University of Guelph Library
Definition of Sessional Papers
In Canada Sessional papers for both federal and provincial governments are defined as:
Historical
Included:
- Papers issued by the Canadian Parliament
- All the papers tabled in Parliament (except Committee Reports)
- Annual Reports of Government Departments and Boards, Estimates, Public Accounts, Returns, Report of Royal Commissions, and some Committee Reports
- Papers ordered as "printed" or designated as "not printed"
Current
Includes:
- Papers issued by the originating government body, department or agency
Excludes:
- Parliamentary / legislative publications
Pre-Confederation — Canada
- Journals and Appendices of the Legislative Assembly of Canada 1841-1866 (on 41 reels of microfilm.) CACP X2 J54
- Appendices to the Journals of the Legislative Assembly (the returns or reports to the Legislative Assembly, from 1841 to 1859.) CACP YS S26
- Sessional Papers of the Province of Canada 1860-1866 (on microfilm) CACP YS S26
Indexes
- General Index to the Journals of the Legislative Assembly of Canada, 1841-1851. CACP X2 V5G23
- General Index to the Journals of the Legislative Assembly of Canada, 1852-1866. H2448 (non-circulating)
- An Index to Journal Appendices and Sessional Papers, 1841-1866. compiled by Patricia A. Damphouse. (see Reference Desk)
- References are made to the year of publication and the number, or letter of the report (for example, 50 J indicates the year, 1850; appendix J)
- N.P. indicates "not printed"
Post Confederation
Canada
- Sessional Paper Volumes Series (printed papers) 1867-1925. CA1 YS S26
- Published as a set until 1925
- Use Early Canadiana Online for 1867-1900 volumes online (restricted access UG only)
- Volume consists of several parts (books)
- Each part contains a complete subject index and a numerically arranged list of Sessional Papers for entire volume
- In each part Sessional Papers are arranged numerically
- The List of Sessional Papers gives a brief description of the contents of each paper, and indicated which papers were "printed" and which were not
- Unpublished sessional papers 1916-1986. CA1 YS S25
- Includes sessional papers which were tabled in Parliament but not ordered to be printed
- Published as a set until 1986
- Includes unpublished reports of the Committee, Commissions, and Boards of Inquiry, answers to questions put to Cabinet Ministers, and many other records of daily government business
- Designated in the index as "not printed"
- Unprinted Sessional papers for the period 1867-1915 destroyed in a fire
Indexes
- Journals of the House of Commons of Canada — Sessional Papers of Parliament. (5 volume set.) CA1X2 J54
Ontario
- Sessional papers of the Province of Ontario 1868/69-1948. CA2ON X3 S27
- Published as a set until 1948
- After 1948 no longer published as a set
- Annual list of papers is printed in each bound volume
- Online version in process. Volumes will be added throughout Fall 2009
British Columbia
- Sessional papers of the Province of British Columbia 1872-1903. CA2BC X3 S26
- 1st microfilm of the set has an index covering the period 1876-1903
- Between 1872-1987 Sessional Papers were bound with the Journals of the Legislative Assembly (CA2BC X2 J53)
Quebec
- Sessional papers of the National Assembly of Quebec 1869-1978/79. CA2PQ NA D57
- Includes annual reports of departments and other branches of the provincial government, reports of commissions, etc.
- Set of microfilm
