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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Fold3
Genealogical resource featuring historical documents and military records for the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the U.K.
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HeritageQuest
Genealogical resource featuring archival records, family histories and primary sources dating back to the 1700s for the United States and Canada and select countries.
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Digital newspapers
Research guides
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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The Look of Commercial Packaging in Toronto
Mon Nov 28, 2022 7:00 pm - 8:15 pm
Location: Toronto Reference LibraryJoin Wayne Reeves, co-author of Packaged Toronto: A Collection of the City's Historic Design, to see how manufacturing and graphic design intersected between 1870 and 1950. For more information please contact Speci...
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Ancestry Basics
Wed Dec 07, 2022 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm
Location: BrentwoodLearn basic searches to find records of your ancestors using the popular genealogy database Ancestry Library Edition. For those with little or no experience with family history. Registration is required. Please se...
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Toronto Through the Golden Age of Postcards
Mon Dec 12, 2022 7:00 pm - 8:15 pm
Location: Toronto Reference LibraryJoin George Sachs, president of the Toronto Postcard Club and explore Toronto from the early part of the last century up to World War 1.