Niagara Peninsula Branch of the OGS Has An Important Announcement

Steve Fulton, the chairperson of the Niagara Peninsula Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society sent us this notice this morning -


MEDIA RELEASE
Jan 31 2013

The Niagara Peninsula Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society and CanadianHeadstones.com have created an affiliation for the old counties of Lincoln/Welland.

Due to the overwhelming demand for genealogical information online, these two groups will work together to ensure the cemeteries of Old Lincoln and Welland Counties will be accessible via the internet.

The Niagara Peninsula Branch has decided to become a leader in this opportunity with CanadianHeadStones.com to better serve the genealogical community.

CanadianHeadstones.com has a great site with multiple search functions to allow those to search with a broader range of parameters. Niagara Peninsula Branch has approximately 10, 000 photos from the region in stock we wish to place on CanadianHeadstones.com and hope to continue doing so in the future.

The Niagara Peninsula Branch will continue to provide research assistance to the genealogy community – See our website for further details at www.ogs.on.ca/niagara

We encourage those who wish to assist with this great project to contact the Branch at: niagara@ogs.on.ca

Reminder: Simcoe 30th Anniversary Open House

Simcoe County Branch OGS reminds us that they will be celebrating the 30th Anniversary of the society on February the 2nd from 11 am to 4 pm.

The morning program will feature the following speakers from 11:15 am to 12:15 pm

• Room A Kenneth Reese An Introduction to Genealogy

• Room B Nancy Leveque Researching Your Ancestors in Simcoe County

• Room C John Wright Beyond the Inscriptions - A Look at Cemeteries

• FHC Bonnie Henderson Brick Walls

The afternoon program will be a repeat of the morning program, and it will be from 1:45 pm until 2:45 pm. So if you can't get there in the morning, you can always go in the afternoon.

So you can learn how to start your family tree, break down the “Brick Walls”, and there will be resources there for you to search while you are there. It sounds like a good time!

Simcoe County Branch, Ontario Genealogical Society is located 79 Ferris Lane, Barrie, at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

For more information, you can contact them at www.simcoebogs.com

Family Heritage Day

There will be an open house at the Brant Branch OGS, 118 Powerline Rd in Brantford on February the 18th from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.

All our facilities will be available for examination and research.

No admission charge.

There is adequate parking.

For details and directions please call 519-753-4140 or e-mail brantogs@bellnet.ca

To go to the website, click on to www.ogs.on.ca/brant

Turner Valley Oilfields Death Index

The Alberta Family History Society announces that their Our Projects Committee has been at it again!

This time, they have created a NEW searchable database of over 2,500 records, called the Turner Valley Oilfields Death Index, 1998..

You just put in the surname in the search box, and if your ancestor is there, it will return the surname, given name, date of death, date of burial, the place where the person died, the cemetery where he/she is buried, and the source for the information eg obituary, newspaper article

A big “Thank You” goes out to Florence Denning, and the Our Project Committee for the amount of work in this project, and bringing it to its completion.

To go to the database, click on http://afhs.ab.ca/data/announcements/turner/search.php

Library and Archives Canada Update: Census of the Prairie Provinces, 1916 Database

The Library and Archives Canada has just released this piece of news –

“In 1916, the Canadian government enumerated, for the second time, the Prairie Provinces (Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta) in order to track the high rates of population growth in western Canada.

Previously, users could search only by geographical information such as province, district and sub-district. It is now possible to also search by nominal information such as name, given name(s) and age for an individual.

Previously, users could search only by geographical information such as province, district and sub-district. It is now possible to also search by nominal information such as name, given name(s) and age for an individual”.

Go to www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/census/1916/Pages/1916.aspx

Panel Discussion and Roundtable About the New Canadian Museum of History Will Be Held in Gatineau, Quebec

The Museum of Civilization has issued a press release about a meeting to be held at the museum in Gatineau, Quebec Thursday evening January the 31st. I will be listening in on the webcasts to see what is being said -

“After visiting nine cities, the Canadian Museum of Civilization will hold the last panel discussion and roundtable of its cross-country tour back on home soil at the Museum on Thursday, January 31 to invite the public to participate in the creation of the new Canadian Museum of History.

The new exhibition gallery, which will be inaugurated in 2017, will present the national history of Canada and its people. Representatives from the Museum are travelling the country asking Canadians what they would like to see in this new exhibition.

And now, people in the Ottawa/Gatineau area will be able to give their opinions on the themes, personalities, events and milestones that tell the Canadian story, and choose the objects that they would include in the new Canadian Museum of History.

The public is invited to attend panel and roundtable discussions on Thursday, January 31, from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Grand Hall of the Canadian Museum of Civilization, at 100 Laurier Street in Gatineau, Quebec.

The evening will kick off with a dynamic panel discussion—My History Museum: A to Zed —where special guests will be asked what they would put in a Canadian history museum of their making. It will be followed by a roundtable discussion where the public will be asked how they would like to engage with their national history museum. How can the Museum meet their needs and interests, and what would they like to see included in it?

For those who cannot attend the evening event in person, a virtual roundtable discussion will take place simultaneously. The panel discussions will also be webcast live. To participate in the virtual roundtable and watch the panel discussions, the public will be able to log on during the event through the Museum's website at www.civilization.ca.

Visit the "My History Museum" website to confirm your attendance at the panel and roundtable discussions. If you cannot attend the session in person or virtually, you can also share your ideas with us on the website by participating in a range of activities and by completing the online survey”.

© Elizabeth Lapointe All Rights Reserved

A New Genealogical Society is Born

The Western Genealogical and Historical Association of Newfoundland and Labrador held its first meeting this Saturday at the Grenfell Campus of Memorial University in Corner Brook.

They elected their executive, launched their website (which is very good, and I believe will get better once they put more material on, such as the history of St. Barbe, Ship Registers etc), and it looks like they are off to a fantastic start.

For the news report on the society, go to the website of The Western Star at http://www.thewesternstar.com/News/Local/2013-01-25/article-3163603/First-meeting-of-genealogy-group-set-for-Saturday/1

And to go to their brand new website, it is at www.boigenealogy.com

© Elizabeth Lapointe All Rights Reserved

New/Updated Websites, Blogs, and Newspaper Articles - 28 January 2013

I have come across the following websites, blogs, and newspaper articles this past week that were of interest to me, and I thought you might be interested in them, too –

Canadian Expeditionary Force Study Group http://cefresearch.ca Dedicated to the Study of the Canadian Expeditionary Force of The Great War of 1914 – 1919. If you are looking for an ancestor who fought in the First Would War, this may be the place you have been searching for to place your query.

Grimsby’s pioneer history attracts a wide audience www.niagarathisweek.com/opinion/columns/article/1569117--grimsby-s-pioneer-history-attracts-a-wide-audience Grimsby’s Annals of the Forty, a 10-volume book set written in the 1950s by Ruby Janet Powell, a local descendant of the Pettit family, is being updated by the Grimsby Historical Society.

Five free things to do in Salt Lake City: Take a break from the ski hills and discover museums, Mormon temple www.calgaryherald.com/travel/Five+free+things+Salt+Lake+City/7802881/story.html  A fun piece to read before you go to Salt Lake City.

Tasha Kheiriddin: The problems with the Daniels decision http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2013/01/10/tasha-kheiriddin-the-problems-with-the-daniels-decision The National Post newspaper reports that even though the judgment may be appealed to the Supreme Court, it is likely to have an immediate effects on genealogy websites, as Canadians track down potential native ancestors.

York group helps you learn about your past www.yorkregion.com/news/article/1570197--york-group-helps-you-learn-about-your-past The York Region newspaper repots that Ken Ackles has just been elected as president of the York Region Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society.

To go to the York Region Branch of the OGS, go to www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~onyrbogs

© Elizabeth Lapointe All Rights Reserved

They Have Sold Canada Post Building in Vancouver

The CBC reports that Canada Post has sold its building in Vancouver to a developer, and there one person who is not pleased with this news, and it  is Donald Luxton, president of the local heritage group.

He is afraid the building will be lost forever because it is not officially designated as a heritage building.

Next year, Canada Post will start moving into a new facility being built at Vancouver International Airport

Read about the concern the Luxton has about the building in the CBC story at www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2013/01/26/bc-heritage-concerns-canada-post.html

© Elizabeth Lapointe All Rights Reserved

Westmount Historical Association

The Westmount Historical Association of Montreal has set a plaque in the GLEN to explain the centuries of use by humans.

In the 1800s, Scottish immigrants who built large homes on the sunny slopes of Westmount walked beside the streams to reach the church and the railway station in St. Henri. In the early 1700s, the French farming families who were deeded land along Côte St. Antoine Road transported their farm produce to market in Ville-Marie through the GLEN.

Before that, the Native People of the area walked to the petite St. Pierre River.

You are urged to bring your children and your visitors to Montreal to view this important transportation link running between Westmount and St. Henri as it takes you under the magnificent CPR Railway Arch.

To read more about the Westmount Historical Association, go to www.westmounthistorical.org

They have extensive archives located at the Westmount Public Library, and they have 1800 photographs, along with smaller collections of ephemera, pamphlets and personal papers. They also have extensive subject files relating to the history of Westmount.

© Elizabeth Lapointe All Rights Reserved

Leeds and Grenville OGS Involved with Marking Lost Cemetery

A long-neglected cemetery connected to the House of Industry that is now Maple View Lodge near Athens, Ontario will be cordoned off this spring with a fence surrounding approximately 150 gravesites.

The facility was built in 1895, it was the first house for the poor east of Toronto, and it could hold 90 'inmates'. Among the first inmates were 38 Canadians, 15 Irish, nine English, two French and two Americans.

Leeds and Grenville Branch of the OGS has been busy with the project, and if you want to know more about it, you can go to the Brockville Recorder newspaper site at http://www.recorder.ca/2013/01/15/project-marks-lost-cemetery
The Leeds and Grenville ranch of the OGS websuite is at www.leedsandgrenvillegenealogy.com

© Elizabeth Lapointe All Rights Reserved

REQUEST FOR OLD PHOTOS OF WOMEN’S (ICE) HOCKEY PLAYERS

Lynda Baril is preparing a “coffee table book” on ladies’ ice hockey history in Quebec.

Since the 1890s, women have been playing, among other places, in Montreal, Sherbrooke, Quebec City, Three-Rivers and Lachute. And Anglo-Quebecers (English) have been the real pioneers of the game in the province.

So, if you have stories to share or old pictures (1890-1940) of Quebec women’s teams or action shots of women playing hockey, she be very grateful if you could contact her at lyndabaril@yahoo.ca

To read more about the subject, go to the following sites -

The 10 Best Quebec Women's Hockey Players of All Time
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1302677-the-ten-best-quebec-womens-hockey-players-of-all-time

List of ice hockey teams in Quebec http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ice_hockey_teams_in_Quebec

© Elizabeth Lapointe All Rights Reserved

A Graphic History of Canada at War

Remember when graphic books were only for the younger set?

Well, writers and graphic artists wondered if adults would be interested in graphic books. Could they become involved with subjects that would interest them – for example, the Second World War.

So a new graphic book called Canada at War, reviewed by Ottawa’s Tim Cook, takes us into the Second World War where Canada sent 1.1 million soldiers in uniform from 1939 to 1945, and they fought on land, at sea, and in the air around the world.

Read the review as Tim explores the strengths and weaknesses of this book.

Read the review at Canada’s Historic Magazine at www.canadashistory.ca/Books/Lire-sur-l%E2%80%99histoire/Reviews/Canada-at-War--A-Graphic-History-of-World-War-Two.aspx

© Elizabeth Lapointe All Rights Reserved

The PEIGS Plans “A Paternal Party”

The PEI Guardian reports that the Prince Edward Island Genealogical Society is getting ready for the 150th anniversary of the Prince Edward Island Fathers of Confederation who met for the Charlottetown Conference in 1864

The research that they are doing now will mean that they will have a variety of custom-made activities over a three-day period in September 2014. Those activities will include celebrations and tours of the places where the fathers would have lived, their burial spaces and more.

People who have done genealogical work on George Coles, John Hamilton Gray, Andrew Archibald MacDonald, Thomas Heath Havilland, Edward Palmer and William Henry Pope are encouraged to contact peigs_queries@yahoo.ca.

Read the story in the newspaper at www.theguardian.pe.ca/Arts/Entertainment/2013-01-24/article-3163156/A-paternal-party/1

The website of the PEIGS is www.peigs.ca

© Elizabeth Lapointe All Rights Reserved

Family Day

The Bruce & Grey Branch of the OGS will be participating in Family Day at the LDS Family History Centre.

They will hold a meeting where you can exchange your ideas, and ask questions about genealogy. Some of the questions are “Just Starting? Have a pile of info you don’t know what to do with? Need help? Just need to organize?” Come and let us point you in the right direction.

The date of the meeting will be Monday, February 18, 2013, and it will be held at the LDS Family History Centre, 490 2nd Ave., South East, Owen Sound, Ontario. The time of the meeting will be 10:00 pm. and it will end at 3:00 pm.
The website is www.bruceandgreygenealogy.com

© Elizabeth Lapointe All Rights Reserved

City of Saskatoon North Downtown Master Plan Open House

On January 26th 2013, the City of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada will hold a meeting at the Saskatoon Farmers' Market where the City of Saskatoon will start a master plan for the North Downtown area, and they want to hear what your thoughts and comments are.

The session runs from 8:30 am to 1:00 pm. The City wants to design a new neighbourhood that is: environmentally friendly, well-connected to the things you need to meet your daily needs, easy to walk around in, celebrates the city’s heritage, built around amenities like green public spaces, and a vibrant and great place to live.

Additional information is available at www.saskatoon.ca

The Wikipedia page is at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saskatoon

The Saskatoon Branch of the Saskatchewan Genealogical Society is at
www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~sksgs

© Elizabeth Lapointe All Rights Reserved

Duncan Family History Centre

There will be Free genealogy class at the Duncan Family History Centre at Duncan Library, Duncan, British Columbia, on Saturday, January the 26th, and February the 9th.

On the 26th, they will give the course "Beyond the Basics (or Discovering the Dash), and on Saturday, the 9th of February, there will give another free class on "Searching for Your Eastern European Roots."

To read about the family history center, go to
https://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Duncan_British_Columbia_Family_History_Centre#Upcoming_Events

© Elizabeth Lapointe All Rights Reserved

Collected Photos Goes Digital

CTV Saskatoon is reporting that Adrian Paton has assembled over 8,000 photos showcasing the early years of the province’s history. And they are being scanned and are going online at Saskatchewan History and Folklore Society.

He says it started out as a genealogical project, but it didn’t take long for him to branch out to local history, and then instead of searching for photos, people started bringing them directly to him.

To read more about the story, go to http://saskatoon.ctvnews.ca/collection-of-8-000-photos-of-early-sask-goes-digital-1.1119222#ixzz2Ijtc1kep

The website of the Saskatchewan History & Folklore Society is http://shfs.ca

© Elizabeth Lapointe All Rights Reserved

East Nissouri History Book – Sold Out

We get this news from The Tracer, the newsletter the Oxford Genealogical Society that “The East Nissouri History Book was published late last year and we hear that it is now sold out. However, it is not too late to submit your family story or something about the East Nissouri community. The History committee will be publishing an annual supplement that they hope will be a repository of bits and pieces of history that might otherwise be lost.

If you didn’t get your family story into the History Book and you run across old photos in the attic or if you want to share your knowledge of the history of a business, an organization or a person in your community. Please contact Patti at eastnissouri@gmail.com or call 519-539-2013.

If you didn’t get a copy of the East Nissouri History book, a copy is available for research at our Resource Centre, 82 Light Street, Woodstock.

The website of the Oxford Genealogical Society is www.oxford.ogs.on.ca

Gold: A Nova Scotia Treasure

From Saturday January 19 to Sunday March 31, 2013 there will be an exhibit at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia where the History of Bling Told in Gold: A Nova Scotia Treasure will be open to visitors. It is the little known 150 year old story of Nova Scotia and its relationship with gold.

The press release says that “Co-curated by Shannon Parker, Curator of Collections at the AGNS and Debra McNabb, Director at the Museum of Industry, this multifaceted exhibition was inspired by the discovery and identification of 15 watercolours by Frederick B. Nichols, rare paintings that document the first of Nova Scotia’s three gold rushes, as well as other industrial landscapes around Halifax. An American engraver and mining engineer, Nichols moved to Nova Scotia in 1865 because of his interest in our gold fields, and worked here as a chemist, mining engineer and professor of geology.

Sponsored by Kinross Gold Corporation the exhibition also features an extensive series of oil sketches by the Group of Seven and all manner of gold items including a Nobel Prize, Anne Murray’s gold record for Snowbird, gold jewellery crafted by Nova Scotian artisans and a stunning collection of gold medals from Nova Scotian athletes”.

To read about gold in Nova Scotia, go to -

Finding Gold in Nova Scotia
http://gemology.knoji.com/finding-gold-in-nova-scotia/

Church's mineral map of Nova Scotia. Church, A. F. (Ambrose F.), 1889
www.davidrumsey.com/maps2867.html

© Elizabeth Lapointe All Rights Reserved

Ancestry.ca Update: Canada and United States Border Crossings

Ancestry.ca has updated its border crossing records from Canada to U.S., and the records are from 1895 to 1954.

There are records from Idaho, Maine, Minnesota, Montana, New York, North Dakota, Vermont, and Washington

Some of the records contain the information on the name, age, birth date, birthplace, gender, ethnicity/nationality, names of individuals accompanied by, name of nearest relative or friend in former country, and name of nearest relative or friend at destination.

So far, there are 4,859, 493 border crossing records etween Canada and the United States so far on www.ancestry.ca.

© Elizabeth Lapointe All Rights Reserved

Waterloo Region Branch Will Hold Annual Meeting

The Region III Annual Meeting will be hosted by the Waterloo Region Branch on April 20, 2013, at the Preston Legion, 334 Westminster Drive North, Cambridge, Ontario.

Registration will start at 8:45 on Saturday, and at 9:30, there will be a talk by Darryl Bonk, founder “Waterloo Region Generations,” former Director London and Kitchener Family History Centres, member of Waterloo Region al Heritage Foundation, and Waterloo Region Branch Executive member, and his topic will be “What IS on the Internet”

Before the afternoon session starts at 2:00 pm, there will be vendors onsite to visit, the Waterloo Region Branch will have its AGM, and you will be able to find out what is going on at the OGS head office in Toronto.

The afternoon talk starts at 2:00 pm will feature Ruth Blair of Blair Archival Research, and she will talk on ”What is NOT on the Internet”.

To download a Registration form visit www.WaterlooOGS.ca

For further information contact the Branch at watogs@yahoo.com

New/Updated Websites, Blogs, and Newspaper Articles - 21 January 2013

I have come across the following websites, blogs, and newspaper articles this past week that were of interest to me, and I thought you might be interested in them, too –

Alberta Family History Blog http://afhs.ab.ca/blog/remembering/missing-joan-miller Here is another blog that mentions the passing of Canadian genealogist in a blog called Missing Joan Miller.

Saskatchewan Gen Web Project - Homestead Records
www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cansk/Saskatchewan/homesteadlocation.html
How to read homestead records. Included are How to find Saskatchewan Townships & Ranges in a tutorial quiz.

Manitoba, native groups prepare bid to have forest called world heritage site www.thestar.com/news/canada/politics/article/1314715--manitoba-native-groups-prepare-bid-to-have-forest-called-world-heritage-site The area, called Pimachiowin Aki, covers 43,000-square kilometres and is the largest tract of boreal forest in North America.

Save Canada's Ski History Finds a New Home: Board Votes for Mont Tremblant www.newswire.ca/en/story/1100153/canada-s-ski-history-finds-a-new-home-board-votes-for-mont-tremblant A press release says that “The Canadian Ski Hall of Fame and Museum has found a new home after a winning bid of the St Jovite Mont Tremblant Region, Quebec. The decision will see more than 15,000 artifacts from Canada's ski history once again on display for all Canadians to share”.

Genetic privacy can be compromised online www.thestar.com/news/world/article/1316391--genetic-privacy-can-be-compromised-online-study The risk that sensitive information about individual DNA information for scientific genomes could be publicly exposed has made millions afraid to release their own DNA.

Rich history part of heritage DNA information for scientific studies.
www.calgaryherald.com/travel/Rich+history+part+heritage/7836115/story.html Alida Visbach has more than her share of memories. It’s partly because of her personal history — Canadian of Dutch heritage who speaks Dutch, English and French, she is a born, raised and schooled New Brunswicker.

Canada's fur trading history explored with new exhibit www.medicinehatnews.com/local-news/canadas-fur-trading-history-explored-with-new-exhibit-01142013.html A new exhibit at the Esplanade will gives Hatters a closer glimpse at an important section of Canadian history.

In an exhibit called "Profit and Ambition: The Canadian Fur Trade," the exhibit which opens today, showcases hundreds of items, paintings and artifacts from North West Company, a fur trading company which competed with the Hudson’s Bay Company.

© Elizabeth Lapointe All Rights Reserved

IRISH HERITAGE QUEBEC

There will be a talk by Clive Kiley, the Mayor of Shannon, Quebec, who will speak on about the history of Shannon, its present and its future.

Clive Kiley has been Mayor of Shannon for 16 years and is a well known figure in local municipal affairs.

All are welcome, admission is free. Refreshments will be served and parking stubs for the parking lot at St. Patrick will be validated.

The talk will take place on Monday January 21, at 7:30 p.m. at the McMahon Hall, 1145 De Salaberry, Quebec City.

For more information, contact Irish Heritage Quebec at 418-527-2238 or 418-704-3404. Or visit the website at www.irishheritagequebec.net

Rare War Medal Find Coming Home to Chilliwack, BC

There is an article this morning in the Chilliwack Progress newspaper about how the Chilliwack Museum and Historical Society were able to bring the medals awarded to members of the Coots family back home to British Columbia.

The medals were from the First World War, and acquired at an auction at Norfolk, England in late December.

The article says that “The collection consists of 12 medals awarded to Lieutenant Colonel Andrew Leslie Coote and his son Captain Ian Vernon Coote of Chilliwack for their military service. It also includes a written account from Lieutenant Russel “Ginger” Leslie Coote — Andrew Coote’s second son — documenting his remarkable wartime experiences”.

Read the article at www.theprogress.com/news/187313381.html

If you want to learn more about the medals given to Canadians who  fought in the wars and conflicts that the country has been involved in, go to Medals, Honours and Awards at www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/medals/index-e.html

Barkerville National Historic Site of Canada

The federal and British Columbia governments have announced that they will fund the conservation of two heritage buildings at Barkerville National Historic Site of Canada in British Columbia.

The press release says that “Barkerville is a provincially, nationally and internationally recognized historic site located 80 kilometres east of Quesnel. This year Barkerville is celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Cariboo Gold Rush. Barkerville was the terminus of the great wagon road from Yale in 1865 and the centre of the Cariboo gold fields which were the catalyst for economic and political development in British Columbia.”

If you go on to the site, you will find that among other things, that Barkerville’s Chinatown is the largest collection of pre-railway Chinese buildings in North America and Barkerville has one of the largest Chinese archival collections in Canada.

They do have a search feature of their collection, where you can search the archives, artifacts, library, maps, and photographs.

The website is at www.barkerville.ca

Crouse-Wanamaker Lecture

Lynn Heale, Membership Co-ordinator of the Quinte Branch OGS tells us of a meeting which will take place (today) on Saturday January 19th at 1 p.m. It will be the Crouse-Wanamaker Lecture, honouring the founders of Quinte Branch.

This year, they will proudly present Historian & Author Gerry Boyce.

Mr. Boyce will speak on his project to update his book Historic Hastings published in 1967. "A lot has happened in the 45 years since Historic Hastings was published." This new book will highlight events of the past four decades and will be a companion volume to the original publication. Historic Hastings is scheduled to be reprinted with an updated index.

Mr. Boyce, who lives in Belleville and spent more than three decades in the education field, was instrumental in establishing several local museums and the Hastings County Historical Society.

The meeting will take place at the Quinte West City Hall Library, 7 Creswell Drive, Trenton, Ontario.

For more information, go to www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~canqbogs

What Do I Do with All My Stuff?

There will be a meeting of the Quebec Family History Society from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm at the QFHS Heritage Centre and Library, 173 Cartier Avenue, Pointe-Claire. The topic What Do I Do with All My Stuff? and will be presented by Cecilia Karwowski and Gary Schroder.

The problem the modern genealogist often faces is finding so much information, documents, and photos that we drown under a sea of records. If we do not organize our records, important clues leading to other ancestors will be lost in a mountain of material poorly or not organized at all.

During this seminar, you will learn how to preserve the documents and photographs that you already possess and how to organize and arrange the material that you have accumulated, as well as new material that you plan or hope to obtain. The seminar will also examine the dangers inherent in simply keeping all your material on your computer, or as archivists would say "not having it at all."

The fee is $30 members, and $40 for non-members.

Reservations are required. Call 514.695.1502 or contact Jackie qfhs.communications@bellnet.ca

To go to the website, go to www.qfhs.ca

Some Acadians Exiled to Philadelphia in 1755

In her blog yesterday, Lucie LeBlanc Consentino writes about the establisment of the oldest Catholic Church in Philadelphia. The church was a place for the Acadians to gather after they were exiled from Nova Scotia in 1755.

Not all of the Acadians went to Philadilphia. The majority of them went to Louisiana, but of the group that went to the former British colony, they were treated rather well by the people, and the priest of that city.

The place where the church was located is known today as Old St. Joseph National Shrine. It as founded in 1733 by the Jesuits.

Read about the story at http://acadian-ancestral-home.blogspot.ca/2013/01/acadians-exiled-to-philadelphia-in-1755.html

London & Middlesex County Branch of the OGS Holds Meeting

On the 5 February 2013, David R. Elliott will speak on "New Strategies in Irish Parish Register Indexing". 

David is a professional genealogical researcher, historian, author, has spent several summers recording church records in Ireland.

The Annual Meeting of the London & Middlesex County Branch, OGS, will also be conducted.

The website is http://londonmiddlesex.ogs.on.ca

PostScript: David ‘s latest book Researching Your Irish Ancestors at Home and Abroad has just been released, and it will be excerpted and a book review will be in the May2013 issue of Families.

The Ontario Genealogical Society website is at http://www.ogs.on.ca

2013 Anniversaries of OGS Branches

The following Branches of the OGS are celebrating anniversaries this year -

London-Middlesex Branch OGS is celebrating its 45th anniversary this year, and they are going to have a new website. They are located at http://londonmiddlesex.ogs.on.ca

Kingston Brach OGS is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, and its website is at www.ogs.on.ca/kingston

Kent County OGS is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year, and it is located at http://ogs.on.ca/kent

Leeds & Grenville Branch OGS is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year, and its website is located at www.leedsandgrenvillegenealogy.com

Perth County Branch OGS is celebrating its 30th anniversity this year, and its website is located at www.ogs.on.ca/perth

Sault Ste. Marie & District of Algoma Branch OGS is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, and its website is located at www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~onogsssm/index.html

I wrote about the 30th Anniversary Celebration to be held at the Simcoe County Branch on the 14th of January in a blog entitled 30th Anniversary Celebration at http://genealogycanada.blogspot.ca/2013/01/30th-anniversary-celebration.html

Genealogy All-day Seminar

The Comox Valley Family History Research Group in British Columbia is pleased to announce that the next CVFHRG all-day seminar will be held onSaturday April 20th, 2013 at the Florence Filberg Centre Conference Hall in Courtenay, Vancouver Island, BC

The speakers will be Glenn Wright and Lesley Anderson, both from Ottawa.

Schedule of Events

8:00 to 8:30 Registration

8:35 to 8:45 Welcome and Introductions

8:45 to 9:35 Seminar #1: Treasures in the Parish Chest

9:45 to 10:35 Seminar #2: They Came by Ship ... Finding Immigrant Ancestors Before 1865

10:55 to 11:45 Seminar #3: Archives Revealed… Using Archival Resources, Online and On Site

11:45 to 12:45 Lunch

12:45 to 1:35 Seminar #4: Online Books ... Where to Find Them, How to Use Them

1:45 to 2:35 Seminar #5: Wills and Probate

2:55 to 3:45 Seminar #6: Getting Here From There – Immigration Records on Ancestry and Elsewhere 1865 - 1965

3:45 to ---- Open Q&A

The BC Genealogy Society will have a display table with genealogy books and supplies for sale – payment by cash, cheque, and VISA only.

Registration fee for the seminar, lunch, beverages, welcome package, and many door prizes:

CVFHRG members $65.00; non-members $75.00

Go to http://cvfhrgapr20seminar.eventbrite.ca

Star Spangled Genealogy

Drayton Valley Branch of the Alberta Genealogical Society Presents Star Spangled Genealogy on March 9th, 2013 from 8:30 AM – 4:00 PM. It will take place at the Campus Alberta Drayton Valley Norquest College, 5056 – 50th Avenue, Drayton Valley, Alberta

The presenters will be John Althouse, President Edmonton Branch AGS, and Les Campbell, President AGS.

Les Campbell will present two talks - U.S Vital Records, and US Land Records, while John Althouse will present two talks - US Census Records “Did the Ingalls family always live in Walnut Grove”, US Military Records, and if time permits - US Local Sources.

For more information, go to www.abgensoc.ca

Ancestry Update: Ontario, Canada, Marriages, 1801-1928

Ancestry.ca has updated some of the images on their database - Ontario, Canada, Marriages, 1801-1928.

Images are important because they are copies of original record and additional information may be found on them. So be sure to view the corresponding image, if there is one available.

If the ancestor you are researching does not have an original record yet, keep going back to the records to see if an image has been added. If the image has been added, more information is usually available in the images themselves than is found in an index.

For those who have yet to search these records, the database is a collection of approximately 3.2 million marriages recorded in Ontario, Canada between 1801 and 1928.

The records include -

•Registrations of Marriages, 1869-1928 (MS 932, Archives of Ontario)

•Division Registrar Vital Statistics Records, 1858-1918 (MS 940, Archives of  Ontario) [However, there are very few marriages in this record set.]

•Marriage License Books, 1907-1910 (MS 945, Archives of Ontario)

•Delayed Registrations of Marriages, 1892-1919 (MS 948, Archives of Ontario)

•District Marriage Registers, 1801-1858 (MS 248, Archives of Ontario)

•Roman Catholic Marriage Registers, 1828-1870 (MS 248, Archives of Ontario) Indexed by Genealogical Research Library (no images available)

•Registrations of Marriages, 1869-1919 (MS 932, Archives of Ontario), and County Marriage Registers, 1858-1869 (microfilm, Family History Library) (the FHL microfilm is of Archives of Ontario microfilm series MS 248, reels 5-18)

The records are at http://search.ancestry.ca/search/db.aspx?dbid=7921

Genealogy Day and AGM

The Lanark County Genealogical Society will hold a Genealogical Day and AGM on Saturday, April 27, 2013 at the Beckwith Township Hall, 1702 9th Line Beckwith, Blacks Corners, Ontario.

Join us at the Beckwith Township Hall, located at the corner of Highway 15 and Beckwith Concession 9. Free parking is available in the adjoining lot. Entrance is off Concession 9. The marketplace will include local heritage organizations.

Schedule:

9:30 – 10:00 Check-in. Coffee and tea will be available on arrival

10:00 – 11:00 The First Nations and Lanark County, Speaker David Murdoch, LCGS

11:00 – 11:30 Break

11:30 – 12:30 Region VIII Annual General Meeting

(Note: The AGM is open to all current and prospective members of OGS Region VIII whether registered for Genealogy Day or not; only paid up members are allowed to vote)

12:30 – 2:00 Lunch. Time to browse the book tables and displays presented by OGS branches, local genealogical/historical organizations and others.

2:00 – 3:00 The Forgotten Hero, Col. Alexander Fraser, Authors Irene Spence and Ron Shaw, LCGS

3:00 – 3:30 Break

3:30 – 4:30 Memory Trust – A panel of Lanark County “Old Timers”

Pre-registration: $25 including lunch. Deadline for Pre-registration is April 17, 2013

Registration at the door $15 (DOES NOT INCLUDE LUNCH)

Please make cheques payable to “Lanark County Genealogical Society”

Please mark your cheque/envelope “OGS Region VIII - Pre-registration” and send to Frances Rathwell, LCGS Treasurer, 68 Beckwith Street, Perth, Ontario K7H 1C1

For further information please contact Frances Rathwell at frathwell@cogeco.ca or phone 613-267-3178

The website is at www.globalgenealogy.com/LCGS

Ontario Genealogical Society Heritage Photos

The OGS has started Heritage Photos: Trades and Professions: Farming this week on their site.

They say on the blog that “Over the past few months, we have searched out heritage photos that depict where and how our ancestors lived. Now we are going to use heritage photos to try to get a sense of the trades and profession our ancestors would have been involved in.

Our photo collection this week is all about Farming. Chances are you have at least one, if not several, farmers in your family tree.

Over the coming week, we are going to start the year off by looking at any photos that we can find of the trades and professions our ancestors may have been involved in.

If you have any trades or professions that you would like to suggest, and if we can find photos for them, that have no copyright issues of course, then let us know and we will see what we can find.

As always, if you have photos you would like to share, let us know”.

The website is www.ogs.on.ca/ogsblog

FamilySearch Update: Canada, Merchant Marine Agreements and Accounts of Crews, 1890-1920

FamilySearch has updated the Canadian Merchant Marine Agreements and Accounts of Crews, 1890-1920 with 23,381added images.

As they say in their description, “This collection covers ports in British Columbia (primarily Victoria). Some records are from ports in Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and a few foreign ports. The documents are organized by ship and include, among other information, the signatures of crew members, their ages and birthplaces. Each box includes a general inventory of its contents listing box and file numbers, date, ship name, location and owner. The original records are in possession of the British Columbia Archives in Victoria”.

In the records, they may have the following information -

■ Full name of crew member

■ Year of birth

■ Place of birth

■ Name of ship where the crew member last served in

■ Date and place of agreement

■ Date, place, cause of death

■ Name of ship

To go to the records, go to https://familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Canada,_Merchant_Marine_Agreements_and_Accounts_of_Crews_(FamilySearch_Historical_Records)

2013 Gene-O-Rama Cancelled

The Library and Archives Canada in Ottawa is at it again, imposing more fees on their formerly free facilties. And now it has cost us Gene-O-Rama -which has been cancelled. It was to be held at the LAC in April.


Here is what Mike More, past chairperson of the Ottawa Branch had to say in an email last night -

“Ottawa Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society began Gene-O-Rama in 1981 to share knowledge and experience on a range of genealogical topics. Every year since then has seen either Gene-O-Rama or the provincial Conference. The 29th Gene-O-Rama was scheduled for April 2013 at Library and Archives Canada (LAC). Due to unexpected restrictions on the use of the building and the escalating costs imposed by Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC), who have assumed responsibility for the public facilities at LAC, Gene-O-Rama 2013 has been cancelled.

When originally booked in March of 2012, the prices quoted to us would have meant additional costs of about $500. Registration fees were adjusted to take this into account. The imposition in November of a service charge and fees for the use of the building’s lobby raised these costs to $1000. The registration brochure was amended, printed and distribution began. In January, we were advised that we could not use our own audio-visual equipment that had been purchased to be compatible with the installed equipment at 395 Wellington and used without incident for many years. Instead we would have to pay for the use of PWGSC equipment. As well, the wireless would no longer be free but a charge would be imposed, but they were not sure when. The cost had now risen to an estimated $2300 or nearly five times what we had been told when we first booked the facility.

We cannot know if PWGSC will impose more restrictions on the use of the building or add additional fees as we get closer to the date. At this late stage, finding another suitable location is not feasible. With regret, we therefore cancel Gene-O-Rama 2013.

We may be able to put together a smaller event in another venue that is more conducive to heritage activities. Please watch our website, blog or Facebook page for details”.

Information on the Ottawa Branch is at http://ogsottawa.on.ca/home/gene-o-rama

30th Anniversary Celebration

Simcoe County Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society will celebrate its 30th Anniversary Celebration with an Open House on February 2, 2013 from 11 am – 4 pm, and lectures.

The morning program will feature from 11:15 am to 12:15 pm

• Room A Kenneth Reese An Introduction to Genealogy

• Room B Nancy Leveque Researching Your Ancestors in Simcoe County

• Room C John Wright Beyond the Inscriptions - A Look at Cemeteries

• FHC Bonnie Henderson Brick Walls

The afternoon program will be a repeat of the morning program, and it will be from 1:45 pm until 2:45 pm. So if you can't get there in the morning, you can always go in the afternoon.

So you can learn how to start your family tree, break down the “Brick Walls”, and there will be resources there for you to search while you are there. It sounds like a good time!

Simcoe County Branch, Ontario Genealogical Society is located 79 Ferris Lane, Barrie, at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

For more information, you can contact them at www.simcoebogs.com

New/Updated Websites, Blogs, and Newspaper Articles - 14 January 2013

I have come across the following websites, blogs, and newspaper articles this past week that were of interest to me, and I thought you might be interested in them, too –

Columbia Cemetery - Rossland, British Columbia - British Columbia Heritage Markers on Waymarking.com
www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WMG4EK_Columbia_Cemetery_Rossland_British_Columbia This is the first time I have come across the waymarking site. It give a good, snappy history of Columbia Cemetery of British Columbia.

Qartz glass can preserve data for millions of years, Hitachi says: Material is water and weatherproof www.cbc.ca/news/technology/story/2013/01/07/quartz-data-storage.html The CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) is carrying a story which says that there is a quartz glass wafer that could preserve information forever –

St. Boniface Cathedral given heritage status www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/story/2013/01/08/mb-st-boniface-cathedral-heritage-status-winnipeg.html The iconic St. Boniface Cathedral in Manitoba is given heritage status.

Escape to Gold Mountain: A Graphic History of the Chinese in North America  www.umanitoba.ca/cm/vol19/no18/escapetogoldmountain.html Learn about the cross-migration between the U.S. and Canada, during the 1800s up until 1947, of the Chinese.

Debate on Morse's Tea building paint job boils over: Lettering on Morse's Tea building was painted over in October www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/story/2013/01/12/ns-morse-tea-paint-city-council.html CBC Halifax reports that the owner of Morse’s Tea building in Halifax recently had the lettering painted over causing heritage people to complain that he never thought of the history of the place before it was painted.

© Elizabeth Lapointe All Rights Reserved

INVITATION FROM THE CANADIAN MUSEUM OF CIVILIZATION!

People are travelling from coast-to-coast-to-coast across Canada asking their fellow Canadians their opinion on the new Canadian Museum of History, which will be opened in 2015.

They will be meeting in Montreal of Jan 24th

Their press release says “The Canadian Museum of Civilization is soon to become the Canadian Museum of History—a museum that will present the history of Canada and its people. We would like to invite you to be a part of its creation by telling us what you would put in your Canadian history museum.

Join them on Thursday, January 24, 2013 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., Salon Cartier 1, Centre Mont-Royal, 2200 Mansfield Street (next to the Peel Metro station), in Montréal.

We will kick-off the evening with a dynamic panel discussion —My History Museum: A to Zed —by asking prominent Canadians, what they would put in a Canadian history museum of their making.

This will be followed by a roundtable discussion where we will ask you how you would like to engage with your national history museum. How can the museum meet your needs and interests, from here in Montréal?

RSVP at www.civilization.ca/myhistorymuseum

If you’re unable to attend this event, you can still have your say by visiting www.civilization.ca/myhistorymuseum and adding your comments and completing the survey.

We want to reach as many people as possible. Feel free to pass this email on to anyone you think would be interested in attending this event.

We look forward to meeting you”.

Domaine des pères Sainte-Croix at Lac-Simon, Quebec Has Been Saved!

Just got news yesterday from Chantal Crête that the Domaine des pères Sainte-Croix at Lac-Simon, Quebec has been saved!


She goes to say “A while back you posted the link of our petition to help us save the heritage of le Domaine des pères Sainte-Croix at Lac-Simon. I wanted to let you know that we have succeeded. Municipality of Lac-Simon adopted a reglementation last night to designate the whole site. Yes, Domaine des Pères is now protected under the Cultural Heritage Act. May I express my deepest thank you to you and all of those that have supported the cause. It goes to show that mobilisation can indeed create change”.

Congratulations, Chantal!

If you would like to read my other posts on the Domaine des pères Sainte-Croix at Lac-Simon, Quebec, you can read them at

November 20 - ONLINE PETITION! Domaine d'été des Pères Sainte-Croix http://genealogycanada.blogspot.ca/2012/11/online-petition-domaine-dete-des-peres.html

November 27 - Latest Update on Domaine d'été des Pères Sainte-Croix http://genealogycanada.blogspot.ca/2012/11/latest-update-on-domaine-dete-des-peres.html

Genealogical Association of Nova Scotia Meeting

Pam Wile the Editor of the Nova Scotia Genealogist newsletter from the Genealogical Association of Nova Scotia tells us that they will be open today Sunday, January 13, 2013 from 1:00 to 5:00 pm. EST

They are located at 3258 Isleville Street, Halifax, and you can have a comfortable research space that includes a patrons' computer with internet access and a library. If you can't make it to their place, you can view their library holdings at www.novascotiaancestors.ca/libraryRecords.php


And she tells us that there will be a meeting on Saturday, January 26, and they will be having special speaker Nancy Wilson, and her topic will be Genealogy and Youth.

Nancy Wilson was the Coordinator for the intergenerational genealogy project: Genealogical Sleuths: Youth and Seniors Partnering to Discover their History developed by the South Shore Genealogical Society.

The meeting will be from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm in the Akins A/V Room, Nova Scotia Archives, University Ave, Halifax, NS.

Attendees are encouraged to bring along a young person - child, grandchild, neighbour, friend - to introduce them to ways to research their family history. Nancy will talk about ways to get youth involved that will inspire you to share your stories with the younger generation.

There will be door prizes and light refreshments will be served.

A selection of our publications will be on display and for sale at the
lecture.

To find out more about the meetings, go to www.NovaScotiaAncestors.ca

1921 Canada Census to be Released This Summer

Just read the news on Christine Woodcock’s blog that the LAC will release the 1921 Canada Census on June 13th!


That is wonderful news. Thanks, Christine!

Her blog is at http://brantcountyogs.blogspot.ca/2013/01/1921-census-coming-soon.html 

Ancestry.ca Projects for 2013

I have just received the news that Ancestry.ca has the following projects planned for 2013. They are –

St. Lawrence Steamboat Company Passenger Lists

Saskatchewan Genealogy Society Indexes

Pre-confederation records of British Military in Canada

Great news to see that they are continuing to post great Canadian collections at www.ancestry.ca

The Family History Writing Challenge

I just read this on Lynn Palermo's Canadian blog The Armchair Genealogists, and I thought I would pass it along to my readers –

“The Family History Writing Challenge returns for the third year of motivating family historians dedicating daily time for writing their family history stories.

Family historians wishing to take up the torch of writing their stories are encouraged to put down the microfilm and pick up the pen for the month of February, and start writing their family history stories.

Upon signing up for The Family History Writing Challenge, participating members are invited to declare a goal in the form of a word count and to commit to completing that word count during the 28 days in February. In exchange for the commitment, Lynn Palermo, Canadian blooger at The Armchair Genealogist will host of the month long challenge will send out daily newsletters that include motivational messages, writing lessons, along with instructional guest posts by leading genealogists, published authors and editors.

Lynn Palermo states, “by committing to a daily word count my hope is for all participants to make substantial headway in their family history writing goals and to create long lasting writing habits that will carry them forward throughout 2013.”

Lynn encourages members to sign up early to take advantage of the January newsletters that will help participants organize themselves to begin writing on February 1st. A forum for the event is available to participants who want to exchange ideas, struggles and successes in a more intimate atmosphere.

Special guest authors include certified genealogist, author and writing instructor Sharon DeBartolo Carmack from www.NonfictionHelp.com and author, speaker, genealogist and writing instructor Lisa Alzo from The Accidental Genealogist. Guest posts also include writer, educator, historian Biff Barnes Editor at Stories to Tell Books, author and writing coach Tami Koenig from Your Story Coach and Mariann S. Regan, author of the family memoir Into The Briar Patch blog. Lynn Palermo suggests participants should watch for future developments in coming weeks, as this list was not complete at press time.

Family historians who wish to participate in the challenge can sign up or learn more about the challenge at The Family History Writing Challenge website. The event will run from February 1st-February 28th”.

You can contact Lynn at lynn@thearmchairgenealogist.com, or go to her blog The Armchair Genealogist at www.thearmchairgenealogist.com to sign up for The Family History Writing Challenge.

Is Your Conference Listed on Conference Keepers?

Jen Baldwin of the website Ancestral Journeys of Colorado has a website that is offering to list your conference (for FREE).

I checked the International Conference site to see if there were any Canadian Conference, and there are conferences there for British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, and Manitoba.

To have your Conference listed, you can connect Jen by filling out a contact page at http://conferencekeeper.weebly.com/contact-us.html

Genealogical Classes at Tantramar Seniors’ College

This year, the college is offering 4 courses in this winter term, some of them for the first time.

Long Distance Genealogy Research – a Cooperative Workshop Approach - 9:30-11:30 am Thursdays with Barb Jardine in the Lafford Classroom, Sackville. First class: January 31st (4 weeks). Maximum: 15 (min. 10).

New Brunswick Irish History & Genealogy – 10:00-11:30 am Fridays with Linda Evans in Thomas Williams House, 103 Park Street, Moncton. First class: January 25th (2 weeks). Maximum: 10 (min. 4).

Now I Have Hundreds of Digital Photos – How do I Organize, Improve and Share Them? – 10:00-12:00 pm Wednesdays with Graham Hobster in NBCC Room A1133, Moncton. First class: January 30th (3 weeks). Maximum: 15 (min. 4).

Social Media Tools 101: Skype, Facebook and Google – 10:00 to 12:00 pm Thursday, February 28th with Brian Cormier & Dave Gallant in the Shediac Multipurpose Centre (one class only). Maximum: 12 (min. 6).

Information about registration on Monday, Jan. 14 from 4 to 5:15 p.m., please go to http://tantramarseniorscollege.ca

NEWS UPDATE: Webinar on Indexing for the OGS TONI Project

Just read this notice of a webinar to be held for TONI indexers  -

“A webinar on Indexing for the OGS TONI project is being held for Ottawa Branch volunteers but we welcome all other interested members to join us. This session will include a short description of the project and then a demonstration on how to index a document in order to add it to The Ontario Name Index (TONI).

The webinar is scheduled for Tuesday 22 Jan 2013 at 7:30pm and will be hosted in the Ottawa Branch Live Meeting Room.

Please do so in plenty of time to join before the webinar is scheduled to start.

Please direct any queries to: toni@ogs.on.ca

Haldimand County Branch OGS Meeting

On March 5, 2013 at 1:30 p. m. there will be a meeting of the Haldimand County Branch OGS at the Haldimand County Museum & Archives, 8 Echo Street, Cayuga, Ontario.

The title of the talk will be "Open House Dead Ends", and the speakers will be members of the branch who will help in any way for those looking up information both from the branch library & museum archives.

Please bring any information that you would like help with in tracing family members in Haldimand County. Sometimes we had dead ends, brick walls & find we are at a lost of how to continue doing research for these people & places.

Go to http://www.ogs.on.ca/haldimand to get more information

Obituary on Joan Miller’s Blog

There is a note from Kevin Miller, in honour of his mother Joan Miller, whom we noted, had passed away last week.

The post contains her obituary, and he says that he will “ continue to manage and maintain this blog for as long as I can”, which is good news to fellow genealogists.

The blog is Luxegen Genealogy and Family History, and is at http://www.luxegen.ca

Land of the Morning Calm: Canadians in Korea 1950 – 1953

The Honourable Steven Blaney, Minister of Veterans Affairs has declared the Year 2013 as the year in which Canadians honour the 26,000 Canadians who served in the Korean War, with more than 1,550 casualties, including 561 who dead.

The Veterans Affairs site, called the The Land of the Morning Calm – Canadians in Korea 1950-1953 says that it “presents Korean War history and archival footage, interviews with Canadian Veterans of the Korean War and a comprehensive history calendar using an interactive format in either HTML or Adobe Flash formats.

Presented in broadcast style, complete with news anchor and video footage, this feature delivers a multimedia-rich experience for Canadians of all ages, especially youth, to better know and be thankful for the sacrifices of our Canadian men and women in uniform”.

Go to www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/collections/korea

A DAY AT THE ARCHIVES

This notice from Mike More shoulf be of interest to all Ottawa area genealogists -

Want to learn more about the collections in the libraries of the Ottawa Branch, the Sir Guy Carleton Branch UELAC, the British Isles Family History Society and the corporate Archives of the City of OttaArchives of the City of Ottawawa?

Come and visit the City of Ottawa Archives at 100 Tallwood Avenue on
Saturday, February 2 between 1:30 and 3:30 p.m. There will be specialists on hand:

 To explain generally how archives work

 To show you all the genealogical materials available

in the libraries housed at the Archives

 To give you tips on researching military ancestors

 To outline the best strategies for using Ancestry.com

 To provide general information on records in the United

Kingdom and Ireland

 To help you search for your Loyalist ancestors

 To illustrate how the Guild of One Name Studies can help you

 To inform you about local resources, particularly in former

Goulbourn Township

 To guide you in choosing genealogy software

 To assist you with your genealogical adventure!

So mark Saturday, February 2, 2013 on your calendar and plan to visit the City of Ottawa Archives on Tallwood between 1:30 and 3:30 p.m.

More details are available at www.ogsottawa.on.ca

The Ontario Name Index (TONI) Needs Indexers

The Ontario Name Index (TONI) reached 1-million entries last fall. This is a remarkable milestone but there are many more items that could be added with a larger team of indexers preparing the materials.

A larger TONI indexing team can help us make more information available such as the following:

» Diaries and letters from the Cobourg area

» Information about visitors to a hotel in Kirkland Lake

» Road Petitions from Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Counties

» Archival information from the Ottawa Valley

» Obituaries from London- Middlesex

» Documents from Cornwall

» Newspapers from an old Toronto area village

and,  By-Laws and assessment rolls from villages in the Peterborough area

Everyone is welcome to be a TONI indexer and you can do it in the comfort of your own home. You will need your own computer, the software to read pdfs (downloaded for free), and you will need to be comfortable working with Excel.

If you’re interested in helping get this information online, contact the Provincial Office at provoffice@ogs.on.ca, and we’ll connect you with the project.

To ust TONI, go to www.ogs.on.ca/integrated/toni_database1.php

Biggest Events of the Year Coming to the St. Lawrence Area

The Event Centre of the St. Lawrence War of 1812 Bicentennial Alliance has put out a press release which tells us their plans for the year 2013 -

“While the War of 1812 Bicentennial has raged for nearly a year, the biggest events to hit the St. Lawrence are just coming up. 2013 will mark some key historic events, including the 200th anniversaries of the Raid on Ogdensburg (February 22-24), and the Battle of Crysler Farms (November 11).

Yet what makes next year a once in a lifetime opportunity for regional tourism is a month of unique historical experiences that could draw unprecedented numbers of cultural tourists.

The St. Lawrence War of 1812 Bicentennial Alliance invites all interested parties to attend a special information session at the Red George Pub in Prescott on Sunday, January 20th.

We will unveil upcoming events, our joint marketing plans and suggestions for individuals, groups and businesses alike, looking to be a part of this major tourism initiative for 2013.

The presentation is part of a regular 1812 Dinner Series, featuring fine period cooking. Join us for dinner or a drink, but be sure to reserve your space each month in advance - as there are only 30 spaces available.

Dinner begins at 5:30. The presentation will start at 7:00”.

Call +1.613.925.8800 to save your place, or go to http://celebrate1812.ca

Release of a New Version of the Census of the Northwest Provinces, 1906 Database

This notice was just received by me from the LAC –

“Library and Archives Canada (LAC) is pleased to announce the release of a new version of the Census of the Northwest Provinces, 1906 database.

In 1906, the Canadian government called for a special census of the Prairie Provinces (Manitoba, and the two newly created provinces of Saskatchewan and Alberta) in order to track the high rates of population growth in Western Canada.

Previously, users could search only by geographical information such as province, district and sub-district. It is now possible to also search by nominal information such as name, given name (s) and age for an individual.

This research tool contains 802,442 records that are searchable by name”.

You can go to www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/census/1906/Pages/1906.aspx

Two Meetings in Ottawa

BIFHSGO Meeting

On Saturday, January 12, BIFHSGO presents their monthly meeting -

"What’s New in Genetic Genealogy" (Before BIFHSGO Education Talks) which starts at 9:00 am. It will be presented by John Reid.

"A Sense of Place: Following the A272 to My Sussex Ancestors"! (Monthly Meeting) 10:00 am to 11:30 am

The talk will be presented by Christine Jackson, and she will talk about a ‘sense of place’. It can relate to the outstanding geographic characteristics of a place. But it can also describe the feelings or perceptions we have about a landscape, arising from childhood experiences which in turn help form our personal identity.

Her favourite British road is a particular stretch of the A272 traversing the lush countryside of Sussex and climbing up and over the bare chalk downs of Eastern Hampshire to Winchester. That countryside exudes very positive vibes to Christine, as though she have always known that is where her deepest roots lie.

I listened to her interview with Brian Glenn, where she spoke about her presentation.

The interview is at the BIFGSGO podcast page at www.bifhsgo.ca/cpage.php?pt=59

Go to www.bifhsgo.ca/events.php to see the details.

Ukrainian Genealogy Group

Their monthly meeting will be held on Tuesday January 22 at 7:30 pm, and it will be held at Ukrainian Catholic Church Hall, Green Valley Crescent, Ottawa.

The topic of the talk will feature “FamilySearch.org Website” by Shirly-Ann Pyefinch, Director for the Ottawa Ont. Stake Family History Centre of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

For information, you can call 613.731.1870 in the evenings

Celebrating Our Scottish Roots Day

I just got this news from the Quebec Family History Society -

The Quebec Family History Society will hold “Celebrating Our Scottish Roots Day” on Wednesday, January 16, from 1:30 to 4:00 pm, at the QFHS Heritage Centre and Library, 173 Cartier Avenue, Pointe-Claire. This is part of a series of monthly “Roots Days,” created to bring together genealogists in a friendly setting.

Admission is free.

Even if you don’t have a dram of Scottish blood in your veins, members and the public are invited to drop by anytime during the afternoon to chat about family history.

Share your stories, learn from others, and browse books from the QFHS Scottish collection. Meet members who travelled to Scotland to research their ancestry at major archival centres and hear about their experience.

So, bring a coffee mug, your own favourite books or memorabilia on Scotland that have helped you in your research, a friend, or just bring yourself.

Visit www.qfhs.ca/events.php

Ontario Genealogical Society Conference 2013

The OGS has just opened their registration for their Conference 2013 to be held in Oshawa May 31, June 1 & 2 of this year. The theme of this year’s Conference will be “Pulling Up Stakes: Putting Down Roots”.

They have also put the program on the site and it does look interesting with a good mix of Ontario, and US speakers. Canadian such as Dave Obee, Marian Press, and Brian Gilchrist, and American such as Maureen Taylor, and Liza Also.

The Conference was held in 2006 at the same place, and at that time, they had a great Conference, so this one should be no different.

There are plenty of classes to chose from, early bird registration, lots of tours to take, and there will be a marketplace, so take a look at www.ogs.on.ca/conference2013/home

Canadian Blogger Joan Miller RIP

This came through on the OCAPG (Ontario Chapter of the APG) message board from Lorine McGinnis Schulze this morning. I am sure that you join me in saying that the genealogy community in Canada is sad today to hear this news -

"Hello everyone

I am not sure if the group has heard of the sad passing of fellow Canadian genealogist Joan Miller on Friday Jan.4, 2012. Joan was an avid genealogist, blogger and public speaker. One of Joan's passions was her blog Luxegen Genealogy and Family History. I met Joan at Rootstech 2011 and spent quite a bit of time with her and her husband Reg.

Joan's enthusiasm and cheerful spirit were contagious! She will be greatly missed. If any of you knew Joan you may wish to remember her.

Joan's family has requested that anyone wishing to donate in Joan's memory please do so on Kiva. Joan was a co-founder of the group Genealogists for Families which is a team on Kiva. If you are not familiar with Kiva:

Kiva connects thousands of people to borrowers and partner institutions around the world, working together to create opportunity and alleviate poverty. It only takes $25 to get started.

I made a loan to Delia, a pig farmer in the Philippines, in Joan's name. If you wish to participate you can choose who you wish to help by going to http://www.kiva.org/invitedby/lorine5773

I chose to make a commerative loan, dedicated to Joan. When the loan is repaid, the money will go directly back to Kiva instead of to me and another person will be given a loan”.

Lorine

Thank you for this news, Lorine.

You can follow genealogy news on her blog at http://olivetreegenealogy.blogspot.com

New/Updated Websites, Blogs, and Newspaper Articles - 07 January 2013

I have come across the following websites, blogs, and newspaper articles this past week that were of interest to me, and I thought you might be interested in them, too –

Name Our Newsletter!
The Saskatoon Heritage Society wants you to send in names for their newsletter. Their website is at www.saskatoonheritage.ca

Former Bay boy has tenuous claim to non-existent Irish throne 
http://www.capebretonpost.com/Opinion/Columns/2012-12-29/article-3148319/Former-Bay-boy-has-tenuous-claim-to-nonexistent-Irish-throne/1 A delightful story about a newspaper man from Cape Breton (Nova Scotia) who previously had no interest in family history, until ...

Long-time Whitby archivist Brian Winter retires www.durhamregion.com/news/article/1555787--long-time-whitby-archivist-brian-winter-retires A reporter for the Durham Region.com online newspaper sat down with the now retired Archivist Brian Winter and talks about the Whitby Archives.

Crossfield library becomes part of Marigold Library System www.rockyviewweekly.com/article/20121231/RVW0302/312319993/crossfield-library-becomes-part-of-marigold-library-system The Crossfield Library just joined the Marigold Library System after they heard from their patrons who wanted more access to electronic resources, eg e-Books on genealogy, heritage, and history.

Southwestern Quebec Genealogical Resources Huntingdon County and the Seigniories of Chateauguay and Beauharnois www.swquebec.ca/default.html I just came across this site the other day, and it includes “a growing database containing the detailed content of over 57,000 19th century birth, marriage and death records from the Protestant churches in the region; current and outdated maps and place-names; an index to our complete copy of Sellar's Notes of Conversations with First Settlers; some 100 descendant trees of 19th century settlers as detailed by your distant cousins; many other resources, and links to web-sites all focused upon this unusual Anglo-Quebec region in Southwestern Quebec”. A very good site!

© Elizabeth Lapointe All Rights Reserved

Canadian War Graves in Wales Get QR Codes

Jean-Yves BAXTER at Geneanet tells us that the Canadian War Graves at St Margaret's Church, Bodelwyddan, Wales now have been given QR (Quick Response) codes which can be scanned by using smart phones. The codes were created by community-based information project called HistoryPoints.org.
Their website is at www.historypoints.org

It is believed that the soldiers died of the flu epidemic that raged around the world at the end of the First World War.

You can read the story at www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-north-east-wales-20881406

Five Top Canadian Sites for 2012

GenealogyInTime has put out the top five genealogy sites in Canada in 2012, and they are in order -

Ancestry.ca

GenealogyInTime Magazine

Automated Genealogy

Ontario Genealogical Society

Anglo-Celtic Connections

Congratulation to everyone!

If you want to see the full list, and the explanation as to why these sites were chosen, go to www.genealogyintime.com/articles/top%20100%20genealogy%20websites%202013%20page2.html

Township Papers of the Province of Ontario

Mike More, the vice president of the OGS wrote this notice in the OGS e-Weekly Digest yesterday -

"The Township Papers (Archives of Ontario RG 1-58) are a large collection of documents that date from c1783 to c1870.

The documents include copies of orders-in-council, location certificates and tickets, assignments, certificates of settlement duties, correspondence and some wills. The records are arranged by township, town, or village and, within each township, by concession and then lot number. When a document dealt specifically with a particular piece of property and did not appear to fit within another records series, it was placed within the Township Papers. Once you know the particular lot of land the settler was granted, it is worth looking at the Township Papers since there may be information about the settler.

There are 540 reels of Township Papers with 528,000 pages of information, held by the Archives of Ontario in Toronto. An index to these would be a tremendous resource for Ontario genealogists but it is a HUGE job. The best indexers would be people who know the township and have an interest in the people therein. Since most of the material is hand written, everything has to be proofed, i.e. two people have to read the whole file looking for names.

OGS is considering a project to index the Township Papers of Ontario. We will need a number of volunteers to do the work but first we somebody to lead the Ontario Township Indexing Project. Are you up to the challenge? Would you like to be part of the team that brings these resources to light"?

On a personal note, this indexing project would be a great help to us who use these papers on a regular basis. I urge you to consider this as a worthwhile project.

For more information or to offer your services, contact Mike More at vp@ogs.on.ca

Conference 2014 Call for Speakers

The committee for Conference 2014 has launched their Call For Speakers. If you would like to speak at this Conference, please follow the instructions below for making your application.

The Niagara Peninsula Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society will host the Society's annual conference, May 1-4, 2014 at Brock University. The conference theme is GENEALOGY WITHOUT BORDERS.

Although borders are an important aspect in defining a country, they also often delineate an area of genealogical study. In the past, genealogists often had to travel across borders to complete family histories in their genealogical area. Today's genealogist can often cross these borders while sitting at a desk. We can trace the movement of settlers from European countries from the American states and other provinces to Ontario.

Our Saturday and Sunday, May 3rd and 4th seminar sessions are generally fifty minutes in length with ten minutes for discussion. We also have workshops on Friday, May 2nd, which are of three hours duration. We invite lecture and workshop submissions on a broad range of genealogical topics which will help to solve family history problems by any of the following methods.

1. Use of technology in genealogy (DNA, internet, software etc.)

2. Records at a distance (especially Eastern USA and European)

3. War records, 1812, W.W. 1

4. Land records, census, directories,

5. Early Ontario records, prior to 1869 and their repositories

6. Proposals are also solicited for the broader genealogical categories including the histories associated with the War of 1812, methodology, analysis and problem solving used in genealogy

If your proposal is accepted, you will be notified in early summer and we will request that you provide a 4 page summary of your talk or workshop for our syllabus by Dec. 31st, 2013. This should include references and web addresses mentioned, sample screen images etc. It will be submitted electronically (in Word, RTF or PDF format).

Please include your approximate travel costs, economy class to St. Catharines, Ont. Canada. Besides remuneration, food and lodging will be based upon the number of lectures given and transportation expenses will depend upon the speaker's home address. Workshop fees may be negotiated. Questions can be directed to conference2014@ogs.on.ca

OMT to Present Homechild the Musical

The Orangeville Citizen reports that the Orangeville Musical Theatre is going to stage the musical Homechild the Musical on January the 12t.


And there will be an exhibition installed at the Orangeville Library. It will be brought there by the Shining Light on the Forgotten – the British Homechildren Traveling Display. The exhibit will include the 2010 Memorial Quilts from Ontario and Alberta, as well as books, pictures, trunks, etc.

Genealogical researcher and advocate, Lori Oschefski is bringing the exhibition to Orangeville’s Library.

The opening date for the exhibit is January 10. The musical opens at the Opera House on January 12, with performances on the 13,18, 19, 20, 25 and 26.

For tickets and more information, contact the box office at the Opera House at 519-942-3423 or online for OMT at www.orangevillemusictheatre.com

Ancestry.ca Puts On The Ottawa Journal, 1885-1980

If you are researching for your ancestor in Ottawa, Ancestry.ca has just added more issues of The Ottawa Journal newspaper to their site.

This collection contains the full published run of the paper from 1885-1980. Images in this database can be browsed and perused much like the physical version of the paper.

There are some parts missing from the collection, and they are not available. The parts that are missing are -

•1909, July-December is entirely missing.

•1963, October, the original film was damaged and certain days or pages may be missing or illegible.

•1970, January and May, the original film was damaged and certain days or pages may be missing or illegible.

You can go to http://search.ancestry.ca/search/db.aspx?dbid=50019 to read about The Ottawa Journal.

Halton/Peel Branch Meeting

On Sunday, January 27, 2013 at 2:00 pm, the OGS Branch of Halton-Peel will hold its monthly meeting, and will feature a talk given by Douglas Hill called “Tripping over Tombstones: Searching Ontario Cemeteries.”

OGS member and cemetery researcher Douglas Hill, will speak about how to search Ontario cemeteries on-line, in print and on foot. Trends in burial practices, cemetery ownership, and cemetery recording will also be discussed.

The meeting will take place at the Four Corners Public Library (Auditorium), 65 Queen St. E., Brampton.

For more information, you can go to www.halinet.on.ca/sigs/ogshp

Niagara Peninsula Hopes to "Live Stream" Conference 2014

Words has reached me that Niagara Peninsula Branch hope to live stream Conference 2014.

This is great news for the people who can’t travel to the area to take in the three day conference. They can stay at home and view the conference from their favorite chair. I image that it will cost to view the live streaming, but still it is a great way to see the talks that will be given.

Stay tuned for developments.

The website for the Niagara Peninsula Branch is www.ogs.on.ca/niagara

GenealogyCanada's Blog - 5 Years Old Today

Today is the fifth blogiversary of GenealogyCanada!

Although I didn’t hit the 1,000th blog posting today, I still managed well over 900 of them. I am pleased to have seen so many visitors dropping in for a visit - coming from every continent, and representing a wide variety of countries and regions. I sincerely hope that this blog has helped many of you find your Canadian connections, no matter where they came from.

I would like to thank all who read my posts, the comments they left, and those who sent me their press releases and notes about Canadian genealogy.

For your interest, the 10 most popular posts of the past five years are -

1. Ancestry.ca Offers FREE Access to Records
2. 1921 Canadian Census
3. The Canadian Census of 1891
4. FREE Ancestry.ca
5. Passing of John Becker, Editor, OGS Families
6. Attestation Papers of Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF)
7. Easter Treats from Ancestry.ca 
8. Historical Online Newspapers in Canada
9. The Eastern Ontario Countryside
10. Genealogy Courses in Toronto

As promised, five copies of my resource booklet – Migration: Canada and the United States – will be given away today as part of the blog's fifth anniversary celebrations.

All you have to do is correctly answer the following question, send it to me at genealogycanada@aol.com, and the winning results will be announced after the five lucky winners are picked by random draw from all correct entries.

The question is: Before GenealogyCanada became a blog, it started its life as a newsletter on the GenealogyCanada.com website. In what month and year did the online GenealogyCanada Newsletter start, leading  to the blog?

Please don't forget to bookmark the site - each month features Genealogy, Heritage, and History news, with lots of links to interesting websites, and tons of useful information to glean from its many webpages, including the famous Website Pick of the Month.

Thank you for dropping by to help celebrate the past five years, and for making GenealogyCanada.blogspot.com a part of your genealogical life.