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
Statute of Westminster
11 December 1931 - The British parliament passed the Statute of Westminster, giving Canada final standing as an independent country. The legislation applied to Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.
The one exception, was Newfoundland, where Britain resumed direct rule as they did before 1931. That arrangement remained until Newfoundland became a province of Canada in 1949.
For more information, please go to http://www.canadashistory.ca/Magazine/Online-Extension/Articles/Moment-December-11,-1931
Social History
Historic courthouse becomes Hampton's new town hall
After years spent sitting empty the old Kings County Courthouse is once again bustling with activity, as staff from the town of Hampton began moving into their new office quarters this week.
At one point many feared the 145-year-old building would be demolished when the province closed it in 2013 without a buyer in sight. The municipality bought the historic structure for $1 and has been renovating it since earlier this year.
Newspaper Articles
Newfoundland
Archaeologists examine Indigenous site dating back 2,200 years on Exploits River
An archaeological dig has uncovered material that dates back more than 2,000 years on the Exploits River.
Laurie Maclean, an archaeologist, and Don Pelley, dig assistant, spent two weeks in November sifting through mud, clay and dirt on the edge of the river in search of items that belonged to the Groswater Paleoeskimos.
Nova Scotia
Africville and the 1917 Halifax Explosion
Shortly after 9 a.m. on Dec. 6, 1917 a vessel carrying munitions exploded in the Narrows of Halifax Harbour, devastating much of the north end of the city. Two popular myths have emerged from that event: Africville, a black neighbourhood on the shores of Bedford Basin, escaped destruction, sheltered by the heights of the Halifax peninsula; and, following the explosion, Halifax Relief authorities deliberately denied reconstruction aid to Africville. Although mutually-exclusive, neither myth bears close scrutiny.
Some family history at Fort Gaspereau
I am going to tell you a story that might or might not be true.
I prefer to think that it is true since it fits what I know of my family tree. After all my grandfather, who was born in the mid 1800s, has a name on his birth certificate that you all will recognize, Charles Tupper MD.
2 historic downtown Halifax buildings may be in private hands next year
After years of sitting idle and as a potential hazard, the Nova Scotia government is hoping to sell the historic Dennis Building in downtown Halifax to a developer in the new year.
The minister responsible for the file, Labi Kousoulis, wants the issue settled as soon as possible.
The minister responsible for the file, Labi Kousoulis, wants the issue settled as soon as possible.
How civil rights icon Viola Desmond helped change course of Canadian history
She's often described as "Canada's Rosa Parks." but if anything, Rosa Parks is America's Viola Desmond.
The civil rights icon and new face of the Canadian $10 bill refused to give up her seat in a whites-only section of a Nova Scotia movie theatre nine years before Parks's famous act of civil disobedience on a racially segregated bus in Montgomery, Alamba.
HANTS HISTORY: Dec. 5, 2016 edition
Here's a look at what was making the news 35 and 50 years ago in the Hants Journal.
Quebec
Timeworn Quebec City bridge could draw inspiration from Scottish twin
Politicians have been trying to restore and repaint a historic Quebec City bridge, known as the Pont de Québec, for nearly a quarter of its 97 years of existence.
Its almost identical twin in Edinburgh, Scotland, on the other hand, is sporting a new paint job.
Ontario
New archive highlights years of racism faced by Chinese-Canadians
Seventy-one years ago Mavis Chu Lew Garland and eight of her preschool classmates were photographed on the porch of the Chinese Canadian Institute on the corner of Dundas St. W. and University Ave.
History: December 6, 1941 – War, spies, even James Bond
The small isolated farm in southern Ontario was the perfect spot.
It was the allied training camp for spies.
Hindus worldwide laud proclamation of November as 'Hindu Heritage Month' by Ontario Legislature
Commending Ontario legislature for passing the bill proclaiming November as "Hindu Heritage Month", Hindu community is urging the Canadian Parliament, other nine provinces, and three territories of Canada to do the same.
Saskatchewan
History Matters: Asked for bread, given a stone; the 1910 Farmers' Siege of Ottawa
In the summer of 1910, Prime Minister Sir Wilfrid Laurier embarked on a gruelling, two-month rail tour of western Canada.
Officially, the visit would give the prime minister the chance to see first-hand how the region had changed so dramatically during his time in office. The more likely explanation, though, was that Laurier was genuinely worried about the rumblings coming from the farm community.
And there was good reason.
Alberta
ANAVETS reveal memorial park project
The ANAVETS revealed their plan for a memorial park dedicated to veterans of the Afghan War on Friday.
The ANAVETS originally looked at placing the memorial at Veterans Park, but a land survey indicated the land used to be a 1950s high-water catch basin and to remediate would cost $1.5 million.
The memorial park will feature a black marble cenotaph, a tank, and landscaping.
British Columbia
Kelowna cemetery first provincial site of Chinese-Canadian monuments
A commemorative monument to honour the contributions of Chinese-Canadians to BC’s history, culture and economic prosperity has been unveiled in Kelowna.
Cowley – A Village with History
The story behind its toponym (name history) apparently has to do with F.W.Godsal a pioneer rancher in the Cowley area. This was not the towns first name however as it was originally known as French Flats, as most of the early (white) residents that came there were French in origin. Nouveau-Brunswick and Quebecois families with names like LaGrandeur and Barbeau settled in the area around 1882.
Historians shrug as two prime ministers erased from Canadian banknotes
Losing two of Canada's wartime prime ministers from the country's $50 and $100 bills won't be a step backwards for a country that has plenty to learn about itself, a pair of leading history buffs say.
International
Canadian Jewish Heritage Month on table at Senate
Canadian legislators have introduced a bill to designate the month of May as Canadian Jewish Heritage month.
Canadian Stories this Week
Call for Proposals
The British Isles Family History Society of Greater Ottawa (BIFHSGO) has issued a Call for Proposals for its 23rd annual conference in Ottawa in September 2017.
This year, they will highlight the genealogy of England and Wales family history, and Methodology, e.g., evidence analysis, genealogical proof standard, FAN (friends, associates and neighbours), and appraising the credibility of documents.
For more information about submitting proposals, you can go to http://www.bifhsgo.ca/cpage.php?pt=125
Deadline is January 31, 2017.
New exhibit - The Canadian Museum of History and Library and Archives Canada
A new exhibit, called Treasures From LAC Gallery, will be created within the Canadian Museum of History.
The news story says that “ the gallery will showcase some of Canada's most historically significant documents from LAC's collections, making them more accessible to Canadians and enhancing public understanding of Canada's history and heritage.”
So next time you are at the museum, be sure to check-out the CMH-LAC exhibit.
To read more about the story, go to http://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/the-canadian-museum-of-history-and-library-and-archives-canada-collaborate-on-new-exhibition-gallery-604854366.html
Internet Archive raising funds for Internet Archive of Canada
I came across a friend's Facebook page the other day, and although she is an American genealogist, she had just made a donation to the Internet Archive, which, among other things, is going to host the Internet Archive of Canada.
Not that that is a bad thing, but when you read the lead, it says “The Internet Archive is seeking donations to assist with the building of the Internet Archive of Canada in the wake of the Trump election”.
What does the Trump election have to do with the Internet Archive of Canada???
If you read on, they say “The Internet Archive feels that this move is necessary in order to support their key mission: “to give everyone access to all knowledge, forever. For free.” We try to stay non-political here at Techaeris, but there is no telling what will transpire over the next four years with regards to net neutrality under a Trump presidency".
So it appears that the Trump effect has made its way into Genealogy! Who knew?
If you wish to read more, go to http://techaeris.com/2016/11/29/internet-archive-raising-funds-for-internet-archive-of-canada/
And that was the week in Canadian news!
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