Ancestors in Canada's parliamentary proceedings?

Your ancestor likely wasn't an MP or senator but you may still find a mention of interest in parliamentary proceedings if their company did business with the government, they obtained a divorce that required legislation, or for many other reasons.

The Library of Parliament, in collaboration with Canadiana.org, now offers free online access to the historical Journals of the Parliament of Canada through the Canadian Parliamentary Historical Resources portal.

The Journals of the Senate and of the House of Commons of Canada are available in both official languages alongside the Debates. They cover the period from Parliament 1, Session 1 until coverage on parl.gc.ca begins, filling a gap in the digital availability of Canada’s parliamentary history. The content of the portal can be searched by chamber, parliament, session, volume and keyword. The integrated search feature also allows for searches in both titles simultaneously or separately, as well as other options to restrict or expand the search.

Journals for the Senate of Canada are available from the parliamentary website as of February 27, 1996. Journals for the House of Commons are available from the parliamentary website as of January 17, 1994. To access those publications is at parl.gc.ca under Parliamentary Business.