A Historical Directory of Manitoba Newspapers, 1859-1978

Toby Rupert was a librarian living in Toronto.

The bulk of this book is three lists. One is an arrangement of English and French newspapers of rural Manitoba; a second is a listing of the French and English papers of Winnipeg; and the third list comprises the ethnic newspapers of Manitoba. Each entry has a summary description, historical title changes, the frequency and dates of publication, the tracings of mergers and acquisitions, plus the important library locations and their holdings.

Yet there is more here. The book opens with a long chapter on the history of newspapers in Manitoba, a good section that is unfortunately buried here and should be reprinted where it will be more accessible. The extensive bibliography is also very useful for researchers, and the topical indexes are extensive, with an indication of agricultural papers, industrial papers, “fraternal” papers, labour papers, military papers, news magazines, religious papers, and the student and “alternative” press. The only difficulty with the directory lies in its excessive use of abbreviations and symbols. Although these are carefully explained, a user still has to flip back and forth in order to interpret the entries.