British Columbia Newspapers

Resources for British Columbia Newspapers
For detailed information about researching historical Canadian newspapers, see Researching Canadian newspaper Recordsby Ryan Taylor (Heritage Productions, 2002).

Newspaper Directories

 * George Allan Affleck.Paper trails: a history of British Columbia and Yukon community newspapers. Vancouver: Arch Communications, 1999.


 * Hana Komorous. Union Catalogue of British Columbia Newspapers. Microfiche edition. Vancouver: British Columbia Library Association, 1987. The original version was in three volumes: v.1. title listing; v.2. place listing; v.3. type of newspaper. It lists ethnic and Native newspapers in languages other than English. Includes a list of indexed newspapers, locales, names of editors and publishers.


 * British Columbia newspapers: register of microform masters. Vancouver: British Columbia Library Association, 1987. Also available in a microfiche edition; compiled as part of the British Columbia Newspapers Project.


 * Ruell Smith. Canadian newspapers in the University of British Columbia Library. Vancouver: University of British Columbia Library, 1974. There is no newer version.


 * Guide to British Columbia newspaper collections. 1988. [Somewhat rare, but a copy is available in the Special Collections area of the Vancouver Public Library.]

Libraries and Archives
Major microfilm newspaper collections for British Columbia are at the sources listed below. Other larger public and academic libraries may hold significant collections. And many local British Columbia archives, libraries and museums have collections of local area newspapers.

Contact information for these sources is given in the British Columbia Archives and Libraries section of the wiki.


 * British Columbia Archives - British Columbia Community Newspapers on Microfilm at BC Archives This list does not include newspapers from the cities of Vancouver or Victoria.


 * “The collection does not include the major 20th century Vancouver and Victoria daily newspapers; researchers are advised to contact public libraries, university libraries, or the Legislative Library of British Columbia for these materials.”


 * Greater Victoria Public Library
 * New Westminster Public Library
 * Simon Fraser University W.A.C. Bennett Library
 * University of British Columbia Koerner Library
 * Vancouver Public Library
 * College of New Caledonia

Library and Archives Canada (LAC) holds copies of microfilms of historical newspapers. See LAC's British Columbia newspapers list here.

Digital Issues Online
See the British Columbia Genealogical Society's BC Newspapers, Obituaries page for an up to date list of on-line historical newspapers from British Columbia.


 * Victoria Newspapers 1858-1921


 * Prince George Newspapers Project


 * The British Colonist Online Edition, Victoria: 1858-1951


 * Terrace Public Library - Eleanor Muehle Newspaper Archive (1926-2008)


 * "British Columbia, Victoria Times Birth, Marriage and Death Notices, 1901-1939." Images. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org. Citing Victoria Times newspaper. Victoria City Archives. Browseable chronological collection of newspaper notices pasted onto cards with date, page number. This newspaper was variously titled: Victoria Times, Victoria Weekly Times, and Victoria Daily Times.

British Columbia Published Indexes

 * Birth, marriage and death references from the Campbell River Upper Islander. Campbell River: Campbell River Genealogy Club, 2000-(ongoing). Published so far, v.1. 1964-1975–v.2. 1977-1990.
 * Birth, marriage and death references from the Campbell River Courier. Campbell River: Campbell River Genealogy Club, 1998-(ongoing). Published so far, v.1. 1947-1959–v. 2. 1960-1974.
 * British Columbia vital statistics from newspapers, 1858-1872: including, in an appendix, vital statistics from diaries 1852-1857, by Brian J. Porter &amp; the British Columbia Genealogical Society. Richmond: British Columbia Genealogical Society, 1994.
 * Name index of the births, marriages, deaths published in the Nanaimo Free Press, April 1874 to December 1899. Nanaimo: Nanaimo Family History Society, 1991.
 * British Columbia Vital Statistics From Newspapers 1858-1872, Including Vital Statistics From Diaries by Brian J. Porter (British Columbia Genealogical Society, 1994).
 * Index of Newspapers 1902-1914 in Delta, British Columbia by Donalda J. James, Delta Diggers Genealogy Group (1998).
 * Community Portrait, Abstract of Biographical Details From the Ladner Optimist Newspaper Columns 1951-196, a finding Aid by Donalda J. James.
 * Brides and grooms of the 1950's : marriage information published in The Ladner Optimist newspaper during the decade of the 1950's by Donalda J. James (British Columbia Genealogical Sociery, 1999).
 * Brides and grooms of the 1960's : marriage information published in The Ladner Optimist newspaper during the decade of the 1960's by Donalda J. James (British Columbia Genealogical Sociery, 2002).
 * Index to: Rambling column, South Delta today and Delta optimist newspapers, 1989-2000 by journalist/historian Edgar Dunning by Donalda J. James (2001).
 * Birth, Marriage and Death References from the Campbell River Upper Island, Volume 1, 1964-1975 and Volume 2, 1977-1990 (missing 1976, 1986, 1988) by the Campbell River Genealogy Club (2000, 2001).
 * Birth, Marriage and Death References from the Campbell River Courier, Volume 1, 1947-1959 and Volume 2, 1960-1974 by the Campbell River Genealogy Club (1998).
 * Campbell River Birth, Marriage and Death Extractions from the Comox Argus Newspaper 1917-1945 by the Campbell River Genealogy Club (1996).

British Columbia Unpublished Indexes
The British Columbia Archives has released a newspaper index on microfilm covering 1900-1990. It uses a subject format giving the headline and page, and seems mostly to be concerned with Vancouver and Victoria publications.

For additional published and unpublished indexes, contact local British Columbia libraries and museums and see the Library and Archives list of British Columbia newspaper indexes.

Tip: Search the Periodical Source Index (PERSI)for newspaper references as many British Columbia historical and genealogical journals and newsletters include newspaper snippets.

Histories
A History: British Columbia Weekly Newspapers by Irving and Frances Wilson (British Columbia Weekly Newspapers Association, [1971]).

Paper Trails: A History of British Columbia &amp; Yukon Community Newspapers by George Allan Affleck (Arch Communications / BC and Yukon Community Newspapers Association, 1999).

Making the News: A Times Colonist Look at 150 Years of History by Dave Obee (Times Colonist, 2008).

Ma Murray: The Story of Canada's Crusty Queen of Publishing by Stan Sauerwein (Altitude Publishing Canada Limited, 2003).

Making Headlines: 100 Years of The Vancouver Sun by Shelley Fralic (Vancouver Sun, 2012).