American residents serving in Canadian Expeditionary Forces, 1917-1918

Source: War Department. Office of the Provost Marshal General. Lists of United States Residents Serving in the Canadian Expeditionary Force and Australian Imperial Force [1917–1918]. Series PC-26 21

It has always intrigued me about Americans who enlisted in the Canadian army in the First World War. Why would they do that? But I slowly discovered that most likely one of their parents, or both of their parents had come from Canada down to the United States, with many of them leaving cousins, aunts and uncles back in Canada. And, further still,  and many of them had been born in England, Scotland, and Ireland. So they felt a certain loyalty to their country of birth, I suppose. 

But now, Ancestry.ca has put the record group online, and it is called U.S. Residents Serving in Canadian Expeditionary Forces, 1917-1918.

Each entry contains the name of the resident, his address in the United States, date and place of birth, nationality, marital status, occupation, and place and date of entering service.

So, if you find that an American ancestor has disappeared between 1914 and 1919, check this database. Maybe he is here at http://search.ancestry.ca/search/db.aspx?dbid=9177

Check the Canadian Week in Review every Monday morning for the latest in Genealogy, Heritage, and History news in Canada.

If you missed this week’s edition, it is at http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2015/03/canadian-week-in-review.html

It’s the ONLY news blog of its kind in Canada!

It has been a regular post every Monday morning since

April 23, 2012.

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

Happy Thanksgiving!

This weekend, Canada celebrates Thanksgiving!

A holiday in which we give thanks for the year we have had, and in traditional terms - for the harvest of the field.

It is always on the second Monday of the month of October - having been decided in 1931. Before that, it had been observed on the same day as Armistice Day - both being on November 11th.

This weekend has been nice, sunny and warm. A lot different from that Thanksgiving in 1993 when it snowed and snowed, followed by the coldest winter that had been seen in these parts in years. I remember it well because it was the first year in our new house, and to see the grounds covered in snow was more like Christmas than Thanksgiving.

It has always been a family holiday with turkey, dressing, and all of those roots vegetables - potatoes, carrots, turnips, and a pumpkin or apple pie.

The dinner was usually eaten on Sunday or Monday (it was always on Sunday in my house), and the drive on Monday to my maternal grandparents (Blades) house, and to see my maternal aunts and uncles and cousins who all lived in the town of Barrington Passage, Nova Scotia.

Today, I am staying home to proof an article I have coming out on Chinese-Canadian Immigration in the early 1880s to 1900s, and then tomorrow I will go for a drive to the beautiful Gatineau Hills - which are so colourful this time of year.

So whichever way you celebrate your Thanksgiving weekend, may it be a pleasant one!

And to our American cousins, we wish you the same, just a bit earlier. Enjoy the playoffs!

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