGuides: Canadian History Research Guide: Primary Sources

General Digital Collections

Internet Archive: Wayback Machine
Many online cultural resources are being archived by the Internet Archive. Search by the type of information you are looking for ( text, films, audio, etc.).
Library and Archives Canada
With a national mandate to preserve Canadian heritage materials, LAC also has made many collections available digitally.
Manitobia
Digital resources on Manitoba history.
McGill Digital Collections and Exhibits
Explore more than 80 digital projects covering a wide array of subjects. Browse 17,000 digitized books from the McGill University Library Internet Archive collection.
Memorial University of Newfoundland Digital Archives
Collection of digitized Books, Newspapers, Government Publications , Images, Maps and Yearbooks.
Peel’s Prairie Provinces
This website contains both an online bibliography of books, pamphlets, and other materials related to the development of the Prairies, as well as a searchable full-text collection of many of these items. As of Summer 2013, Peel contained 7,500 digitized books, over 66,000 newspaper issues (4.8 million articles!), 16,000 postcards, and 1,000 maps.
Quebec Bibliotheque et Archives Nationals
Diverse collection of documents ranging from civil records to newspapers
Simon Fraser University Digitized Collections
The Simon Fraser University Library digitized collections include over 130 collections, with more than 1.3 million digitized newspapers, photographs, documents, sound recordings, and other objects.
University of Alberta Digital Collections
Site provides the links to several important digital collections pertaining to Western Canadian history and Canadian History more broadly.
University of British Columbia Open Collections
UBC Library's Open Collections include digital photos, books, newspapers, maps, videos, theses and more. These publicly-accessible collections are constantly growing.
University of Manitoba Digital Collections
Home to the U of M’s unique digital collections. Manitoban in focus.
University of Toronto Digital Collections
Extensive collection of digital resources. Multiple collections including Canadian Labour Movements, Canadian Local History, Canadian Pamphlets and Broadsides, Canadian Political Parties and Political Interest Groups
Our World: Gale Primary Sources for All Manitobans
Brought to you by the University of Manitoba Library, this resource contain a wide range of Newspapers, Periodicals and Manuscripts from the 17th Century onwards. Geographically, these collections consist of sources from North America, England, Latin America and China. A listing of collections is found via its A-Z Resource List. You can also search using text or it’s visual search tool.

Primary Sources: Newpapers / News

British Columbia Historical Newspapers
Search and view B.C. community newspapers published from 1865 to 1924

Gale Primary Sources - Newspapers
Includes 17-18th Century Burney Collection Newspapers and 19th Century British Newspapers - 3 million pages of historic newspapers, newsbooks & ephemera. Coverage: 1600-1900
Globe and Mail (1844 - 2017)/Canada's Heritage (ProQuest)
Provides genealogists, researchers and scholars with online, easily-searchable first-hand accounts and unparalleled coverage of the politics, society and events of the time from the pages of the Globe and Mail. - Coverage: 1844 - 2017
Independent Voices
Independent Voices is a digital collection of alternative press newspapers, magazines and journals, drawn from the special collections of participating libraries. These periodicals were produced by feminists, dissident GIs, campus radicals, Native Americans, anti-war activists, Black Power advocates, Hispanics, LGBT activists, the extreme right-wing press and alternative literary magazines during the latter half of the 20th century.
Manitobia
Digital resources on Manitoba history including digitized Manitoba Newspapers from 1851-1919

Our Ontario Newspapers
With links to Historical Newpapers, Audio, Images, Text and Video, this is a wonderful primary source for Canadian History.
Saskatchewan Historic Newspapers Online
The Saskatchewan Historic Newspapers Online collection has been created in collaboration between the Provincial Archives of Saskatchewan and Sask History Online (SHO). The project when completed will see the digitization of newspapers from all across Saskatchewan from 1878 through to the mid 1960s.

Women, War & Society 1914-1918 Digital Archive
The First World War had a revolutionary and permanent impact on the personal, social and professional lives of all women. Their essential contribution to the war in Europe is fully documented in this definitive collection of primary source materials brought together in the Imperial War Museum, London. - Coverage; 1914 - 1918

The British Colonist
The paper for the province of British Columbia until the emergence of Vancouver and competitors in the 1890s... This site contains all the issues of the British Colonist (also called The Daily British Colonist, the Daily Colonist, and other variants) from its first issue in 1858 to December 1980
Canada Gazette
Often referred to as "the official newspaper of the Government of Canada," the Canada Gazette has been an important instrument in the Canadian democratic process for more than 160 years. The database comprises images taken from microfilm, microfiche and rare original copies of the Gazette held by LAC.
Canadian Illustrated News, 1869-1883 (Montreal)
The Canadian Illustrated News was a weekly Canadian illustrated magazine published in Montreal from 1869 to 1883. It was published by George Desbarats. The magazine was notable for being the first in the world to consistently produce photographs at a successful rate.
CBC Digital Archives
Digitized radio and tv newsclips from the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Chinese’s Times Newspaper
The Chinese Times newspaper was published in Vancouver daily from 1914 to 1992; it covered both local information and news about China and Asia generally. Totalling about 250,000 pages, this collection covers many important moments in the history of Vancouver’s Chinese community, from early immigration struggles to the establishment of a thriving home base near Vancouver’s downtown.
Connecting Canadians: Canada’s Multicultural Newspapers Beta Website
The collection includes Croatian, Estonian, Finnish, Hungarian, Polish, Serbian, Ukrainian, Serbo-Croatian, Latvian, and Lithuanian newspapers
Democracy at War: Canadian Newspapers and the Second World War
This collection of more than 140,000 clippings, arranged by subject and date, includes news stories and editorials from newspapers, mostly Canadian, documenting every aspect of the war. The English-language clippings are from the archive of the century-old Hamilton Spectator newspaper, while the French-language materials are from a collection of the newspaper Le Devoir
Early Alberta Newspapers
Collection of Old Newspapers in Alberta. Some begin around 1900 and some continue into the 1990s.
Historical Canadian Newspapers Online
Links to historical Canadian newspapers that are freely available on the Internet. Site discontinued locating Canadian Historical Newspapers in 2019.
Historical Canadian Newspapers Online: New Brunswick
Links to Canadian newspapers that are freely available on the Internet.
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This collection includes early Kingston newspapers (The British Whig, The Kingston Chronicle, and The Kingston Gazette), two abolitionist newspapers from Southern Ontario (The Provincial Freeman and The Voice of The Fugitive), and unique titles for topics such as Great Lakes shipping (The Marine Record) and visual sources for 19th century Canadian history (The Canadian Illustrated News).
Island Newspapers
Online archive of PEI's main newspaper of record, The Guardian, from 1890 to 1957
Library and Archives Canada Indigenous Newspapers Project
Consists of digitized issues of Windspeaker, the Turtle Island News and Ha-Shilth-Sa newspapers.
The Maple Leaf: For Canadian Troups in Action
Canadian military newspaper for soldiers during World War II. Contains digitized copies of the newspaper.
Memorial University Digital Archives: Newspapers
Collection of Historical Newspapers In Newfoundland and Labrador going back to 1833. Most recent issue is in 2016.
NexisUni
1970s - present. Coverage varies by title.
Nova Scotia Archives: Virtual Archives and Databases
Several exhibits pertaining to the Acadians, African Nova Scotians, Gaelic Nova Scotians, the Mi’kmaq. Digitized newspapers pertaining to region.
Nova Scotia Historical Newspapers Online
An estimated 104,700 pages of digitized newspapers – 21 titles over the period 1769 to 2003 – are included. All have been scanned from original copies
Peel’s Prairie Provinces: Newspapers
Collection of Prairie newspapers. 1871-1912
Prince George Newspapers
A collection of historical newspapers digitized by the Prince George Public Library, Prince George, BC
Revues et journaux québécois numérisés par BAnQ
Cette collection donne notamment accès aux journaux suivants : L'Action catholique, Le Canada, Le Canadien, Le Courrier de St-Hyacinthe, Le Devoir, La Minerve, La Patrie, La Presse, Le Petit journal et Le Soleil.
SFU Digitized Newspapers
Collection of digitized newspapers pertaining to immigrants, French Canada, the Chinese community in Canada, Foreign Language and British Columbia.
SFU Library Editorial Cartoons Collection
Collection of thousands of original drawings published in Canadian newspapers between 1952 and the present
Southern Alberta Newspaper Collection
Digitized content from the Alberta Star, Barons Enterprise, Barons Globe, Cardston News, Cardston Record, Granum Adverister, Granum Herald, Granum News, Granum Press, Granum Times, Kainai News, Lethbridge News, Macleod Advertiser, Macleod Chronicle, Macleod Gazette, Macleod News, Macleod Spectator, Magrath Pioneer, Milk River Review & Sun Dance Echo.
Special Editions of Canadian Newspapers
For more than a century, newspapers have produced special colour supplements to mark important events. This site presents a selection of these special items from the collection of the National Library of Canada.

Primary Sources in Books

Many primary sources can be found in books. To find these go to the library’s search engine, then search for your topic using one of the following terms:

Personal Narratives
Diaries
Letters
Correspondence
Speeches
Interviews
Sources
Autobiographies
Memoirs
Government Documents

An example of this search is displayed in the image below

Similarly there are digital books that can be used as resources. Some can be located using the library search engine; others are available in digitized library and archival collections. The same criteria outlined above apply to these resources (i.e. identify if they are personal narratives diaries, etc). However, before using them ensure they are from a reputable site. Library and Archival collections, esteemed publisher collections, historical society records and government publications are the most authoritative. Some of these collections are listed below:

Pictures and Media

Aboriginal Multi-Media Society of Alberta (AMMSA) News Archive
Provides links to a range of indigenous newspapers in Canada.
Ad*Access
Over 7,000 U.S. and Canadian advertisements covering five product categories - Beauty and Hygiene, Radio, Television, Transportation, and World War II propaganda - dated between 1911 and 195
Alaska, Western Canada and United States Collection
Digital collection of historic photographs documenting the area of Alaska, Western United States and the Canadian provinces of Yukon Territory and British Columbia. Features images of Oregon, Idaho, and areas of interest in Alaska and the Yukon Territory relating to the Gold Rush of 1898-1900. Included also are images of mining activities, street scenes, Eskimo and Native Americans of the region, hunting and fishing, transportation, and World War II
Canadian Letters and Images Project
The Canadian Letters and Images Project is an online archive of the Canadian war experience, from any war, as told through the letters and images of Canadians themselves. It began in August 2000, located in the Department of History at Vancouver Island University.
Canadianna
Catalogues, and digitizes documentary heritage—books, newspapers, periodicals, images and nationally-significant archival materials
Canadian War Poster Collection
The ole toon includes some 250 Canadian posters from the two World Wars. This site contains basic descriptions and images of each poster, an artist index, a search facility, and an essay about Canadian War Posters.
CBC Digital Archives
Multimedia clips from notable events, interviews, etc, by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Doukhobor Collection of Simon Fraser University
Collection of digitized records pertaining to the Doukhobors made available via Simon Fraser University.
Exploration and Settlement
Library and Archives Canada holds vast resources related to exploration, immigration, naturalization and citizenship. Includes maps and artwork.
Historical Photographs of British Columbia & Yukon
The online Historical Photographs Database provides access to over 38,000 digitized images. We are continuing to scan images and add them to the website.
Library &Archives of Canada Colonial Documents
Online documents and images pertaining to British/French colonial periods and the Catholic Church.
McCord Museum: Our People Our Stories
The McCord Museum conserves and presents close to 1,500,000 objects, images and manuscripts that are irreplaceable reflections of the social history and material culture of Montreal, Quebec and Canada. Currently the online collection ... is made up of 147,500 artefacts.
National Film Board of Canada
Collection includes documentaries, animations, experimental films, fiction and interactive works.
Native Canada Portal
Collection of images and documents at the University of Calgary.
New France Archives
The Direction des Archives de France, Library and Archives Canada (LAC), Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec and the Canadian Embassy in Paris collaborated to mark the 400th anniversary of New France. This site provides access to a virtual exhibition and a database containing more than one million images.
Our Ontario
Search across hundreds of sites – digital collections of libraries, archives, museums, historical societies, community groups, government agencies, and content organizations Find photographs, maps, videos, audio recordings, government documents and other media.
Simon Fraser University Editorial Cartoon Collection
A collection of thousands of original drawings published in Canadian newspapers between 1952 and the present. Cartoonists included are: Bob Bierman, Graham Harrop, Bob Krieger, John Larter, Brent Lynch, Dan Murphy, Len Norris, Roy Peterson, Adrian Raeside, Ingrid Rice, Jim Rimmer, and Edd Uluschak.
Waldron Studios: Images of Nova Scotia 1870-1940
The Dalhousie University Archives and Special Collections holds a fascinating collection of 45,000 glass plate, film negatives, and prints from the Waldren Studios of New Glasgow and Antigonish, Nova Scotia. Approximately 90% of these negatives are portraits, nearly all of which are identified and dated. A number of the portraits represent some of the earliest photos of black Nova Scotians from Pictou, Antigonish and Guysborough Counties. Many of the remaining photos are local scenes, a few of which were taken in New Glasgow before the devastating fire in 1874. The photos show coal mining, shipbuilding and other local industries in action. Portraits of family groups, sports teams, social clubs and school groups are also well represented.

BU Library QuickLinks

Library Home Page
The home page of the John E. Robbins Library
Search the Library Catalogue
Search the library catalogue for books, journals, and online links
BU Journal List
The list of journals that Brandon University students and faculty have access to
BU Database List
The list of databases that Brandon University students and faculty have access to.

Accessing Primary Sources from Home

If you are a student or faculty member at Brandon University, you can access primary sources from off campus.

If you are accessing the library's web site from off campus, most links on the library's web site will first take you to the Proxy Authentication Page, where you can log in with your Brandon University username and password. Once you have logged in, you will be taken to the destination of the link. You should only have to log in once per session.

To log in, you will need your Brandon University username and password - the same username and password you use to log into the Brandon University network when you're on campus. If you have not claimed your username and password or you are having trouble logging in with those, you should contact the Brandon University Help Desk (Phone 571-8500 Monday -Friday 8:30AM to 4:30PM).

For more information, see the Off-Campus Access Page

Primary Sources: Documents

American Journeys: Eyewitness Accounts of Early American Exploration and Settlement
American Journeys contains more than 18,000 pages of eyewitness accounts of North American exploration, from the sagas of Vikings in Canada in AD1000 to the diaries of mountain men in the Rockies 800 years later. Read the words of explorers, Indians, missionaries, traders and settlers as they lived through the founding moments of American history. View, search, print, or download more than 150 rare books, original manuscripts, and classic travel narratives from the library and archives of the Wisconsin Historical Society.
Archives Canada Search
Archives Canada is a gateway to archival resources found in over 800 repositories across Canada. Search for archival holdings across Canada.
Canada In the Making
Provides links to significant primary and secondary sources available in the Government Documents collection related to Constitutional History, Aboriginal Treaties and Relations, and Immigration. Also has links to Information About these areas of Canadian History.
Canadian Letters and Images Project
The Canadian Letters and Images Project is an online archive of the Canadian war experience, from any war, as told through the letters and images of Canadians themselves. It began in August 2000, located in the Department of History at Vancouver Island University.
Canadianna
Catalogues, and digitizes documentary heritage—books, newspapers, periodicals, images and nationally-significant archival materials.
Canadian Parliamentary Historical Resources
A free searchable database of digitised versions of the debates , journals, and committee documentation of the Senate and the House of Commons
Diary of William Lyon MacKenzie King
King was an exceedingly prolific correspondent and the author of numerous books and articles, but by far his most important literary project was the ongoing, daily writing of his diary, which began in 1893, while he was an undergraduate at the University of Toronto, and ended in 1950. Taken together, the diary texts comprise nearly 30,000 pages (more than 7,500,000 words) and arguably represent one of Canada's greatest literary achievements.
Manitoba Government Publications
The database contains digital versions of published Manitoba government documents from the early 2000s to present. Included are major reports and public information from departments and government agencies. The database does not include Debates, Bills, Statutes, Gazettes, or Regulations.

Eighteenth Century Journals
Rare journals printed between c1685 and 1835, illuminating all aspects of eighteenth-century social, political and literary life. - Coverage: 1685 - 1835
Empire Online
Brings together manuscript, printed and visual primary source materials for the study of 'Empire' and it's theories, practices and consequences. - Coverage: 1492 - 1969
Frontier Life: Borderlands, Settlement & Colonial Encounters
This digital collection of primary source documents helps us to understand existence on the edges of the anglophone world from 1650-1920. Discover the various European and colonial frontier regions of North America, Africa and Australasia through documents that reveal the lives of settlers and indigenous peoples in these areas.

Historical Atlas of Canada Online Learning Project
Intended to make the maps and data generated for the Historical Atlas of Canada available to a wider audience by re-designing them for the Internet.
Indian Affairs Annual Reports, 1864-1990
"This database contains references to be found in more than 40,700 digitized pages of the original annual reports for the Indian Affairs portfolio for the years 1864 to 1966 and the complete annual reports for the department of Indian Affairs from 1967 to 1990.
The annual reports for Northern Affairs are not included in this database....
In 1991 the departmental annual report was integrated into the Estimates Part III which includes the Report on Plans and Priorities and the Performance Report and the Public Accounts, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada and Canadian Polar Commission."
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The reports:
The Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development was created in 1966.
Before 1966, different departments were responsible for the portfolios of Indian Affairs and Northern Affairs.
The departments responsible for Indian Affairs were (in chronological order):
The Department of the Secretary of State of Canada (to 1869)
The Department of the Secretary of State for the Provinces (1869-1873)
The Department of the Interior (1873-1880)
The Department of Indian Affairs (1880-1936)
The Department of Mines and Resources (1936-1950)
The Department of Citizenship and Immigration (1950-1965)
The Department of Northern Affairs and National Resources (1966)
The Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development (1966 to the present)

The departments responsible for Northern Affairs were (in chronological order):
The Department of the Interior (1873-1936)
The Department of Mines and Resources (1936-1950)
The Department of Resources and Development (1950-1953)
The Department of Northern Affairs and National Resources (1953-1966)
The Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development (1966 to the present)
Those departments published yearly reports regarding Indian Affairs that contained information about:
-names and activities of Indian agents in various areas of the country
-extent of education and health of aboriginal populations
-amount and nature of moneys spent
-some residential and day schools
-various statistics
Our Future, Our Past: The Alberta Heritage - Digitization Project
Note: Our Roots / Our Future, Our Past collections have migrated to a new platform. The notice page for this change includes links to a variety of links, including "Our Roots."
Our Ontario
Search across hundreds of sites – digital collections of libraries, archives, museums, historical societies, community groups, government agencies, and content organizations Find photographs, maps, videos, audio recordings, government documents and other media.
Our Roots
Note: Our Roots / Our Future, Our Past collections have migrated to a new platform. The notice page for this change includes links to a variety of links, including "Our Roots."

Peel's Prairie Provinces
Based on Peel's Bibliography of the Prairies to 1953, this site contains digitized materials related to Prairie History including 7,500 digitized books and over 35,000 newspaper issues (2.5 million articles!)

S. J. McKee Archives
Located in BU Library
Christy Henry, B.A. (Spec.), M.A.; (204) 727-9634; Henryc@Brandonu.ca
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Collection of Primary Sources relevant to History in Western Manitoba. Some material is online.

Women, War & Society 1914-1918 Digital Archive
The First World War had a revolutionary and permanent impact on the personal, social and professional lives of all women. Their essential contribution to the war in Europe is fully documented in this definitive collection of primary source materials brought together in the Imperial War Museum, London. - Coverage; 1914 - 1918

Historical Debates of the Parliament of Canada
Searchable database and full-text for historical debates of the Senate and House of Commons, in both official languages.
Internet Modern History Sourcebook for Canada
Access to selected digitized primary sources.
Library & Archives of Canada Colonial Documents
Online documents and images pertaining to British/French colonial periods and the Catholic Church.
Multicultural Canada
Browse or Search documents about the cultural groups that make up Canada. Joint project by Simon Fraser University and Canadian Heritage

Acadians Collection
Acadian communities are descended from Nova Scotia’s first European settlers, as far back as 1632. Nova Scotia Archives holds records of these early settlements and people, the Deportation and Le Grand Dérangement, and present-day communities.
Ad*Access
Over 7,000 U.S. and Canadian advertisements covering five product categories - Beauty and Hygiene, Radio, Television, Transportation, and World War II propaganda - dated between 1911 and 195
Alaska, Western Canada and United States Collection
Digital collection of historic photographs documenting the area of Alaska, Western United States and the Canadian provinces of Yukon Territory and British Columbia. Features images of Oregon, Idaho, and areas of interest in Alaska and the Yukon Territory relating to the Gold Rush of 1898-1900. Included also are images of mining activities, street scenes, Eskimo and Native Americans of the region, hunting and fishing, transportation, and World War II
Blackfoot Digital Library
The outcome of documentary work that began more than a century ago, and which elaborates on a knowledge base that emerged through a continuity of many thousands of years living in kitawahsinnoon.
Canada Year Book (CYB) Historical Collection
A wealth of historical data in Statistics Canada's annual Canada Year Book is available via the Canada Year Book Historical Collection. It covers the first century of Canada's history, from 1867 to 1967, with historical text, tables, charts and maps, supplemented by interconnected learning resources for students and teachers.
Canadian Government Publications Portal
Internet Archive Canada, with advice and assistance from government and university librarians across Canada, have digitized more than 20,000 Canadian Government publications and made them freely available online. This page is meant to serve as a portal for discovering publications digitized by Internet Archive Canada.
The Canadian Letters & Images Project
The Canadian Letters and Images Project is an online archive of the Canadian war experience, from any war, as told through the letters and images of Canadians themselves. Begun in August 2000, the Project is located in the Department of History at Vancouver Island University. Through the digitization of contemporary letters, diaries, photographs, and other related materials, the Project permits Canadians to tell their story, and Canada’s story, through their own words and images. It is history without a lens of interpretation by the present.
Canadian Libraries: Internet Archive Canada
From its humble beginnings, Internet Archive Canada has worked with more 250 institutions, in providing their unique material(s) with open access and sharing these collections the world over. IAC has digitized more than 600,000 unique texts as of September 2019.
Canadian Pamphlets and Broadsides
This collection provides access to the pre-1930 Canadian pamphlet and broadside holdings of the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library. To date the site consists of 597 broadsides ... and 2,062 pamphlet titles which amounts to 71,508 page images. The collection includes items printed in Canada, by Canadian authors, or about Canadian subjects, mainly of a non-literary nature.
Canadian War Poster Collection
The ole toon includes some 250 Canadian posters from the two World Wars. This site contains basic descriptions and images of each poster, an artist index, a search facility, and an essay about Canadian War Posters.
CIHM Monograph Collection
A collection of publications dating back to the early 17th century that are about Canada, or written and published by Canadians, scanned from microfiche. Digitized by the University of Alberta Libraries.
Colonial Despatches
Contains the original correspondence between the British Colonial Office and the colonies of Vancouver Island and British Columbia, covering the period from 1846 leading to the founding of Vancouver Island in 1849, the founding of British Columbia in 1858, the annexation of Vancouver Island by British Columbia in 1866, and up to the incorporation of B.C. into the Canadian Federation in 1871.
Constitution Express Digital Collection
The repatriation of the Constitution was a moment of crisis for Aboriginal people with the realization in 1980 that proposed versions to the "new" constitution would effectively end recognition of Aboriginal title and rights. The Constitution Express was a 3000 mile trek to the seat of the federal government. The purpose of this journey was to tell Trudeau and his government that the Indian people have rights as the first inhabitants of this land, and that these rights have been guaranteed by treaty and historical agreement between Indian Nations and the British Government.
Doukhobor Collection of Simon Fraser University
Collection of digitized records pertaining to the Doukhobors made available via Simon Fraser University.
Exploration and Settlement
Library and Archives Canada holds vast resources related to exploration, immigration, naturalization and citizenship. Some of the types of resources available include immigrant diaries, Geological Survey of Canada records, fur trade records, Hudson's Bay Company records, land grants, quarantine records, French and British colonial records, maps and artwork. Notable literary works such as the Jesuit Relations highlight our collection of early Canadiana.
First Nations Digital Document Source
Collection of electronic documents used primarily for research in land claims and First Nations issues. Documents include court decisions, legislation, treaties, claims policies, privy council orders, research guides, and instructional resources related to land claims and Aboriginal title, particularly in the Canadian context. The FNDDS is owned collectively by the Claims Research Units (CRU) research directors and is currently being maintained by the staff of the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs (UBCIC).
HathiTrust Digital Library
HathiTrust is a partnership of academic and research institutions, offering a collection of millions of titles digitized from libraries around the world.
Hudson’s Bay Archives
HBCA acquires and preserves archival records of HBC and other records related to HBC history, such as private records of individuals and subsidiary companies (including the North West Company), and encourages the use and understanding of these records.
Indian and Inuit Affairs School Files Series, 1879-1953 (RG10-B-3-d)
Use to search the collection of microfilmed records dealing with Indian school administration in Canada. To obtain a copy of the records utilize Inter-Library Loans.
In Pursuit of Adventure: The Fur Trade in Canada and the North West Company
Provides access to the full text of thirty-eight manuscripts collectively known as the Masson Papers. The Masson Papers comprise letters, diaries, travel narratives, and other textual documents relating to the North West Company and the colonial-era fur trade more generally. The papers represent a settler perspective of North American places and peoples.
The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents
This site contains the entire English translation of the The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents.
Library and Archives Canada Indigenous Documentary Heritage Initiatives
Learn how Library and Archives Canada uses naming, tagging, transcribing and translating collaborations to increases access to Indigenous-related content in its collection and supports Indigenous communities to preserve First Nations, Inuit and Métis Nation cultures and languages.
McCord Museum: Our People Our Stories
The McCord Museum conserves and presents close to 1,500,000 objects, images and manuscripts that are irreplaceable reflections of the social history and material culture of Montreal, Quebec and Canada. Currently the online collection ... is made up of 147,500 artefacts.
National Aboriginal Documents Database
Search to locate land claims, independent Statutes and Acts, Treaties and Court Decisions.
National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation Archives
Archive preserves the records of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission which examined the experiences of Residential School Survivors. By incorporating indigenous perspectives on memory, archival practice and ownership, this is a decolonized archive built on principles of respect, honesty, wisdom, courage, humility, love and truth.
Native Canada Portal
Collection of documents and images at the University of Calgary.
New France Archives
The Direction des Archives de France, Library and Archives Canada (LAC), Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec and the Canadian Embassy in Paris collaborated to mark the 400th anniversary of New France. This site provides access to a virtual exhibition and a database containing more than one million images.
Nova Scotia Archives: Virtual Archives and Databases
Several exhibits pertaining to the Acadians, African Nova Scotians, Gaelic Nova Scotians, the Mi’kmaq. Digitized newspapers pertaining to region.
Our Legacy
This site is a co-operative initiative among several of Saskatchewan’s publicly-accessible archives. It is primarily intended to increase the information normally available for archival material by providing access to descriptions of material at a file or item level. Where appropriate, some guides (finding aids) are also available. Although less comprehensive, the site also includes some published (library) and artifactual (museum) material.
Reclaiming Power and Place: The Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls
The Final Report is comprised of the truths of more than 2,380 family members, survivors of violence, experts and Knowledge Keepers shared over two years of cross-country public hearings and evidence gathering.
Repertory of Online Collections of Primary Sources: Specific Topics in Canadian History
Important Listing of a primary document sites organized by the area of Canadian History. Very useful.
Royal Fisk Gold Rush Letters
Over 900 original manuscript letters from the Cariboo Gold Rush period, 1862-1868. Written by Victoria area merchants to Royal Fisk, a forwarding and shipping agent in San Francisco, the letters are a valuable source of information on trade and commerce as it developed in Victoria during the height and decline of the Cariboo Gold Rush.
UBCIC’s Digital Collections
The UBCIC's Digital Collections offer a variety of research and informational materials. There are four research collections in addition to a series of collections created with digitized materials from the UBCIC Archives that document the history of the UBCIC and First Nations in British Columbia.
United Church of Canada Archives
Houses the records of the General Council, the national body of the Church, as well as the records of the Ontario Regional Council. Digital collections highlight the past mission work of the United Church, including First Nations missions and Residential Schools, churches, communities and church activities.

Primary Sources: Maps

Map Collections

Atlas of Canada
A selection of interactive and historical maps and geographical data available for reference or downloading
Canadian Country Digital Atlas Project
The County Atlas Digital Project is a searchable database of the property owners' names which appear on the township maps in the county atlases. Township maps, portraits and properties have been scanned, with links from the property owners' names in the database.
David Rumsey Map Collection: This historical map collection has over 29,000 maps and images online. It is focused on rare 18th and 19th century North and South American maps. There are also historic maps of the World, Europe, Asia and Africa.
Exploration and Settlement
Library and Archives Canada holds vast resources related to exploration, immigration, naturalization and citizenship. Includes maps and artwork.
Atlas of Alberta Railways The Atlas' 224 detailed maps are accompanied by short articles, illustrations, historic photographs, charts, graphs and interesting trivia that provide a comprehensive overview of the railways in our province.
Historical Atlas of Canada Online Learning Project
Maps and data generated for the Historical Atlas of Canada available online.
Historical Maps of Canada: From National Geographic, view maps between 1700-1999 of Canada.
Wikimedia Commons Historical Atlas: Contains several historical maps which can be viewed online.

The W. H. Pugsley Collection of Early Canadian Maps
Collection of 50 early Canadian maps, dating from 1556 to 1857, , this set of maps tells the story of the discovery and exploration of North America.
Canadian Geographic Map Archives
The stories behind historical maps from Library and Archives Canada's vast collection.

S.J. McKee Archives

The S.J. McKee Archives holds historical documents related the Westman area of Manitoba. It is increasingly placing a number of institutional and regional history documents online via the Institutional Repository at Brandon University. Researchers wishing to use the Archives physical collections can visit it from 1:00-4:30 P.M. Monday-Friday (with the exception of Statuatory Holidays.) During Covid contact the archives to arrange a visit.

One significant collection is the Fabian Society Tracts. To access them go to the library search engine and follow tin instructional screenshots below.

HathiTrust Digital Library

HathiTrust Digital Library is a digital preservation repository and highly functional access platform. HathiTrust provides long-term preservation and access services to digitized content from a variety of sources, including Google, the Internet Archive, Microsoft, and in-house member institution initiatives. Items in the public domain are in full-view for everyone and items held in copyright are searchable.

To locate Digital Primary Sources in HathiTrust:

Step 1:

Step 2

Step 3

Meta Searching via ArchiveGrid

ArchiveGrid includes over 5 million records describing archival materials, bringing together information about historical documents, personal papers, family histories, and more. With over 1,000 different archival institutions represented, ArchiveGrid helps researchers looking for primary source materials held in archives, libraries, museums and historical societies. ArchiveGrid is largely made up of MARC records from WorldCat.

To search ArchiveGrid:

Step 1:

Step 2:

Step 3

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Step 5:

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Step 7:

EROMM European Register of Microform and Digital Masters

EROMM is an international database containing information about printed and handwritten material that have been reformatted to microform or digital form. It does not contain information about “digital born” material (e. g. electronic journals, e-books), nor information about non-textual items like images, photos or three-dimensional objects (e.g. artifacts, art).

To search EROMM:

Step 1

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Step 4

Meta Searching Via Google Advanced Search

Advanced Google Searches

General Google searches may yield very many results, and it may take much sifting through the results in order to find relevant items. Using Google Advanced Search with specific search terms can help yield more focused results.

Within Google Advanced Search, use the “all of these words” and the “this exact word or phrase” to enter keywords for your subject, for example,

all these words: Métis Rebellion
any of these words: archives manuscripts correspondence diaries scrapbooks sources letters

This will yield a mixture of digitized full text and other material.

Also try:

all these words: Women Canada
any of these words: "digital archives" "digital collection" "digital library" "online collection"

Although less effective you can also try:

all these words: [Your topic words]
any of these words: cdm contentdm

"Cdm" or "contentdm" occur in the url of many digital collections

For any of these searches Use the Usage Rights option and select material that is openly available for you to use.

For any of these searches, use the “site or domain” box to search within just .edu, .org, or .gov sites. List of country domain names.

Note: Examples adapted from Harvard University Libraries Libduide

Contact

Carmen Kazakoff-Lane

Email Me

Contact:

Carmen Kazakoff -Lane, Scholarly Communications Librarian
John E. Robbins Library - ( LB 2-19 )
270-18th Street
Brandon, Manitoba
R7A 6A9

Ph: (204) 727-7483

VIDEOCONFERENCING:
*Microsoft Meetings: Kazakoff@brandonu.ca
*Zoom Invite to Kazakoff@brandonu.ca

Subjects: Anthropology, Arts, Business Administration, Classical and Modern Languages, Drama, Economics, English and Creative Writing, Gender and Women’s Studies, History, Native Studies, Philosophy, Political Science, Religion, Rural Development, Sociology, Visual and Aboriginal Art