North Vancouver Express office, 1906. Photo: NVMA 357

For most of us, news is ephemeral. What I mean is, the ‘paper’ is a source of the latest events. After that, it is an excellent fire starter or possibly insulation for homes. Luckily, not all newspapers meet the same fate and many are now increasingly accessible for an expansive range of research.

Headlines, articles, photographs and advertisements reflect the zeitgeist (spirit of the times) that our predecessors experienced. They reveal:

• The events that were considered newsworthy
• The people who were at the centre of these events
• Businesses that existed
• Societal perceptions, beliefs, values and norms
• Lingo acceptable then, that is not appropriate today
• And, simple observations, like what happened January 1, 1922 when all the traffic in BC switched from driving on the left to driving on the right. (You’ll have to do your own research!)

Historical news is quickly finding its way online, but not everything is in one place. MONOVA has acquired a number of issues in print, and only one complete set exists on microfilm, i.e. The Express (1905-1912) which became the North Shore Press (1913-1958). Libraries however, are far more likely to have various newspapers in print, on microfilm and online. But, which ones? The MONOVA Research Guide will point you in the right direction.

During the pandemic, the Archives of North Vancouver has produced Research Guides to support remote access and provide an effective and efficient response to the most frequent requests. Click the button below to find our latest guide with a comprehensive list of local historical newspapers and where to find them. Start exploring!