Researching Toronto’s past usually involves four institutions: the Toronto Public Library for digitized newspapers, the City of Toronto Archives for municipal records and photographs, the Archives of Ontario for provincial records, and Library and Archives Canada for national records such as the census. The library’s Toronto Star archive begins in 1894 and its Globe and Mail archive in 1844, both open to holders of a library card.
Toronto Public Library: digitized newspapers
The Toronto Public Library states that the Toronto Star Historical Newspaper Archive starts in 1894 and the Globe and Mail Historical Newspaper Archive in 1844. Both run to about three years before the present, so the newest issues are not included. An active library card is required, and a Digital Access Card can be requested online by those without one. Articles are indexed individually, but full pages can be viewed, which matters for advertisements, notices, and layout.
Searchers often look for Toronto Star “archives” or obituaries. The Star archive holds scanned pages of the newspaper from 1894, so death notices appear in the same search as other articles. Quotation marks around a name or phrase narrow results. Optical character recognition makes mistakes in old print, so a person may need to be searched under several spellings.
The library also lists PressReader, the New York Times site, and the Wall Street Journal among its digital newspaper resources. In person, the Toronto Star Newspaper Room in the basement of the Toronto Reference Library has staff who help with newspaper research.
City of Toronto Archives
The City of Toronto Archives is at 255 Spadina Road, Toronto, M5R 2V3. The city’s directions page recommends appointments for the Research Hall and lists the opening hours; hours can change, so that page is the reference for current details.
According to the city’s page on the Archives’ holdings, the collection includes about 1.25 million photographs dating back to 1856 and more than 10,000 maps and aerial photographs. City directories list the head of household’s name and occupation at an address for a given year. Assessment rolls, council proceedings, by-laws, building permits, and building plans are also held. The Archives publishes resources on the former municipalities that were merged into the city, which helps when a family lived in Etobicoke, Scarborough, York, East York, or North York rather than old Toronto.
Archives of Ontario
The Archives of Ontario is at 134 Ian Macdonald Boulevard, Toronto. According to its guide to newspaper holdings (Research Guide 212, updated in March 2023), its newspapers run from 1793 to the 1950s for many Ontario cities and towns, and it holds a collection of multilingual newspapers from 1930 to 1987. The guide states that its holdings of the major current Toronto newspapers are limited to copies of the Globe and Mail from 1844 to 1917 and from 1928 to 1931, and it sends readers to the Toronto Public Library for the Star and Globe and Mail archives.
For genealogists, a major holding is the set of birth, marriage, and death registrations from the Office of the Registrar General. Older registrations are held by the Archives and more recent ones by the Registrar General through ServiceOntario. The dividing years differ between pages of the Archives’ own site, and the site refused automated access during this check, so the current years should be read on its vital statistics page before planning a visit.
Library and Archives Canada
Library and Archives Canada holds the national census returns. Its page on the 1921 census states that the census was taken on June 1, 1921, with 565 questions, and that only Schedule 1 (Population) was preserved. That schedule records, among other things, names, age, birthplace, year of immigration, religion, occupation, and whether the home was owned or rented. The page links to a searchable census database.
| Institution | What it offers for Toronto research | Check before use |
|---|---|---|
| Toronto Public Library | Toronto Star (1894 onward) and Globe and Mail (1844 onward) page archives | Library card needed |
| City of Toronto Archives | Photographs, city directories, maps, assessment rolls, building permits | Research Hall hours and appointments |
| Archives of Ontario | Provincial records, vital statistics registrations, newspaper holdings | Public cutoff years |
| Library and Archives Canada | National censuses, including 1921 Schedule 1 | Online census search |
A practical order of work
A genealogist might start with a census to find an address, then use a city directory to follow the household year by year. The directory shows a move or a change of occupation. A newspaper search can then turn up marriage notices and obituaries, and the provincial registrations can confirm the dates. Maps in the City Archives show what the street looked like at the time. Each step produces names and dates that feed the next search.
Names were often misspelled by clerks and enumerators. A record that does not match should be compared with neighbors in the same source before it is rejected.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Toronto Star archive free?
It is available to people with an active Toronto Public Library card, including the Digital Access Card, according to the library’s pages. Other access routes may charge.
How far back does the Globe and Mail archive go?
The Toronto Public Library starts the archive in 1844 and, in its blog, says coverage runs to roughly three years before the present. The Archives of Ontario guide lists it as 1844 to 2015.
Where can Toronto birth, marriage, and death records be found?
Older registrations are held by the Archives of Ontario, and recent ones by the Office of the Registrar General through ServiceOntario. The dividing years differ between Archives pages, so check the current one.
Where are the City of Toronto Archives?
At 255 Spadina Road, according to the city’s directions page, which recommends appointments for the Research Hall.
Is the 1921 census searchable online?
Library and Archives Canada links to a searchable 1921 census database from its census page.
Last verified: October 2026
Sources
- Toronto Public Library, Historical News Archives with 24/7 Access (blog, 2022)
- City of Toronto, City of Toronto Archives: directions, hours and contact
- City of Toronto, What’s in the City of Toronto Archives
- Archives of Ontario, Research Guide 212: Newspaper Holdings at the Archives of Ontario, March 2023
- Library and Archives Canada, Census of Canada, 1921
Newspapers in Toronto
- Toronto Star: History of the Newspaper, 1892 to Today: The Toronto Star began as the Evening Star in 1892. Atkinson, the 1958 buyout, One Yonge Street, and the 2020 sale to NordStar, with sources.
- Toronto Telegram: history of the Tely, 1876 to 1971: The Toronto Telegram ran from April 18, 1876, to October 30, 1971. How Robertson founded it, how Bassett closed it, and where its records are held.
- The Globe and Mail in Toronto: from George Brown to today: The Globe and Mail was formed November 23, 1936, from the Globe, founded by George Brown in 1844, and the Mail and Empire. Owners and dates explained.
- Toronto Sun: History of the Newspaper Since 1971: The Toronto Sun began on November 1, 1971, after the Telegram closed. Who founded it, who owns it now, and how the tabloid and its Sunshine Girl evolved.
Related reading
- An overview of Toronto’s history
- Genealogy links for Toronto and Ontario
- Toronto’s heritage register and designation
- Toronto’s financial history: TD and the stock exchange
- How Toronto’s neighborhoods grew
Cite this page
APA: History of Toronto. (2026, October 23). Researching Toronto’s Past: Newspapers and Archives. https://historyoftoronto.ca/blog/explore-the-rich-history-of-toronto-with-the-toronto-star-historical-newspaper-archive
MLA: “Researching Toronto’s Past: Newspapers and Archives.” History of Toronto, 23 Oct. 2026, https://historyoftoronto.ca/blog/explore-the-rich-history-of-toronto-with-the-toronto-star-historical-newspaper-archive. Accessed .
Chicago: History of Toronto. “Researching Toronto’s Past: Newspapers and Archives.” Last modified October 23, 2026. https://historyoftoronto.ca/blog/explore-the-rich-history-of-toronto-with-the-toronto-star-historical-newspaper-archive.
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