Ontario Online Historical Newspapers Summary

Ontario is one of the Canadian provinces that does not have a single central online repository for searching historical newspapers. However, there are several large collections of historical newspapers. Also, there are quite a few free publications available on other sites and there are collections available on subscription sites. Below is a list of where the titles are stored and the link so that you can access them. 

So go for it – find your Ontario ancestors and all the interesting articles that capture the stories of their lives. 

Please note that I have not always entered the dates that are included in the collections, as I suspect they will change as more items are digitized. Also, I suspect that some of these links may change over time – so if there is a dead link – please use your favorite search engine to find their new location. 

(Updated October 2023; recently added links are in BOLD)

Free Sites:

Provincewide Collections:

Our Ontario Community Newspapers

  • Canadian Emigrant And Western District Advertiser (147 issues/581 pages) – Dec. 1, 1831 to Sep. 26, 1836
  • Courrier D’Essex (2 issues/16 pages) – Aug. 8, 1884 to Jan. 17, 1885
  • Essex Record (484 issues/1,946 pages) – Nov. 16, 1871 to Nov. 9, 1882
  • Halton Hills This Week (51 issues/1,307 pages) – Jun. 24, 1992 to Dec. 26, 1992
  • Halton Hills Weekend (75 issues/2,719 pages) – Jan. 1, 1995 to Jun. 16, 1996
  • Kingston Chronicle and Gazette (443 issues/1,754 pages) – Jul. 1, 1835 to May. 8, 1847
  • Kingston Chronicle (245 issues/963 pages) – Jul. 7, 1826 to Jun. 23, 1832
  • Kingston Gazette (347 issues/1,404 pages) – Nov. 27, 1810 to Sept. 17, 1887
  • La Defense (1 issue/8 pages) – Mar. 7, 1918 to Mar. 7, 1918
  • Le Canadien (1 issue/4 pages) – Jul. 25, 1891 to Jul. 25, 1891
  • Le Courrier and Le Courrier De L’Ouest (9 issues/52 pages) – Jun. 27, 1885 to Jan. 7, 1909
  • L’Independent Du Canada (1 issue/4 pages) – Mar. 25, 1892 to Mar. 25, 1892
  • The Acton Free Press (5,574 issues/55,577 pages) – Jul. 2, 1875 to Dec. 26, 1984
  • The Acton Tanner (182 issues/3,154 pages) – May. 26, 1992 to Aug. 9, 2001
  • The Amherstburg Courier (44 issues/183 pages) – Mar. 10, 1849 to Feb. 9, 1850
  • The Amherstburg Echo (4,722 issues/45,744 pages) – Nov. 20, 1874 to Dec. 29, 1982
  • The Barrie Examiner (2,847 issues/27,438 pages) – Feb. 19, 1864 to Jan. 25, 1952
  • The Border Cities Star (5,106 issues/144,965 pages) – Sep. 3, 1918 to Jun. 29, 1935
  • The Bowmanville Merchant (268 issues/1,064 pages) – Mar. 24, 1871 to Sep. 8, 1876
  • The British Whig (13,539 issues/60,058 pages) – Feb. 11, 1834 to Dec. 31, 1901
  • The Canadian Illustrated News (13 issues/156 pages) – Oct. 8, 1862 to Jan. 31, 1863
  • The Canadian Statesman (3,956 issues/51,496 pages) – Jan. 3, 1894 to Dec. 26, 1979
  • The Chatham Daily News (201 issues/3,060 pages) – Mar. 1, 1934 to Oct. 31, 1934
  • The Comber Herald (1,042 issues/8,579 pages) – Jan. 7, 1892 to Dec. 27, 1917
  • The Essex Free Press (5,949 issues/71,885 pages) – Jan. 4, 1895 to Mar. 30, 2011
  • The Flesherton Advance (2612 issues/19,945 pages) – Dec. 20, 1883 to Sep. 6, 1950
  • The Georgetown Herald (4,319 issues/71,922 pages) – Mar. 14, 1867 to Feb. 19, 1992
  • The Halton Compass (69 issues/1,517 pages) – Aug. 6, 2004 to Nov. 25, 2005
  • The Independent & Free Press (339 issues/15,095 pages) – Sep. 1, 1996 to Nov. 30, 2005
  • The Kingston News (2,211 issues/8,402 pages) – Jan. 2, 1868 to Dec. 29, 1820
  • The Kingsville Reporter (5,408 issues/55,209 pages) – Jun. 23, 1893 to Dec. 18, 2001
  • The LaSalle Silhouette (500 issues/8,406 pages) – Aug. 11, 1990 to Dec. 15, 2011
  • The Leamington Post (4,147 issues/100,476 pages) – Jan. 8, 1875 to Dec. 27, 1995
  • The Marine Record (1,286 issues/15,530 pages) – Feb. 17, 1883 to Dec. 4, 1902
  • The Markdale Standard (3,640 issues/24,915 pages) – Sep. 17, 1880 to Mar. 16, 1950
  • The Newmarket Era (4,380 issues/48,883 pages) – Jan. 2, 1863 to Apr. 29, 2010
  • The Northern Advance (3,646 issues/25,992 pages) – Aug. 16, 1855 to Feb. 22, 1940
  • The Orono Weekly Times (1,739 issues/14,492 pages) – Jan. 15, 1942 to Dec. 23, 1985
  • The Provincial Freeman (136 issues/540 pages) – Mar. 24, 1853 to Jan. 3, 1876
  • The Stouffville Sun-Tribune (6,412 issues/130,164 pages) – Nov. 16, 1888 to Dec. 31, 2014
  • The Tecumseh Maple Leaf (1,370 issues/10,685 pages) – Jan. 29, 1931 to Jan. 23, 1958
  • The Tecumseh Tribune (700 issues/11,127 pages) – Jan. 30, 1959 to Nov. 11, 2010
  • The Voice of The Fugitive (51 issues/205 pages) – Jan. 1, 1851 to Dec. 16, 1852
  • The Walkerville Mercury (52 issues/217 pages) – Apr. 19, 1890 to Apr. 11, 1891
  • The Walkerville News (110 issues/930 pages) – Dec. 6, 1934 to Dec. 31, 1936
  • The Walkerville Times (60 issues/1613 pages) – Mar. 1, 1999 to Dec. 1, 2016
  • The Western Herald (180 issues/1,123 pages) – Jan. 3, 1838 to Oct. 6, 1842
  • The Whitby Free Press (1314 issues/34,422 pages) – Jun. 30, 1971 to Dec. 18, 1996
  • The Whitby Gazette and Chronicle (343 issues/2,795 pages) – Apr. 4, 1912 to Dec. 4, 1941
  • The Windsor Evening Record (7,747 issues/64,054 pages) – Jan. 3, 1893 to Aug. 31, 1918
  • The Windsor Herald (103 issues/414 pages) – Jan. 6, 1855 to Dec. 26, 1856
  • The York Commonwealth (251 issues/997 pages) – Dec. 3, 1858 to Sep. 4, 1863
  • True Royalist (2 issues/6 pages) – May. 10, 1860 to Jun. 21, 1861

Canadian Community Digital Archives

Canadiana Online

Google News Archive

County and Library Collections:

Ajax Local Newspapers

Barrie Local Newspapers (Barrie Public Library)

Belleville and Hastings County Community Archives

  • Bay Of Quinte Sun
  • Belleville Weekly Sun
  • City Chit Chat
  • The Daily Ontario
  • Deseronto Post
  • The Good News
  • Hastings Beacon
  • The Hastings Chronicle
  • Hastings Times
  • The Independent
  • The Intelligencer
  • Madoc Mercury
  • Marmora Herald
  • North Hastings Review
  • Quinte Broadcast
  • Quinte Sun
  • Quinte Weekly News
  • The Stirling News-Argus
  • The Belleville Sun
  • The Canadian
  • The Canadian Mute
  • The Citizen
  • The Echo
  • The Expositor
  • The Odd Fellow Standard
  • The Post and Quinte Counties Leader
  • The Stirling Leader
  • The Tribune
  • Trenton Advocate
  • Trenton Courier
  • Victoria Chronicle
  • Weekly Ontario
  • Wilson’s Experiment

Brampton Local Newspapers (Brampton Public Library)

Bruce County Museum Newspapers 

Burlington Local Newspapers (Burlington Public Library)

Caledon Public Library

Clarington Local Newspapers (Clarington Public Library)

Cobourg Local Newspapers (Cobourg Public Library)

Cook Memorial Public Library

Cramahe Local Newspapers (Cramahe Public Library)

Durham Local Newspapers (West Grey Public Library)

Early Elgin County Newspapers

  • Aylmer Enterprise (1869-1870)
  • Aylmer Express (1881-1948)
  • Aylmer Saturday Night (1914)
  • Aylmer Sun (1890-1914)
  • East Elgin Tribune (1915-1916)
  • Dutton Advance (1890-1949)
  • Dutton Enterprise (1881-1949)
  • Rodney Chronicle (1885)
  • Rodney Mercury (1887-1918)
  • Weekly Dispatch (1853-1876)
  • The Home Journal/Canadian Home Journal (1859-1877)
  • West Lorne Sun (1902-1918)

Greater Sudbury Public Library

Grey Highlands Local Newspapers (Grey Highlands Public Library)

Grimsby Local Newspapers (Grimsby Public Library & Grimsby Historical Society Archive)

Halton Hills Newspaper Titles (Halton Hills Public Library)

Huron County Digitized Newspapers

  • Clinton News Record, 1898-1980
  • Dungannon News, 1915
  • East Huron Gazette (Gorrie), 1892-1893
  • Goderich Reporter, 1880
  • Greater Goderich, 1918
  • Huron Gazette (Goderich), 1848-1849
  • Huron Signal (Goderich),1848-1890
  • The Bayfield Breeze, 2009-2018
  • The Bayfield Bulletin, 1964-1968
  • The Bayfield Post, 1981-1982
  • The Blyth Standard, 1893-1982
  • The Brussels Post, 1885-1929; 1937-1981
  • The Citizen (Blyth/Brussels) 1985-2019
  • The Citizen, 2015-2018
  • The Clinton New Era, 1874-1921
  • The Exeter Advocate, 1888-1924
  • The Exeter Times Advocate, 1925-1999; 2002-2008
  • The Exeter Times, 1873-1924
  • The Fordwich Record, 1901, 1935
  • The Gazette (Mildmay), 1893-1894
  • The Goderich Illustrated Signal-Star, 1889
  • The Goderich Signal-Star, 1937-1975; 2009, 2011, 2017
  • The Goderich Star, 1868-1937
  • The Huron Expositor (Seaforth), 1869-1990; 1994-2009; 2013-2017
  • The Huron Loyalist, 1850, 1853
  • The Lucknow Sentinel, 1875-1998; 2009-2016
  • The Rural Voice, 1977-2007
  • The Seaforth News, 1917-1962
  • The Seaforth Sun, 1883-1901
  • The Signal (Goderich), 1891-1937         
  • The Village Squire, 1973-1982
  • The Wingham Advance, 1889, 1893, 1902-1924
  • The Wroxeter Planet, 1909
  • The Wroxeter Star, 1900; 1902-1904
  • The Huron News-Record, 1883-1897
  • The Huron Record, 1881
  • Townsman, 1991-1992
  • Wingham Advance-Times, 1922-1949; 1951-1975
  • Wingham Times, 1882, 1885-1916
  • Zurich Citizen’s News, 1958-1981
  • Zurich Herald, 1900-1957

Kawartha Lakes Local Newspapers (Kawartha Lakes Public Library)

Kenora Public Library Collection

  • Weekly Record
  • The Argus
  • The Semi-Weekly Record
  • Rat Portage Miner
  • Kenora Miner and News
  • Kenora Daily Miner and News

Kingston Frontenac Local Newspapers (Kingston Frontenac Public Library)

Lincoln Public Library

London Local Newspapers (London Public Library)

Milton Local Newspapers (Milton Public Library)

Mississauga Newspaper Collection (Mississauga Public Library)

Mississauga Newspapers

Nastawgan Local Newspaper (Wilderness Canoe Association)

Newmarket Digital Newspaper Project (Newmarket Public Library)

Nipigon Local Newspapers (Nipigon Public Library)

Oakville Newspaper Titles (Oakville Public Library)

Orangeville Newspapers

Orillia Local Newspapers (Orillia Public Library)

Oshawa Local Newspapers (Oshawa Public Library)

Oshawa Miscellaneous Newspapers

Ottawa Public Library Local Newspapers

  • Ottawa Times
  • Le Courrier d’Ottawa

Oxford County Library

Pickering Ajax Digital Archive

  • Bay News
  • Bay Weekly Reporter
  • News Advertiser Pickering
  • Pickering Post
  • Pickering News

Richmond Hill Local Newspapers (Richmond Hill Public Library)

Rideau Lakes Local Newspapers (Rideau Lakes Public Library)

Russell Historical Society

Scugog / Port Perry Newspapers

St. Catherine’s Local Newspapers (St. Catharines Public Library)

Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Newspapers

Terrace Bay Public Library

Timmons Local Newspapers (Timmins Public Library)

Waterloo Public Library

  • Waterloo Chronicle
  • The Chronicle Telegraph
  • Waterloo Chronicle Article Index
  • Waterloo County Chronicle
  • Kitchener-Waterloo Record

Wellington County Newspapers

Weston Historical Society Digital Newspaper Collections

  • Humber Valley Villager Humber Valley Villager
  • Times & Guide Times & Guide
  • Weston Link Weston Link
  • Weston Mirror Weston Mirror
  • Weston Mosaic Weston Mosaic
  • Weston News & Views Weston News & Views
  • Weston News Centennial Edition Weston News Centennial Edition
  • Weston Times Advertiser Weston Times Advertiser
  • Weston Times Weston Times
  • Weston York Villager Weston York Villager
  • Weston-York Times Weston-York Times
  • York Mosaic York Mosaic
  • York News York News
  • York Reporter York Reporter
  • York Tribune York Tribune

Whitby Local Newspapers (Whitby Public Library)

Whitchurch-Stouffville Newspaper Titles (Whitchurch-Stouffville Public Library)

Woodstock Local Newspapers (Woodstock Public Library & Oxford Historical Association)

Miscellaneous Collections and Indexes:

Arnprior & McNab/Braeside Archives

The Canada Gazette

Digital Kingston

  •  British Whig
  •  Chronicle and Gazette
  •  Chronicle and Whig
  •  Chronicle Whig
  •  Daily British Whig
  •  Gazette
  •  Kingston British Whig
  •  Kingston Chronicle
  •  Kingston Gazette
  •  Kingston Market
  •  Kingston Market and Gazette
  •  Kingston Market Chronicle and Gazette
  •  Kingston, News
  •  Kingston Whig
  •  Kingston Whig and Gazette
  •  Upper Canada Herald
  •  Weekly British Whig

French-Canadian Newspapers: An Essential Historical Source (1808-1919)

Glengarry County Archives

Multicultural Canada

Ontario Genealogy Historical Newspaper Archives (Clippings)

Thunder Bay Public Library Newspaper Indexes

Old Fulton Postcards

  • Essex Ontario Free Press
  • Flesherton Ontario Advance 
  • Newmarket Ontario Canada Courier 
  • Newmarket Ontario Canada Era 
  • North York Ontario Canada Express Herald 
  • North York Ontario Canada Sentinel 
  • Ontario Canada Markdale standard 

The Penal Press Collection

Italian-Canadian Community Newspapers

Abolitionist Newspapers

Student Collections:

Algonquin College – Ottawa

Brock University – St. Catherines

Carleton University – Ottawa

Centennial College – Toronto

Conestoga College – Kitchener

Fanshawe College – London

George Brown College – Toronto

Humber College – Toronto

Lakehead University – Thunder Bay

Laurentian University – Sudbury

Loyalist College – Belleville

McMaster University – Hamilton

Niagara College – Niagara-on-the-Lake

Queen’s University – Kingston

Ryerson University – Toronto

Sheridan College – Oakville

St. Clair College – Windsor

Trent University – Peterborough

University of Guelph – Guelph

University of Ottawa – Ottawa

University of Toronto – Mississauga

University of St. Michael’s College – Toronto

University of Toronto – Toronto

University of Waterloo – Waterloo

University of Western Ontario – London

University of Windsor – Windsor

Victoria University – Toronto

Wilfrid Laurier University – Brantford

Wilfrid Laurier University – Waterloo

York University – Toronto

For Obituary Indexes, transcriptions, and other death/obituary information from historic newspapers, please check out the Obituaries page. 

Other Free Sites:

Almonte

Bradford

Brantford

Fort Erie

Jarvis

Napanee

Newmarket

Niagara on the Lake

Ohsweken

Ottawa

Pelham

Port Colborn

Toronto

Subscription or Pay Sites:

Ancestry.com:

There are currently 7 publications available on this site. See all the titles at Ancestry – Ontario Newspapers

Newspapers.com:

There is currently 76 publications available on this site. See all the titles at Newspapers.com – Ontario

Paper of Record:

There are currently 42 publications available on this site. See the titles at Paper of Record – Ontario

And Finally:

You might want to check out the University of Toronto site from time to time to see what is available online or otherwise. There are a number of links to many newspaper and obituary collections throughout the province. 

Please note – even more may be available via a local or provincial library where a library card is required. Gale and ProQuest collections are often available if you have the proper card. And of course, there is always microfilm for those that have not been made available online as yet.

For more links for different states, provinces, and countries – please see the Newspaper Links page on this website.

Good Luck and Happy Hunting!

For all Free Ontario Links, click on the category of interest:

Newspapers
Obituaries
BMD Records
Photos
Yearbooks
Directories

27 replies on “Ontario Online Historical Newspapers Summary”

I would like to receive any info regarding southern Ontario as I’m having difficulty finding info regarding my great grandparents thanks

I still have not seen any information on the Bailieboro library . I would like to know what it used to be in the 1930’s.

Hi Dorothy, Have you tried the Women’s Institute’s virtual archives? The Tweedsmuir books from Bailieboro WI are online for viewing and they may have included this type of information, as they normally would. collections.fwio.on.ca Hope this helps.

Our volunteers have indexed over 31,000 births, marriage, and deaths from the Port Hope 1832-1982 newspaper microfilms. If you are researching that area, please check us out.

It’s taken me awhile but I have added all these to my Obit and BMD databases. They will be posted online i my next update. Thanks, Peter!

I found and old series stashed away in the attic. Although, not news based, I have many of a series to what looks like 2-3 years around 1915.
The series is called Pleasant Hours and based in Toronto.

I am researching my family’s history from the late 1800. & early 1900s. My great grandfather, Michael J Doyle, owned the Leland Hotel in Carleton Place in 1904 and his son, Leo took out over on his death in 1916. My father, Meyer Francis, ws born in Smiths Falls in 1910 and my mother, Alma Veronica Voyce, was born in Almonte in 1912.
Any help anyone can offer would be appreciated.
Michael (Murray) Doyle

Are you aware of anywhere online, where I can find The Christian Guardian newspaper ,of the Canadian Methodist Church, out of Toronto. I’m trying to research one of my ancestors, who was a Methodist ‘Circuit Rider’, through mid-Ontario, during the 1870’s. Thanks!

We have indexed 31000+ area BMD entries from the 1832-1988 Port Hope newspapers. Microfilms of the original papers are housed at the Port Hope Public Library.

I know that he graduated from Victoria College in 1877, but that was in Whitby. Nor would it be a BMD. He did not spend any other time, in that area, that I am aware of. But thanks for your response!

Thank you for this valuable information! I have found an article on a drowning in Bracebridge. Is there a way of saving the article and being able to print it?

If you could tell me which link in the list that had the article, I will look at that site and answer your question. All sites are different in how you can download or clip an article.

Please note that the Kenora, Ontario Public Library has digitalized many of the local newspapers and their editions from as early as 1883, when Kenora was known as Rat Portage. Notices of events occurring in other communities in the area are usually included, especially Keewatin, Norman, Reddit, and Minaki, You can access and copy for free. is free.

Looking for any online birth death marriage records for Cockburn Island and news papers for there as well. Thanks for any help

I am looking for my cousin newspaper obituary of Arthur William Gallant , died in Hamilton Ontario on December 30, 1987. His wife was Jean MacDonald.

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