Upcoming Dates:
- Thu Jan 21
- Thu Jan 28
- Thu Feb 04
- Thu Feb 11
Local History & Genealogy
Research history and genealogy in Toronto and beyond. Our largest collections are at Toronto Reference Library, with smaller collections at other locations. We also have many online resources.
Online research tools
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Digital Archive
170,000+ historical photos, books and Toronto maps digitized from our collections.
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Resources by neighbourhood
Interactive map to explore our photos, books and maps related to Toronto neighbourhoods.
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City directories
Digital and print city directories of Toronto from the 19th and 20th century.
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Fire insurance plans
Maps that can help you track the history of Toronto houses and other buildings (1858 to 1973).
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Ancestry Library Edition
Genealogy tool with birth, marriage and death records and Census of Canada records.
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Canadiana Online
Digitized books, government publications and newspapers on Canada, from European contact to early 20th century.
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Digital newspapers
Research guides
For in-person help, visit a location with a local history collection. If you need in-depth help, Book a Librarian for a 30 or 60 minute appointment.
Local history and genealogy collections
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Local history collections at Toronto Public Library
Full list of local history collections at our branches and two research libraries.
Books
- Toronto biographies
- Toronto buildings
- Toronto genealogy
- Toronto photo books
- Fiction featuring Toronto
- Indigenous histories
Upcoming programs
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Genealogy Webinar For Beginners : an Introduction In Four Parts
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm on recurring dates listed below
This series of four webinars will provide an introduction to what genealogy is and demonstrate records available for free using Ancestry Library Edition. Week 1 January 21 What is Genealogy and Things To Consider Before...