Ancestry.com redesigns its site

Although they say in their opening letter, which explains the changes that they have made to their site, it is supposed to be only open to American subscribers, but I found it was open to me – a Canadian.

 

So I went to take a look.

 

And I really like it.

 

They have adjusted the color on the search page, made it more appealing, and it seems to be cleaner than the previous search landing page.

 

I would give them a passing grade on this.

Go to www.ancestry.com 

Apparently they will redesign the Canadian site at www.ancestry.ca in the near future. 

Canadian Week in Review - 23 March 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.

This Week in Canadian History

In 1900, Lord Strathcona's Horse, a unit of 537 mounted troops recruited in Manitoba, British Columbia and the Northwest Territories for the Boer War, sailed to South Africa. It was the third contingent of Canadian troops sent to South Africa.
   For more information, you can read about Lord Strathcona Horse at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord_Strathcona's_Horse_(Royal_Canadians)#South_African_War

Social Media

(Photos) All Saints Anglican Church resurrected in Louisiana
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/all-saints-anglican-church-resurrected-in-louisiana-1.2997306
   For the first 200 years of its existence, it was the All Saints Anglican Church of Granville Centre in the Annapolis Valley. Now it’s Louisiana Church in Abita Springs.

(Video) Building demolitions in Saskatoon draw crowds
http://www.thestarphoenix.com/Building+demolitions+Saskatoon+draw+crowds/10897822/story.html
   Like many others, Life of Pi author Yann Martel was drawn to the corner of Broadway Avenue and 11th ast to watch history disappear.

(Video) Two young men want to save an Alberta grain elevator: ‘It’s part of a disappearing history’
http://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/two-young-men-want-to-save-an-iconic-alberta-grain-elevator-its-part-of-a-disappearing-history
   Since watching the destruction of his own town’s elevator more than a decade ago, Kapcsos has been obsessed with the wooden structures that jutted into prairie skylines in the 1930s and once numbered nearly 1,800 in Alberta alone.

(Video) Bathurst bishop discovers 16th century books in diocese basement
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/bathurst-bishop-discovers-16th-century-books-in-diocese-basement-1.2998627
   Bishop Daniel Jodoin had no idea of treasures hiding in the basement library until flood cleanup. The books appear to be scripture,written in Greek and Latin, and some are bound in lamb skin.

Articles

Nova Scotia

Controversial black heritage poster to be displayed again
http://thechronicleherald.ca/novascotia/1274473-controversial-black-heritage-poster-to-be-displayed-again
   A poster depicting a black slave in chains that was removed from a Shelburne high school after a complaint will be displayed once again.
   The poster was drawn by student Hannah Cameron after a Grade 8 class visit to the Black Loyalist Heritage Site in Birchtown.

Quebec

Souvenir album looks back at Roxboro's 100 years
http://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/west-island-gazette/souvenir-album-looks-back-at-roxboros-100-years
   Long before Roxboro merged to become the borough of Pierrefonds-Roxboro, it was considered the summer destination for wealthy families from Hochelaga.

Ontario

Discovering that Canadians did not invent the painted highway divider
http://www.journalofcommerce.com/Home/News/2015/3/Discovering-that-Canadians-did-not-invent-the-painted-highway-divider-1006338W/
   This article was supposed to be an account of another great Canadian invention — the painted longitudinal road line — but it isn't. I was initially inspired by a web page on the site of Library and Archives Canada

Find haute and history in Toronto’s Distillery District
http://www.qconline.com/business/find-haute-and-history-in-toronto-s-distillery-district/article_9ee37860-dc28-52ad-b425-7c9b26e2d8c5.html
   At the core of the District is the history of the Gooderham and Worts Distillery, whose predecessor company started in 1831. Established in 1837 as a distillery on the shores of Lake Ontario, 50 years later, it had evolved into the largest distillery in the British Empire.

Last box of Frosted Flakes from London, Ont., bound for museum
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/sudbury/last-box-of-frosted-flakes-from-london-ont-bound-for-museum-1.2997479
   The box of Frosted Flakes that the Canadian Week in Review (CWR) reported last week, is now going to the Regional History at Museum in London, Ontario.
   If you wish, you can read the original story in the 16 March 2015 edition of the CWR at http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2015/03/canadian-week-in-review-16-march-2015.html

SD&G Regimental Museum seeks cash to buy artifacts
http://www.standard-freeholder.com/2015/03/16/sdg-regimental-museum-seeks-cash-to-buy-artifacts
   Leon Chamois, curator of the Regimental Museum for the United Counties, addressed counties council on Monday looking for funding to help buy artifacts to keep the museum going.

Manitoba

Canadian History Ehx: The story of Jack McEwen
http://www.sasknewsnow.com/Community/2015-03-15/article-4077817/Canadian-History-Ehx%3A-The-story-of-Jack-McEwen/1
   One of the first people to travel through the area before Grenfell even existed, was a man by the name of Jack McEwen, who came to Winnipeg in 1876, along the Red River Valley.

Take a tour of North End history
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/our-communities/times/Take-a-tour-of-North-End-history-296601311.html
   Local blogger and history buff Christian Cassidy wants to take you on a tour of the North End Winnipeg. He will deliver a presentation titled Wonder Who Lived There? The History of North End Buildings on Thurs., April 16 at St. John’s Library (500 Salter St.) from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Saskatchewan

Thieves steal power tools, Lydia's signs from Farnam Block
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatoon/thieves-steal-power-tools-lydia-s-signs-from-farnam-block-1.2998093
   The Lydia's signs were being preserved for the Saskatoon Heritage Society. It appears the theft happened on Sunday, before the building was torn down.

Restored building serves as reminder of the past
http://www.thestarphoenix.com/Restored+building+serves+reminder+past/10899197/story.html
   A red brick house that was built as a residence for the superintendent of the Forestry Farm Park, at the time it was known as Sutherland Forest Nursery Station (part of the PFRA or Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Program). At one time, the prairie shelter belt program shipped seven million trees annually to farms for shelterbelts, which helped protect land from drought and wind.

Alberta

Where a gated community meets with history
http://calgaryherald.com/life/homes/condos/white-where-a-gated-community-meets-with-history
   When it comes to local history, most people’s first thoughts are probably the Glenbow, Heritage Park, Fort Calgary or Military Museums, maybe places like Stephen Avenue, Inglewood or Kensington. Bet you didn’t guess Currie Barracks!

British Columbia

Squamish, B.C. history: from fur-trappers to homesteaders
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/squamish-b-c-history-from-fur-trappers-to-homesteaders-1.2992888
   Less than an hour's drive from Vancouver, Squamish, B.C. is a community that is growing fast.
   The community has an official plan to grow, renew, and to re-branding itself as Canada's Outdoor Recreation Capital.

Recognizing British Columbia's Chinese Canadian history
http://www.cowichanvalleycitizen.com/living/recognizing-british-columbia-s-chinese-canadian-history-1.1791430#sthash.1hTExFNb.dpuf
   Such was the recent mandate of the Heritage B.C. Legacy Initiatives Advisory Council which advertised, "Do you know a historic place associated with the Chinese community in B.C. that is important to you and your community?

News Stories of the Week

The anniversaries that Canada has celebrated already, for instance, the 50th anniversary of the Canadian Flag in February, will continue for the rest of the year.

April will see the 70th anniversary of the Liberation of the Netherlands, and Canada played a major part in the liberation.

During the Second World War (1939-1945), tens of thousands of Canadian soldiers, sailors and airmen played a key role in the Liberation of the Netherlands, including up to 175,000 Canadian soldiers of the First Canadian Army. More than 7,600 Canadians lost their lives.

You can go to http://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/history/second-world-war/liberation-netherlands where they have a calendar of events in the Netherlands, and a history of the liberation.

And our national game, hockey, (my apologies to the players of Lacrosse) is celebrating its 100th anniversary as an association this year!

The Chateau Laurier, a hotel in Ottawa, was the setting for the formation of the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association. And it was formed to oversee the amateur game at a national level, and the Allan Cup, donated by Montreal banker and steamship line owner Sir H. Montague Allan, C.V.O. in 1908, was selected as the championship trophy of amateur hockey.

You can go to http://www.hockeycanada.ca/en-ca/Corporate/About/History to see when the exhibit will come to your city.

And the Magna Carta is coming to the History Museum of Canada this summer!

As you probably know, it is celebrating its 800th Anniversary (1215-2015) this year, and it along with the Charter of the Forests.

This will be the first time that Canada will have participated in the anniversary by touring the Magno Carta in cities of Ottawa, Toronto, Winnipeg, and Edmonton, beginning in June.

You can learn more about the Magna Carta and Canada’s plans for a momentous celebration of the 800th anniversary, and contribute to the celebration at www.magnacartacanada.ca

Check the Canadian Week in Review every 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/2015/03/canadian-week-in-review-16-march-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

Need help in finding your Canadian ancestors?

Susan I. of Toronto, Ontario says –

"With her wonderful suggestions, including provincial and local archival holdings, books, and local church records, I was delighted to uncover a marriage certificate naming my paternal great, great grandparents and their original county in Ireland.

Elizabeth also mentored me regarding further educational opportunities. I was delighted with her services."

If you do, go to Elizabeth Lapointe Research Services and see how I can help you find that elusive Canadian ancestor. 

The next Canadian Week in Review will be posted 30 March 2015. 

Canadian tourism photos on Flickr

How many photos do you have in your family genealogy of Canadian vacations? Did you know the the Library and Archives Canada has travel photod too, and now are putting some of them on Flickr.

The press release says that -

The concept of Canadian tourism emerged during the early nineteenth century. Improved modes of transportation, such as new railways stretching across the country, facilitated leisure travel and offered people the chance to witness some of the nation’s greatest marvels and modern achievements.

'Photographs were the ideal medium with which to attract potential visitors, and photographers were hired by transportation companies to produce images of majestic scenery that would promote destinations. Later rivaled by amateur picture-takers, eager to create their personal holiday mementos, these photographs were a vital component of the burgeoning tourist industry. The imagery created during this period helped to characterize the country, establishing a sense of national identity by introducing viewers to iconic images of Canadian scenery'.

The website is at https://www.flickr.com/photos/lac-bac/sets/72157650719659971/

And for people who will travel to Ottawa in the coming months, visit the National Gallery of Canada to see the photos exhibit from March 6 to August 30, 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)

Give a VIMY for Vimy Campaign

The 100th anniversary of the Canadian victory at the Battle of Vimy Ridge in France will take place in 2017. 

A foundation called The Vimy Foundation was started in 2006 to honor the remembrance of the battle. They have been involved in producing education resources for thousands of teachers and schools across Canada and been involved in more than 10,000 student ‘pilgrimages’ to Vimy. They also have plans to build a state- of-the-art Education Centre to be unveiled in France on April 9, 2017 on the grounds adjacent to the Canadian National Vimy Memorial. 

The Government of Canada has committed $5 million to the project, but The Vimy Foundation is committed to match that commitment through the generosity of Canadians, and they have come up with a rather unique was that this can be accomplished.

The back of a $20.00 dollar bill has an image of the towering Vimy Ridge battlefield memorial in France, so the foundation is asking Canadians to donate $20 to the VIMY for Vimy Campaign. 

In exchange for your donation, you will receive a Vimy Pin and your name will be added to the list of Vimy 2017 supporters. 

To go to their site, please click https://vimyfoundation.ca/vimy2017

UPDATE: FamilySearch Answers Questions

Yesterday, FamilySearch put 6 questions that they have been asked during the past week as people are getting use to a new way of doing things at the FamilySearch website.

Remember to read the comments also, because sometime they can be helpful too.

So are these the questions that people should be asking? Have you run into things which are missing, or could be better explained?

Go to https://familysearch.org/blog/en to read the questions.

Irish Canadians

Almost 1.2 million Irish immigrants arrived in Canada from 1825 to 1970. By 1867, they were the second-largest ethnic group in Canada and comprised 24% of Canada's population. About one-half settled in Ontario. One-third was Catholic, and two-thirds were Protestant.

While many immigrants came as farmers with such settlement schemes as cheap (or free) land, some of the immigrants came to work on the infrastructure of the country, such as canals, roads, railroads, and in the lumber industry in Ontario.

I have been reading the new book, Researching Your Irish Ancestors at Home and Aboard by OGS member Dr. David R. Elliott, and have excerpted a part of it in the May issue of Families, of which I am the editor.  

This book is written from the point of view of getting your research in order at home before going to conduct research in Ireland.  By using, the approach outlined in the book, it should give the researcher a degree of satisfaction in finding your Irish roots.

This book can be purchased at the Ontario Genealogical Society at http://ogs.on.ca/ogscart/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=1502&zenid=aq9j832c6ok4khsr02obnar5b6

To refresh your knowledge of the Irish in Canada, you can go to the Library and Archives Canada at www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/genealogy/022-905.005-e.html

John D. Reid and Glenn Wright are at WDYTYA Conference

I learned last week that John D. Reid, and Glenn Wright, will give a special 45- minute talk at the Who Do You Think You Are Live genealogy conference in London, UK on Saturday afternoon.

The talk will be entitled Finding English Emigrants to Canada and Their Descendants.

John said that because of the time constraint “it will be a once over lightly” talk, but if you are going to the conference, both John and Glenn hope that you can stop by, and say ‘Hello’.

You can check John's blog at http://anglo-celtic-connections.blogspot.ca, and Glenn is president of the British Isles Family History Society of Greater Ottawa, and their web site is at www.bifhsgo.ca

All information about the event is at www.whodoyouthinkyouarelive.com

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

Genealogy Retailer Has Year-End Sale

My friend, Leland Meitzler of Family Roots Publishing, has just sent out the following notice - a year-end sale offering an additional 20% off all items.

“Family Roots Publishing has more inventory still in stock than ever before at the end of a current year! So – to reduce inventory and keep the company from having to pay taxes on all these books, they are offering an additional 20% off on all purchases between now and 7 pm MST December 31, 2012.

To take advantage of this offer, just put the year – 2012 – in the Offer Code box at checkout.”

And, to encourage sales, FRPC is offering free U.S. shipping on all sales over $75.00.

And this includes my two research booklets - War of 1812: Canada and the Unites States and Migration: Canada and the United States. Both of these booklets are divided into Canadian and American sections, each offering country-specific resource materials, URLs, and explanations on the War and on cross-border migration between these two great countries.

If you have any questions about the booklets, just ask me at genealogycanada@aol.com.

Community Creating History

The Chinese Canadian community is interested in collecting stories so they can let people know about their history in Canada.

This project is designed to connect students, school educators, libraries, and community groups such as genealogists, and historians.

They connect people through web resources such as games, lesson plans, and also historical photos.

To read more about Chinese Canadian Stories, and their collection, read their blog at B.C. Heritage Fair at www.bcheritagefairs.ca/chinese-canadian-stories

Saskatoon Church is on CyArk Digital World Heritage Database

CTV News in Saskatoon reports that the Third Avenue United Church is the first Canadian building being added to the CyArk digital world heritage database.

Read the report at http://saskatoon.ctvnews.ca/church-finds-spot-in-world-heritage-database-1.1055333#ixzz2DYrwcPHX

History of the church is at www.thirdavenueunitedchurch.org/church_history.php

Canadian Premiere at the Morrin Centre, Quebec City

On Sunday, November 25 at 2:00 p.m. at the Morrin Centre, 44, Chaussée des Écossais, Quebec City, the centre will host the Canadian premiere of the documentary “From the Morrin with Love: Canadian Premiere of Everything or Nothing ”. Hilary Saltzman, daughter of the Canadian producer who helped bring Ian Fleming’s secret agent to the silver screen, will answer questions afterwards.

In addition, they will be giving away two pairs of tickets to the movie Skyfall, the 23rd in the James Bond series, showing at the IMAX theatre in Quebec City.

Many more James Bond related surprises await you at this premiere.

The fee is $10.00 per person,and the seats are limited, so reserve yours today!

For more information or to reserve your tickets, visit www.morrin.org, or call 418.694.9147.

The fall season continues to offer a huge selection of activities at the Morrin Centre. Upcoming events include a talk on a love affair that could have changed the course of our city’s history, a presentation on preserving family history through scrapbooking, and a series of interactive readings for children.

To learn more about the inspiration for James Bond, here are two sites which may interest you -

Inspirations for James Bond http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inspirations_for_James_Bond

Harry the Spy: The Secret Pre-History of a James Bond Producer www.vanityfair.com/culture/2012/09/harry-saltzman-bond-secret-spy-life#slide=1 The story of Harry Saltzman and the James Bond movies.

Island Magazine Digitized

In partnership with the PEI Museum and Heritage Foundation, the Robertson Library has digitized the complete Island Magazine collection.

The Island Magazine is being made available on-line for the sole purpose of private research and study. Questions regarding rights and permissions for any other re-use or re-production of magazine content should be directed to the editorial offices of The Island Magazine.

For more information, please go to http://vre2.upei.ca/islandmagazine

Canadian PoW's of War of 1812

Michael Dun has has a website on which he accounts for the British, Canadian, and American PoW's of the War of 1812.

There are some 15,000+ names covered on this website.

For example, in the Canadian section, he takes the book by C.H.J.Snider, Under the Red Jack: privateers of the Maritime Provinces of Canada in the War of 1812, and he gives a brief history of the ship, and lots of names, so it is worth a read.

In the bibliography, beside listing books which may interest you, there is also the Niles Weekly Register from Baltimore which gives an account of the American side of the war, and the Lloyd’s List, which covers the British part of the war.

The site is located at http://www.1812privateers.org/index.html

Aboriginal Records Requested

Researcher and writer Janice Nickerson needs help gathering illustrative examples for a soon-to-be published guide to Aboriginal genealogical research in Central and Eastern Canada.

She will pay $25 per document to anyone who can send me a copy of a civil registration, will or estate record, newspaper Item, school record, land and property record, notarial record from New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, PEI, Newfoundland and Labrador, in which an Aboriginal person is featured, preferably explicitly identified as such.

She also needs non-church documents from Quebec, and newspaper items, school records, or land and property records for Ontario.

She only needs one of each type of document for each province.

The deadline is January 25th.

Please contact Janice directly for details at janice@uppercanadagenealogy.com, or call 416.920.2206.

She can also be contacted by mail at:

Janice Nickerson
Upper Canada Genealogy
Suite 2807, 33 Isabella Street
Toronto, Ontario M4Y 2P7
www.uppercanadagenealogy.com

Happy New Year!

To all our readers, thank you for making 2008 a success for the GenealogyCanada blog and website!

We look forward to bringing you more news on the Canadian genealogy front, and hope you will continue to join us in 2009 and beyond!

Elizabeth

The first question out of Brian Gilchrist——the Reference Archivist of The Region of Peel Archives who was at the Library and Archives Canada yesterday to give the second annual Ryan Taylor Memorial Lecture——was the question, "How savvy a researcher do you think you are?"

And this was just the first of many questions he asked during his lecture, the purpose which was to spur everybody on to evaluate their research - what is the quality of your research?

Do you, as you are supposed to, always work from the known to the unknown? Do you always ask the correct question of fellow genealogists, librarians, and archivists?

Do you think about how many levels there may be to your question? Is there a difference between what you need to know and want to know? And when do you need to know it?

I was reminded of a question that I have had since I started my own genealogy in 1994. That is why my g-g-g-g-grandfather Andrew BARCLAY had listed as his occupation - a bookbinder, and not as a farmer as was his father's business?

He was not the first son, so he did not get the land owned by the Barclay's in Kinrossshire, Scotland ... so was else was he to do? But bookbinding seemed so off the wall at first glance. Why bookbinding?

Through research I found that his grandfather had been a bookbinder in Edinburgh! And that area of Scotland there had been a huge trade in printing, and bookbinding, a profession he would take with him to the United States in c1760.

But maybe the most important question Brian asked through the entire lecture was the one he finished with - "What legacy have we left behind?"

That is perhaps the most important question these days since so many Canadian genealogists over the past three or four years have died. (In our immediate area, there are three nationally-known genealogists—-Sandra Devlin, Ryan Taylor, and Paul McGrath——who have passed on since 2005). Where has their work gone? What has happened to it?

Have you made a provision in your will to give direction to your executive as what to do with your papers, photos, video, and anything else you may have discovered along the way? What will happen to your genealogical "stuff"?

These questions he raised yesterday have made me think. I plan to finish the BARCLAY genealogy over this winter, and post it to the Internet as well do a limited production run of it to give to the Shelburne County Genealogical and Archives in Shelburne, Nova Scotia. I also have photos, certificates, and other family memorabilia which I plan to give to them for safekeeping, and for other people to research.

So, have you done the same thing with the "stuff" you have collected?

Library and Archives Canada (LAC) Releases Second World War Service Files

I have been waiting patiently for the LAC to release the Second World War Service Files of the Canadian Armed War (1939-1945) Dead.

I first found out about the database in the spring of this year, and last week, Sylvie Tremblay, Chief Project Head of the Canada Genealogy Centre, said that they were finally on the website.

Of the 1,159,000 men and women who served in the war, 44,093 died.

If you go to the site at <www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/war-dead/index-e.html> and put in a last name, you will get the date of birth, date on death, and the service number of the member.

If that is not enough information, you can press on the name and — in addition to the information already given — also get their rank, the unit in which they served, what force they were in (army, navy, air force), and the reference and volume numbers of the reference.

There has been some criticism of the database because you won't see the person's address on the record - so if there are two people with the same name, you will need to know the date of death of the person you are researching.

I had two uncles on my father's side (BARCLAY) who were in the war. Luckily, they made it through. My father did go to the depot in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia to join, but was refused because of his knees, and so didn't go to war.

John (Johnnie) was in the Canadian Navy and sailed on the convoy ships during the war, and Perley was in the Canadian Army and fought in Sicily.

I also had two brothers on my mother's side (BLADES) who were in the war. Walter and Arthur were in the Canadian Army in Europe.