Monday, February 8, 2016

Canadian Week in Review 08 February 2016




I have come across the following Canadian genealogy, history and heritage websites, social media, and newspaper articles this past week that were of interest to me, and I thought you might be interested in them, too.

This Week in Canadian History 

Gold was discovered along British Columbia's Fraser River 

On 04 February 1858, gold was discovered along British Columbia's Fraser River, attracting thousands to Canada's West Coast. Hundreds of ships, jammed with gold-seekers, worked their way across the Strait of Georgia to the Fraser, then made the dangerous trip up the swift-running river. 




Winnipeg was incorporated as a city 

In 1873, Winnipeg, Manitoba was incorporated as a city. It had become the capital on Manitoba in 
1870, and he city is known as the "Gateway to the West". 

Lord Selkirk was involved with the first permanent settlement (known as the Red River Colony, the purchase of land from the Hudson's Bay Company, and a survey of river lots in the early 19th century. 

For more information, go to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winnipeg  

Social Media  

Black Vancouverites respond to question 'Where are you from?' 


This piece kicks off On The Coast's Black History Month series, "Race, Roots and Relocation: Delving into B.C.'s Black History. 

Upcoming Canadian Events 

Conferences 

New! 2018 Ontario Genealogical Society Conference 

Word has reached us that the OGS has accepted a bid to host the 2018 OGS Conference in Guelph, Ontario put forward by the Scottish Special Interest Group [SIG]. Christine Woodcock will be conference chair. 

So stay tuned for further developments. 

NEW! 32nd Gene-O-Rama of the Ottawa Genealogical Society 

The conference will be held from April 1 – 2, 2016 at the Confederation Education Centre, 1645 Woodroffe Avenue, Ottawa, Ontario which is at the corner of Hunt Club & Woodroffe Streets. 



If you need further information, go to http://ogsottawa.on.ca/Gene-O-Rama/ 

UNLOCKING THE PAST 2016 





International Genealogy Conference UNLOCKING THE PAST 2016 will be held on Saturday, April 23, 2016 at the The Beach Club Resort, Parksville, British Columbia of the Qualicum Beach Family History Society in British Columbia. 

The featured speakers will be Colleen Fitzpatrick and Chris Paton, and registration is now open at http://www.eventbrite.ca/e/international-genealogy-conference-unlocking-the-past-2016-tickets-18765135024. It includes an early bird price. 

The website is located at http://www.qbfhs.ca/ 

Genealogy on the Cutting Edge 2016 

The Ontario Genealogical Society will be holding its annual conference from June 3rd to 5th at the Toronto’s International Plaza Hotel, Toronto.  

Speakers and agenda has been announced this past week. Registration will open in January. Registration is now open at http://www.ogs.on.ca/conference/registration/, Keep up-to-date with the latest news by following their website at http://www.ogs.on.ca/conference/, or their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/events/171812826485725/ 

Our Canada – Your Family: Building a Nation 2017 

The Ottawa Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society will host the 2017 annual conference, and they have a call out for presentations. 

The conference will be held in Ottawa on June 16-18, 2017 at Algonquin College. The theme of the conference is Our Canada – Your Family: Building a Nation. 

DEADLINE FOR PROPOSALS IS FEBRUARY 15, 2016 

To submit proposals or ask questions, please contact the Conference 2017 Program Committee at: program.conference2017@ogs.on.ca. For more information about OGS or Ottawa Branch respectively, please visit: www.ogs.on.ca or www.ogsottawa.on.ca

Great Canadian Genealogy Summit 

The summit will be held in Brampton, Ontario from October 21 to the 23, 2016 at the 
Courtyard Marriott. 



Newspaper Articles 

Newfoundland 


You got to love Webster’s. A copy of their huge “encyclopedic” dictionary from just over 70 years ago is lying in front of me, sprawled on the desk with a broken spine. It contains well over 1,000 pages but it is dusty, shelf-worn and every time you pick it up (all four pounds of it — OK, OK, 800 grams) it leaves a little of itself behind.  

Nova Scotia 

More history unearthed at Fort Lawrence 


The ground at the border with New Brunswick continues to reveal significant archeological finds. 

Black History Month in 60 seconds: Canada’s Rosa Parks gets her due in new Heritage Minute 


Decades before we’d debate the absence of black Oscar nominees, Viola Desmond had a much more painful experience of racism at the movies. 

Amherst remembers No. 2 Battalion, launches African Heritage Month 


African Heritage Month was officially launched in the region Feb. 1, and with the focus of this year’s celebration being a World War I military unity, it was only fitting the kick-off took place at the armories in Amherst.

Black Battalion stamp celebrates heroic contributions 


Members of the African Nova Scotian community gathered at the Black Cultural Centre in Cherry Brook Tuesday for a stamp unveiling, and to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the No. 2 Construction Battalion 

Hockey heritage centre 


The Nova Scotia government has announced up to $3 million for the construction of a hockey heritage centre in Windsor N.S., which has long claimed to be the birthplace of hockey. 

Greg Kelley, president of the Long Pond Hockey Arena Society, said the Windsor Hockey Heritage Centre will celebrate Canadian hockey and bring the world to the small Nova Scotia town where the sport was born more than 200 years ago. 

Heritage Trust of Nova Scotia wants to turn Amherst building into a museum 


The Heritage Trust of Nova Scotia has stepped up to try to save an abandoned building in downtown Amherst from the wrecking ball by transforming it into a museum. 

Quebec 

Archaeology in Quebec Pointe-a-Calliere Museum 


About 350 pieces will be on display to mark fifty years of archaeological discoveries in the province 

Ontario 

County looks at options, including demolishing former archives building 



Perth County is looking into demolishing the former archives building on St. Andrew St. in Stratford as one possible answer to overcrowded office space at the courthouse next door. 

Government seeks feedback on memorial to victims of communism 


Heritage Minister Mélanie Joly is inviting Canadians to offer feedback online in the next two weeks about the design of the controversial victims of communism memorial 


Manitoba 

Cairn dedicated for gift of land 


Family, friends and neighbours of Frank Crew, along with representatives of the Manitoba Habitat Heritage Corporation (MHHC), came together last fall to recognize and thank the Birtle citizen and retired farmer for his contribution and donation of land that had been part of his family’s farm for half a century. 

Saskatchewan 

History Matters: Engineering Dean Mackenzie involved in bizarre war project 


Canada and the United States might have thrown their industrial muscle behind the European campaign, but supply ships were regularly knocked out by German torpedoes. Hundreds of seamen lost their lives to U-boats lurking below the ocean surface in “wolf packs.” 

Enter British inventor Geoffrey Pyke. 

British Columbia 

Northwestern B.C. cannery locations named for historical significance 


The former Arrandale, Mill Bay and Nass Harbour cannery locations in the area of the mouth of the Nass River on the north coast have been named by the B.C. government as among 21 pla north coast have been named by the B.C. government as among 21 places of historical significance to the Chinese Canadian community 

Chinese head tax reparations called for by surviving families 


One member of a Canadian family that was forced to pay the Chinese head tax says the hurt from this history cannot be undone without a meaningful gesture from the federal government, in the form of a letter and financial settlement. 

Piece of Burnaby history up for sale 


A rare piece of history with Burnaby connections is up for auction this weekend. In 1862, Robert Burnaby, the city’s namesake, penned a note to transfer his shares in a company to another person. That scrap of paper, dated June 3, 1862, is up for auction this weekend.  

Canadian Stories this Week 

RootsTech 2016 

RootsTech is over for another year, and expect for a mixup in the Saturday evening streaming videos of the classes, everything apparently went well. 

I especially enjoyed the Innovative Summit, and the classes this year. It seemed especially nice to see the companies who won prizes in the Innovative Summit, and they seemed to have something for everyone. 

There were Canadians there who blogged - 

Scottish Genealogy Tips And Tidbits blog by Christine Woodcock at http://scottishgenealogytipsntricks.blogspot.com/

and

Louis Kessler on the Behold Genealogy blog at http://www.beholdgenealogy.com/blog/

So watch the videos when you have time, and tell them that you want to receive the latest news by email at info@rootstech.org 

As you know, the newest hit of RootsTech is the stories about your family, and Western University graduate students is collecting stories from Americans who came to Canada. 

The Americans who came to Canada vary from the New England Planters of the 1760s and 1770s to the black migrants following the Underground Railroad between 1640 and 1860, and even Vietnam War draft dodgers in the 1960s and 1970s and liberal Americans leaving since 2000 because of right-wing politics. 

To read the whole “story", go to http://www.lfpress.com/2016/02/04/western-university-graduate-tudents-conduct-oral-history-interviews-with-americans-who-have-come-to-canada-since-the-1960s

And lastly, Dwayne Meisner tells us that the 1921 census for Richmond County, Nova Scotia is now fully transcribed on his site at http://www.dwaynemeisner.com/census/novascotia/richmond1921/index.php 

With this county completed, the entire province is now transcribed!

The 1921 pages have a special toolbar at the top so you can easily submit corrections, or volunteer to proofread the transcriptions.

As usual, if you are not already a member of my site, you will have to complete a free registration form.

And that was the week in Canadian news! 

This e-newspaper has been published since April 2012! 

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Sponsored by Elizabeth Lapointe Research Services. To learn more about the research services offered by ELRS, go to www.elrs.biz 

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