Land Records - Alberta
With the acquisition of Rupert’s Land in 1869, western lands came under federal control. In 1930, responsibility for Crown Lands was transferred to the provincial governments of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta. The federal government retained a copy of the original patents issued for these lands which are indexed in the Western Land Grants database at Library & Archives Canada. The actual homestead applications and files relating to the grants were transferred to the provincial archives.
Land titles: Local government records are often incomplete, and the only source of information may be the Land Titles Office. Search here for information about historical land titles. In some circumstances, it may be required that a registry agent needs to be involved in the search.
Homestead Records: Search the Alberta Homestead Index (1870-1930) by name or by land location:
Or visit our Family History department and access Ancestry Library Edition, specifically the data collection “Alberta, Canada, Homestead Records 1870-1930”. These records include indexes and digital images.
University of Calgary Glenbow Library and Archives: Archives CPR Land Sales Catalogue:
- Select Access Dataset and download the Excel file; searchable by name and location.
- Database of records of agricultural land sales by Canadian Pacific Railway to settlers in Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan from 1881-1927.
Library & Archives Canada Western Land Grants Database: 1870-1930:
- Search Letters Patent records by name or location.
- These records contain only the name of the grantee, description of the land and the date granted.
Obee, Dave. Back to the Land: A Genealogical guide to finding farms on the Canadian Prairies. (Victoria: D. Obee, 2001). Library Call number 929.3712 OBE 2001
[Note that local history books will often have individualized information on land occupation within the locality. See Local Histories section of this guide.]