Relatively Speaking "Stories"

On the Alberta Genealogical Society (AGS) website at http://www.abgenealogy.ca/, there is an intriguing webpage called Stories, that I had to take a look at to see what it was all about.

 

Stories is series of 12 different articles from their Relatively Speaking magazine which includes—according to their website—“fact-finding and methodical articles for the gumshoe genealogist - the opportunity to purchase issues singly or by volume.’’

 

In addition to the specific article, sometimes they also give three or four related articles for you to read on the subject in the other editions of Relatively Speaking.

 

Some of the twelve articles are -

 

“Beware of Oral History” by Ken Millions (February 2012). Unverified oral history should always be taken with a grain of salt by the budding genealogist. How true that statement is!

 

"The Payzants of Edmonton” by Allen Jess (May 2006). A bloody hand print in Falmouth Township, Nova Scotia, the family’s migration route to Alberta, and the history of the ‘penny farthing’ ridden in Edmonton’s Exhibition parades. Wow! All of this in one article!

 

"Searching for Charlotte” by Marilyn Lappi (February 2012). Read more about “Searching for Charlotte” by Marilyn Lappi in Relatively Speaking, a three-part sequel featured in the February, May, and August 2012 issues. What an interesting read!

 

So if any of these stories interest you, you can receive Relatively Speaking as part of your membership to the AGS. The membership page is at http://www.abgenealogy.ca/memberships 

 

They take a yearly research trip to Salt Lake City, they have the Homestead Index onsite, branches, the bi-annual GenFair, a yearly conference, workshops, and educational courses.

If you haven’t done so already, remember to check the Canadian Week in Review Monday morning for the latest in Genealogy, Heritage, and History news in Canada.

If you missed last week’s edition, it is at http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2015/01/canadian-week-in-review-05-january-2015.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

New Book at the Genealogy Services Collection

Library and Archives Canada (LAC) has released the titles of new Family Histories and Ethnic and Local Histories of the Genealogy Services Collection, and they are available at the LAC.

You can go to the Genealogy and Family History Room located on the 3^rd floor at 395 Wellington in Ottawa. 

Family Histories

De nos ancêtres Houallet en France aux descendants Ouellet-te en Nouvelle-France, de François Houallet et Isabelle Barré, à leur fils René et son rêve américain by Jeannine Ouellet

Généalogie ascendante de Maurice Fortier by Lise Lefebvre

La descendance de Pierre Gilbert, capitaine de vaisseau: Petite-Rivière-Saint-François à partir de 1756 by Jules Garneau

André Marsil dit Lespagnol: l'ancêtre des Marcil et Mercille d'Amérique (1642-1725) by Denis Marsil

La famille Miville-Dechêne, Julie: l'arrivée en Nouvelle-France et les pérégrinations à Québec et dans les environs du 17^e au 21^e siècle by Michel Émond

Larocque family by Charles G. Clermont

L'histoire de la famille acadienne des Lejeune dit Briard: les sept premières générations et plus by André-Carl Vachon

Looking back: a history of the Robert and Hannah (Swinton) Williamson family, 2013-1783 by M. Yvonne Brown

The Amos B. Weber family history by Tim Campbell

The legacy of Peter Martin by Tim Campbell

The Noah B. Martin family history by Tim Campbell

The scent of oil: a Nicklos/Perkins family saga by Gary May

Ethnic and Local Histories

Atlas généalogique de la France ancestrale: pays des migrants vers la Nouvelle-France by Micheline Perreault

Dictionnaire des souches allemandes et scandinaves au Québec by Claude Kaufholtz-Couture and Claude Crégheur

Irish presence: the protestant religious history, volume 1: Villages et visages en Lotbinière (includes cemetery transcriptions), research and writing by Sylvie Bernard; translation by Claude Crégheur and Mélanie St-Jean

La colonie nantaise de Lac-Mégantic: une implantation française au Québec au XIXe siècle by Marcel Fournier

Le pays des filles du Roy... au confluent du Saint-Laurent et de la Richelieu by Louise Biron, Danielle Mailloux and Louise Pelletier

Les Filles du roi au XVIIe siècle: orphelines en France, pionnières au Canada by Yves Landry

Les sépultures du coteau des Cèdres, 1750-1780 by Jean-Luc Brazeau and Isabelle Aubuchon

Patriotes, reformers, rebels & raiders: tracing your ancestors during the troublous times in Upper and Lower Canada, 1820-1851 by Kenneth Cox

Pour que rien ne s'efface: Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes, 2014 by Robert Charbonneau, Mario Cyr and Huguette Plourde

Répertoire des naissances, des mariages et des décès de la paroisse de Saint-Émilien, Desbiens, 1926-1941 by Société d'histoire du Lac-Saint-Jean

The Irish Catholic families of Puslinch Township, Wellington County, Ontario: a genealogy by Marjorie Clark

The website of the LAC is http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/genealogy/Pages/introduction.aspx 

Remember to 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/2015/01/canadian-week-in-review-05-january-2015.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.

Beginning Genealogy Study Group

Dear Myrt, of the Dear Myrtle Your Friend in Genealogy website, https://plus.google.com/u/0/+DearmyrtlePage/posts/Y2MgdSmFpqi?cfem=1uis, will be hosting the Beginning Genealogy Study Group, a 20-week genealogy class starting on.

Wednesday, 07 January 2015.

The class will use an online syllabus and materials, with sample documents from each record group discussed. Sounds like a good idea!

I have known Dear Myrt when I was first on the Internet in 1995, and have wondered why she hasn’t done this before, because she is certainty capable of leading a study group in this regard.

So if you are just starting genealogy, go to the site at noon on Wednesday (there is a time zone converter on her site), or if you have been at it a long time, take a look because I find that there is always something new to learn.

I will be there on Wednesday. Will you?

Canadian Week in Review - 05 January 2015

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

History

In 1727, James Wolfe, commander of the British expedition that captured Quebec in 1759, died of his wounds during the battle of the Plains of Abraham at Quebec.
To read more about James Wolfe, go to http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/646548/James-Wolfe

In 1872, Canada and the U.S. exchanged telegraphic weather reports for the first time.
For more on the history of telegraphy, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telegraphy

In 1884, a railway collision at the Humber River, just west of Toronto, took 31 lives.
To read more about the Toronto streetcar system, go to
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toronto_streetcar_system#Early_history_.281861.E2.80.931945.29

Social Media

(Video) Quebec man on a mission to save barns
http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/quebec-man-on-a-mission-to-save-barns-1.2167507#ixzz3NZhBY5Cq
   Roger Brabant of Rigaud, Que, a town on the road from Ottawa to Montreal, has started to take apart barns which have been slated for demolition, and uses the wood for his products – like cupboards.

Articles

Nova Scotia

Memory Lane Heritage Village goes high tech to boost tourism
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/memory-lane-heritage-village-goes-high-tech-to-boost-tourism-1.2882752

   The Heritage Village includes a dozen buildings set in the style of the 1940s and 1950s, and depicts the typical life of a coastal Nova Scotia community.

 

Nova Scotia music contest honours Viola Desmond’s legacy
http://thechronicleherald.ca/artslife/1259921-nova-scotia-music-contest-honours-viola-desmond%E2%80%99s-legacy
   The contest pays tribute to Viola Desmond and her contributions to Canada’s civil rights movement, and raises awareness of Nova Scotia’s Heritage Day
holiday honouring her on February 16th.

New Brunswick

Last official event held at Royal Canadian Legion Branch 28
http://www.chathamdailynews.ca/2015/01/01/last-official-event-held-at-royal-canadian-legion-branch-28
   A long-time military tradition capped off the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 28's history on New Year's Day.
   The branch hosted its stand-to levee, with more than 250 people in attendance. It was the last official event before it will merge with Branch 628 to create a new organization in February.

Ontario

Ross rifle maligned due to misinformation
http://www.mykawartha.com/opinion-story/5234631-ross-rifle-maligned-due-to-misinformation
   Terry Wieland, from St. Louis, Missouri (formerly of Peterborough, Ontario), a professional gun writer, writes a letter to the editor, in which he defends Lt. Ross Ackerman, by saying that he did not die from rifle malfunction.

Remembering the dead at Huronia Regional Centre
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2014/12/29/remembering_the_dead_at_huronia_regional_centre.html
­   Remember Every Name, a committee of survivors and community members, is working on a plan to mark some 1,440 unmarked graves of former patients at the notorious centre for people with developmental disabilities.

Canada's history not always so 'strong, proud, free'

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/canada-s-history-not-always-so-strong-proud-free-1.2884928

   The federal government's recent ad campaign distorts history, say some critics of the process.

Saskatchewan

What will Saskatoon look like in the future?

http://www.thestarphoenix.com/entertainment/What+will+Saskatoon+look+like+future/10695207/story.html

   Saskatoon could be on the precipice of getting a new look, say city officials, architects, and designers. But what that look will be is still open for debate.

Stories of the Year

 

 

One of the biggest stories of the year was the news that the Library and Archives Canada was going to digitize the service files of the First World War men and women, and put them online.

One suggestion that I would like to see as a researcher, in addition to being kept up-to-date, is that the LAC tells us where they are - up to which letter have the files been digitized? It would be easier to judge the rate at which they are doing the scans.

 

Another story has been the realignment of the Ontario Genealogical Society. They declared two branches “inactive” - Haldimand and Norfolk - and there were financial concerns for the organization, both due to lower levels of membership. It seems that they have stabilized themselves as a society, but time will tell.

  

The OGS has also transformed the publication of their journal, Families, from one that is a high-quality, paper-based magazine, into an electronic format, starting with the February 2015 issue.

 

A bit of good news for the Genealogical Association of Nova Scotia, as it moved to its new headquarters in the wider Halifax area. See their website, http://www.novascotiaancestors.ca.

They will be starting a new eight-week course in February 2015 for beginners.

 

And the third news story of the year was the Canadian societies that are going online with Webinars, Live Streaming, and putting genealogy topics on YouTube.

 

And sites like Ancestry.ca who have put on 24 new databases and have updated 5 more this past year, and FamilySearch.org, who has put on or updated their databases covering Canada (thanks to the indexers).

 

So, it has been a good year.

 

And we just got word that Louis Kessler, a genealogist from Winnipeg, Manitoba, has just released his GenSoftReviews for 2014.

 

To read who won the best reviews of 2014, go to http://www.gensoftreviews.com.

 

In 2015, the big news, as Thomas MacEntee says, is doing the Genealogy Do-Over.

  

It involves a 13-week exercise where you look at your genealogy and decide if you need to go back and do parts or all of it over again, because the first time, you may missed putting in sound citations, or do exhaustive research, and now you have a chance to correct it.

  

You can follow the progress at a Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/groups/genealogydoover or add a comment at http://www.geneabloggers.com/tag/genealogy-do-over

So, we wish everyone a Happy New Year, and let’s make 2015 the best ever year we have had for genealogy!

Reminder: Check the Canadian Week in Review next Monday for the latest in Genealogy, Heritage, and History news in Canada. It’s the ONLY news blog of its kind in country!

The next post will be on 12 January 2015.
 

GenealogyCanada is now seven years old!

It has been seven years now that I have been doing this blog, and although there have been days this past year that I have been super busy, I have always managed to post my Canadian Week in Review (CWR) every Monday morning. 

 

This past year, the most popular post was Ancestry.ca is offering FREE access at http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2014/12/ancestryca-is-offering-free-access.html, and the next popular posts were the CWRs.

 

The people who are accessing the blog through their iPads, iPhones and other mobile devices are increasing, and I am proud to say that I have people from all over the world who come for a visit. So thank you for dropping by!

If you missed any of the other 1,865 posts published since 2008, drop by the archive (to the right-side of the page) to pick any ones you may have missed. Or, just use the search box.

 

As we, and the country, head into 2015, I will once again be offering my Canada Day Brick Wall Contest on July 1^st, and I have some other surprises planned throughout the coming year. 

 

So 'Thank you!' once again for your support, and we'll see you throughout 2015!

Elizabeth

Canadian Week in Review - 22 December 2014

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

History

 

1856 - Street Lights in Ottawa
   The city of Ottawa has had an interesting history of street lighting. In 1856, the first gas street lights were turned on at Sparks, Rideau, Sussex, York, and Nicholas Streets in Ottawa, They still had to be lit by a lamplighter each night. Streets were first lit by whale oil lamps, and electric arc lights were established in 1885.

1883 - Bridge over Niagara Falls
   In 1883, a cantilever bridge was opened between the United States and Canada at Niagara Falls. The 150-metre bridge was the first to be called a cantilever.

Social Media

(Tweet) Winter on Hollis Street, Halifax, ca. 1947
https://twitter.com/NS_Archives/status/544558603886407680

(Blog) Elgin County Virtual Tour Link - Thomas Talbot
http://elgincountyogs.blogspot.com/2014/12/elgin-county-virtual-tour-link-thomas.html
   Go to http://www.elgin.ca/ElginCounty/CulturalServices/Museum/talbot/website.htm and read about Colonel Thomas Talbot.

(Video) Historic Pinkston forge moved to new location in Brigus
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/historic-pinkston-forge-moved-to-new-location-in-brigus-1.2874450
   A 125-year-old building took a short trip in Brigus on Monday.
   The Pinkston forge was recently donated to the local heritage society by the family that owned it.

Articles

Newfoundland

From Newfoundland and Labrador to Beaumont-Hamel

http://www.northernpen.ca/News/2014-12-16/article-3978124/From-Newfoundland-and-Labrador-to-Beaumont-Hamel/1

   The 774 Air Cadet Squadron will visit the site where Newfoundland Regiment’s somber engagement at Beaumont-Hamel took place on July 1, 1916, during the Battle of the Somme. It will mark the 100th anniversary of the battle.
 
Saint John's oldest church up for sale for $134,900
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/saint-john-s-oldest-church-up-for-sale-for-134-900-1.2874972
   St. George's Anglican Church, built in 1821, has been put on the market for $134,900, including its hall and three city lots.

Nova Scotia

Pictou paintings offer a glimpse into its industrial history
http://thechronicleherald.ca/novascotia/1257645-pictou-paintings-offer-a-glimpse-into-its-industrial-history
   Stephanie Robertson has a 20-painting exhibition at Stone Soup Cafe and Catering on Water Street in her hometown of Pictou. About half the show is about the railroad, only a memory in today's world. 
Quebec

Ottawa to fund $35.7-million in Quebec City historical projects
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ottawa-to-fund-357-million-in-quebec-city-historical-projects/article22102472/
   Prime Minister Stephen Harper has announced $35.7-million in funding for historical and archeological projects in Quebec City, while opening the door to further federal funding for a tall-ships regatta that will stop in the city in 2017.

Ontario

Royal Ontario Museum to host exhibits from Franklin expedition
http://www.sunnewsnetwork.ca/sunnews/canada/archives/2014/12/20141218-183619.html
   This fall a team made up of specialists with Parks Canada and National Defence found a wreck submerged in 11 metres of water complete with a bell will all the identifying markers of the Erebus - and it has been found, and now is the centre of a exhabit at the Royal Ontario Museum.
 Blackwell & Beddoe Lawrence: The maple leaf has symbolized Canada for 50 years, but its origins are still misunderstood
http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2014/12/15/blackwell-beddoe-lawrence-the-maple-leaf-has-symbolized-canada-for-50-years-but-its-origins-are-still-misunderstood/
   When a committee began lobbying to have the city of Brockville designated as "the birthplace of the Canadian flag" and John Matheson, their MP in the 1960s, as "the father of the flag." Both claims are unfounded, and have recently ignited heated controversy.

Tour for Humantiy aims to make the connection: Lessons of past can apply to today, Westland students learn
http://www.niagarathisweek.com/community-story/5206823-tour-of-humanity-aims-to-make-the-connection/
   Grade 9 and 10 students at Westlane Secondary School were the first in Niagara to witness a mobile presentation at the Friends for the Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies Tour for Humanity. The tour was invited to the school by Westlane’s Me to We Club.

Manitoba
Royal Proclamation to 'kitchen accord;' Canada's history on display in Winnipeg
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/royal-proclamation-to-kitchen-accord-canada-s-history-on-display-in-winnipeg-1.2876513
   The collection of 11 documents, on loan from Library and Archives Canada, includes some of the most important original records in the country's history, spanning The Royal Proclamation of 1763 to more recent Constitution Act of 1982 created on made-in-Manitoba flax paper.

Unravelling the Riel family’s history
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/our-communities/lance/correspondent/Unravelling-the-Riel-familys-history-285888771.html
   Of all the historic figures in Manitoba, the most convoluted stories surround Louis Riel, the man who steered Manitoba in Confederation.

 Genealogy Stories of the Week

Some stories which have passed over this desk this past week -

The Government of Canada has announced that they want young Canadians to be involved in developing a logo for the 150th anniversary of Confederation in 2017. If you have a creative spirit and would like to make history, this logo design contest is for you!
   The contest is open to Canadian citizens residing in Canada or permanent residents living in Canada, 18 years and older, registered at a Canadian post-secondary institution in December 2014 and/or January 2015.
   You can submit your design online at www.Canada.ca/150. Click on sections below for more details on the contest and how to enter. The contest will end at 11:59 p.m. EST on January 23, 2015.

The Ontario Genealogical Society (OGS) has announced that Families (their journal) will be delivered to its members electronically, starting with the February 2015 issue.
   They give the following reasons - 

• Ability to click on any URLs and immediately check out the websites noted
• No need to find storage space for a paper copy; instead, you will have easy storage on your computer hard drive, in the cloud, or on your mobile device
• Ability to read Families on your tablet
• Having the luxury of a backup copy in the Members-Only section of the OGS website
• Helping OGS to go green

   Members with email addresses will automatically be placed on our list for the new version, while members without email addresses will continue to receive paper copies.

   Members wanting to receive a paper copy of Families must let Marsha Brown, Membership Coordinator, know by Jan. 9, 2015. Contact Marsha at 416-489-0734 or membership@ogs.on.ca.

Library and Archives Canada has the William Lyon Mackenzie King collection and has digitized his personal diary. The full text search offers unparalleled access to the document, one of the most remarkable sources of information on Canadian political history in the first half of the 20th century.
   Their Internet partner, Canadiana.org, recently added more digitized microfilms to the site called Héritage , and they have recently released more Digitized Copies of the Canadian Expeditionary Force Personnel Service Files on their site at http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/military-heritage/first-world-war/first-world-war-1914-1918-cef/Pages/canadian-expeditionary-force.aspx

The National Institute for Genealogical Studies (NIGS), based in Ontario, is celebrating 15 Years of Online Genealogy Education.
   With hundreds of courses being offered today, it all started with a single course called 'Methodology-Part 1: Getting Started'.
   With hundreds of courses being offered today, they are giving away presents!
   Now's the time to sign-up for those courses you always wanted to take. Go to www.genealogicalstudies.com/ and sign up today. As a student in the Professional Development Certificate Program (I am halfway through), I can attest that the courses are current and challenging, and are a great test of your genealogy knowledge.

After a week of making calls and hard work, the Quebec Family History Society (QFHS) has their modem working again, and you can go back on the Member's only site once again.
   December 19th was the last day the library was open before the Christmas recess. It will stay closed until Monday, January 5th, 2015.

And talk about Christmas and the holiday season, may I wish each and everyone of you, my loyal readers, the best for the holiday season, and my thanks for making this blog popular and successful.
   As genealogy waits for no man (or woman), I will be working on my research projects this week, and like most good genealogists, I'll be too busy to see Santa drop down my chimney, eat the cookies, drink all the milk (and leave the fridge door open) before I realize he was here and left me something (nice, I hope)!

Reminder: Check the Canadian Week in Review next Monday for the latest in Genealogy, Heritage, and History news in Canada. It’s the ONLY news blog of its kind in country!

The next post will be on 29 December 2014. 

 
(These links were accessed 21 December 2014)

Family History Library Announces Free Classes

We received this email this morning –

The Family History Library Announces Free Classes for November 2014

Nov. 1 Recursos en linea adema̍s de FamilySearch is a class for Spanish-speaking guests and starts at 1:00 p.m. 

Nov. 5-26 Russian Print and Handwriting Series. There are 4 parts to this series of classes, taught every Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. 

Nov. 8 Norway Research Series. The classes include “How to Use Church Records in Norway,” “How to Search Death Notices in Norway,” and “Exploring Probate Records in Norway.” These classes run from 9:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. 

Nov. 8 American Indian Series. Classes include: “American Indian Research and the FamilySearch Wiki,” and “American Indian Case Study.” Classes are held at 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. 

Nov. 15 Boy Scout Genealogy Merit Badge Workshop. This workshop begins at 10:00 a.m. Register for this 90-minute class at least one week prior to the workshop to find out which requirements should be completed before attending. Email FHLClassReg@familysearch.org 

Nov. 15 ¿Mis antepasados vinieron de . . . ? This class is for Spanish-speaking guests and starts at 1:00 p.m. 

Nov. 15 Reading Spanish Handwriting will be taught at 3:00 p.m. 

*Registration is required for classes with an asterisk. 

Register by 9:00 p.m. the Thursday before the class date by sending an email to FHLClassReg@familysearch.org or calling 1-801-240-4950.

Go to https://familysearch.org/locations/saltlakecity-library for additional information. 

Their Facebook page is at https://www.facebook.com/familysearch

Canadian Week in Review - 27 October 2014

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

History Week in Canada (October 20 – October 27, 2014) 

Did you know that in 1864, a group of Confederate soldiers based in Canada attacked the town of St. Alban's, Vermont? The soldiers robbed a bank of $200,000 and killed one man in their escape. The incident strained Canadian-American relations already weakened by the events of the American Civil War.

You can read about the robbery at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canada_in_the_American_Civil_War

=============================================

In 1818, Canada and the U.S. signed the Convention of London. The treaty established the 49th Parallel as the boundary from Rainy River, Ontario to the Rockies.

To read further on the subject, you can go to http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3406400208.html

=============================================

What an interesting history Canada has had in its moving from Niagara to Quebec to Toronto and finally to Ottawa in search of a place to seat the Canadian government. In 1855, it was moved to Toronto from Quebec City.

To read more, please go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legislative_Assembly_of_the_Province_of_Canada

=============================================

In 1876, the first shipment of wheat from Western Canada to Ontario left Winnipeg, and this blog posted the story of Peel's Prairie Province releasing Grain Elevators in Canada books online.

To read more about the grain elevators, go to http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2014/10/peels-prairie-province-releases-grain.html
=============================================
In 1926, magician Harry Houdini—appearing at the Princess Theatre in Montreal—received a fatal blow to the stomach. When a McGill University student asked him if he could shrug off blows to the body; Houdini said “Yes”, but before he could brace himself, the blow was dealt. He died of a ruptured appendix 10 days later in Detroit.

To read more about this story, go to http://www.snopes.com/horrors/freakish/houdini.asp

Social Media

(Video) Iconic Saskatoon hotel general manager set to retire

http://globalnews.ca/news/1630167/iconic-saskatoon-hotel-general-manager-set-to-retire
The Delta Bessborough is an iconic building in Saskatoon, and its general manger, Andrew Turnbull, will retire at the end of the month.

=============================================

(Video) The First World War: Excerpts from the diary of Woodman Leonard
http://www.ottawasun.com/2014/10/23/the-first-world-war-excerpts-from-the-diary-of-woodman-leonard
Read about Lt. Col. Leonard's observations during the week of March 20th.

=============================================

French In Name Only

http://www.frenchino.com/

This new blog explores the family history of the surname of French/ffrench and the surname of Grace. It also demonstrates, through family stories, the close connections between Canada and the United States.

Nova Scotia

Demolition crews dig up piece of naval history in Halifax
http://metronews.ca/news/halifax/1188486/anchor-a-wow-demolition-crews-dig-up-piece-of-naval-history-in-halifax-2/
The discovery of an anchor in Halifax’s dockyards believed to have belonged to Canada’s first naval warship. The director of the Naval Museum of Halifax said he’s “85 to 90 per cent certain” it belonged to HMCS Niobe, the first Canadian warship to enter the country’s territorial waters, on Oct. 21, 1910.

RBC Black History Month Student Essay Competition continues to grow in its sixth year
http://www.newswire.ca/en/story/1430406/rbc-black-history-month-student-essay-competition-continues-to-grow-in-its-sixth-year/
Students can now earn one of 20 scholarships, up from three, including grand prizes of up to $5,000 that will help make their someday a reality. The competition gives students an opportunity to learn about the contribution black people have made to Canadian history.

Windsor’s Hockey Heritage Museum shoots for expanded hours
http://thechronicleherald.ca/novascotia/1244887-windsor-s-hockey-heritage-museum-shoots-for-expanded-hours
The museum season now runs from June 15 to October 05, but during the pumpkin regatta, held Thanksgiving weekend, the tourist bureau in Windsor gets hundreds of inquiries about the hockey museum.

Maritime voyage: Halifax to Prince Edward Island
http://www.jpost.com/Not-Just-News/Maritime-voyage-Halifax-to-Prince-Edward-Island-379142
Read a Jerusalem Post writer’s travels from Nova Scotia to Prince Edward Island.

Ontario

Genealogical journey yields results
http://www.orilliapacket.com/2014/10/17/genealogical-journey-yields-results
For Orillia resident Phil Jenkinson, his work following his genealogy led to the realization one of his relatives played a role in the First World War.

Union Gas donation will help with historic chapel restoration
http://www.napaneeguide.com/2014/10/23/union-gas-donation-will-help-with-historic-chapel-restoration
Union Gas presented a cheque for $20,000 to the committee that is fundraising to restore Her Majesty’s Royal Chapel of The Mohawks, located on Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory.

Royal Canadian Air Force squadron returns to RAF Leeming to take part in exercise for first time since it was based there in WWII

http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/11545048.Royal_Canadian_Air_Force_squadron_returns_to_RAF_Leeming_to_take_part_in_exercise_for_first_time_since_it_was_based_there_in_WWII/

A Royal Canadian Air Force squadron has returned to RAF Leeming more than 70 years after using it as a base during World War Two.

Manitoba

Park to celebrate Upper Fort Garry: A Significant part of Manitoba's history

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/park-to-celebrate-upper-fort-garry-279699702.html
Friends of Upper Fort Garry unveiled the first of a three-phase development that will celebrate the fort's singular significance in the province's history.

Alberta

Local honoured by Alberta Historical Resources Foundation
http://www.camrosecanadian.com/2014/10/23/local-honoured-by-alberta-historical-resources-foundation
The outstanding efforts of Alberta’s “heritage heroes” and the work of local organizations to preserve the province’s rich history were recognized October 16 with the announcement of the 2014 Alberta Historical Resources Foundation Heritage Awards.

Story of the Week

Canadian Library Month 

In October, the inspiration created in and by libraries is celebrated during Canadian Library Month with the theme “Libraries Inspire!”.

Did you know that “over 21-million Canadians hold a public library card, making public libraries the most popular cultural institution in the country? Over 97 percent of Canadians live in communities served by a public library, and the library adds to the vitality of every one of these communities.”

And don’t forget genealogical libraries!

In Ottawa, we are fortunate to have many genealogical libraries in the city, and we should take advantage of them.

They hold maps, directories, books, and those ever so important family files that may hold clues to our ancestors, census, and cemetery records.

For more information Library Month, go to http://librarymonth.ca/

Reminder: Check the Canadian Week in Review next Monday for the latest in Genealogy, Heritage, and History news in Canada. It’s the ONLY news blog of its kind in country! 

The next post will be on 03 November 2014.

LAC Update: Digitized Canadian Expeditionary Force personnel service files are starting to go online

Credit: Library and Archives Canada, Acc. No. 1983-28-826

We have just received this notice from Library and Archives Canada(LAC) that they are finally putting digitized Canadian Expeditionary Force personnel service files on their site.

Here is the notice -

"In January 2014, we announced a project to digitize 640,000 Canadian Expeditionary Force personnel service files as part of the First World War commemoration activities of the Government of Canada. The goal of this project is to provide free access to high-quality digital copies of all service files in PDF format, anytime and anywhere.

Close to 100 years old, these personnel files are quite brittle. Additionally, over the years, service files have been consulted many times, so they are extremely fragile. It was time to take concrete steps to ensure their preservation for future generations.

To achieve this goal, Library and Archives Canada (LAC) will have to close portions of this collection as they undergo preparation, conservation, and digitization. The entire process is complex because each file must be examined: staples, paper clips and glue must be removed, and in some cases, the files must be treated for mould. After this preparation is completed, digitization is next, starting with box No. 1 and going up. Once digitized, the service files will be stored in a permanent, safe environment. We estimate that 32,000,000 pages will be available online once digitization is finished.

We are happy to inform you that we have started posting the digitized files online. They are accessible via our Soldiers of the First World War: 1914–1918 data base. As of today, 76,330 files are available online. Regular uploads of about 5,000 files will take place every two weeks. All digitized files are searchable by name, regimental number and rank. We will inform you as more digitized files are added to the database.'

So the website is at http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/military-heritage/first-world-war/first-world-war-1914-1918-cef/Pages/canadian-expeditionary-force.aspx 

Virtual Institute of Genealogical Research (VIGR)

In order to give my research clients the most-up-to-date information, using modern methodology—and in addition to my working towards a Certificate in Professional Development from the National Institute for Genealogical Studies (NIGS)——I have just enrolled in Michael Hait’s course in Writing a Logical Proof Argument, a course from the new Virtual Institute of Genealogical Research (VIGR).

As I wrote to the people behind VIGR, “I am really excited to be a part of the first class! This is groundbreaking in the realm of genealogical institutes, and I am so glad that it has come to pass”. 

The link to the Virtual Institute of Genealogical Research (VIGR) website is  http://vigrgenealogy.com/news/ 

The Facebook page is at https://www.facebook.com/vigrgenealogy 

My research website is at www.elrs.biz.

Blankenstein Family Heritage Centre - Ontario Jewish Archives-

Back in 1973, the Ontario Jewish Archives, known as the Blankenstein Family Heritage Centre, started to acquire, preserve and today, it is making available documentary sources related to Ontario's Jewish community. 

Now, the Government of Canada has announced that it will be providing $195,100 through the Canada Cultural Spaces Fund to support a renovation project undertaken by the Ontario Jewish Archives Foundation. With this funding the Foundation will retrofit the vault and redesign and furnish the public access space and document processing area in the Blankenstein Family Heritage Centre. 

The Ontario Jewish Archives is the largest professionally maintained repository of Jewish archival material in Canada.

You can search their archives where they have over 5,000 cubic feet of textual records, photos, newspapers, films, and oral histories. 

The website is at http://ontariojewisharchives.org/

The Facebook page is at https://www.facebook.com/OntarioJewishArchives

Niagara Peninsula has a new website!

The Niagara Peninsula of the Ontario Genealogical Society has a new website, and it is exciting because of the new features that are on the site. 

In addition to having a new website (which is very neat and well organized), they are also starting to put video of their meetings and cemetery tours under the heading of Media! 

Last evening, I watched a video of their last meeting, and I was impressed with the quality and media presence of the presenters. I was left with the thought that everyone should do this. It’s a great way to tell everybody about your Branch or Chapter for free!  

So why isn’t this an initiative from the head office? Maybe it is, and we are just finding out about it, but I don’t think so. 

The website is at http://www.ogs.on.ca/niagara/

New home for GANS

I received a notice from the Genealogical Association of Nova Scotia (GANS) (of which I am a member), that they have found a new place for their office in the Halifax – Dartmouth area of Nova Scotia.

They had received a notice of termination of their lease from their landlord dated July 1, 2014, and they only had three months to find a new office space.

As the notice says, “An earlier formed Premises Committee chaired by Vice President, Bob Davison and including Executive members Nathaniel Smith, Pam Wile, Jan Fralic-Brown, Holly Gunn and our Executive Director, Dawn Josey, was tasked with finding GANS a new home.

After an aggressive search, the Committee was successful in locating an office that meets GANS current and future needs.

The search committee established a set of criteria for the new location:

1. Room and structural integrity for expansion of research collection.

2. Quiet area for research.

3. Meeting and office administration space.

4. Separate room for processing and storing donations, acquisitions and our inventory.

5. Accessible space.

6. Lecture/large meeting room to seat 50 people.

7. Quiet building, suitable parking and street level visibility in high traffic/high profile area with potential for highly visible signage.

The Committee visited over a dozen locations throughout HRM. The office located in the Quaker Landing building at 33 Ochterloney Street, Dartmouth was the space that best met the above criteria. This 1731 square foot office will have a dedicated library area, a research room and a large meeting room where GANS can hold monthly lectures and workshops. library and collections will be protected for use by our members and the general public”.

So the new office is right downtown, just up from the ferry from Halifax, and is in the perfect place.

They plan to have an Open House once everything is unpacked, and you can
contact them through the Executive Director, Dawn Josey info@novascotiaancestors.ca.

The website is http://www.novascotiaancestors.ca/

The Facebook page is at https://www.facebook.com/NovaScotiaAncestors