Showing posts with label Ancestors. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ancestors. Show all posts

Monday, May 2, 2016

Canadian Week in Review 02 May 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 

Women in Nova Scotia were granted the right to vote 

In 1918, women in Nova Scotia were granted the right to vote. 

Nova Scotia was the 6th province in which women were granted the right to vote and hold office on 26 April 1918 after the provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario. 




Roman Catholic Jesuits arrived in Canada at Quebec from France

In 1625, the first Roman Catholic Jesuits arrived in Canada at Quebec from France 

The Jesuits first came to New France as missionaries in 1611. Pierre Biard and Enemond Massé arrived at Port-Royal on 22 May 1611. Massé was driven out of Acadia by the English but was among the first group of Jesuits who arrived at Québec in June 1625. 



Social Media 

(Photos) HANTS HISTORY: April 28, 2016 edition 


 Here's a look at what was making the news 25 and 50 years ago in the Hants Journal. 


But once I started to follow the Lighthouse Route, along the southwest coast between Yarmouth and Halifax, I was also made aware of the fascinating history of this part of our province, especially with regard to the United Empire Loyalists. 

My hometown! And it is the town that my paternal grandfather helped to found in 1783! Everything he says about it is true, it's a living museum. 

Newspaper Articles 

Newfoundland-Labrador

More than half of N.L. libraries closing in wake of budget cuts 


The library board in Newfoundland and Labrador announced sweeping changes to its services Wednesday, adopting a regional library model which will see 54 branches close in the next two years. 

Nova Scotia

Huge granite harvest table assembled in Grand Pré 


The long-anticipated installation of the 16-seat table took place April 18.

Halifax group wants heritage designation for Young Avenue building 


The committee voted to move the Yonge Avenue site ahead of three other potential heritage sites in order to have Regional Council look at granting the property heritage status. 

Shand House to remain ‘mostly closed’ by province 


The historic Shand House was donated to the Province of Nova Scotia in Gwendolyn Shand’s will in the 1980s under the condition that it be operated as a museum. 

But it has been closed for most of the time by the province. 

Prince Edward Island

Lights, camera, action: seniors share stories on video 


The tradition of telling family stories is taking at 21st century turn in a new program from the P.E.I. Seniors Citizen' Federation called "I Have a Story." 

It's a three-part workshop where seniors learn how to talk on camera and then record a ten minute video, sharing part of their life story. 

Ontario 

Historic guided bus tour through Perth, Tay Valley Township June 4 


If time travel is possible then become one of the visitors from the future on June 4. Tickets are going fast for this guided bus tour through historic Perth and Tay Valley Township, in celebrating their 200th anniversary. 

Tickets for the full event, which includes the catered lunch, are $30 per person. Also available a limited number of tickets for the luncheon and afternoon speaker portion for only $15 per person. 

Cheques can be made payable to Lanark County Genealogical Society and mailed to Lanark County Genealogical Society, Glen Tay Bus Tour Group, P.O. Box 512 Perth, ON. K7H 3K4.  

PayPal option is available. Information is available at: lanarkgenealogy.com. 

The Lanark County Genealogical Society is https://lanarkgenealogy.com/

 Canada 150: NCC approves $630K transformation of vacant Victoria Island warehouse 


The National Capital Commission board has approved a $630,000 plan to restore a stone warehouse on Victoria Island as part of a plan to create "Confederation pavilions" for Canada's 150th birthday. 

NCC board approves victims of communism memorial in Garden of the Provinces and Territories 


A memorial for victims of communism can be built in the Garden of the Provinces and Territories after the National Capital Commission board approved a federal land use request at its meeting Thursday morning. 

To be completed 2019. 

Memorial for More Than 1,000 Fallen Italian-Canadian Workers Unveiled in Toronto 


A memorial honouring more than 1,000 Italian workers who died in workplace accidents in Ontario was unveiled at Villa Charities' Toronto campus today. 

The unveiling ceremony coincides with the International Day of Mourning for workers killed, injured or disabled on the job. 

Bank of Canada announces short list of women being considered for bank note 


The short list in alphabetical order: 

Pitseolak Ashoona (c. 1904-1983) 

Emily Carr (1871-1945) 

Thérèse Casgrain (1896-1981) 

Viola Desmond (1914-1965) 

Lotta Hitschmanova (1909-1990) 

E. Pauline Johnson (1861-1913) 

Elizabeth (Elsie) MacGill (1905-1980) 

Nellie McClung (1873-1951) 

Lucy Maud Montgomery (1874-1942) 

Fanny (Bobbie) Rosenfeld (1905-1969) 

Gabrielle Roy (1909-1983) 

Idola Saint-Jean (1880-1945) 

REMEMBERING OUR YESTERDAYS: Genealogist Bill Gladstone suggests publishing a book is next step after filling in gaps in a family tree 


In genealogy, you either publish your research or it perishes: what other fate awaits your unkempt assortment of files and papers that no one else can sort out or understand? 

Manitoba 

Celebrating Ukrainian migration to Canada

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/our-communities/herald/correspondent/Celebrating-Ukrainian-migration-to-Canada-376993391.html

Did you know 2016 marks the 125th anniversary of Ukrainians in Canada?

The first wave of Ukrainian immigration to Canada began in 1891. 

Alberta

Southminster church gets Historic Designation 


The church, located at 1011 4 Ave. S., has a long history in Lethbridge, and is associated with boom-period religious development in the city. 

Originally known as the third Wesley Methodist Church, it was built between 1913 and 1914 to house the growing Methodist population. Several additions were since made to the building including Wesley Hall in 1914, Southminster Hall in 1950 and Buchanan Chapel in 1961. 

British Columbia 

Maple Ridge cemetery helps local history live on 


About two years ago, Maple Ridge Historical Society president Erica Williams and society chair Brenda Smith decided it was time to share the rich history found inside the Maple Ridge Cemetery with community members 

Antique tractor rebuilt by Canadian history lover 

George Hoffman brought a 1911 Rumely back to life 


A history buff from Surrey, British Columbia needed help from other parts of Western Canada and the United States to bring an antique tractor back to life. 

It took George Hoffman 22 years, but he finally rebuilt a 24-foot, 1911 Rumely steam tractor from scratch 

The North

Franklin Expedition: Exploration of HMS Erebus wreck may reveal more than artifacts 


The eerie video hints at some of the secrets that may lie hidden in the wreck of HMS Erebus. 

In the images shown recently by Parks Canada, there's a seaman's chest and a galley stove lying amid the timbers of the reinforced British wooden warship that was one-half of Sir John Franklin's doomed quest to find the Northwest Passage. 

Canadian Stories this Week 

FamilySearch Wiki 

Have you noticed that the FamilySearch Wiki has been changing? And that it includes the Canada 's Wiki.  

They have modified the following -

the navigation has changed from the right side of the screen to the left

country and state pages are being redesigned for easier use. This redesign will take place as close to the time of the new release as possible, but may not be completed when the upgrade takes place

The URL for the Wiki has been changed for better usability to https://familysearch.org/wiki/en/Main_Page

The upgraded version of the Wiki will be editable in all browsers, including Chrome, and all article will be retained in the new upgraded version of the Wiki. 

I am at the Wiki nearly everyday, and find it very clean and crisp now. The places are very easy to find, and easy to use. Now, if only we would completely fill in the missing pages in the Canadian pages so that everyone could use them. 

But I would like to say "thank you" to the people at FamilySearch for making the Wiki so popular, and they await to hear about your input on the new look and feel of the new Wiki.

Kitchener Public Library Genealogy Fair

This year the library will have Jen Baldwin of FindMyPast and Twitter’s #genchat at the Kitchener Public Library Genealogy Fair in Ontario.

If you are planning to go to the library on Saturday November 5, 2016 as an exhibitor, speaker or vendor, please have your completed application form to them by Monday May 16, 2016. 

You can email your completed form to genealogyfair@kpl.or or fax it to us at 519-743-1261 or send it by post to Sheila’s attention at the address shown on the application form. 

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact them!

The website is http://kpl.org/ 

I also got a reminder from FindMyPast headquarters in Britain this week saying that there are new Canadian records coming next week – I wonder what they be!

Ad that was the week in Canadian news!

This e-newspaper has been - published since April 2012! 

Be sure to tell your friends about us. 

If you would like to subscribe, please send your email to genealogycanada@aol.com 

Publishers Elizabeth and Mario Lapointe 

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

(c) 2016 All rights reserved.
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Monday, April 18, 2016

Canadian Week in Review 18 April 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 

April 13, 1938 Death of Grey Owl 


On this date, Grey Owl--the Englishman who thought of himself as an aboriginal, and became a best-selling author, lecturer, and a pioneer in the world’s conservation movement--died. 

As a child, he had been fascinated by tales of the Canadian wilderness that he had read about as a child, which was in sharp contrast to his own life growing up in England. He decided to leave home, and come to Canada.

He was a popular columnist and author, and it was only after his death that people came to realize that he was really Archibald Stansfeld Belaney from Hastings, England, born September 18, 1888. 

For further information, go to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grey_Owl 

April 15, 1945- British-Canadian Liberation of Bergen-Belson death camp 

In April 1`945, toward the end of the Second World War, the allies of Britain and Canada entered the Bergen-Belson concentration camp, to free the Jews sent to the camp by the Germans. 

After negotiations, the camp was declared a neutral zone, and the Allies forces entered on April 15. The combined British forces, augmented by Canadians, entered the camp, only to be horrified at what they found. 


Social Media 

(Audio) Fredericton rejects heritage-area subdivision restrictions 

Fredericton council has voted against more stringent rules for subdividing properties in the Saint Anne's Point heritage preservation area.

Council unanimously rejected the bylaw changes, which would have prohibited the creation of lots with less than 35 metres of frontage in the area of Saint Anne's Point. 

(Audio) Brent's Grist Mill to become future site of 'pasture for bees' 


Brent's Grist Mill, a run-down heritage site in Kelowna, British Columbia, dates back to 1871. 

The property, though, is about to get some fresh seed and become a sanctuary for wild pollinators like bees and butterflies, thanks to a partnership between the City of Kelowna and UBC-Okanagan. 

Newspaper Articles 

Nova Scotia 

Documenting clan history  


Curt Speight, an Amherst man, was recently made an honorary friend of the Clan Maclean Heritage Trust for the work that his company, Amherst-based IR Mapping, did mapping the family’s Scottish history.

Engage Nova Scotia survey on provincial identity get mixed reaction 


Nova Scotians were surveyed, and 71 per cent of those surveyed said they generally identify with their region of the province first, then the province overall.

Prince Edward Island 

P.E.I.'s Rachelle Gauthier finalist in national storytelling contest 


That's how Rachelle Gauthier describes her Acadian heritage in a moving video she recorded as part of a national contest sponsored by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). 

If you want further information on how to show how research funded by the council is "making a difference in the lives of Canadians" in a three minutes on video or in 300 words, then you can go to the SSHRC website at http://www.sshrc-crsh.gc.ca/home-accueil-eng.aspx.

Ontario 

JOY OF GENEALOGY: Family history can save lives 


April is Health Awareness Month, the perfect time to branch out and create a family medical tree from your family genealogy research. 

The Amateur Genealogist: Municipal Records – Part 1 


Municipalities provided an astonishing variety of records, all of them local (by definition!) and many just loaded with names of people living in that locality. 

Fraser Dunford, who is the Amateur Genealogist, has a new book called Ontario Land Records: a Beginner's Guide, which is available at the Ontario Genealogical Society (OGS) at their e-store at https://ogs.on.ca/ogsnewcart/. There will be a review of the book in the May issue of the OGS Families. 

ANAF: Importance of recognizing Vimy Ridge’s history 


As the anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge passed on April 9, The Vimy Foundation has several events planned to commemorate this historic event in Canadian and world history. 

You can go to the ANAF website for more information at their website at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Army,_Navy_and_Air_Force_Veterans_in_Canada 

Why Canada Is Going to Apologize to India’s Sikhs 


Did you know that the government of Canada will formally apologize next month for turning away hundreds of Indian immigrants from its shores more than hundred years ago?

The event in 1914 is known as the “Komagata Maru incident,” after 376 people, mostly Sikhs from Punjab in British India, were denied entry into Canada. 

The chartered ship they were traveling on was forced return to Kolkata and when it arrived in India, British soldiers killed more than a dozen passengers. 

Exhibition traces the cave carvings made by Canadian soldiers waiting to serve at Vimy Ridge 


Canadian soldiers that were holed up in caves up to 30 metres underground, in a chalk mine, in northern France as they prepared to join the attack on Vimy Ridge in April 1917, they left carvings on the wall which were discovered a number of years ago. 

Now a laser exhibit of the carvings are on their way across Canada, and I have heard that it is in Montreal now, and it will be making it way across Canada this summer. 

Saskatchewan 

Old fire hall among Regina buildings to get heritage protection 


Members of Regina's Municipal Heritage Advisory Committee will meet when they will consider recommendations to add four buildings to the city's list of properties that merit special protection from alterations. 

The four buildings are - 

Old No. 1 Fire Hall which was built in 1920 – 1921. It is located at 1654 11th Avenue (Osler and 11th). 

Frontenac Apts. which was built in 1929 and is located at Location: 2022 Lorne Street. 

Weston Bakery which was built in 1919, and is located at 1377 Hamilton Street (Hamilton and 8th Avenue). 

Somerset Block which was built in 1919, and is located at 1806 Smith Street. 

Canadian Stories this Week  

Library and Archives Canada 

Library and Archives Canada is systematically digitizing the service files of CEF soldiers from World War One, from box 1 to box 10686, which roughly corresponds to alphabetical order. Right now, they have digitized Box 4617 and the surname Hunt. 

Please check the database regularly for new additions, and if you still have questions after checking the database, you may contact them directly at 1-866-578-7777 for more assistance.

Today, 275,299 of 640,000 files are available online via their Soldiers of the First Would War: 1914 – 1918 database at http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/military-heritage/first-world-war/first-world-war-1914-1918-cef/Pages/search.aspx 

On a personal note, my husband, Mario, currently a member of the Canadian Armed Forces, has had the unique opportunity and distinct honour and pleasure to work with these old and fragile (yet, very informative) personnel files at the LAC's Preservation Centre in Gatineau, Quebec. He says that the experience of handling a member's records, and, at times, x-rays and personal mementos within these files, is one he won't soon forget.

Glace Bay Heritage Museum launches new website 

Glace Bay, in the Cape Breton Island, has launched a new website, and the public was invited to the Glace Bay Heritage Museum in the Old Town Hall this past week to celebrate the launch of the museum's new website. 

The two-floored museum holds such things as the Marconi Room, where first Trans Atlantic Wireless Service was established between Table Head in Glace Bay and Ireland in 1907, and The Council Chamber, just to name a few of the exhibits. 

The new website is at http://www.oldtownhallglacebay.ca/ 


A church could become a genealogy centre in Quebec City 

This sounds like a fantastic plan! 

Église St-Jean Baptiste, located on St-Jean Street in the heart of the city, could house a genealogy centre for francophones across North America.

There are approximately 14-million people who are of French-Canadian descent in the northeast United States, besides people from France and all over the world who would be interested in this genealogy oasis in the centre of the city. 

Built in 1881, the church held the last mass last May 2015 because it couldn't afford the $10 million in necessary renovations. Not only do Espace solidaire hopes to open a digital genealogy centre, but also to re-open the closed community spaces and develop a welcome centre. 

The City of Quebec has given the Espace solidaire funds to conduct a feasibility report, and once that is finished (and hopefully the city votes for the development in a positive way), work can begin on the project. 

I will keep you posted! 

And that was the week in Canadian news! 

This e-newspaper has been published since April 2012! 

Be sure to tell your friends about us. 

If you would like to subscribe, please send your email to genealogycanada@aol.com 

Publishers Elizabeth and Mario Lapointe 

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

(c)2016 All rights reserved.
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Monday, February 22, 2016

Canadian Week in Review 22 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 

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. 



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! 

This e-newspaper has been published since April 2012! 

Be sure to tell your friends about us. 

If you would like to subscribe, please send your email to genealogycanada@aol.com 

Publishers Elizabeth and Mario Lapointe 

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

(c) 2016 All rights reserved.
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Monday, February 15, 2016

Canadian Week in Review 15 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 

Louis Riel provisional government

In 1870, Louis Riel established a provisional government at Red River, Manitoba. 

His first resistance was the Red River Rebellion of 1869–1870. The provisional government established by Riel ultimately negotiated the terms under which the modern province of Manitoba entered the Canadian Confederation. 

He is frequently referred to as the "Father of Manitoba".


First free public library opened in Guelph

In 1883, Ontario's first free public library opened in Guelph. 

In 1832, the first Guelph circulating library began operation in the backroom of a store on Wyndam Street. Eighteen years later, on January 14, 1850, the Farmers' and Mechanics' Institute in Guelph was established, with a small book collection and a reading room for the use of the members. 

In 1882, the Free Libraries Act was passed, allowing municipalities to establish libraries supported by local taxes. The Mechanics' Institute handed over its assets to the Guelph Free Public Library on February 10, 1883, and Library's services were made available to all residents.


Social Media 

(Photos) HANTS HISTORY: Feb. 11, 2016 


Here's a look at what was making the news 25 and 50 years ago in the Hants Journal 

Upcoming Canadian Events 

Conferences 

New! 2018 Ontario Genealogical Society Conference 

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

Stay tuned for further developments. 

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

This year's Gene-O-Rama will be held April 1–2, 2016 at the Confederation Education Centre, 1645 Woodroffe Avenue, Ottawa, Ontario (at the corner of Hunt Club Raod & Woodroffe Avenue. 


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

UNLOCKING THE PAST 2016 

The international genealogy conference, UNLOCKING THE PAST 2016, will be held on Saturday, April 23, 2016 at the The Beach Club Resort, Parksville, British Columbia, and is sponsored by the Qualicum Beach Family History Society in British Columbia. 

The featured speakers will be Colleen Fitzpatrick and Chris Paton. Registration is now open at http://www.eventbrite.ca/e/international-genealogy-conference-unlocking-the-past-2016-tickets-18765135024, and 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 have been announced this past week.

Registration is 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 

Nova Scotia 

Amherst Bank of Montreal building to be torn 

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/heritage-building-bank-montreal-demolition-1.3442710

The Bank of Montreal building in downtown Amherst will be coming down after all.

Town council had given it a three week reprieve in January so the Heritage Trust of Nova Scotia could come up with an alternative proposal.

Colchester Historeum continues to make history

http://www.trurodaily.com/News/Local/2016-02-11/article-4433922/Colchester-Historeum-continues-to-make-history/1

The Colchester Historical Society is celebrating Nova Scotia Heritage Day during the grand reopening of the Historeum on Monday. 

Prince Edward Island 

Stanley Bridge history sought from residents  


Have a story about life in Stanley Bridge, P.E.I.? The local historical society is holding a history circle Monday, Feb. 15, and will record stories about the area, preserving them for future generations. 

New Brunswick 

New Brunswick to celebrate Heritage Week Feb. 8-15 


New Brunswickers are encouraged to celebrate Heritage Week 2016, Feb. 8-15.  

Starting today, more than 100 community and school events have been organized throughout the province. 

Historic Saint John courthouse faces sale after city rejects offer  


The New Brunswick government is now free to put the historic Sydney Street courthouse up for sale after Saint John council rejected the possibility of acquiring the building. 

The courthouse, which was completed in 1829, has been vacant since the opening of Peel Plaza more than two years ago. It has received national, provincial and municipal heritage designations. 

Quebec 

New map shows how Montreal's 68 Metro stations got their names  


Taking a ride on the Montreal Metro also means taking a trip back through Quebec history. 

At least that's how it looks on a new map assembled by Gilles Laporte, a history professor at Cégep du Vieux-Montréal and lecturer at l'Université du Québec à Montréal. 

Ontario 

JOY OF GENEALOGY: Pursuing your ancestors’ amorous activities in time for Valentine’s Day 


Ah, February – the month of love. And the perfect time to find out more about your ancestors’ amorous activities 

Former home of Japanese Canadians interned during war could be torn down

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/former-home-of-japanese-canadians-interned-during-war-could-be-torn-down-1.3442821

An old hotel building that once housed dozens of Japanese Canadian men working in an internment camp in southwestern Ontario during the Second World War could soon be demolished.

Local heritage experts say 55 men stayed at the old Eatonville Roadhouse in 1942 and 1943, after they were relocated by the Canadian government from British Columbia during the war. 

Manitoba  

Human rights museum launches outdoor exhibit at Festival du Voyageur 


The Canadian Museum for Human Rights unveiled its first outdoor exhibit at Festival du Voyageur on Thursday. 

The exhibit, Let Them Howl: 100 Years in the Women's Rights Struggle, features 12 portraits of Canadian women who helped break down gender barriers. 

Saskatchewan 

Annual Archives Week in Saskatchewan reminder history is important 


This week is annual Archives Week in the province and Carman Hart said archives are extremely important.

"What we keep in archives is primary sources; it's irreplaceable," he said.

British Columbia 

Tips for how to trace one's family history, from a genealogical expert 


Mapping one's family tree and discovering one's ancestors can be a thrilling experience, says a Surrey genealogical expert.

"You're on a path to discovery that doesn't stop — one thing leads to another and it's really hard to put that down. It can even be described as an addiction," said Laurie Cooke, the branch manager of the Cloverdale branch of the Surrey Public Library. 

Canadian Stories this Week 

Heritage Day and Family Day

February 15th is Family Day in some parts of Canada, and Heritage Day in other parts of Canada. They are provincial holidays, but they aren't federal holidays.

The following provinces – Ontario, Alberta, and Saskatchewan have Family Day, which is on the third Monday of February, and in the provinces of Manitoba, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, the holiday is Louis Riel Day in Manitoba, Heritage Day in Nova Scotia, and Islander Day in Prince Edward Island. 

FindMyPast

News come to us from Christine Woodcock, who attended RootTech 2016 earlier this month in Salt Lake City, that FindMyPast has entered in a partnership with the Library and Archives Canada (LAC) to put on the census returns onto their site.

Please keep it in mind that the census is already on the LAC site free of charge. And for those who like to cite sources – all the information is there.

The LAC website is http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/census/Pages/census.aspx

Festival du Voyageur releases program for 2016 winter celebration

Festival du Voyageur released its 2016 lineup of musical acts and performers last Tuesday morning. 

This annual winter celebration of Métis and voyageur culture runs started February 12 until February 21st. 

The festival is rolling out a new, themed-tent this year. The Université de Saint-Boniface Portage Tent will be open both weekends of the festival and will host a Karaoke Night, as well as a board game night.

Market Days will see merchants set up tables and sell their wares under a tent on February 20th.

There's an entire day of fiddling and jigging planned for Louis Riel Day (Feb. 15), and the usual snow and ice sculpting, traditional arts and trades and crafts demonstrations, snowshoe workshops, and tours will also be on offer.

The website is at http://festivalvoyageur.mb.ca/

And that was the week in Canadian news!


The Canadian Week in Review (CWR) is e-newspaper has been published since April 2012! 

Be sure to tell your friends about us. 

If you would like to subscribe, please send your email to genealogycanada@aol.com 

Publishers - Elizabeth and Mario Lapointe 

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

(c)2016 All rights reserved.
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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! 

Be sure to tell your friends about us. 

If you would like to subscribe, please send your email to genealogycanada@aol.com 

Publishers Elizabeth and Mario Lapointe 

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

(c)2016 All rights reserved.
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