Local History Services

Burlington Public Library has long been aware of the importance of preserving the local history of Burlington and its surrounding areas. The library has accumulated various historical materials documenting the area's history and families in partnership with the Burlington Historical Society (BHS).

The local history collection contains many historical materials about the city of Burlington, including a large selection of books, published local histories, biographical files of pioneer families, files on cemeteries, churches and schools, local newspapers and indexes, directories, postcards, atlases, photographs, scrapbooks, yearbooks and more. The Burlington History Room at Central Branch, 2nd floor, is also home to the BHS archives.

To view materials from the Burlington History Room, inquire about local history or make a donation to the collection, please contact the Local History & Digital Archive Coordinator through our Contact Us form.

Collections & Services

Burlington Digital Archive

Burlington Digital Archive houses the local history digital collections of Burlington Public Library, Burlington Historical Society, and the City of Burlington. Access our growing online database of images, local newspapers, historic local family collections, postcard collections, scrapbooks and more.

We also recommend browsing the Burlington Historical Society Digital Archives.

Research Your Burlington House

There are various resources that can be used to document the history of a building. Researching the history of a property may require some serious digging to piece the story together. But the results are always rewarding!

In Our Collection

• Telephone directories: Burlington phone books list names, addresses, and telephone numbers. We have 1978-2006 phone books and the Bell Canada Telephone Historical Collection covering 1878 to 1979 on microfilm.
• City Directories: Help researchers trace individuals, families, and businesses. They usually include an alphabetical listing of adult residents, with their occupations and addresses. We have Vernon’s Burlington Directories for the years 1959 to 2013.
• Assessment records: Tax assessment records help determine a building’s construction date and identify the original owner and occupants. We have these records on microfilm from 1856 to 1953.
• City Council Minutes: Former Council minutes are available on microfilm. They are useful to trace the development and changes to a specific property or residential area. We have these records on microfilm from 1852 to 2003.
• Maps: BPL's historical maps and plans collection is from a variety of sources, predominantly produced and published by the City of Burlington's Planning Department, illustrating the village, town, and city.
• Atlases: We have physical copies of Illustrated Historical Atlases for Halton and Wentworth County. You can also search Historical Canadian County Atlases online, a digital project hosted by McGill University's Rare Books and Special Collections Division with indexed county atlas information.
• Fire Insurance Plans: Available on microfilm, we have the Fire Insurance Plan of Burlington for the years 1900, 1900 revised 1911, 1910, 1924, 1924 revised 1932, and 1971. View a digital copy of the Index to Fire Insurance Plan of Burlington 1932 (McMaster University Library)
• Land Registry Records: Detail the chain of ownership of a property by means of plan and lot number. These records can be found at the Halton Land Registry Office in Milton. Land registration services for the general public are only available online. Visit ONLAND for more information.

Research Links

• City of Burlington, Property Information Request
• City of Burlington, Building Records Statistics and Reports
• Heritage Burlington

Genealogy

Recommended Resources

Ancestry Library edition: Available for free at all Burlington Public Library branches. Bring your own device or use one of our computers to explore this database. A key resource for genealogical research, Ancestry Library Edition has census information, vital records, immigration and military records, photographs, maps, and gazetteers. Coverage with this resource includes Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom. Ancestry Library Edition is only accessible from library branches.

Library and Archives Canada: Explore many research tools such as census indexes, and genealogical databases, including military, land, immigration records, atlases, reference books and various finding aids. Please note that civil registrations such as births, marriages and deaths are available through the Archives of Ontario and other provincial archives.

FamilySearch.org: Family Search is a genealogical organization and is the largest genealogical organization in the world. Family search maintains a collection of records, resources, and services designed to help people learn more about their history. Sign up for a free account with limited access from home. For an enhanced research experience, BPL is a FamilySearch.org Affiliate Library, providing access to restricted digitized microfilm at all our branches.

Archives of Ontario: Archives of Ontario has information on the province’s vital statistics (births, marriages and deaths). The website contains a catalogue of microfilm listings that can be borrowed through Burlington Public Library. The Archives of Ontario also has various research tools, databases and catalogues, which can be accessed on the website.

Related Links

• Frontier Life online resource
• Democracy at War, Canadian War Museum
• Ontario Ancestors (formerly Ontario Genealogical Society - OGS)

Microfilm and Microfiche

Burlington Public Library has two digital microfilm readers. Library users can access the library’s collection of newspapers captured in microform by using digital readers and saving material as image files to a USB flash drive. Burlington newspapers are available in microform at Central, 2nd floor. They include:

• The Burlington Gazette 1899-1986
• The Burlington Journal 1993-1996
• The Burlington Post 1968 -