Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays

Both Mario and I would like to wish everyone the very best of the Holiday, and the Canadian Week in Review (CWR) will be in your mail box Monday morning, as usual.

 

If you would like to receive the CWR in your mailbox, just subscribe to genealogycanada@aol.com to be added to the mailing list.

 

Merry Chistmas and Happy Holidays!

New Canadian Ancestry.ca

Last night, I received notification from the Canadian arm of Ancestry that they would be changing the landing page and adding some features to Ancestry.ca. 

They said that Ancestry.ca "would appear with new storytelling features and a streamlined design, the new Ancestry site will help Canadians move beyond names and dates, enhancing the stories of their ancestors’ lives. 

A few new features include: 

LifeStory, which uses events, sources and relationships you’ve collected in your family tree to create a holistic, time-based narrative of these moments;

Historical Insights will now appear within your ancestor’s life story, giving you context about the events that impacted their lives; 

Facts and Galleries will transform how you view, arrange and share the details of your ancestors’ lives.

As you begin to explore the updated site, please let us know if you have any questions, or need any help navigating the new features". 

Ancestry.com put on this new landing site and the other features about a month ago. It is clear that they are aiming towards the “new customer” (someone who has never used Ancestry before), and are not placating the “seasoned” researcher to find and improve on their research - those that have already found ancestors.

It would be my fervent wish that Ancestry would improve their search algorithms so that it doesn't give me WHITE instead of WAITE, and Halifax, Nova Scotia instead of Halifax, England, or Halifax, Virginia. I have to use the browse feature instead of the search feature.

Pat Richley-Erickson of Mondays with Myrt, a Google+ Hangout on Air, suggested yesterday that
a clearing house of complaints should be set-up so that we can put our frustrations online, instead of not having them answered by the Ancestry people. 

If you are not a member of her genealogy community on Goggle+, you can go to YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_ap4JKxu58 and view it there. 

I will keep you posted on this development.

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

Check the Canadian Week in Review (CWR) 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/2015/09/canadian-week-in-review-cwr-28.html

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

Canadian Genealogy News 22 July 2015

News come from Ancestry that they now have over 100 years of Canadian Yearbook Records at Ancestry.ca, which means that they digitized yearbooks 1908 to 2010.

So I went on to see if my name was there. I had attended the Shelburne Regional High School, Shelburne, Nova Scotia and Acadia University, Wolfville, Nova Scotia but the books from those institutes weren't there. So I out of luck this time, but as they add more schools and universities, I am sure that I will pop up on the radar.

They do say that is it a collection which "contains 1,355,141 Canadian middle school, junior high, high school and university records from almost 800 institutions across the nation".

Th search the collection, go to http://search.ancestry.ca/search/db.aspx?dbid=60576

Global Genealogy has their annual Dog Days of Summer Sale until the end of July.

I have picked out a couple of books that I want, and I will be sure to order them.

Global Genealogy specializes in Canadian books, and you see them at Canadian genealogical conferences.

Enter the Coupon Code words Summer Sale into the 'Coupon Code' field in the shopping cart when checking out online. The shopping cart will automatically calculate your discount. The Summer sale ends on July 31 at midnight.

Their website is at http://www.globalgenealogy.com

And Salt Lake City record-setting 100,000 online volunteers are expected to participate in the second annual Worldwide Indexing Event.

Scheduled for August 7–14, the event will show how anyone with a computer and Internet connection can help you by making information from historical documents easily searchable online.

And this year they are putting International Language Emphasis in the forefront. Currently FamilySearch.org offers 20 times more searchable records in English than in all other languages combined. To balance this ratio, people with fluency in other languages, especially French, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish, are being sought as indexing volunteers.

Go to https://familysearch.org/indexing/ to get started.

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


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/2015/07/canadian-week-in-review-13-july-2015.html

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

Extra news items

Here are some news items which have come across the desk this week -

For those people who regularly follow the Dear Myrt's Beginning Genealogy posts here every week, there will not be a regular post today. Dear Myrt is attending the New England Regional Genealogical Consortium Conference in Providence, Rhode Island this week. She will return to her desk next week.

If you have not been following my posts, all of the posts are here at http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2015/04/dear-myrts-beginning-genealogy-sessions_9.html

Also, the Saskatchewan Genealogical Society usually has their yearly Conference in the spring of the year. But they have found it impossible to plan one for this year, so they have postponed it until next year – 2016. So keep posted for news as it comes to us.

You have to listen to this!

Essex County Genealogical Society now hold their meeting on a YouTube channel, and the first presentation that they had this week was given by George Pitfield and called Do You Know Your Family?

George always thought that he was English (even had the genealogy to prove it), but a surprising turn in his search that he is full blood Aboriginal – on both sides of his family. All of that English genealogy was wrong. Since then, he has been made an Elder, and has leaned the language of his people. Truly fascinating story!

The YouTube presentation is at http://www.ogs.on.ca/essex/?page_id=165#Apr2015Speaker



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/2015/04/canadian-week-in-review-13-april-2015_13.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.

National Volunteer Week in Canada

National Volunteer Week (NVW) is from April 12 to 18, 2015.

Annually, we spent close to two billion hours a year – the equivalent of approximately one million full-time jobs – in an effort to help out family, friends, and those in need to better our neighbourhoods and communities.

The call for the 2015 nominations for the Prime Minister’s Volunteer Awards was launched on April 13, 2015, and will run until June 30, 2015.

We, at Genealogy Canada, salute all of volunteers of the Canada genealogy community. We have volunteers who take photos of gravestones, who work on the The Ontario Name Index (TONI), who put together our monthly meetings, workshops, and conferences, and who work in our libraries, museum, and archives.

We appreciate what you do for us so that we have records to search, and encouragement to us when we feel that there is nothing left to search to find that elusive ancestors.

A big thank you to everyone. We appreciate all the work that you do.

The website for the National Volunteer Week is at http://volunteer.ca/



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/2015/04/canadian-week-in-review-13-april-2015_13.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.

 

Immigration Photos on Flickr

Canada is a nation made up of people from other countries. The diversity in its population distinguishes it from most other counties, and gives Canadians an unique view of genealogy – we are always looking over the seas for our ancestors.

And the Library and Archives Canada is the keeper of our papers, books, records, and if we want to learn about the different ethno-cultural groups, we can either go to their site at http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/Pages/ethno-cultural-groups.aspx and take a short history lesson of the following immigrants groups - Acadian, Blacks. British, Chinese, Danish, Doukhobors, Dutch, East Indian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Icelandic, Irish, Italian, Japanese, Jews, Mennonites, Norwegian, Polish, Russian, Scottish, Swedish, Ukranian, and Welsh.

Or you can check out the immigration photos on Flickr at https://www.flickr.com/photos/lac-bac/sets/72157650749992889/#



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

If you missed this week’s edition, it is at http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2015/03/canadian-week-in-review-23-march-2015_23.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. 

#MuseumWeek

This week, March 23 to March 29th, Canadian Museums will take part in #MuseumWeek, an online initiative to highlight the amazing things these institutions do on a daily basis.

Each day, museums and galleries from coast to coast to coast will be sharing their secrets, taking us into their archives and showing us things that might not be included in your audio guide – all through Twitter – using the tag #SecretsMW (you can access this by your web. For example, there are some beautiful Van Gogh paintings from the Van Gogh Museum on display). 

To see who the participants are around the world, go to http://museumweek2015.org/en/participants



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

If you missed this week’s edition, it is at http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2015/03/canadian-week-in-review-23-march-2015_23.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.

Notice of MGS Membership Fee Increase

Has your genealogy society increased it’s membership fees this year? How do you feel about this? If they have increased their fees, have they done this because the cost of doing business has become "increasingly expensive”.

 It looks like most Canadian societies have increased their fees by $10.00 a year.

 Well, the Manitoba Genealogy Society is just the latest society to do so.

 Thus, effective April 1, 2015, the beginning of their new fiscal year, the Individual and Institutional fees will be increased from $40.00 to $50.00 per year. The Associate member fee will remain at $20.00. Branch fees are set by the individual branches. They say that they “trust that our loyal membership will understand our financial situation and continue to support the Society”.

To go to the society, go to http://www.mbgenealogy.com/

To go to their Facebook page, go to https://www.facebook.com/pages/Manitoba-Genealogical-Society-Inc/7054423205

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

If you missed this week’s edition, it is at http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2015/03/canadian-news-in-review-09-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.

Canadian News in Review - 09 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 1875, the Hospital for Sick Children opened in Toronto with six beds and one nurse. A group of women led by Elizabeth McMaster rented an 11-room house and declared the hospital open for "the admission and treatment of children."
   To read more, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hospital_for_Sick_Children

In 1888, parcel post between Canada and the United States was established
   To read more, go to http://www.historymuseum.ca/cmc/exhibitions/cpm/chrono/chs1868e.shtml#yr-1881

In 1917, the Alberta Provincial Police Force was established.
   To read more, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alberta_Provincial_Police

In 1939, Trans Canada Airlines, now Air Canada, inaugurated the trans-continental airmail service.
   To read more, go to http://www.lib.uwo.ca/programs/companyinformationcanada/cr-transcanada.htm

Articles

Nova Scotia

Black Halifax project a ‘labour of love’ as African Nova Scotian heritage brought to life
http://metronews.ca/news/halifax/1303550/black-halifax-project-a-labour-of-love-as-african-nova-scotian-heritage-brought-to-life
   Black Halifax: Stories From Here is a new video project and website telling the stories of people, places and events significant to African Nova Scotian history, including Davis, Dixon, Rocky Jones, William Hall, and the 15 ships that left Halifax carrying hundreds of Black Loyalists to Sierra Leone in 1792.

Make the most of a Nova Scotian staycation
http://thechronicleherald.ca/go/1271668-make-the-most-of-a-nova-scotian-staycation
   While many of these events may appear to be designated for tourists and out of province visitors, Patrick Sullivan, CEO of the Nova Scotia Tourism Agency, says that isn’t the case. These events are fpr Nova Scotians, too.

Grade 9 students share African Heritage studies at Academy
http://www.ngnews.ca/News/Local/2015-03-05/article-4067023/Grade-9-students-share-African-Heritage-studies-at-Academy/1
   North Nova Education Centre Grade 9 students went back to elementary school on Thursday, making presentations to New Glasgow Academy students based on their studies during African Heritage Month, which was celebrated in February.

Prince Edward Island

North Rustico gets $446K to promote Acadian heritage
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/north-rustico-gets-446k-to-promote-acadian-heritage-1.2978462
   North Rustico will receive funding to continue developing the town as an Acadian tourism destination.


Quebec

Snowman welcomes guests to Quebec and biggest winter carnival in the world
http://www.dailynews.com/lifestyle/20150302/snowman-welcomes-guests-to-quebec-and-biggest-winter-carnival-in-the-world
   Since it began in 1894, the Carnaval de Quebec has grown into the largest winter carnival in the world. Since then, the inhabitants of New France have enjoyed getting together just before Lent to eat, drink and be merry.

Canadian History Ehx: Looking back at the Grenfell School
http://www.grenfellsun.sk.ca/Community/2015-03-01/article-4061327/Canadian-History-Ehx%3A-Looking-back-at-the-Grenfell-School/1
   The children who were in the community were educated in the Agricultural Hall. This was in 1888 and one year later, council passed an order to form the Grenfell School District. The school would be built on the future site of the United Church.

Ontario

Key genealogy resources for researching your family tree
http://www.insidetoronto.com/news-story/5451559-key-genealogy-resources-for-researching-your-family-tree
   Plenty of resources available in Toronto to help you uncover your family’s past.

TORONTO ROOTS: Into genealogy? Talk to your relatives and join your local family history society
http://www.insidetoronto.com/news-story/5458645-toronto-roots-into-genealogy-talk-to-your-relatives-and-join-your-local-family-history-society
   There are a few key pieces of advice that most of us who take the plunge into researching our family history receive early on: start with what you know and work back in time.

Grimsby receives three Ontario Heritage Awards
http://www.niagarathisweek.com/news-story/5461512-grimsby-receives-three-ontario-heritage-awards/
   John and Josie Dunstall, Allan Smith, and Town of Grimsby recognized.

Manitoba

Winnipeg's human rights museum bans selfie sticks
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/winnipeg-s-human-rights-museum-bans-selfie-sticks-1.2978092
   The Canadian Museum for Human Rights has banned the use of selfie sticks.

Heritage status sought for Armstrong's Point neighbourhood
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/heritage-status-sought-for-armstrong-s-point-neighbourhood-1.2978606
   The City of Winnipeg is looking at giving heritage designations to entire neighbourhoods.

Saskatchewan

Saskatoon says farewell to Lydia's building; Historic Broadway Avenue building set to be demolished
http://cjme.com/story/saskatoon-says-farewell-lydias-building/539382
   The new owners say the century-old brick structure is too expensive to renovate. The building was last home to Lydia's bar.

Alberta

Proposed power line threatens iconic views in southern Alberta
http://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/proposed-power-line-threatens-iconic-views-in-southern-alberta
   The iconic scenery in southwestern Alberta featured in tourism commercials and Hollywood movies could soon be criss-crossed with power lines, according to landowners in the area.

British Columbia

Breathing life into B.C.’s ghost towns
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/breathing-life-into-into-bcs-ghost-towns/article23225716/

News Stories of the Week


MooseRoots.com, an new American genealogy site, hit the airwaves this week, with their PR people saying what an innovate site it is - new and exciting!

As I watched their publicity, I wondered why Canada companies and individuals don’t make a bigger effort to break into the American market, such as the Innovator Summit held at RootsTech every year.

MooseRoots has two Canadian record sets on their site – Canadian World War I Enlistment Records and Canadian World War II Casualties.

These site are already available on other sites like Library and Archives Canada, and Ancestry.com – so it isn’t a big deal, but what about other record sets that can’t be seen right now? What about those local records that haven’t digitized? Who is taking care of them?


Let us see Canada represented at next years Innovator Summit at Rootstech 2016, to be held February 3–6, 2016. To check out the site, go to https://rootstech.org/About/FAQ?lang=eng

That was the Canadian genealogy, history and heritage news in Canada this past week!

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


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

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

It has been a regular post every Monday morning since April 23, 2012.

Need help in finding your Canadian Ancestors?

Michael D. from Florida says that “Ms. Elizabeth Lapointe is an experienced professional with a broad-based detailed knowledge of the available genealogical documentary resources, together with an understanding of the colonial and modern history, economy, and sociology of the French and English aspects of Canada. For a client, she is both a teacher and a guide into the field of genealogy."

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

Great service. Reasonably priced.

Website: www.elrs.biz

 

The next Canadian Week in Review will be posted 16 March 2015

Canadian Week in Review 02 Mar 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

1917 Women in Ontario win right to vote in provincial elections. On December 6, 1921, at the age of 31, Agnes Macphail became the first woman to sit in the House of Commons.

For more information, go to http://www.cbc.ca/history/EPISCONTENTSE1EP12CH3PA1LE.html

On February 24, 2013, the City of Vancouver, British Columbia, unveiled a plaque at the former site of Hogan’s Alley, officially recognizing the area’s deep historical ties to the city’s first Black community

For more information, go to http://www.pc.gc.ca/apps/cseh-twih/index_e.asp

Social Media

(Video) Black Halifax’s unseen histories

http://www.thecoast.ca/halifax/black-halifaxs-unseen-histories/Content?oid=4553663

Black Halifax: Stories from Here highlight 14 important historical African Nova Scotian moments
(Photos) Sir John A. Macdonald's gold watch impresses students

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/sir-john-a-macdonald-s-gold-watch-impresses-students-1.2971780

A pocket watch owned by the first prime minister of Canada has proven popular with students at a Summerside school.

New Brunswick

Girl Guides seek memorabilia for Saint John archives
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/girl-guides-seek-memorabilia-for-saint-john-archives-1.2973309
Former N.B. Brownies, Guides and Pathfinders asked for uniforms, photos and other items

Nova Scotia

Creignish stone cottage restoration wins heritage award
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/creignish-stone-cottage-restoration-wins-heritage-award-1.2971559
Settler's descendant reclaims family homestead. Ian MacMaster built what's known as Moidart house around 1801


Broughton ghost town attracts heritage interest
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/broughton-ghost-town-attracts-heritage-interest-1.2968959
Cape Breton heritage group hopes to preserve former mine town

Ontario

Museum of History among local cultural institutions to get a boost in funding
http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/museum-of-history-among-local-cultural-institutions-to-get-a-boost-in-funding
Local museums and cultural agencies will be among the beneficiaries of federal government largesse this year, according to spending plans outlined in the 2015-16 main estimates.

Saskatchewan

A special month for black history in Saskatchewan
http://www.leaderpost.com/life/special+month+black+history+Saskatchewan/10836909/story.html
A pphysician, politician, pharmacist, farmer and publisher: Dr. Alfred Schmitz Shadd was the man whom history records as the first black settler in Saskatchewan.

News Stories of the Week

This week The Stories of the Week is slanted towards the youth of Canada – your talents are wanted!

Canadian Day Challenge 2015

This year, the youth from ages 8 to 18 years across Canada are asked to tell us what makes them proud to be Canadian by submitting their best, most dynamic drawings, photos or pieces of creative writing that represents everything that Canada is as a strong, proud and free nation.

Enter the 2015 Canada Day Challenge for a chance to win great prizes, including all-expenses paid trip for two to Ottawa to celebrate Canada Day on Parliament Hill: go backstage, meet some of Canada’s most inspiring people, tour museums, galleries, the iconic Parliament Buildings and be part of a special summer exhibit at the Canadian Museum of History!

Plus, there’s even more to be excited about this year! Winners will also receive the opportunity to work with the amazingly talented team of education specialists from the National Film Board of Canada to create their very own short films about their adventures in Ottawa.

How cool all of this is. So parents and grandparents, be sure to encourage the young people in your lives to enter the contest. The deadline is coming fast, so be sure to enter before March 20, 2015.

Contact the Office of the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages at 819-997-7788
for further information.

Commonwealth Day

Commonwealth Day  is March the 9th, and the theme this year is 'A Young Commonwealth'.

"A Young Commonwealth recognises the capacity, contribution and potential of young people, who play a vital role at the heart of sustainable development and democracy," said Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma, announcing the theme.

"The Commonwealth is also a family of dynamic countries at the forefront of innovation, growth and contributing global value. As a diverse and increasingly connected global network, we bring fresh perspectives and new ideas.”

Find out about youth events taking place throughout the year at thecommonwealth.org/ayoungcommonwealth

That was the Canadian genealogy, history and heritage news in Canada this past week!

 

The next Canadian Week in Review will be posted 09 March 2015

Glossary of Newfoundland terms

Ever wonder what bye-boats are? What a fishing room is? Or a Planter?

You may have come across these terms when you were doing Newfoundland and Labrador genealogy, and were unfamiliar with them, but these are words that have been used in Newfoundland speech over the years.

Now there is a glossary of terms on the Newfoundland and Labrador Heritage site at http://www.heritage.nf.ca/glossary.html which can help you.

Of course, you should also visit Newfoundland’s Grand Banks at http://ngb.chebucto.org/, and Family History of Society of Newfoundland and Labrador at http://www.fhsnl.ca/

By the way, a bye-boat is an inshore fishing boats owned and operated by fishers annually migrating as passengers from England, a Fishing room is the waterfront area from which a fishery was conducted (and each family had their own 'room' as soon as they arrived from the British Isles or Europe in the spring), and a Planter was a settler in Newfoundland, rather than a migratory fisherman, who supported himself through the inshore boat fishery.

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/2015/02/canadian-week-in-review-23-february-2013.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.

Canadian Week in Review 23 February 2013

 

 

 

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 1932, following a 48-day manhunt, Albert Johnson, known as the Mad Trapper of Rat River, was shot dead by the RCMP in the northern Yukon.

For more information, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Johnson_(criminal)

In 1881, the Canadian Pacific Railway was incorporated.

The Ontario Genealogical Society is celebrating the CPR this year with their conference held in Barrie. The CPR was the not only operated a railraod in Canada, but operated ship’s that transvered the Atlantic Ocean 1884-1915 and they brought immigrants to Canada.

For more information, go to http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/canadian-pacific-railway/

Social Media

PHOTOS: Grain elevator moves down Manitoba back roads to museum
http://globalnews.ca/news/1839539/photos-grain-elevator-moves-down-manitoba-back-roads-to-museum/
The grain elevator was moved from a family farm to the Pembina Threshermen’s Museum.

Video: From the CBC archives: Festival du Voyageur in the '70s
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/from-the-cbc-archives-festival-du-voyageur-in-the-70s-1.2956898
With the 2015 Festival du Voyageur underway in St. Boniface last weekend, the CBC looked back at the annual Franco-Manitoban celebration in the early 1970s.

Newfoundland

Stephenville to mark U.S. heritage with 50th anniversary festivities

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/stephenville-to-mark-u-s-heritage-with-50th-anniversary-festivities-1.2956197
The U.S. pulled out of Stephenville in 1966, but the legacy of the Ernest Harmon Air Force Base is still present through the culture, architecture and landmarks of the town.

New Brunswick

Exhibit celebrates 50-year history of provincial and national flags

http://www.sackvilletribunepost.com/News/2015-02-14/article-4044366/Exhibit-celebrates-50-year-history-of-provincial-and-national-flags/1
50 Years of Our Flags: Canada & New Brunswick, on display starting on Sunday, Feb. 15, at Government House in Fredericton. from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., and each weekday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. until March 27.

Ontario

Tree shows how my family has evolved over 300-year period
http://www.insidehalton.com/opinion-story/5334548-tree-shows-how-my-family-has-evolved-over-300-year-period/
A keen interest in family tree research among local residents is evident to me based on the number of inquiries I have received about how my tree has progressed.

Snowbirds, including first flag seamstress, party in Florida for 50th birthday

http://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/news/national/snowbirds-including-first-flag-seamstress-party-in-florida-for-50th-birthday-1.1760386#sthash.VtBdXtIr.dpuf

Five decades ago, a young Joan O'Malley was summoned by her father one snowy November night to sew Canada's first Maple Leaf flag.

Manitoba

Legislative Library receives collection of rare books

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/legislative-library-receives-collection-of-rare-books-291634241.html
Manitoba Heritage Minister Ron Lemieux has announced the donation of 27 books, a gift of the Manitoba Historical Society, at the downtown Manitoba Archives.

Saskatchewan

Knock ‘Em Down

http://www.planetsmag.com/story.php?id=1825
The historic Farnam Block in Saskatoon is headed towards being torn down, as a filed demolition permit suggests at least the possibility of the buildings coming down.

Alberta

Grande Prairie’s francophone heritage gets spotlight

http://www.dailyheraldtribune.com/2015/02/12/grande-prairies-francophone-heritage-gets-spotlight Along with the mayors from Moncton, New Brunswick and Lafayette, Louisiana, Quebec City Mayor Regis Labeaume is on a mission to shine a spotlight on cities that are historically, culturally and linguistically connected to French North America.

British Columbia

Opposition mounts to block new B.C. mine as town shuns its coal-mining heritage

http://news.nationalpost.com/2015/02/13/opposition-mounts-to-block-new-b-c-mine-as-town-shuns-its-coal-mining-heritage/
Built in the 1890s atop one of the richest coalfields in coastal British Columbia, the ground below the village’s downtown is criss-crossed with hundreds of now-flooded mining tunnels. 

News Stories of the Week

Cliff Seibel of CanadianHeadstones.com is looking for Cemetery Photos! He has put various Canadian Facebook queries out there this week,  and if you or anyone has headstone photos that they would like to share with Canadian Headstones, but you don't have the time to upload and transcribe them, let the people at Canadian Headstones know. Although they would prefer complete cemeteries, any contributions would be appreciated. Cliff also accepts photos of churches – new and old.

RootsTech, like last year, was about stories, and Dennis Brimhall, Chief Executive Officer, FamilySearch International debuted the Museum of Me, which is all based on the story of you. Apparently, it is a big hit in Salt Lake City at the Family Search Library. They plan to expand the facilitary to other cities. 

One way to do this too is through the excellent exhibits put on by Canadian libraries. archives, and museums.

For example, the Fredericton Region Museum is now hosting the travelling exhibit, “New Brunswickers and the Great War”. The exhibit commemorates the contributions of New Brunswickers during the First World War and will travel for the next two years.

If you go to visit the exhabit, you learn more about the contributions of their province to the First World War.

The news of the exhibit can be viewed at https://frederictonregionmuseum.wordpress.com/

And they have a Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/FrederictonRegionMuseum

 

And a new exhibit at Conrad Grebel University College (on the campus of the university of Waterloo, Ontario), showcases the work of David Hunsberger, a St. Jacobs photographer well-known for his portraits of the Old Order Mennonite community.

The exhibit, Taking Community From the Farm to the World, features photographs of barn raisings, suppers and candid portraits of Ontario Mennonite communities from the 1950s and 1960s.

The exhibit will close at the end of April. You can go to the Grebel Gallery at Conrad Grebel University College at https://uwaterloo.ca/grebel/mscu-centre-peace-advancement/grebel-gallery

That was the Canadian genealogy, history and heritage news in Canada this past week!

=====

 

 

Need help in finding your Canadian Ancestors?

Michael D. from Florida says that “
Ms. Elizabeth Lapointe is an experienced professional with a broad-based detailed knowledge of the available genealogical documentary resources, together with an understanding of the colonial and modern history, economy, and sociology of the French and English aspects of Canada. For a client, she is both a teacher and a guide into the field of genealogy.

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

Great service. Reasonably priced.

Website: www.elrs.biz
 

 

The next Canadian Week in Review will be posted 02 March 2015.

Canadian Week in Review - 09 February 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 1858, gold was discovered along British Columbia's Fraser River, attracting 30,000 people to Canada's West Coast.
   Read about the Fraser River Gold Rush at http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/fraser-river-gold-rush

In 1873, Winnipeg was incorporated as a city.
   Read about the history of Winnipeg at http://www.winnipeg.ca/services/CityLife/HistoryOfWinnipeg/HistoricalProfile.stm

In 1880, a party of armed men murdered James Donnelly―as well as his wife, Johannah; his sons, Thomas and John; and his niece, Bridget Donnelly―in their farmhouse near the southwestern Ontario village of Lucan, near London, Ontario. Some say that the killings in Ontario were the result of a factional feud originating in County Tipperary, Ireland.
   To read further about the Donnelly murders, read http://www.donnellys.com

And while we've had our share of cold temperatures in Ottawa this winter, the lowest recorded temperature in Canadian history occurred on 3 February, 1947 at Snag, Yukon, when it went down to -62.8º Celsius (-81.04º Farenheit).
   See 10 Coldest Places In Canada at http://www.readersdigest.ca/holiday/christmas/travel/10-coldest-places-canada

Social Media

The Olive Tree Genealogy
Congralutions to Lorine McGinnis Schulze on the 12th blogiversary of her The Olive Tree Genealogy blog at http://olivetreegenealogy.blogspot.com/2015/02/happy-12th-birthday-to-olive-tree.html.
   I think she was the first Canadian to start a blog, and has kept at it now for the past 12 years.
Good job, Lorine! And now it’s on to your 13th birthday!

(Video) The Massey Murder: 100 years later, the tabloid tale still fascinates
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/the-massey-murder-100-years-later-the-tabloid-tale-still-fascinates-1.2944925
   It was the trail of the century, and it took place in Toronto. It involved the shooting of Charles Bert Massey (of the Massey Ferguson farm equipment family) by Carrie Davies, the family maid.

Articles

Nova Scotia

African Heritage Month steeped in history – our history
http://www.cumberlandnewsnow.com/News/Local/2015-02-02/article-4029166/African-Heritage-Month-steeped-in-history-%26ndash%3B-our-history/1
   African Heritage Month this year is themed “Social Justice, Roots of Progress,” and with it the province will turn to its own history, to the 1700s during an era of slavery within the province, as well as the Black Loyalists.

Halifax’s unsung wartime heroes: the Home Guard
http://thechronicleherald.ca/artslife/1266783-halifax%E2%80%99s-unsung-wartime-heroes-the-home-guard
  They are the dozens of black men and women responsible for protecting a big chunk of Halifax’s core during the Second World War, when attacks from Canada’s enemies were not only feared but expected – it was called the Home Guard.

Prince Edward Island

Big rock with 1880s etchings made official heritage
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/big-rock-with-1880s-etchings-made-official-heritage-site-1.2940969
   Sandstone petroglyphs hidden in woods of Bonshaw, Prince Edward Island.

New Brunswick

UNB's Toll of War project is 'propaganda,' historian says
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/unb-s-toll-of-war-project-is-propaganda-historian-says-1.2940076
   The Milton F. Gregg Centre received $488,155 in federal funding for a project to promote Victoria Cross recipients. Some say that the project, Toll of War, has a propaganda tone to it.

Moncton firefighters seek space to display memorabilia
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/moncton-firefighters-seek-space-to-display-memorabilia-1.2946025
   Moncton firefighters are looking for a place to display some artifacts from the department's 140-year history. One of the items is a 1926 fire truck, complete with wooden spokes in its wheels.

Ontario

Getting to the 'root' of family history
http://www.mykawartha.com/opinion-story/5320277-getting-to-the-root-of-family-history
   This is the first of a monthly series of articles on genealogy, written by members of the Kawartha Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society. And the first columnist is the former Executive Director of the OGS – Dr. Fraser Dunford.

John Boyko: The best faces for Canadian banknotes
http://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/john-boyko-the-best-faces-for-canadian-banknotes
   In support of an effort begun a year ago by Victoria’s Merna Forster to have more women, such as the Famous Five, on Canadian money, another person gives his opinion.

City of Toronto to proclaim February as Black History Month
http://voiceoftoronto.com/wp/2015/02/city-of-toronto-to-proclaim-february-as-black-history-month
   The Toronto Public Library will recognize Black History Month with song, film, and literature that celebrate African-Canadian culture.
   On Friday, February 20, from 2 to 4 p.m., the Toronto Reference Library, 789 Yonge Street, will host Toronto’s Poet Laureate, George Elliott Clarke―along with Toronto poets Lillian Allen, Clifton Joseph, and Andrea Thompson―in a discussion called Malcolm X: 50 Years After – Pertinent or Passé?

Black History Month celebrates local talent
http://www.lfpress.com/2015/02/01/black-history-month-celebrates-local-talent
   Shaun Boothe―London native, renowned hip-hop artist, and motivational speaker―often stops by to see his mom, Dorothy Bingham, who still lives in London.

Alberta

Quick lesson in Canadian black history
http://www.mjtimes.sk.ca/News/Local/2015-02-02/article-4029022/A-quick-lesson-in-Canadian-black-history/1
   Black history in Canada dates back to 1605, when the first black person set foot on Canadian soil. His name was Mathiew Da Costa, a free man who was hired as a translator.

90-year-old Lake Louise photo explores Canadian history
http://ottawacitizen.com/life/homes/antiques-90-year-old-lake-louise-photo-explores-canadian-history
   There is a photograph from 1924, taken at Lake Louise, Alberta, which shows Thomas Edmonds Wilson, right, and Walter Dwight Wilcox, and man in traditional garb - Stoney Nation chief, John Hunter.

Stories of the Week

Ottawa is about to alter the physical and cultural landscape of the city by erecting two new moments within the downtown area this year.

One of them, the Memorial to Victims of Communism, has raised concern about the design of the memorial, which is to be placed between the Supreme Court of Canada building and the Library and Archives Canada.

There is an editorial entitled, Move the memorial, which has appeared in the Ottawa Citizen this week at http://ottawacitizen.com/news/politics/editorial-move-the-memorial. It says, “Some quibble with the design, suggesting it’s little more than a boring, aesthetically displeasing pile of concrete flaps”.

Supporters say that Canada is a Land of Refuge, and that the monument will stand as a landmark in recognizing the role Canada has played in offering refuge to the millions that left behind torment and oppression for a new beginning in a free and democratic country.

So what do you think? This site was chosen because of its close proximity to the Supreme Court of Canada, the Peace Tower, Parliament Hill, and Library and Archives Canada.

The other monument is the National Holocaust Monument, called Landscape of Loss, Memory and Survival, to be built across from the Canadian War Museum, down the hill from the Library and Archives Canada.

Roughly 40,000 Holocaust survivors came to Canada from war-torn Europe during the late 1940s and early 1950s. That is a significant number of people, and Canada, it has been noted, is the last of the developed countries to put a such a monument in its capital city.

The website, http://holocaustmonument.ca, notes that the official inauguration of the main elements of the monument is scheduled for the fall of 2015.

To break up the winter in Canada, various committees are hard at work year-round to make sure that we have festivals to attend in February.

So, in addition to the renowned Carnaval de Québec in Quebec City http://carnaval.qc.ca (home of the famous toque- and sash-clad mascot, Bonhomme Carnaval), there is Ottawa's very own Winterlude http://www.ottawafestivals.ca/events/winterlude-2, another world-class winter festival, this one centered around the Rideau Canal, and taking place in both cities of Ottawa and Gatineau (across the Ottawa River, in the border province of Quebec, where it is known as Bal de Neige http://www.canada.pch.gc.ca/fra/1416239267950/1416239373076), which is quite fitting for one of the world's coldest capital cities.

Winterlude is known for its own mascots, the Ice Hog Family (for the Bal de Neige, it's « Les Glamottes », in French)

In St-Isidore, Alberta, their Comité culturel de St-Isidore will present the 33rd Carnaval St-Isidore, which is modeled after Québec City's own famous Carnaval. This year, it will take place from February 13 to 15, 2015. Their mascot is an owl.

For more, visit http://www.carnavaldestisidore.ab.ca/home.php?en

And to wrap it all up this week, the Royal Canada Mounted Police is looking for Canadian young people to name 10 puppies in their Name the Puppy 2015 Contest, To read the rules, visit http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/name-the-puppy-2015-contest-launched-by-rcmp-1.294460

Contestants can enter online or send a letter—with the child’s name, age, address, telephone number, and suggested name—to:

Attn: “Name the Puppy Contest”
Police Dog Service Training Centre
Box 6120
Innisfail, AB T4G 1S8

The 10 children whose names are chosen by the centre’s staff will each receive an 8×10-inch photo of the pup they named, a plush dog named Justice, and an RCMP cap.

The contest is open until March 3rd, and winners will be announced on April 8th.

And that was the week that was in Canadian genealogy, history, and heritage news!

Need help in finding your Canadian ancestors?

Michael D. from Florida says “Ms. Elizabeth Lapointe is an experienced professional with a broad-based detailed knowledge of the available genealogical documentary resources, together with an understanding of the colonial and modern history, economy, and sociology of the French and English aspects of Canada. For a client, she is both a teacher and a guide into the field of genealogy."

If you do need assistance, visit my website, Elizabeth Lapointe Research Services, and see how I can help you find that elusive Canadian ancestor.

Great service. Reasonably priced.

Website: www.ELRS.biz

Email: genealogyresearch@aol.com

And that was the week that was in Canadian genealogy, history, and heritage news!

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!

If you missed last week's post on 02 February 2015, visit http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2015/02/canadian-week-in-review-02-february-2015.html

The next Canadian Week in Review will be posted 16 February 2015.