From 1867-70, lower Alberta was Rupert’s Land. In 1870, the Northwest Territory and Rupert’s Land merged to become one vast territory encompassing modern day Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and northern Quebec. This page last updated 31 Aug 2025.
Hudson’s Bay
Prior to the Dominion of Canada, the territory was administered by Great Britain. See the records of the National Archives at Kew, London.
- 1670 – the Hudson’s Bay Company was created by British royal charter
- 1763 – the North-West Company was formed to encompass and exploit that part of the territory not covered by the HBC charter
- 1820 – HBC was joined with the North-West Company
- 1869 – HBC sold its rights to the two-year old Dominion of Canada
From: Mandy Banton, Administering the Empire, 1801-1968: A Guide to the Records of the Colonial Office in the National Archives of the UK (London, UK: University of London Press, School of Advanced Study, Institute of Historical Research, 2020), https://humanities-digital-library.org/index.php/hdl/catalog/book/administering-the-empire-1801-1968 : accessed 14 Jun 2021.
Confederation
This page contains resources primarily for Alberta, Canada. Main archives and lesser known locales have location maps. Listings are under the following categories:
- Archives
- BMDs and Divorce
- Cemeteries, Obituaries
- Church Records
- Courts, Law, Legal, Prison
- Hospitals
- Historic Maps of Western Canada
- Land, Directories, Property
- Lists
- Local History Books, other Publications
- Maps – see Historic Maps of Western Canada
- Newspapers
- Western Canadian Censuses
Archives
| Place | Name and Address | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Alberta and BC | ARCA Repositories | This is a meta-site that searches the digital archives of mostly BC-based institutions of higher learning. You will find digitized archives from Athabasca University, Camosun College, Capilano University, Coast Mountain College, College of the Rockies, Douglas College, the Justice Institute of British Columbia, Emily Carr University of Art + Design, Mount Royal University (Calgary), Red Deer College (AB), Sellkirk College, Thompson Rivers University, Trinity Western University, the University of Northern British Columbia, and the University of British Columbia. The easy to use interface will search by any input including names. |
| Calgary | City of Calgary Library (Central), 800 3 Street SE Calgary, AB T2G 2E7, (403) 260-2600 | Hours; Extensive genealogy resources on top floor. |
| Calgary | City of Calgary Archives, 1st fl, 313 – 7th Av SE, Calgary AB T2P 2M5 | |
| Calgary | Peel’s Prairie Provinces (Internet Archive) | Once housed at the University of Calgary, this essential resource has been relocated to the Internet Archive. |
| Edmonton | Archives Society of Alberta (Alberta On Record), 10440 108 Ave NW #216, Edmonton, AB T5H 3Z9, (780) 424-2697, info(@)archivesalberta.org | By appointment only. |
| Edmonton | City of Edmonton Archives, 10440 108 Ave NW Edmonton, AB, T5H 3Z9, 780.496.5989 | Call to book an appointment. |
| Edmonton | La Société généalogique du Nord-Ouest , Bureau 102, 8627 – 91e rue, Edmonton AB, T6C 3N1 780 424-2476 info@sgno.ca | [genealogy society of the North West]; Check site for variable hours; The research centre focuses on French Canadian prairie families. On site archive and library. Does not maintain an independent Collection Search but links to useful sites provided. |
| Edmonton | Provincial Archives of Alberta, 8555 Roper Road Edmonton, AB, T6E 5W1, (780) 427-1750 | Hours: CLOSED MONDAYS, Tue-Fri 9-4:30 pm; see also the United Church of Canada holdings (Sandra Thompson Reading Room) |
| Edmonton | University of Alberta Peel’s Prairie Provinces | Site and collection is being transitioned to the Internet Archive. |
| Lethbridge | Galt Museum & Archives, 502 1 Str S Lethbridge, AB, TIJ 1Y4, 1.866.320.3898 | |
| Lethbridge | Lethbridge Historical Society, 403.320.4994, info@lethbridgehistory.org | |
| Medicine Hat | Historical Society of Medicine Hat & District, 401 1st St. SE, Medicine Hat, AB, T1A 8W2 | |
| Millet | Millet District Museum & Archives, 5120 50 Street, Millet, AB, T0C 1Z0, 1 (780) 387-5558, info@milletmuseum.ca | |
| Red Deer | City of Red Deer Archives and Record Centre, 4725 49 St Red Deer AB T4N 1T6 (403) 309-8403 |
BMDs and Divorce
BMDs – Provincial Archives of Alberta
Alberta! Always the province to go its own way, and its vital stats are no different. You can even download them, if your family originates in Alberta. After a couple of weeks looking for a few elusive ancestors, my advice is read the How To Guide first, then read them all. At least the handwriting is easy to read.
I had the opportunity to visit the Provincial Archives of Alberta (PAA) in Edmonton in person. It is a genealogist’s dream: huge space, tons of resources, friendly and knowledgeable archivists, free parking, free access, free lockers, open Saturdays, and super cheap document printing. Unlike some other collections, the PAA will not allow researchers to bring cameras or phones into the reading room, but at 35 cents/page it’s very affordable. Check the hours before you go: the PAA is not open Sundays or Mondays.
HINT: From Shannon’s Research Services comes this guide to Vital Statistics Alberta for getting the most out of the indices.
Divorce
From 1867-1919, divorces in AB were by Act of Parliament. Notices for the divorces granted were listed in the Statutes of Canada. Check the “Index to Private Acts 1867-1916.” The easiest route would be by checking local newspapers (divorcing couples were required to publish their intent) and the Canada Gazette. Find all of these in provincial archives, university libraries, and legislative libraries. The Canada Gazette is online at LAC but if you have trouble (i.e., you’ve searched the online gazettes and can’t find your people), LAC is helpful.
After 1919, divorce petitions were under provincial jurisdiction. The Archives of Alberta hold divorce records up to about 1975, depending on jurisdiction.
After 1968, you find the divorce record at the court house. If you do not know in which judicial district the divorce occurred, you should contact the Central Registry of Divorce Proceedings in Ottawa.
It’s important to note that many people, faced with the challenges, did NOT divorce at all. Many moved to another town, city, or country and started a new life.
| Type | Years | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Divorce | 1841-1968 | Acts of Divorce | GoC; this web page is old and will likely be replaced |
| Divorce | 1841-1997 | The Canada Gazette | |
| Divorce | from 2 Jul 1968 | The Central Registry of Divorce Proceedings | GoC; The Registry may only give you information about someone else’s divorce if you need it to enforce a law or if you have the consent of one of the parties. |
| Divorce | 1826-1946 | Index to Canadian Parliamentary Divorces | Hugh Armstrong’s Index to Surnames, hosted at CanGenealogy |
| Divorce | abt. 1919-75 (dates vary) | “How do I get a copy of my divorce papers?” | Alberta Provincial Archives: Calgary: 1915-1975; Edmonton: 1924-1971; Red Deer: 1907-1969. See link for other date ranges held at the archives. |
| Divorce | FamilySearch | FamilySearch has microfilmed divorce records; however, films are no longer available for viewing. These files will eventually be digitised. Check the images/full-text section. |
Cemeteries, Obituaries
Cemetery – Alberta Ancestors, Calgary
This is a co-production by the AB Family Histories Society, Family Genes, and AB Ancestors. Address: Alberta Family Histories Society, 712 – 16 Avenue NW, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2M 0J8. The easy to use database index lookup provides information for southern Alberta burials.
Cemetery – Edmonton Cemeteries
Think your ancestor might have been buried in Edmonton, Alberta? Check here.
Church Records
Church – Baptismal & Other Records
See “Alberta Church Records” research wiki at FamilySearch.
| Denomination | Place | Dates | Provider | Details & Links |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anglican baptismal | St. Francis, Leduc | 1857-67 | FamilySearch | 004506961, 20-29 |
| Anglican baptismal | St. Michael’s, Lamont Co. | 1908 | FamilySearch | 103245130 |
| Anglican baptismal | St. Vincent, St. Paul’s Co. | 1908 | FamilySearch | 004506961, 26 |
| Catholic | Alberta, Manitoba, Quebec | mid-18th cent. (1750-?) | The Grey Nuns of Montreal | Archives and Collections (desc of collection only – research by request and fee) |
| Catholic parish registers | Calgary, Fort Macleod, Lethbridge, Pincher Creek | 1865-1916 | FamilySearch | “Canada, Alberta Catholic Church Parish Registers” – only viewable at FHC/FSL |
| Quaker meeting records | Calgary | 1914-70 | Ancestry | “Canada, Quaker Meeting Records, 1786-1988“ |
| United Church (Methodist, Presbyterian, Congregational, Conference) | Alberta | 1830s-present | United Church of Canada | Records (baptism, marriage, burials) restricted with a 100 year privacy wall. |
| United Church (Methodist, Presbyterian) records | Western Canada | unknown | UCCA Toronto, UCCA Pacific | |
| Wesleyan baptismal | Alberta | 1828-1910 | Ancestry | “Web: Canada, Wesleyan Methodist Baptismal Register, 1828-1910“ |
| Mixed baptismal | mixed | 1661-1959 | FamilySearch | “Canada Births and Baptisms“ |
Courts, Law, Legal, Prison
| Type | Dates | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legal | 1908- | Carswell: The Alberta law reports : cases determined in the Supreme Court of Alberta | Try Hathi, WorldCat – held at university libraries where law is taught |
| Legal | 1955-2010 | The Alberta Law Review | Internet Archive |
| Legal | CanLII | database |
Courts – Wills, Probate, Land, Tax & Criminal (Ancestry)
Just when you think you’re familiar with it, Ancestry coughs up another collection. I don’t fully understand why a general search doesn’t (always) bring up these interesting nuggets, but where would be the fun in that? Here’s the interesting part: I took a spin through the prairie homestead records found here, and they are different from the ones held at the provincial archives.
Land
See my compilation Historic Maps of Western Canada.
Land – 1920 map of the Great Northern Railway Line – Washington State University
The GNR served Washington, Montana, and North Dakota, as well as reaching into Oregon, Wyoming, South Dakota, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. Canadians travelled the GNR, crossing at various points from Sumas, Grand Forks, and Gateway in BC; Sweetgrass, Montana; Northgate, ND; and Bannerman, MB. It’s pretty useful to have a visual.
Land – GridAtlas
If you’re not a farmer, you probably have a little trouble reading the legal land descriptions for the Prairie provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. This is my goto lookup – and it’s free for the first 20 searches / day. [EDIT: As of Sep 2019, this site now appears not to be working very well with Google Maps. A pity, since it uses Google Maps as the underlay. You can still make out the location but I’ll keep my eyes peeled for something better.]
Land – Prairie Towns (Saskatchewan, Alberta, Manitoba, BC
I had to find a list of small towns in Alberta, and this site was the answer to my question. There are maps as well – a real genealogical find.
Land – Township Canada: Canadian Township Grid System
This is one of the best descriptions of the township system in Canada I have ever seen, because it includes the provinces of BC and Ontario. If you’ve ever wondered what “DLS” meant, or wondered how Ontario was different from Saskatchewan, or why British Columbia was different from Alberta, this is the page to see. This is the only page I’ve ever seen that included Legal Subdivisions (LSDs) subdivisions in its descriptions, encompassing the urban and the rural. Also has a free lookups, limited to ten lookups/month. If you’re wondering why you might need this tool, I have one phrase for you: homestead files.
Land Exceptions
It’s important to note that not everyone was eligible to participate in the Dominion Land homestead process – one had to be a British subject. For this reason, at least two major communities were specifically excluded: Indigenous and “Orientals,” which included Chinese, Japanese, Persians and more. See the Canada Year Book (1915), pg. 632. Thus, homestead records generally will not be available for these populations.
Lists
Lists – Alberta Names Index (ANI) – Edmonton Branch, Alberta Genealogical Society
An index representing hundreds of hours of volunteer labour and a plethora of genealogical sources. I did a test for a name, found a hit in a local history book that sounded intriguing, and was able to find that book too! (See Local Histories in this section.)
Lists – Alberta Government Telephone Books – Medicine Hat and District Genealogical Society
There’s nothing like a good set of city directories. Here’s Alberta’s, courtesy of the Medicine Hat and District Genealogical Society.
Local Histories, Other Publications
Alberta Histories – Published Local Histories (May 1999)
In 1999, the Friends of Geographical Names Society compiled a list of all published local histories. Use this downloadable PDF to find which local history covered your acreage, farm, town, or village of interest. Then use that information to search for those titles on your favourite sites such as the Peel’s Prairie Provinces on the Internet Archive, the University of MB, or WorldCat.org.
Peel’s Prairie Provinces (Internet Archive)
The University of Calgary, once home to Peel’s Prairie Provinces, offloaded its digital archive. The Internet Archive is the home of the local histories that were once housed at the Uof C, and before that, RootsWeb. Local histories are such an important resource for the prairie genealogist I wrote 3 blog posts about them. See Genealogy gold, part 1.
Newspapers
Newspapers – The Ancestor Hunt
If you’re looking for a different way of looking for newspapers, this site offers links by geographic location. You’ll need to know the name of your town, but if you do, you may find periodicals you didn’t know existed.
Newspapers – Peel’s Prairie Provinces (Internet Archive)
A major, free collection for searching the smaller newspapers of the province.
Thank yous
I’ve been collecting links and sources for years but in 2022 had the opportunity to contact dozens of archives, libraries, societies, and museums in the province. Every one, from big to small, was unfailingly helpful and responsive, even if the answer was sorry, we don’t have what you seek. In addition, there are the genealogists who frequent the many FB groups and are generous with their time and expertise. To everyone who shared their knowledge, thank you.