Handout – Hansard

 

Parliamentary records contain some fascinating material on the famous and infamous as well as major events in history.  Plumb these records by jurisdiction, now many records available online.

 

Canada

Website:       https://www.lipad.ca

Select “Search”

Select year (back to 1900)

Advanced search options:

Politician

Party

Keywords

 

Great Britain

Website:       https://hansard.parliament.uk

House of Lords

House of Commons

Search by Member

Back to 1802

Browse by sittings, debates, members, votes.

 

United States of America

 

Annals of Congress - 1789 to 1824

Senate – Journal from 1789 to 1875

Government Publishing Office

A host of official websites

• Debates of Congress from 1789 through 1873. The full text of these earlier publications are available on the Library of Congress’ Century of Lawmaking website. 
• The Annals of Congress - 1st Congress to the 18th Congress (1789-1824). 
• The Register of Debates - 2nd Session of the 18th Congress to the first session of the 25th Congress (1824-1837). 
• The Congressional Globe  - the 23rd Congress to the 42nd Congress (1833-1873). 
• In addition, the website provides the full text of the first Congressional Record that covered 1873-1875; however, web access to the full text of the Congressional Record does not pick up again until 1989.
• The full text of the contemporary Congressional Record is available on Congress.gov and on the govinfo website. 

 

Canadian Provinces:

 

Ontario

Website:       https://www.ola.org

Navigate to “Archive”

Select “Read Hansard Transcripts”

Back to 1975

Advanced search available

 

Quebec

Website:       https://assnat.qc.ca/fr/index.html

Navigate to “Publications”

Select “Assembly Proceedings”

Select date.

Back to 1908

 

Manitoba

Website:        https://gov.mb.ca

Navigate to Government

Select “Legislative Assembly”

Select “Hansard”

Select date

Select “Current House Index”

Access via alphabet 

 

Saskatchewan

Website:       https://www.legassembly.sk.ca

Daily

Since 1947

Others – late 1990s

Search by date only

 

Alberta

Website:       https://www.assembly.ab.ca

(not www.Alberta.ca)

Select ”Hansard Transcripts”

Select “Access Now”

Select “Document Search”

Provide search keys as available.

 

British Columbia

Website:       https://www.leg.bc.ca

Navigate to “Happening @ the Legislature”

Select “Debates (Hansard)”

Select the parliament.

Starts in 1970

 

Newfoundland & Labrador

Website:       www.assembly.nl.ca

Select “Hansard”

Select “Parliament”

Back to 1949

 

 

Nova Scotia

Website:       https://www.assembly.nl.ca

Select “2. Hansard”

Select Assembly Date

Back to 1995

 

Prince Edward Island

Website:       https://www.assembly.pe.ca

Select “Legislative Business”

Select “House Records”

Select “Debates”

Available from 1996

Prior on request

 

New Brunswick

Website:       https://www.legnb.ca

Select “Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick”

Select “House Business”

Select “Hansard”

Available on request

Back to 1900

 

Canadian Territories:

 

Nunavut

Website:       https://www.assembly.nu.ca

Select “Hansard”

Back to 2020

First session 1999

 

Yukon

Website:        https://yukonassembly.ca

Navigate to “Transcripts”

Select “Hansard”

Select sitting date

Back to 1978

 

Northwest Territories

Website:       https://www.ntassembly.ca

Select “Documents”

Select “Hansard Archive”

Select date

Back to 2009

 

 

Note: many other countries who were once part of the British Commonwealth also have Hansard records. 

 

 

Ron Gilmore

Email:           info@rgenealogy.ca

Website:       rgenealogy.ca

Last Updated:      April 13, 2023