LibGuides: Researching Canadian Legislation & Parliamentary Materials: Historical Statutes and Legislative Materials

Federal and Provincial

Canadian Parliamentary Historical Resources

A free service of the Library of Parliament, in collaboration with the Canadian Research Knowledge Network. Provides access to a searchable database of digitized versions of the debates, journals, bills, and committee documentation of the Senate and the House of Commons. Includes all debates, journals, bills, and committee documentation of the Senate and the House of Commons from the 1st Session of the 1st Parliament (1867) until coverage at www.parl.ca begins. (Debates and Journals for the Senate of Canada are available from the parliamentary website as of February 27, 1996. Debates and Journals for the House of Commons are available from the parliamentary website as of January 17, 1994. Dates for committee documentation for both the Senate and House of Commons vary. To access the publications for these dates and later, please visit www.parl.ca. Historical sessional papers are also available from 1867 to 1901, while the Internet Archive includes sessional papers from 1901-1925.

On The Web: Where to Find Canadian Legislation

This guide from the Great Library of the Law Sociery of Ontario provides links to Canadian federal, Ontario and other provincial and territorial legislative material, including some historical material.

Provides access to through the Internet Archive to digitized versions of select historical Federal and provincial government publications such departmental annual reports, public accounts etc. Also includes the Canadian Municipal Collection.

In addition, historical legislation and parliamentary materials can be found on the databases listed below. Access to LLMC Digital and HeinOnline is limited to Osgoode Hall Law School and York University faculty and students. If you are requested to sign on to HeinOnline enter your institution’s name as Osgoode Hall Law School of York University. Do not attempt to log in with a User Name and Password.

If the resource you're looking for doesn't appear below check the HathiTrust Digital Library.

Legal Reports - Publications of the Law Library of Congress
Includes historical legal reports that have been previously unavailable to the public. The reports contain comparative analysis of foreign and international law from the period of the 1940s to the present, including Canadian legislative materials.

Canada/Federal

For more information about the different types of publications see Canadian Parliamentary Publications.

Provincial Statutes of Canada (Early Canadiana Online)

1841 - 1851

Statutes of the Province of Canada (Early Canadiana Online)

1852 - 1866

Revised Statutes

1985 (Hein Online)
1970 (Hein Online)
1952 (Hein Online)
1927 (Hein Online)
1906 (Hein Online)
1886 (Hein Online)

Annual Statute/Session Laws

2001 - present (CanLII)
1792 - 2021 (HeinOnline)

Statutory Orders and Regulations

1978 Consolidated Regulations (LLMC Digital)
1955 Consolidated Statutory Orders and Regulations (LLMC Digital)
Statutory Statutory Orders and Regulations (1998-2012) (Canada Gazette)

Bills

LEGISinfo. Access the details and step-by-step information on the passage of bills before the Senate and the House of Commons. Coverage extends back to January 1994.
Canadian Legislative Pulse. All bills before the Parliament from January 2002 onwards. Private member bills are listed after second reading. Access is limited to Osgoode Hall Law School faculty and students.
Canadian Parliamentary Historical Resources. Digitized bills from the Senate and the House of Commons from the 1st Parliament (1867) to the 35th Parliament (1996).

Debates

Debates (Hansard) of the Senate. An archive of the Hansard from the Senate. Includes links to Journals of the Senate, which is the official record of the decisions and other transactions of the Senate (from 1996 to present) and to the Order Paper and Notice Paper, which contains the listing of all items that may be brought forward on a particular sitting day. Coverage from February 1996 to the present.
Debates (Hansard) of the House of Commons. An archive of the Hansard text from the House of Commons. Includes links to Journals of the House of Commons, which is the official record of the decisions and other transactions of the House of Commons and to the Order Paper and Notice Paper, which contains the listing of all items that may be brought forward on a particular sitting day and notices for upcoming items. Coverage from January 1994 to the present.
Historical Debates of the Parliament of Canada. A digitization collaboration between the Library of Parliament and Canadiana.org. Debates from Parliament 1, Session 1, 1867-
Lipad. Access to Canadian Hansard from 1901 to the present.

Orders-in-Council (Library and Archives Canada)

Search Orders-in-Council from 1867 to 1924.

Other historical federal statutes and legislative material available in LLMC Digital

1792-1841, Province of Lower-Canada, Provincial Statutes of Lower-Canada (French & English)

1795-1841, Province of Upper Canada, Session Laws.

1841-66, Province of Canada, Leg. Assembly Jrnls., V.1-26 + index

1841-66, Province of Canada, Leg. Council Jrnls., Eng., V.1-26 + index

1841-66, Province of Canada, Leg. Council Jrnls., Fr., V.1-26 + index

1841-66, Province of Canada, Session Laws (Eng.)

1841-66, Province of Canada, Sessional Papers

1841-66, Province of Canada, Statuts provinciaux (Session Laws-Fr. Ver.)

1859, Province of Canada, Consolidated Statutes, Eng.

1860, Province of Canada Laws, Index, 1871, Eng.

1865, Province of Canada, Leg. Debates on Confederation, Eng., 1v

1867-, Dominion of Canada, Debates in Parl., 1871-72 only, 3v, Eng.

1867-, Dominion of Canada, Hse. of Commons Debates, Eng. 1875-

1867-, Dominion of Canada, Hse. of Commons Journals, Eng.

1867-, Dominion of Canada, Hse. of Commons Votes & Proc., Eng.

1867-, Dominion of Canada, Senate Debates, Eng.

1867-, Dominion of Canada, Senate Journals, Eng.

1867-, Dominion of Canada, Session Laws (Eng. to1968,Eng./Fr. 1969-)

1867-, Dominion of Canada, Sessional Papers

1867-1968,Dominion of Canada Session laws (Fr.)

1874, Dominion of Canada, Compiled Laws

1886, Dominion of Canada, Compiled Laws

1887, Provincial Acts in Force after Union

1889, Dominion of Canada, Compiled Laws

1889, Index to Dominion of Canada, Canada Statutes

1906, Dominion of Canada, Compiled Laws

1927, Dominion of Canada, Compiled Laws

1929, Tremeear's Statute Citations

1949, Dominion of Canada, Compiled Laws

1952, Dominion of Canada Compiled Laws

1955, Statutory Orders and Regulations

1970, Revised Statutes of Canada

1976, Permanent and Provisional Standing orders of the House of Commons, January 1976

1978, Consolidated Regulations/Codification des règlements, 19v.

1985, Revised Statutes of Canada

Journals of the House of Commons of Canada

1905 - 1993 (Scholars Portal Books: Internet Archive Government Documents collection)

Ontario

Revised Statutes (Internet Archive)

Revised Statutes (Osgoode Digital Commons)

1914 - 1990

Revised Statutes (HeinOnline)

1877-1990

Sessional Statutes (Hein Online)

1867-2009

Revised Regulations of Ontario (Internet Archive)

1990 Volume 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Supp 1 Supp 2 Supp 3
1980 Volume 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
1970 Volume 1 2
1960 Volume 1 2 3
1950 Volume 1 2 3

Ontario Bills

Bills and Lawmaking. The Legislative Assembly of Ontario website provides access to Bills from the current sitting as well as previous sessions going back to 1995. Information on the progress and status of bills, links to the Hansard debates and lists of acts affected are also included.

1867 - 1997 (Internet Archive)

Selected historical (pre-1981) debates of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario (Internet Archive)

Other Ontario historical statutes and legislative material (LLMC Digital)

1792-<1808>, Statutes of Upper Canada

1818, Acts of Parliament applying to Upper-Canada

1853, Common School Acts of Upper Canada, 2nd ed.

1856, Index to Statutes in Force in Upper Canada

1856, Table of Provincial Statutes in Force

1859, Customs, Excise & Comm. Laws

1859, Upper Canada Revised Laws

1867/68-, Journals of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario

1867/68-, Legislative Assembly of Ontario, General Index

1867/68-, Session Laws, Province of Ontario

1868/69, Leg. Assembly Sessional Papers

1877, Ontario Revised Laws

1887, Ontario Revised Laws

1890, Crown Lands Acts, etc.; Comp. by Murphy

1897, Ontario Revised Laws

1927, Ontario Revised Laws

1980, Ontario Revised Statutes, 11v.

1990, Revised Statutes

Alberta

Please note: For HeinOnline resources, for Off-Campus/Remote Access, enter your institution’s name as Osgoode Hall Law School of York University. Do not attempt to log in with a User Name and Password.

Revised Statutes (HeinOnline)

Sessional Statutes (HeinOnline)

1906-2016

Annual Statutes of Alberta (CanLII)

1906 - present

Other Alberta historical statutes and legislative material:

The Alberta Law Collection, a project of the Alberta Heritage Digitization Project provides access to digitized versions of legislative materials from 1905 - 1993. The materials are arranged by decade.

British Columbia

Revised Statutes (HeinOnline)

Sessional Statutes (HeinOnline)

1872-2002

Sessional Statutes (LLMC Digital)

1858-1995

Other British Columbia historical statutes and legislative material

HeinOnline

LLMC Digital

1858-- , Acts of British Columbia (Session Laws)
1871 Consolidated Statutes, Appendix
1888 Consolidated Statutes
Vancouver Island Acts, 1853-1865
Vancouver Island, reprint of laws, 1859-65
Journals of the Legislative Assembly,1872-1950
Votes & Proceedings of the Legislative Assembly, 1872- (Currently contains the years: 1955-56. 1959-62 & 1964)
Legislative Assembly Sessional Papers, 1876-1950

BC LAWS Historical Collection:

Historical Annual Statutes. Includes Public Statutes starting in 1858 and Private Special and Local Statutes starting in 1885
Table of Repealed, Replaced, Renamed Public Statutes

Manitoba

Revised Statutes (HeinOnline)

Sessional Statutes (HeinOnline)

1871-1965

Annual Statutes of Manitoba (CanLII)

1988 - present

Other Manitoba historical statutes and legislative material (LLMC Digital)

1869, Assiniboia, Compiled Laws, 1862-69

1871-, Manitoba Sessional Papers

1871-1992, Manitoba Session Laws

1871-89, Journals of the Legislative Assembly, Fr.

1871-date, Journals of the Legislative Assembly, Eng.

1880 Compiled Laws

1891, Revised statutes of Manitoba

1902 Compiled Laws

1913 Compiled Laws

1940, Revised Statutes

1954, Revised Statutes of Manitoba (4 vols)

1970 Compiled Laws

1987, Re-Enacted Statutes of Manitoba

1988, Re-Enacted Statutes of Manitoba

1988-89, Re-Enacted Statutes of Manitoba, Municipal

1990, Re-Enacted Statutes of Manitoba, 2v.

New Brunswisk

Revised Statutes (HeinOnline)

Sessional Statutes (HeinOnline)

1786-2002

Annual Statutes of New Brunswick (CanLII)

1973 - present

Other New Brunswick historical statutes and legislative material (LLMC)

1786-, Journals of the Legislative Assembly

1827 Compiled Laws

1835/36 Compiled Laws

1890, Index to Statutes 1887-1890

1903, Compiled Laws

Newfoundland and Labrador

Revised Statutes (HeinOnline)

Sessional Statutes (HeinOnline)

1845-1965

Other Newfoundland historical statutes and legislative material (LLMC Digital)

1948, Nfld. Union with Canada Agmt.

1833-, Legislative Council Proceedings

1833-, Session Laws

1847, Digest of the Laws of Newfoundland, Archibald

1872 Compiled Laws

1903-11, Crown Lands' Acts

1916 Compiled Laws
1943, Nfld. Defense Act & Regs. thereunder

Northwest Territories

"In 1870, when Rupert's Land and the North-Western Territory became the property of Canada and were renamed the Northwest Territories, they were governed directly by Ottawa. The Act for the temporary government of Rupert's Land and the North-Western Territory when united with Canada created an interim government led by a lieutenant-governor... and a council appointed by Ottawa. With the Northwest Territories Act, 1875 (An Act to amend and consolidate the Laws respecting the North-West Territories), Ottawa appointed a lieutenant-governor... and a council."

For more information see the Northwest Territories section in Library & Archives Canada archived materials on Canadian Confederation.

From HeinOnline: