Canadian History is one of our flagship categories, reflecting both national significance and our own location at the edge of Banff National Park. Expect coverage of Confederation, the fur trade, railway expansion, the settlement of the West, and the specific history of Alberta and the Rocky Mountain region.

Because Canmore itself grew out of a coal mining town and sits along the route of the original Canadian Pacific Railway survey, this section has particular depth in Bow Valley, Banff, and railway history, much of it sourced from small regional presses and historical societies that never printed large runs.

We also carry broader national history covering Indigenous history, immigration, and the political development of modern Canada, making this a strong starting point whether you are researching a specific region or looking for a general overview.

This shelf includes a number of local histories written by long-time residents and historical societies, the kind of self-published or small-run titles that rarely make it into a chain bookstore but often hold the most detailed account of a specific town or valley.

We are regularly approached by genealogists and family researchers tracing an ancestor who worked the mines, the railway, or the early park service, and this section is usually where that search begins.

Local historical society publications often name individuals that larger national histories never mention, which makes them disproportionately valuable to family research even when they are modest, stapled volumes.

• Confederation and early settlement
• Fur trade and exploration history
• Railway construction and CPR history
• Banff, Canmore, and the Bow Valley
• Alberta and Western Canadian history
• Coal mining and resource town histories
• Indigenous history and national politics
• Local histories and historical society publications

Because Canmore’s own history is so tightly bound up with coal mining, the railway, and the creation of Banff National Park, this section is often the first stop for visiting researchers, genealogists, and writers working on regional history projects.

Staff who have worked here for years can usually point toward the specific local society publication most likely to help, which is frequently a title that does not appear in any standard bibliography.

Local and community histories were typically printed in runs of a few hundred copies for the town they describe, and were never reprinted. When one sells, it may be years before another reaches us.

If you are researching a particular town, valley, or family name, tell us and we will keep an eye out as collections arrive rather than relying on the catalogue alone.