Alberta is one of the Canadian provinces that has several central online repositories for searching historical newspapers. Also, there are 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 Alberta 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 July 2021; recently added links are in BOLD)
Free Sites:
Provincewide Collections:
Peel’s Prairie Provinces: Newspapers 1871-2007
- Alderson – The Alderson News 1915-1918
- Arrowwood – Bow Valley Resource 1931-1936
- Bassano – Bassano Herald 1955-1958
- Bassano – Bassano Mail 1913-1936
- Bassano – Bassano News 1910-1914
- Bassano – Bassano Recorder 1937-1945
- Bassano – The Bassano News 1910
- Beiseker – The Beiseker Times 1949-1953
- Bellevue – The Bellevue Times 1910-1918
- Bellevue – The Bellevue Times and Frank Vindicator 1910
- Blairmore – Blairmore Enterprise 1910-1946
- Blairmore – The Blairmore Enterprise and Frank Vindicator 1909-1910
- Blairmore – The Blairmore Graphic 1946-1948
- Bow Island – Bow Island Review 1910-1923
- Bowden – Bowden News 1909-1912
- Calgary – The Alberta Non-Partisan 1917-1919
- Calgary – The Calgary Eye-Opener 1911-1922
- Calgary – The Calgary Weekly Herald 1883-1901
- Calgary – The Eye Opener 1902-1911
- Calgary – The Farm and Ranch Review 1944-1959
- Calgary – The Rebel 1937-1939
- Calgary – The U.F.A 1922-1933
- Calgary – The Western Farm Leader 1936-1954
- Carbon – Carbon Chronicle 1927
- Carbon – Carbon News 1921-1922
- Carbon – Chronicle 1927-1960
- Carbon – The Chronicle 1927-1929
- Carlstadt – Carlstadt News 1912-1915
- Carlstadt – Carlstadt Progress 1911-1912
- Cayley – The Cayley Hustler 1909-1913
- Champion – The Champion Chronicle 1920-1943
- Champion – The Chronicle 1941-1942
- Champion – The Chronicle of Champion 1942-1943
- Chinook – Chinook Advance 1915-1945
- Claresholm – Claresholm Advertiser 1914-1916
- Claresholm – Claresholm Review 1907-1916
- Claresholm – Claresholm Review-Advertiser 1916-1928
- Coleman – Coleman Bulletin 1913-1918
- Coleman – Coleman Miner 1908-1911
- Cowley – Cowley Chronicle and Lundbreck Advertiser 1909-1910
- Crossfield – Crossfield Chronicle 1908-1953
- Didsbury – Didsbury Pioneer 1903-1959
- Edmonton – Folio 1964-2007
- Edmonton – La survivance 1928-1967
- Edmonton – Le courrier de l’ouest 1905-1915
- Edmonton – Le franco-albertain 1967-2000
- Edmonton – L’union 1919-1923
- Edmonton – Mirror 1912-1913
- Edmonton – Poundmaker 1972-1974
- Edmonton – Saturday News 1905-1912
- Edmonton – St. Albert Gazette 1949-1953
- Edmonton – The Edmonton Bulletin 1880-1923
- Edmonton – The Edmonton Capital 1910-1914
- Edmonton – The Gateway 1910-2006
- Edmonton – The People’s Weekly 1944-1952
- Empress – Empress Express 1913-1936
- Frank – Frank Paper 1907-1909
- Frank – Frank Vindicator 1910-1913
- Gleichen – Gleichen Call 1907-1956
- Grande Prairie – Northern Tribune 1932-1939
- Irma – Irma Times 1917-1959
- Lacombe – Advertiser and Central Alberta News 1907-1908
- Lacombe – Advertiser and Central Alberta News 1907-1909
- Lacombe – Lacombe Guardian 1913-1916
- Lacombe – Western Globe 1907-1939
- Lomond – Lomond Press 1916-1928
- Macleod – Buzzer 1910-1911
- Macleod – Macleod Times 1920-1930
- Macleod – The Macleod Weekly 1908-1909
- Mirror – Mirror Journal 1911-1929
- Mirror – Mirror Mail 1926-1927
- Mirror – Reflector 1911
- Monitor – Monitor News 1916-1922
- Munson – The Munson Mail 1916-1918
- Oyen – Oyen News 1914-1935
- Ponoka – Ponoka Herald 1902-1923
- Raymond – Chronicle 1907
- Raymond – Raymond Leader 1911-1917
- Raymond – Raymond Rustler 1909-1911
- Raymond – Recorder 1925-1956
- Red Deer – Red Deer News 1906-1926
- Redcliff – Redcliff Review 1910-1940
- St. Albert – St. Albert & Sturgeon Gazette 1970-1974
- St. Albert – St. Albert Gazette 1961-1966
- St. Albert – The Gazette 1966-1970
- St. Albert – The Gazette 1974-1979
- St. Albert – The St. Albert Star/Étoile de St. Albert 1912-1914
- Stony Plain – Rural Weekly News and Rube’s Farm Fun 1915-1916
- Stony Plain – Stony Plain Sun 1921-1938; 887 issues
- Strathcona – Strathcona Chronicle 1907-1909
- Strathcona – Strathcona Evening Chronicle 1907-1908
- Strathmore – The Strathmore Standard 1909-1948
- Taber – Taber Free Press 1907-1910
- Trochu – Trochu Times 1909
- Vermilion – Vermilion Signal 1906-1908
- Wainwright – Wainwright Record 1933-1934
- Wainwright – Wainwright Star 1924-1948
- Wetaskiwin – The Wetaskiwin Times 1901-1933
Southern Alberta Newspaper Collection 1898 – 1991
- Alberta Star [1902-1907]
- Barons Enterprise [1911-1912]
- Barons Globe [1920-1921]
- The Boundary [2000-2011]
- Cardston News [1925-1958]
- Cardston Record [1898-1899]
- Glacier Times [1980-1982]
- Granum Advertiser [1920-1921]
- Granum Herald [1918-1919]
- Granum News [1911-1912 & 1917-1918]
- Granum Press [1909-1910]
- Granum Times [1908 & 1928-1930]
- Hanna Herald [1912-1965]
- Kainai News [1968-1991]
- Lethbridge News [1885-1906]
- Lethbridge Telegram [1914-1919]
- Macleod Advertiser [1908-1913]
- Macleod Chronicle [1908-1909]
- Macleod Gazette [1897-1907]
- Macleod News [1916-1919]
- Macleod Spectator [1912-1916]
- Magrath Pioneer [1907-1914]
- Milk River Review [1948-1958 & 1961]
- Mountain Standard Times [1985]
- Sun Dance Echo [1964-1966]
- Waterton Centennial Chronicles [1995]
- Waterton Glacier Guide [1986-2014]
- Waterton Glacier Times [1983-1986]
- Waterton-Glacier Views [1991-1999]
- Waterton Times [1979]
- Calgary Eye Opener
- Calgary Tribune
- Claresholm Local Press
- Claresholm Local Review Advertiser
- Crag And Canyon
- Daily Bulletin
- Didsbury Pioneer
- Drumheller Review
- Edmonton Bulletin
- Edmonton Daily Bulletin
- Edmonton Journal
- Grande Prairie Herald
- Grande Prairie Herald-Tribune
- Herald Tribune
- Innisfail Free Lance
- Lethbridge Daily Herald
- Lethbridge Herald
- Lethbridge News
- Lethbridge Telegram
- Lloydminster Times
- Medicine Hat News
- Medicine Hat Times
- Medicine Hat Weekly News
- Mountaineer
- Northern Tribune
- Plaindealer
- Ponoka Herald
- Red Deer Advocate
- Rocky Mountain House Paper
- Sexsmith Sentinel Papers
- St. Paul Tribune
- Stavely Standard
- Strathcona Plaindealer Special School Edition
- Strathcona Plaindealer
- Strathmore Standard
- Sylvan Lake News
- The Albertan
- The Calgary Daily Herald
- The Calgary Herald
- The Camrose Canadian
- The Cardston News
- The Carstairs Journal
- The Claresholm Local Press
- The Daily Herald
- The Delburne Progress
- The Delburne Times
- The Donalda Free Lance
- The Elnora Advance
- The Empress Express
- The Fairview Post
- The Frontier Signal
- The Gadsby Observer
- The Gazette
- The Guide
- The High River Times
- The Independent Reformer
- The Lethbridge Daily Herald
- The Macleod Gazette
- The Morning Albertan
- The Morning Bulletin
- The Nanton News
- The Olds Gazette And Mountain View News
- The Olds Gazette
- The Pincher Creek Echo
- The Plaindealer
- The Rockyford Reporter
- The Ryley Times
- The Sedgewick Sentinel
- The St. Paul Star
- The Stavely Advertiser
- The Strathmore And Bow Valley Standard
- The Sylvan Lake News
- The Sylvan Lake World
- Vegreville Observer
- Ayamiaywatikom Mawnitosaykaekan = La Croix de Ste Anne – Lac Ste. Anne
- Calgary Standard – Calgary
- Calgary Sunday Standard – Calgary
- Calgary Western Standard – Calgary
- Canadian Western Standard – Calgary
- Cardston Review – Cardston
- Edmonton Bulletin – Edmonton
- Kanadyi︠e︡t︠s︡ʹ = The Canadian – Edmonton
- Kitchitwa miteh atchimomasinahiganisa – Sacred Heart
- La Croix = Ayamiaywatik – Lac Ste. Anne
- Nova Hromada – Edmonton
- Novyny = News – Edmonton
- The Alberta Farmer and Calgary Weekly Herald – Calgary
- The Alberta Star – Cardston
- The Calgary Diocesan Magazine – Calgary
- The Calgary Weekly Herald – Calgary
- The Cardston Globe – Cardston
- The Cardston Record – Cardston
- The Forty Niner – Edmonton
- The Morning Albertan – Calgary
- The Nor’-wester – Calgary
- The Prairie Illustrated – Calgary
- The Provincial Standard – Calgary
- The Sower in the West – Calgary
- The Times – Medicine Hat
- The Weekly Herald – Calgary
- Western Standard – Calgary
Google News Archive
- Calgary Daily Herald
- Calgary Herald
- Calgary Weekly Herald
- Daily Herald
- Weekend Herald
- Edmonton Journal
- Edmonton Journal Edmonton Bulletin
- Lethbridge News
- Semi-Weekly News
South Peace Regional Archives
– Grande Prairie Newspapers
- Frontier Signal, 1914-1916
- Grande Prairie Herald, 1913-1938
- Northern Tribune, 1932-1939
- Herald-Tribune, 1939-1948
- Special Grand Prairie Newspaper Indexes
– Sexsmith Sentinel 1949-1954
– Clairmont Independent, 1918
– Lake Saskatoon Journal, 1917
– Lake Saskatoon Journal, 1918
– Spirit River Echo, 1920-1921
Glenbow Museum Newspaper Clippings
Student Collections:
Athabasca University – Athabasca
Mount Royal University – Calgary
Northern Alberta Institute of Technology – Edmonton
Southern Alberta Institute of Technology – Calgary
University of Alberta, Augustana – Camrose
University of Alberta – Edmonton
University of Calgary – Calgary
University of Lethbridge – Lethbridge
For Obituary Indexes, transcriptions, and other death/obituary information from historic newspapers, please check out the Obituaries page.
Other Free Sites:
Brooks
Calgary
Edmonton
Vulcan
Wainwright
Subscription or Pay Sites:
Ancestry.com:
There are currently 4 publications available on this site. See all the titles at Ancestry – Alberta Newspapers
Newspaper Archive:
There are currently 14 publications available on this site. See all the titles at Newspaper Archive – Alberta
Newspapers.com:
There are currently 126 publications on this site. See all the titles at Newspapers dot com – Alberta
Paper of Record:
There are currently 3 publications available on this site. See the titles at Paper of Record – Alberta
And Finally:
Please note – even more may be available via a local or provincial library where a library card is required. 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.
For all Free Alberta Links, click on the category of interest:
Newspapers
Obituaries
BMD Records
Photos
Yearbooks
Directories
5 replies on “Alberta Online Historical Newspapers Summary”
This site has a name index of the Grande Prairie newspapers as well they have indeed some issues of the Clairmont Independant and the Spirit River newspaper and put them on Flickr.
There is also a obituary index to the Grande Prairie newspaper done by the genealogy society – http://www.abgenealogy.ca/search-obituary-index
Lethbridge Herald and the Lethbridge Daily Herald are not free. They are at the paid site newspaperarchive.com
If you are a resident of City of Lethbridge or in the Chinook Library Service area you can access these papers free with your paid public library card.
The genealogy society in Camrose, Alberta has compiled the Births, Marriages and Deaths from the Camrose Canadian from inception. The list is available for purchase or they will do look ups. They can be contacted at camrosegeneo@gmail.com
Guten Tag, mein Englisch ist miserabel darum in Deutsch.
Ich suche den Sterbeeintrag meines Vorfahren Reinhold Taschendorf. Er soll 1921 von einem Wasserturm, während der Arbeit,abgestürzt sein. Ca. 1911 ist Mein Vorfahr von North Dakota (USA) nach Medicine Hat (Kanada) eingereist Vielleicht habe ich auf diesem Wege Glück und es kann mir jemand helfen.
Freundliche Grüße aus Deutschland Almut Taschendorf
Hi.. I am searching for a past school friend from 1975. She moved to Cochrane, Alberta sometime after 1976. My last correspondence with her was dated January 1978. She became a mascot for the local hockey team and which may be mentioned in the local paper. I also have other info – a rodeo star rider got killed – from the letter that probably was a big newspaper article. Thank you .