City & Rural Directories would list names of those living in a city or rural area. They were usually compiled yearly and organized by address instead of names. Most directories were compiled after 1867 but some early directories do exist.

These directories would have the name of the head of household (some might include the names of all adults within the home), their address, and sometimes their occupation. They also included business advertisements, business directories, post office rates, a gazetteer, and other interesting local information.

Business & Trade Directories were similar to city & rural directories but only included business owners and those involved in certain trades. The directory would have the name of the business owner, their business or trade, and the location. They were usually organized by trade or business, then by surname.

Farmer's Directories were similar to the aforementioned directories but specific to those who owned working farms. They would include the name of the farm owner, their lot and concession, and the nearest post office. They were usually organized alphabetically by surname, or by location then by surname.

Telephone Directories were lists of everyone who had a telephone (a "land line"). While the first (six page!) telephone directory was published in Toronto in 1879, a one page directory was published in Hamilton in 1878. In 2018 Canada's largest cities stopped distributing directories except by request. They were usually organized by city or town, then by surname.