This Week in Canadian History
Explosion in a coal mine at Springhill, Nova Scotia
In 1891, an explosion in a coal mine at Springhill, Nova Scotia killed 125 miners. The accident was the first of several that occurred over the years in Springhill. The mines were shut forever after a rock surge on 23 October 1958, in which 74 miners died.
To read more about Springhill, go to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Springhill,_Nova_Scotia
Sgt.-Major Fred Hall won the Victoria Cross
In 1915, Sgt.-Major Fred Hall won the Victoria Cross during the First World War battle of Ypres in Belgium. He died trying to rescue a wounded friend. Hall was one of three V.C. winners from the war who lived on the same Winnipeg street - Cpl. Leo Clarke and Lt. Robert Shankland. Only Shankland survived the war.
To read more about Sgt.-Major Fred Hall, go to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_William_Hall
Social Media
(Website) Welcome to the Elgin OGS
Tracing Ancestors along the Talbot Trail
They have a new website, and it is chock-a-block full of research resources.
(Photos) Oakville council votes to designate Kaitting House remains under Ontario Heritage Act
Oakville’s Planning and Development Council made what Mayor Rob Burton called “the best of a bad situation” Tuesday by voting to designate the remains of the historic Kaitting House under the Ontario Heritage Act.
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 Road & Woodroffe Avenue.
Registration is at http://ogsottawa.on.ca/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/GOR-2016-Fee-Calculator.pdf
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.
Registration has opened at http://www.qbfhs.ca/
Newspaper Articles
Nova Scotia
Halifax's Young Avenue mansions 'endangered' by development
It's known as Halifax's grand boulevard: a street filled with large estates that once housed the who's who of the city.
But now some people are worried that Young Avenue's mansions could face a wrecking ball from developers eyeing the expensive properties.
Prince Edward Island
All Souls' Chapel: its hidden history highlighted for Heritage Week
Islanders are getting a chance to enjoy a hidden gem of Charlottetown's history, with public tours on offer of All Souls' Chapel, attached to the Anglican St. Peter's Cathedral.
Quebec
Quebec City gives Montreal bronze statues for 375th anniversary
Quebec City is offering Montreal a one-of-a-kind gift for its 375th anniversary: four aluminum columns topped by bronze statues of teenagers wearing T-shirts.
Ontario
Dear Diary: Read what our ancestors wrote in the 1980s
History books provide details on wars, explorations, discoveries and every other type of large-scale, life-altering event that occurred in the world.
But it’s the diaries of young girls, men and anybody else who ever dared to put pen to paper with their innermost thoughts that give us a glimpse into what daily life was really like, whether it be the 1600s, 1800s or today.
To visit the Whitchurch-Stouffville Museum, go to http://www.townofws.ca/en/explore/museum.asp?_mid_=11446
The Case of the Missing Plaque: Behrends Group Returns Ontario Heritage Plaque to Its Rightful Owners
An unusual set of circumstances put Behrends Group of Companies at the forefront of recovering a valuable Ontario Heritage plaque that had gone missing from its original installed location.
British Columbia
Heritage Week celebrates Revelstoke's 'built heritage'
February 15 to 21 is Heritage Week in British Columbia and the theme for this year is Distinctive Destinations: Experience Historic Places in Revelstoke.
Canadian Stories this Week
It has been a rather quiet week in Canadian history, heritage and genealogy news. Maybe it was because of our crazy winter weather last week that many of us decided to stay home because of the record breaking amount of snow (at least in Ottawa), or maybe we are just catching our second breath as we wait for spring to come to us in a few weeks time.
More thoughts on RootsTech 2016
Christine Woodcock has more thoughts on RootTech on her blog Scottish Genealogy Tips and Tidbits at http://scottishgenealogytipsntricks.blogspot.com/. She had added six more blog posts, and they should be read for a Canadians take on an American conference.
Ruth Blair has added her thoughts on Rootstech, too, on her blog on The Passionate Genealogist at http://blog.familyhistorysearches.com/. She didn't go to RootsTech 2016 in person, but she still tells us how she kept in touch with the conference goers, and offers her opinion on the conference.
Eastern Townships historical archives go online for new database project The Archives Department of the Eastern Townships Resource Centre is going digital! They announced this week that they expect to go online by mid-April of this year.
The website will allow users to search people and places, and browse through the materials that come up.
Five historical organizations from around the Townships are uploading portions of their collections, including historical societies in Lennoxville, Stanstead East, Brome, and Eaton Corner.
To read the newspaper report of it, go to http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/eastern-townships-archives-portal-project-resource-centre-1.3451521
And that was the week in Canadian news!
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