Lennoxville-Ascot Historical and Museum Society

There is an exhibit called Old But New to Us at the Lennoxville - Ascott Historical  and Museum Society.

It will range from sports equipment, clothing and artwork to toiletries and household items dating as far back as the 18th century. 

The exhibit will continue until December 15th, 2013.  Guests are invited to visit from Tuesday to Sunday between 10 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Admission is free! 

Visit the exhibit at 9 Speid Street, Sherbrooke, Quebec

For more information, please visit our website www.uplands.ca or contact us at 819.564.0409.

UPDATE: 1921 Canada Census Petition

I have just received word from Bill Robinson, that over 1,849 people have signed the petition to release the 1921 census.

Thanks to all of my readers for doing their part in making sure that the census is released, so that indexing can begin.

Thank you, Bill, for the update.

To sign the petition, go to https://www.change.org/en-CA/petitions/the-honourable-james-moore-release-the-1921-census-now

Town of Plympton-Wyoming, Ontario to establish a museum

The Lambton County Branch of the OGS is helping the Town of Plympton-Wyoming to establish a museum in the lower level of the Camlachie Library [former Camlachie United Church].

One way they are doing this, is publishing the fact that the people of Plympton-Wyoming are looking for information about World War I and World War II Soldiers.

The names on the Camlachie Cenotaph are -

World War I                                                       

Sam Norwood                                                      

Thomas Powell                                                    

George Richie                                                      

George Gray

World War II

Martin Anderson

Leslie Collinson

John Stewart

Editor’s Note: A George Ritchie, who claimed Mrs. Thomas Maloney of Camlachie as his next of kin, was born 16 June 1881 at Point Edward, Ontario and died 15 August 1917. His name is on the Vimy Memorial. Does this information connect with anyone’s family tree?

Are any of these people your ancestors?

If you wish to help form the local historical society and museum contact Mayor Lonny Napper at 226-307-0523 or Don Poland at 519-869-4909 or dpoland1@cogeco.ca

Malpeque Historical Society, Prince Edward Island

Once again the Malpeque Historical Society is pleased to offer a roster of speakers for the 13th season of summer talks at Keir Museum.

The presenters will cover a variety of topics which are generally about the history of Malpeque and the surrounding area.

The talks will be held each Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. on the dates listed below.

There is no admission but donations are gratefully accepted. Come join them and bring a friend!

The events will be as follows -  

July 10 - Streetscapes of Princetown/Malpeque by Sally Hooff

July 17 - Growing up in Princetown by Olive Bryanton

July 24 - Tales from the Dead by Linda Jean Nicholson

July 31 - Horse Magic by Marian Bruce

Aug.7 - Stories of the Past by Friends of Keir Museum

Aug.14 - The Sad Tale of Maggie MacGee by Dutch Thompson

Contact Ruby Cousins for more information - rcousins@isnhighspeed.ca

The website is www.malpequebay.ca/keirmuseum.htm

Arthur Child Heritage Museum, Gananoque, Ontario

They have a lot of things going on this summer at the Arthur Child Heritage Museum, in Gananoque, Ontario, right next to St. Lawrence River. 

On Canada Day, the museum will start serving cake at noon on July 1, and they will continue as long as cake is available.

On July 3, 17 and 31 the featured treat at the museum will be an old-fashioned lemonade stand with fresh made lemonade at one dollar per glass.

The museum will offer heritage teas on July 10 and 24 from 2 to 3 p.m., and they hope to offer alternating tea and lemonade events in August.

They are redesigning the website and it will be called Our Story Preserved. The website will hopefully be available soon.

To visit the website, go to www.1000islandsheritagemuseum.com

Dick Eastman is coming to Nova Scotia

There is word out that Dick Eastman is coming to Halifax, Nova Scotia to give a full day of talks at the Genealogical Association of Nova Scotia (GANS) on Saturday, October 19, 2013.

Enjoy a day with Dick Eastman, as he present four lectures -

The Organized Genealogist

A look at various methods of organizing record keeping by use of digital techniques. The talk focuses on converting paper based record keeping to all digital records.

Cloudy, with a Chance of Genealogy

A simple and down to earth explanation of what the cloud is and how genealogists can use cloud computing to simplify their own computer usage.

Putting the Genes in Genealogy

A look at the possibility that today’s genealogists may become the lifesavers of family and loved ones in the near future.

Conservation: Keeping up with Technology

How to make sure that your genealogy data is still readable by future generations.

Cost for the Eastman Lectures:

$45.00 for members   includes lunch

$75.00 for nonmembers   includes lunch

Email info@novascotiaancestors.ca to sign up and arrange payment.

The website of GANS is www.novascotiaancestors.ca

The website of Dick Eastman is http://blog.eogn.com

Lower Canada Census 1831

The Library and Archives Canada has just sent this notice out –

“The LAC is pleased to announce that the Census for Lower Canada, 1831 database is now available online. The Census for Lower Canada, 1831 is partly nominal and therefore only contains the names of heads of family, their occupation, and the number of residents for each family.

Users can search this new database by the name of heads of family, as well as by geographical information such as district and sub-district names”.

It is available at www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/census/1831/Pages/1831.aspx

Free Access to Ancestry.ca

This just came across my desk this afternoon from Ancestry.ca –

TORONTO (June 25, 2013) – Ancestry.ca, Canada’s largest family history resource, is celebrating Canada Day with the launch of a collection of historical records that pre-date Confederation. Dating back to 1743, these are some of the oldest records ever to become available and be fully searchable online. In addition, Ancestry.ca is offering free access, from June 27 through July 2, to more than 40 million Canadian historical records from some of its most popular collections

Among the records being made available for free from June 27 through July 2 are some of the most popular collections on Ancestry.ca, including:

·         Canadian Passenger Lists and Ocean Arrivals – These collections consist of all records of immigration to Canada by ship or overland from the United States between 1865 and 1935, a period of 70 years that saw the largest influx of immigration into Canada ever, from all parts of the world.

·         The 1871 Census of Canada – the first census Canada conducted as a nation, which gives a snapshot of the lives of the people living at the time, including their ages, their jobs, the birthplaces of their parents, their neighbours and more.

·         Soldiers of the First World War – This collection contains the Attestation papers of all 600,000+ men enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force and includes information about the soldier’s birthplace, next of kin, regiment number and more.

To check out the new Pre-Confederation records please visit www.ancestry.ca/150years and to search the records being made accessible for free in time for Canada Day, visit www.ancestry.ca/canadaday.

Happy Canada Day!

UPDATE: Petition for 1921 Canadian Census

Today, I offer two new items related to the 1921 Canadian Census. One is an editorial by Canadian genealogist (www.cangenealogy.com) Dave Obee, and the other is a new online petition by blogger Bill Robinson.

First, there has been further clarification on the release of the census, as well as other news from the Library and Archives Canada, compliments of Dave Obee in his editorial in the Times Colonist newspaper in Victoria, British Columbia entitled, "Don’t let politics interfere with data access" at

www.timescolonist.com/news/b-c/dave-obee-don-t-let-politics-interfere-with-data-access-1.325155

I noticed that he said, “Back to the 1921 census. Volunteers are lined up, ready to start indexing the 8.8 million names as soon as the images are placed online. Last year, after the 1940 United States census was put on the Internet, volunteers compiled an index of its 132 million names in just four months”.

Have you been approached to be a volunteer?

In the meantime, we await the release of the census so that the LAC can put it online.

According to my sources, there might be something happening in about two weeks’ time.

It seems that the pressure has been felt.

From the comments on my blog and emails, and from other blogs, websites, and listservs I follow, your continued individual and collective efforts put forth in the "trenches" in letting the Heritage Minister and others know how genealogists everywhere feel about the current stance on the non-release of the 1921 Canadian Census ARE being noticed!

In the meantime, fellow blogger, Bill Robinson, http://robinsonb.blogspot.com, has started an online petition, and you are encouraged to read it and add your name to it at https://www.change.org/en-CA/petitions/the-honourable-james-moore-release-the-1921-census-now

Thank you, Bill, for this initiative.

Where this will lead is anyone’s guess, but I suspect that we will find out sooner rather than later.

As for the Heritage Minister, the Honourable James Moore, he can be contacted through his constituency office at www.jamesmoore.ca/EN/contact_us

To look at my past posts on the 1921 Canadian Census, just type in “1921 Census” in the search box on the right-hand side of the main page. Here are screenshots of the search and results boxes, below.

And please take a moment to check out the comments – they are interesting, supportive, and informative. Thanks to all who have written.

_______________________________________________

Canadian Week in Review 24 June 2013

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

Websites

No new websites this week.

Blogs

No new Blogs this week

Facebook- YouTube – Video

Ottawa Branch, Ontario Genealogical Society https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ottawa-Branch-Ontario-Genealogical-Society/173536239339341 This Facebook page is very good. There is nothing fancy about it, but there is a timeline of history on it, meetings that are held in Ottawa at the OGS are also on it, and news about Canadian genealogy.  

Newspapers

Historic canoe route recreated on St. John River http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/story/2013/06/16/nb-historic-canoe-trip-recreated.htmlA New Brunswick couple are paddling the 460-kilometre route of the St. John River to recreate a historically important waterway.

It was the route travelled by generations of the Maliseet and Mi`kmaq, and the French and British also relied on it to travel from an area near the St. Lawrence River in Quebec to the Bay of Fundy. It later became called the Grand Communication Route, which was used before it was surpassed by rail and the car.

Weekend in Honour of Veterans of the Korean War launched at the Canadian War Museum

 www.menafn.com/9636eb7d-fc46-41d5-8ce3-57e4fe800e35/Weekend-Honour-of-Veterans-of-Korean-War-launched-at-Canadian-War-Museum?src=main

Korea 60 is an exhibit of a selection of photographs “that depict Canada's role in the war and subsequent ceasefire, and illustrate the conflict's enduring legacy”. Many of these are personal photographs taken by Canadian soldiers. The exhibit will be on display until January 5, 2014 at the Museum of War in Ottawa.

UNESCO defers decision on heritage bid for Manitoba-Ontario forest   www.ctvnews.ca/canada/unesco-defers-decision-on-heritage-bid-for-manitoba-ontario-forest-1.1337400#ixzz2X3ITw0SJ Although UNESCO did recognize the Red Bay Basque Whaling Station in Labrador, it deferred it’s decision on the Boreal forest because it still has unanswered questions about whether “the area is unique enough to warrant a designation as a world heritage site”.

To read more about the Red Bay Basque Whaling Station in Labrador, read the article that the CBC has at www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/story/2013/06/22/nl-red-bay-labrador-world-heritage-site-622.html

Stolen bell to become living history www.thestarphoenix.com/Stolen+bell+become+living+history/8564065/story.html

The Bell of Batoche is coming home! It has been stolen from Manitoba after the defeat by the  Northwest Rebellion in 1885 and displayed at the Legion hall in Millbrook, Ont. until it was stolen again in 1991. It is going to be displayed Saturday, July 20, during the Back to Batoche celebrations.

NS diocese concerned heritage status could affect sale of church http://globalnews.ca/news/657035/ns-diocese-concerned-heritage-status-could-affect-sale-of-church A Roman Catholic diocese in Nova Scotia is concerned that one of its churches which may be listed for sale, may be designated a municipal heritage property.  The church is St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church in Lingan and it was one of the oldest churches in Nova Scotia, having been built in 1723.

Story of the Week

Canada History Week

With Canada in the midst of the 1921 Canada Census debacle last week, the government has decided to “mark the launch of Canada History Week, which will run every year from July 1 to 7. Canada History Week is an opportunity to reflect on our great country, learn about our history, explore a museum, visit one of our national historic sites, or join in a local event that celebrates the history of your community.

Our history is full of exciting people, places, and events. For example, in 2013 we are commemorating the 100th anniversary of the first major Canadian scientific expedition to the Arctic. The Canadian Arctic Expedition's groundbreaking work contributed to Canada's scientific, social, and cultural knowledge of the Arctic, deepening our understanding of each other and unifying our country”.

This is according to the Honourable James Moore, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages who announced this on June 11^th, and it will include

•A Canada History Fund will connect youth to their history through the first ever Government of Canada History Awards, which will honour outstanding students and teachers who show an interest in celebrating Canadian history. The awards will be administered by Canada’s History, an independent national organization with a mandate to make our nation’s past relevant and accessible to all Canadians.

•The Harper Government will partner with the Historica-Dominion Institute to create two new Heritage Minutes per year between now and Canada’s 150th birthday in 2017.

•Existing programs at Canadian Heritage will be strengthened to improve access to funding for local organizations that wish to promote Canadian history in their communities, including local museums and youth groups.

•Starting in 2013, July 1 to 7 will become Canada History Week, an opportunity for Canadians from coast to coast to coast to get actively involved in learning about our country’s history.

Read more about Canada History Week at www.sacbee.com/2013/06/21/5514485/statement-by-the-honourable-james.html#storylink=cpy

The next Canadian Week in Review will be issued Monday July 08, 2013.  There won’t be one for Monday July 1^st, because it will be Canada Day.

Research: Information needed on abandoned or deserted buildings

Esther Pilon, a journalist and researcher from Quebec, is working on a documentary series produced by Baroque (a production company in Quebec), and she wants information on abandoned or deserted buildings in the province. The series will be broadcasted on the Historia channel in 2015.

She is looking for abandoned or deserted buildings that have either been closed recently or for some time some examples are: farms, houses, factories, country homes, chapels or churches, stores etc…

Her goals is to hopefully be able to show these places in their historic and anthropological perspective. The documentary series will present these places with the input of antique specialists and historians. Also, she would like to meet and talk with people who have worked as employees in the factories or lived in the houses and or country homes, or know the places as past clients, student or attended the churches. 

For every abandoned place there are human stories.

This documentary series is a project of Baroque, a documentary producer from Montreal. Their recent projects include a history of taverns that will be broadcasted on Historia in 2014.

To send your information or to contact Esther, please either write to her at  6255 St-Vallier, Montréal, H2S 2P6, or at estherpilonrecherchiste@gmail.com . Her  . telephone number: 514-967-9541.

Historia TV Channel is at www.historiatv.com

UPDATE: TONI (The Ontario Name Index)

Since last reporting on TONI (The Ontario Name Index) earlier this spring, nearly 2 ½ million entries have been added.

TONI, as an index, is FREE for everyone the world over. In order to access information found in the databases you must pay a small fee. All proceeds from those fees support Ontario's heritage community.

Go to www.ogs.on.ca/integrated/toni_database1.php to read more about TONI, and to see if the name who are researching, is there.

IRISH COMMUNITY SUMMER PARTY

The Federation of Irish Societies invites you to a Cross Community Get Together and the Special Guest will be Dr. Ray Bassett, Ambassador of Ireland to Canada

Bring your friends and meet new ones. There will be traditional Irish music and it will be provided by SIAMSA. Happy hour prices and complimentary finger food.

It will take place on Tuesday, June 25 at 5:30 p.m. at the The Irish Embassy Pub & Grill, 1234 Bishop Street, Montreal (on the back patio).

The website of the United Irish Societies of Montreal is www.montrealirishparade.com/gallery/index.php

Their Facebook page is www.facebook.com/pages/United-Irish-Societies-of-Montreal/102884813130606

Ancestry.ca - Life Before Canada

Ancestry.ca has just released Life Before Canada, in which their “collection of Canadian Pre–Confederation Records can help paint a picture of life in the years leading to the birth of our nation. Remarkable in their detail, you may even find out what your ancestor looked like! Learn about officers and soldiers in the British Army and Navy, early emigrants from Ireland, Scotland and England, Rideau Canal workers in the first years of Bytown (Ottawa) and prisoners of the War of 1812”.

Get to know the history of Canada through Canadian Pre–Confederation Records and discover even more about the country you call “home”.

Go to www.ancestry.ca/150years?o_xid=55887&o_lid=55887&o_sch=Email

to start searching.

Contest - Your Canadian Brick Walls

To celebrate Canada Day on July 1^st — the 146^th anniversary of Canada as a country — I am running a contest to do a free research consultation for each of the winners.

All you have to do it to submit one of your Canadian brick wall questions to me at genealogyresearch@aol.com

I will choose four lucky winners to help breakdown that brick wall. It must concern your Canadian genealogy, from anywhere in Canada, and at any time, and, of course, contain a Canadian ancestor.

Please note that having an ancestor land and/or pass through Canada also counts, as my research speciality is inter-migration between Canada and the United States, and also immigration to Canada from “across the Pond”.

For more information on my research business, please visit www.elrs.biz  

So, why am I picking four winners?

Well, because you must first answer this skill-testing question – name the four provinces that made up the country of Canada on July 1^st, 1867, the date of Canada’s Confederation.

So send me your Canadian brick walls now, and on July 1^st, I’ll choose four of them to work on.

Good luck!

Elizabeth

Update on the 1921 Canadian Census

It is being reported that the Canadian House Of Commons has adjourned for the summer as of this morning.

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/06/18/house-of-commons-adjourns_n_3462799.html?ref=topbar

Also, word has been received that Heritage Minister James Moore has gone on leave until June 24th.

Do not despair, and keep writing those letters and making those phone calls to Minister Moore over the summer, to see if we can get this census released as soon as possible.

His contact information is available here - http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2013/06/breaking-news-1921-census-of-canada.html

Meanwhile, I would like to thank all my readers who have written, called, and sent emails to his office so far. The response has been outstanding.

And my thanks, as well, to all those who have shared, or will share, this valuable information.

Please keep posted for further updates as I receive them.

Summer schedule at QFHS

Susan writes to tell us about the summer hours at the QFHS -

The Quebec Family History Society in Montreal is gradually assuming our summer

schedule, please note the following open and closure dates.

The library and office will now be closed on Sundays until after Labour Day - Sept 2nd.

The library and office will be closed Monday, June 24 for the St. Jean Baptist holiday, and Monday, July 1 for Canada Day holiday.

Our complete summer schedule will start Tuesday, June 25,(with the exception of the above mentioned holidays) the Quebec Family History Society will be open weekdays, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday from 10:00 am to 3:00 p.m.

For full details of our fall schedule of events please refer to our Fall issue of our journal, Connections, or refer to the Events page at QFHS website.

Have a safe and happy summer.

The website is at www.qfhs.ca

Breaking News - 1921 Census of Canada

A reliable source from the LAC has just phoned me to ask that I inform my readers, genealogists, and others interested in their Canadian families, that the 1921 Canadian Census has already been digitized, and has been ready for release since last Wednesday, 12 June, but it is being held back by the federal government before it is released.

So if you want the census released NOW, it has been suggested that you write the Heritage Minister, The Honourable James Moore, and ask that the 1921 Canadian Census be released now.

Minister Moore’s mailing address is: The Hon. James Moore, Minister of Canadian Heritage & Official Languages, House of Commons, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A6.

His telephone number is 613-992-9650, and his fax number is 613-992-9868.

He can also be reached online at www.pch.gc.ca/pc-ch/minstr/moore/cntct/index-eng.cfm, or by direct email at james.moore@parl.gc.ca

Remember, there is no postage required for sending snail-mail to Members of Parliament in Canada from within Canada.

Canadian Week in Review for 17 June 2013

17 June 2013

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

Websites

There has been an update forwarded to me by Glenn Wright about last week’s story re the archival facility at Conrad Grebel University College. The Waterloo Region Record is reporting that the federal government has announced that they are providing “the college with $150,000 through the Canada Cultural Spaces Fund. The funding will support new specialized equipment used in preserving and exhibiting archival materials. The Mennonite Archives collects, preserves and exhibits historical records about the lives and experiences of Mennonites”.

Thank you, Glenn.

The story is in the Waterloo Region Record and is entitled Mennonite Archives receives $150,000 funding; Federal investment for new equipment and is at www.therecord.com/news-story/3832396-mennonite-archives-receives-150-000-in-federal-funding

Blogs

One Gnarled Tree http://siemsgenealogy.blogspot.com This is a new blog where the blogger is researching family members in Ontario through the Random Person of the Day.

Trials and Travails of My Forebears  www.andrewdaft.com This is also a new blog, and the blogger is trying to connect his family from Pacific Northwest back to Canada, and back to Germany.

Facebook- YouTube – Video

Eva Brook Donly Museum & Archives www.facebook.com/evabrookdonly Lynn Palermo

sent me a notice about this Facebook page, and if you are from this area, or have ancestors who were from this area, this is a very informative page. Thank you, Lynn.

The Ireland Special Interest Group  www.facebook.com/groups/535155983215111 John Noble writes that “This group provides another means for those interested in Irish Research to share their stories and challenges, and at the same time seek out those who may have the same interests as they do”.

Newspapers

Cemetery discovery brings history to life

www.ottawacitizen.com/news/ottawa/Cemetery+discovery+brings+history+life/8501835/story.html

A Pembroke, Ontario man uncovered the graves of three brothers, all veterans of the War of 1812.

Underwear exhibit stripped from the schedule of Canadian Museum of Civilization

www.vancouversun.com/travel/Underwear+exhibit+stripped+from+schedule+Canadian+Museum/8523198/story.html "Undressed," the title of an exhibition which goes through the 350 years in the history of underwear, has been taken off of the museum's schedule as it shifts its focus to Canadian history.

Manitoba Museum to begin sharing artifacts www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/story/2013/06/14/mb-manitoba-museum-sharing-artifacts.html

The Manitoba Museum and the museum in Hull, Quebec, signed a partnership agreement in Winnipeg. There is an expectation that there will be hundreds of similar agreements signed with museums across Canada.

Story of the Week

Celebrate Canada

Celebrate Canada is a ten day celebration that takes place from June 21 to July 1.

There are a number of holidays which takes place within this 10 day period, and they are -

National  Aboriginal Day on June 21

Celebrated on the date of the summer solstice, the longest day of the year, it is the National Aboriginal Day.

Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day on June 24

This is a French-Canadian holiday, where they express their cultural pride and rich heritage through colourful parades and lively parties.

Canadian Multiculturalism Day on June 27

Canadian Multiculturalism Day is a day on which Canadians celebrate our diversity and our commitment to democracy, equality, and mutual respect.

Canada Day

On October 27, 1982, through an act of Parliament, July 1st—which was known as "Dominion Day"—would now become known as "Canada Day".

Every year, we celebrate Canada Day, and for us in Ottawa, that usually means that we go to Parliament Hill to enjoy a day of music (and speeches), and we usually stay for the fireworks at night. It’s a fun day!

The next Canadian Week in Review will be issued Monday June 24, 2013.

GenealogyCanada named as one of the Top 90 Blogs

As you will see if you look to the right side of my blog, you will see that my blog has been chosen as one of THE TOP 90 GENEALOGY BLOGS of 2013 by FreePeopleSearch.org.

They say that “Fortunately, there are a great number of talented and experienced genealogists willing to share their information, advice, and expertise through their blogs. Some of these are simply records of personal family searches while others are treasure troves of research methodology, resources, technological aids, and genealogical news and events”.

My blog is number 8 in the Ethnic & Regional Orientation.

Thank you, FreePeopleSearch.org, for listing GenealogyCanada as one of blogs to follow!

To read the full article, go to http://freepeoplesearch.org/blog/the-top-90-genealogy-blogs.html

Quebec Heritage News

If you have never been to the Quebec Anglophone Heritage Network (QAHN) website, it is worth the visit.

It was founded in 2000, and it mission states that it is “to promote a greater understanding of the history of Quebec’s English-speaking communities by informing, inspiring and connecting people through its activities”.

They have a Facebook page where they have the latest Quebec Heritage News on sale, and they have the latest news on the Hometown Heritage Essay & Heritage Photo Contests on their website at http://qahn.org 

Summer issue of QFHS Connections

The summer issue of the journal of the Quebec Family History Society called Connections have just been released, and it’s full of articles, and other newsy bits of information.

In this issue, there is an article by Mark W. Gallop entitled Downton Abbey and Its Predecessors in which Mark discusses the role that the Whiteoaks of Jalna and Downton Abbey has played in convincing him to follow the life of a genealogist.

Henry’s Story by Peter Sampson tells of how he found Henry Sampson from Quebec City who has died in a shipping accident along the coast of Portugal in 1913.

The news in this issue is that the QFHS can now announce that they have signed an agreement with FamilySearch to become an affiliate with the library. You can now order microfilm and microfiche from the LDS library in Salt Lake City, and can read them at the QFHS library.

They have the latest books that have been received at the library, genealogical software, and the latest events in their public lecture series.

To go to their website, go to http://www.qfhs.ca

Q&A: What does an archive have for me?

Tony Spears, a writer with the Ottawa Citizen, asked Dr. Ian Wilson, the former Head of the Library and Archives Canada, (he retired in 2009), and University of Toronto’s Wendy Duff - what do people want from an archives.

It seems that Wilson said it was genealogy related materials (for instance, like census, immigrant records), and Duff said local history is popular with people.

Dr. Wilson, who gave the 2012 Houston Memorial Lecture at the OGS Conference in Kingston last year, entitled In Reflections on Archivists and Genealogists, in which he took us “through his early years at Queen’s University, his career as the Provincial Archivist of Saskatchewan and Ontario, and describing his tenure as the National Archivist of Canada at Library and Archives Canada in Ottawa ..." is a good read. Families Vol 52 No 1

If you would like to read the Q & A, go to  www.ottawacitizen.com/What+does+archive+have/8522832/story.html#ixzz2WBy6jLYA 

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

Automotive Heritage Month in Nova Scotia

Did you know Nova Scotia manufactured its own car, the MacKay Touring Car, in   Kentville and later in Amherst, in 1911?

Or that the first Toyotas assembled in Canada was at Point Edward, Cape Breton?

It’s easy to see that “the automobile has had a significant impact on the Province of Nova Scotia over the last century”.

To celebrate this impact, the Provincial Government of Nova Scotia has proclaimed July as Automotive Heritage Month.

Hobby car clubs across the province will be celebrating during the month at show and shines across the area.

To see what the National Association of Automobile Clubs of Canada does, go to their website www.naacc.ca/home.html

To see a picture and short history of the McKay 7-seat touring car, go to

http://ns1758.ca/auto/automobiles.html

History of Automobiles: The Early Days in Nova Scotia: 1899-1949

http://museum.gov.ns.ca/moi/en/home/collectionresearch/automobiles/mckay.aspx

UPDATE: Census of Lower Canada (Quebec), 1825 now available online at LAC

Just received this notice from the LAC - 

"Library and Archives Canada is pleased to announce that Canadians can now access the Census of Lower Canada, 1825 online. The Census of Lower Canada, 1825 is partly nominal and therefore only contains the names of heads of family, their occupation, and the number of residents for each family.

Users can search this new database by the names of heads of family, as well as by geographical information such as district and sub-district names".

They are available in JPG, and PDF, and there are 74,322 records.

The surname, given name(s), occupation, number of residents (classed by age – not name or relationship to head of the household), district name, sub-district name, volume number, page number, microfilm, and reference are listed in the census.

To suggest a correction, click on the Suggest a Correction link to access an electronic form

To search the census, go to www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/census/1825/Pages/1825.aspx

UPDATE: LAC Paywall??

According to a “leaked” document which suggests that there may be a “10-year plan to digitize documents” and we may have to pay to get access to them. Up until now, document that have been digitized have been free e.g. the land petitions of Upper and Lower Canada are free. Will we now have to pay a fee this fall to gain access to them? 

Read about the CBC report at http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/story/2013/06/11/ottawa-library-archives-canada-paywall.html 

New Heritage Minute

Remember the Heritage Minutes that we use to see on TV back in the 1990s? They were sixty second shots about important moments in Canadian history.

  

Heritage Minutes have returned to our televisions this year, and for the month of June, "First Nations warriors who were instrumental in the Battle of Queenston Heights, a crucial fight in the War of 1812, has been released to mark National Aboriginal History Month".

To view the Heritage Minute, go to Your Community Blog at the CBC

www.cbc.ca/news/yourcommunity/2013/06/new-heritage-minute-spotlights-queenston-heights-six-nations-warriors.html and read the story.

If you want to read about the history of Heritage Minutes, go to  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heritage_Minute

Canadian postal system celebrates 250 years of service

The following is an explanation which accompanies the Benjamin Franklin anniversary stamp - 

“In 1753, Philadelphia Postmaster Benjamin Franklin was promoted to joint deputy postmaster general for the British colonies and opened the first Canadian post office in Halifax to link the Atlantic colonies with Britain. But eventually, Franklin’s involvement with the growing revolt against the British Empire made it necessary for him to leave his post.

Hugh Finlay was confirmed as postmaster general at Québec on June 10, 1763. The ambitious Finlay arranged for a courier from Montréal to New York to reach the monthly packet sailing to Britain. By 1771, weekly service was available year round. His innovations earned a profit for the British Post Office Department, which paid Finlay a fifth of gross receipts.

In 1833, the Quebec-built Royal William was the first steamer to carry mail across the Atlantic. Canada’s first railway line was established in 1836, and became quickly recognized as a way to carry mail faster and farther. In 1840, Samuel Cunard’s new steamer Britannia transported mail between Liverpool and Halifax. Following Confederation on July 1, 1867, postal systems from Halifax to Fort William, on Lake Superior, amalgamated. And on April 1, 1868, An Act for the Regulation of the Postal Service officially created Canada’s uniform postal system”.

To read more about Canada Post, there is an article about it on the O Canada site -

Benjamin Franklin featured on Canada Post’s 250th anniversary stamp  http://o.canada.com/2013/06/07/benjamin-franklin-featured-on-canada-posts-250th-anniversary-stamp

and  

The Library and Archives Canada has a database of Post Offices and Postmasters at www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/post-offices/index-e.html

UPDATE: Canada GenWeb Updates Cemeteries

The following cemeteries have been updated in Alberta, Manitoba, and Prince Edward Island -

ALBERTA

Beaver:

- Kinsella God's Acre Cemetery

Edmonton:

- Westlawn Memorial Gardens & Edmonton Crematorium

Smoky Lake:

- Victoria Park Cemetery

MANITOBA

Armstrong RM:

- Immaculate Heart of Mary Roman Catholic Cemetery

Emerson Town:

- Emerson Cemetery

Franklin RM:

- Friedensthal Lutheran Cemetery

- Ridgeville / South Ridge Cemetery

Rhineland RM:

- Rosenfeld Village & District Community Cemetery

PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND

Queen's County:

- North Wiltshire United Cemetery

All on the cemeteries on Canada GenWeb have been indexed and photographed by volunteers.

Pass along your thanks to Patricia Green & Marilyn Whiting for their help indexing. And to Olga Steinke, Cheyenne Kepke, Patricia Green, Marilyn Whiting, Jim Spence, and Elizabeth Warwick for their photographs.

Go to the website http://canadacems.blogspot.com/2013/06/alberta-manitoba-prince-edward-island.html

UPDATE: Restore Canada’s Local Archives

This notice just came in from Canadian Association of University Teachers. They have been following the developments at the Library and Archives Canada -   

“In the wake of enormous public pressure, the Minister of Heritage, James Moore, is considering reinstating the National Archival Development Program (NADP).  This would be an important victory for local and regional archives across the country; CAUT unequivocally supports the restoration of the NADP.  However, funding for the program is not yet confirmed. Especially troubling is that, Minister Moore has indicated that any money for the NADP would have to come from within the already depleted Library and Archives Canada (LAC) budget.

Read more:

www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2013/06/09/pol-james-moore-funding-to-library-and-archives.html

The Canadian Association of University Teachers calls on all Canadians to contact the Heritage Minister and voice support for restoring the NADP, insisting that the $1.7 million annual cost of the program be added to the current LAC budget”.

To let your feeling be known, you can write to The Hon. James Moore, Minister of Canadian Heritage & Official Languages, House of Commons, Ottawa, Ontario

K1A 0A6

Find out more about the NADP see www.canadaspastmatters.ca/local-archives

For more information contact Rosa Barker: barker@caut.ca or (613)726-5166