Collection

This collection concerns the history of Canada from mid 19th to late 20th century. It consists of directories containing information on cities, towns and villages in Canada, their inhabitants and occupations. Most of the directories, however, are for Montreal and Quebec City. In general, these directories also include information on nearby towns and villages.

The directories contain lists of residents, either arranged in alphabetical order or listed by street. They also generally include sections devoted to the businesses, institutions and services found in the two cities. There is generally a section providing the addresses (or telephone numbers, for the more recent directories) of post offices, law courts, charity organizations, churches, banks, transportation companies, newspapers, various services (insurance, gas, etc.), hospitals and health care professionals, clubs, etc. These organizations and businesses are usually grouped together and indexed at the start or end of the directories. Some of the directories also have lists (or "guides") to the city's streets.

The directories contain a good deal of advertising, quite a bit of it illustrated, and some include maps of Montreal or Quebec City.