Access to Canadian newspaper archives may be improving on Newspapers.com, which Ancestry created in 2012.
In a November 9 post on the website’s blog, Fishwrap, was news about more Canadian newspapers being added. “This month we’re excited to announce that our Canadian newspaper archives are expanding! We’ve added several papers from publisher Postmedia Network and will be adding more pages and titles through 2019! We have papers from Ontario, Québec, British Columbia, Alberta, and Manitoba.”
A few days ago, Ottawa-based blogger, John D. Reid, wrote on his blog, Canada’s Anglo-Celtic Connections, about the Canadian newspapers that are already available on the Newspapers.com.
48 Canadian newspapers are currently available on Newspapers.com.
During the free-access period a couple of weeks ago I focused on the Montreal Gazette on Newspapers.com. I liked how well the search function worked. I discovered where my grandfather went to school and marriage announcements. When I entered the address of my great-grandfather’s grocery store, I learned the store’s truck was involved in an accident.
I also liked how easy it is to select a newspaper by location and clip and save articles. Other useful features are explained in the Help Center.
What I don’t like about Newspapers.com is the price because the Canadian newspapers database is rather limited, and it’s in US dollars, meaning I need to increase the price by almost 40 percent. Although a six-month subscription package is available, the price per month interests me more. For $9.95US per month, subscribers receive access to the early years. Access to all the years is $19.95US per month. In the case of the Montreal Gazette, the full extra package provides access to the Gazette from 1857 to 2008.
Black Friday sale
Until November 25, you can save $20US on a six-month extra subscription. The regular price is $74.90US. John Reid also saw a $20 saving on the basic six-month subscription, making it only $24.97US, which is enticing.
News about adding more Postmedia Network pages and titles is certainly good, but it doesn’t mean we’ll be seeing the Globe and Mail, Toronto Star, or Montreal Star on Newspapers.com anytime soon. Or will we?
Still, in the new year, I will probably pull out the credit card and subscribe for an intensive month of newspaper research.
Research in 2019
With Newspapers.com’s recent announcement, Canadian Research Knowledge Network’s announcement last week about free access to Canadiana starting January 1, and the online release of the 1926 Census of the Prairie Provinces in March, next year looks like it’s going to be very good for Canadian genealogists.
I was happy to read your article and preferences with Newspapers.com I always struggle with this subscription because of the cost and low availability of Canadian newspapers. I may have to do as you suggest and do a one month blitz, although it is not usually how I do my research so I will have to retrain myself and get some self discipline.
I like your use of the word, blitz.