Canadian Directories

Library and Archives Canada has one of the richest Canadian directory collections in the world. The collection includes Canadian national, provincial/territorial, county and city directories, primarily of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, in paper, microform and electronic formats. The earliest directory held by Library and Archives Canada is a microfilm copy of a 1790 volume for Quebec City.

The collection is housed in the Reference Room on the second floor and is available for onsite consultation, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Directories are not available for interlibrary loan. Photocopying of original directories is not permitted, although prints can be made from microform copies, for a fee. See: Photocopies and Reproductions to obtain a copy from microform.

A selection of directories has been digitized by Library and Archives Canada. A searchable database of these volumes is accessible at the following address: www.collectionscanada.ca/canadiandirectories/index-e.html