Canadian Genealogy News (CGN) 06 August 2015

Here are some news items which have come across my desk this morning -

If you are going to be at the Fergus Scottish Festival this coming weekend, the Wellington Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society is going to have a display there. 

Look for them in the area near the Avenue of the Clans.

Be sure to drop by the tent and see if Sheila, Catherine or Phyllis can assist you with your family research questions.

If you wart to see the good work that the Branch does, go to http://www.wellington.ogs.on.ca/index.html 

If you want to see the events at the Fergus Scottish Festival, go to http://www.fergusscottishfestival.com/

Meanwhile, Christine Woodcock who conducts tours of Scotland, will also be there. She will be helping out with Scottish research, specifically on the ScottishPeople Website at http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/

The Library and Archives Canada people have written that their project partner, Canadiana.org, recently has added the following digitized microfilms to the Héritage website. 

Please note that the titles have been translated for convenience, but the records are still in the language of origin. Searching in the original language will improve search results.

For further information, go to http://thediscoverblog.com/2015/08/05/latest-digitized-microfilms-on-the-heritage-portal/

In addition, most of these microfilms are not indexed, and it would be nice if they could give the links to the microfilm right in the web posting. In that way, all we would have to do is press on a particular title and go straight to the microfilm. 

Meanwhile, happy researching!

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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/2015/08/canadian-news-in-review-cwr-03-august.html

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

Canadian Genealogy News (CGN) 26 July 2015

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

There's always something new to see at Brantford's Canadian Military Heritage Museum.

There is going to be a rare German minenwerfer, or "mine launcher" that will be the centre of the open house that will be held Sunday, 02 August 2015 from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. The mine launcher was one of two captured by allied forces at Vimy Ridge in the First World War.

As well as free admission to the museum, the open house will include a performance by Brantford Pipes and Drums, historical re-enactors, 1812 cannon displays and machine gun firing. 

To see what is available go to http://www.cmhmhq.ca/

On Monday August 3, 2015 at the Ottawa Locks, Rideau Canal, 1 Canal Lane, Ottawa, come and enjoy the events that will take place by the Ottawa River. The Ottawa Genealogical Society will be there.

In honour of 400 years of Francophone presence in Ontario, the celebrations will feature Voyages 400! programming highlighting the shared traditions of Francophone and Aboriginal cultures in the region.

Bytown Days wraps up August 3rd, with the 20th Annual Colonel By Day, featuring costumed characters and free interactive activities: processions, demonstrators, exhibitors & entertainment. Bytown Days is your PASTport to Ottawa’s By-gone days!

For further information, go to http://www.ottawafestivals.ca/event/bytown-days/

Ever wondered how basketball got it's start in Almont, Canada? 

It was a Canadian Dr. James Naismith who invented basketball. Born in the Ottawa valley town of Almonte, province of Canada on November 6, 1861, James Naismith was orphaned at a very young age and was raised along with his older sister Annie and younger brother Robbie by his uncle and aunt.

He eventfully moved to Springfield, Massachusetts, but you can read about his early life in Canada at the Library and Archives Canada at their blog at http://thediscoverblog.com/2015/07/24/james-naismith-his-early-formative-years-in-canada-leading-to-the-invention-of-basketball/. 

The title of the blog is James Naismith: his early formative years in Canada leading to the invention of basketball.

Extra news items 15 July 2015

Here are some news items which have come across my desk this morning -

The news comes to us that the Samuel Holland map of Prince Edward Island which dates back to 1765 is on display at the Confederation Centre in Charlottetown.

The exhibit is called Imperial Designs: Samuel Holland's 1765 Map and the Making of Prince Edward Island and will be at the Centre until January 2016.

The website is at http://www.confederationcentre.com/en/exhibitions-current-read-more.php?exhibition=102

The Holland 250 website is at http://www.samuelholland250pei.ca/book

A newspaper article by Joy Neighbours entitled THE JOY OF GENEALOGY: When you unearth a family secret, tells us to be careful what we do with the subject and explores the effects that family secret have on genealogy.

To read the article, go to http://www.insidetoronto.com/news-story/5731234-the-joy-of-genealogy-when-you-unearth-a-family-secret-be-careful-what-you-do-with-it/

The Library and Archives Canada has posted a blog on the subject of do you want to know who your first French ancestor was and when he or she left France and arrived in Canada? Are you curious about your French origins?

If so, their website is a great place to begin your research. Here you will find a page dedicated to genealogical research on the French. This page provides you with historical information, archival documents and published material from the Library and Archives Canada collection, as well as links to other websites and institutions.

Library and Archives Canada holds a vast collection of census material at , from 1666 to 1916, in which you can find names of your French-Canadian ancestors http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/immigration/history-ethnic-cultural/Pages/french.aspx

Until next time, this is what crossed my desk this morning.

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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 -


News has come to me that the Memorial to the Victims of Communism in Ottawa—first reported to our readers here in http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2015/02/canadian-week-in-review-09-february-2015.html (the story appears under Stories of the Week)—has turned out to be an ever-changing saga.

I understand from the latest news is that the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada, Heritage Ottawa, and two architects are taking the National Capital Commission’s decision to begin decontamination of the site for the Memorial to the Victims of Communism to court.

Hmmm, this could changes things a bit, doesn't it?

This is right behind last week's meeting that the National Capital Commission had with interested parties to show them some of the changes that had been suggested to the design of the memorial, such as -

 - that the five folded sheets of steel called “Memory Folds,” will reach up eight metres, not 14.3 meters high

 - that the foot bridge (Bridge of Hope) will be five metres high, down from 11, and there will not be a proposed elevator inside

 - that the whole project will be farther back from Wellington Street, and it will be settled or “nestled” behind a natural earth berm. Apparently, this would reduce its visibility on the street view

But it will still be located in front of the Supreme Court, next to the Library and Archives Canada, and won't be moved to the Gardens of the Provinces park across the street from the Library and Archives Canada that was its original site.

The Library and Archives Canada has released studies of photographs that you may interesting -

These photographs of Oscar Peterson and his family which were taken in 1944 is at http://thediscoverblog.com/2015/06/26/oscar-peterson/.

Also, there is Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Tour of Western Canada – Visit to Jasper National Park, which was commissioned as a trip across the country.

His trip can be viewed at http://thediscoverblog.com/2015/06/25/sir-arthur-conan-doyle-tour-of-western-canada-visit-to-jasper-national-park/

It has been suggested by Fin Armsworthy, the Municipality of the District of Guysborough councillor, that the town of Canso, Cape Breton, may be interested in hosting The Never Forgotten National Memorial, which was first reported to our readers in the June post under the title of Is the Never Forgotten National Momument going to be built?

You can read  the post at http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2015/06/is-never-forgotten-national-momument.html

When a meeting is held July 8, Armsworthy intends to bring it forward to the rest of the members, and ask for public consultations to have it construed at Canso.

Stay tuned for future developments.

Until next time, this is what crossed my desk this week.

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Canada Day Contest

This year, for the annual Canada Day Contest sponsored by the Canadian Week in Review, the skill-testing question is -

This year, Canadians celebrate the birthday of Canada's first prime minister, Sir John A. Macdonald. The question is - When was his birthday, and where was he born? Hint: Like a true immigrant, he wasn't born in Canada!

One winner will be drawn from the correct entries.

The lucky contestant will get a free consultation with me in which they will be told of some of the places they can look to hopefully discover the year in which their Canadian ancestor immigrated to Canada, or some other detail.

The contest will close at the end of Canada History Week at midnight on Wednesday, 07 July 2015.

Place 'Canada Day Contest" in the subject of the email to genealogyreserch@aol.com

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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/2015/06/canadian-week-in-review-cwr-29-june-2015.html
 
It’s the ONLY news blog of its kind in Canada!

LAC will hold a Town Hall meeting

The Library and Archives Canada (LAC) is holding a Town Hall meeting on June 1, 2015 between 7:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. at 395 Wellington Street, Ottawa. They are interested in hearing from clients that currently use, or plan to use its services onsite, on the website or by telephone - that means genealogists!

It is limited to a maximum of 100 persons, and will be allotted on a first come first serve basis. The email to reserve a seat is by email: rsvp@bac-lac.gc.ca, and you should register by May 22, 2015.

I won’t be going to the Town Meeting but my husband will, and it will be interesting to see what will be discussed.

In the meantime, the transcript of the speech that was given by Dr. Guy Berthiaume, Librarian and Archivist of Canada to the Friends of the City of Ottawa Archives on April 30th called Something old, something new: access and the heart of LAC's mandate is at http://news.gc.ca/web/article-en.do?mthd=tp&crtr.page=1&nid=973169&crtr.tp1D=970

The website for the LAC is at http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/Pages/home.aspx

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SPECIAL OFFER!!!!!!!!!

Need help in finding your Canadian ancestors?

As a nod of the hat to the Ontario Genealogical Conference being held in Barrie, Ontario from May 29 to May 31, may we take this opportunity to offer a month-long discount on our research and consultation services of 15% (ends 11 June at midnight).

Just go to Elizabeth Lapointe Research Services at www.elrs.biz, or send an email with the subject "special" to genealogyresearch@aol.com to see how I can help you find that elusive Canadian ancestor!

 

Research Tip! If you want a place to start your genealogy research, read “What to do First” at http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/genealogy/how-to-begin/Pages/what-to-do-first.aspx 

 

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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/2015/05/canadian-week-in-review-11-may-2015.html

 

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

 

UPDATE! LAC adds more service files online

As of today, 155,110 of 640,000 service files are available online, and you can see them by going to the Soldiers of the First World 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/canadian-expeditionary-force.aspx.

Library and Archives Canada is digitizing the service files systematically, from box 1 to box 10686, which roughly corresponds to alphabetical order.

The latest digitized box is #3518, which corresponds to the surname “Gilbert”

Please visit the Digitization of the Canadian Expedition Force Service Files at http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/military-heritage/Pages/digitization-cef-service-files.aspx for more details on the digitization project.

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SPECIAL OFFER!!!!!!!!!

Need help in finding your Canadian ancestors?

As a nod of the hat to the Ontario Genealogical Conference being held in Barrie, Ontario from May 29 to May 31, may we take this opportunity to offer a month-long discount on our research and consultation services of 15% (ends 11 June at midnight).

Just go to Elizabeth Lapointe Research Services at www.elrs.biz, or send an email with the subject "special" to genealogyresearch@aol.com to see how I can help you find that elusive Canadian ancestor!

 

Research Tip! Please note that over the years, the content of some boxes of the Soldiers of the First World War; 1914-1918 has had to be moved and, you might find that the file you want, with a surname that is supposed to have been digitized, is now located in another box that has not yet been digitized. You should phone the LAC at 1-866-578-7777 for more information.    

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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/2015/05/canadian-week-in-review-11-may-2015.html

 

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

100th anniversary of the poem In Flanders Fields

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

In Flanders Fields, John McCrae (1872-1918)

The year 2015 marks the 100th anniversary of the poem In Flanders Fields, which was written by Canadian physician Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae amid the horrors of the Second Battle of Ypres in May 1915.

The Library and Archives Canada (LAC) has honoured McCrae by releasing a blog posting  about the poem – how it was never really proven how it got printed in Punch in December 1915 (did he send it or someone else send it, for example).

The LAC has one of the copies on hand at the archives, and you can see the copy if you go to the blog at http://thediscoverblog.com/2015/04/30/100th-anniversary-of-the-composition-of-the-iconic-poem-in-flanders-fields/

Additionally, the Royal Canadian Mint has minted 1,500 5 oz. Fine Silver Coloured Coin to honour Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae and the poem.

You can visit the McCrae’s home in Guelph at http://guelph.ca/museum/?page_id=186plus, there will be a statue of him unveiled on June 25th in Guelph.



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-27-april-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

BRAVO! The LAC has listened …

Attestation Paper for Thomas Cussons, regimental no. 675270, Canadian Expeditionary Force personnel files, RG 150, accession number Accession 1992-93/166, Box 2057 – 51; (http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/military-heritage/first-world-war/first-world-war-1914-1918-cef/Pages/image.aspx?Image=073302a&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fdata2.archives.ca%2fcef%2fgat1%2f073302a.gif&Ecopy=073302a); accessed 15 April 2015); Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa, Canada.

The Library and Archives Canada (LAC) today released the latest news on digitizing the First World War Service files. Not only did they say that 143,613 of 640,000 files are available online via their Soldiers of the First World War: 1914-1918 website, but for the first time, they have released the surnames of the soldiers that they have digitized. 

Thank heavens! It was a never-ending guessing game whether I should go ahead and request a file, and go to the LAC and take photos of the record, or view it online. I never knew which I should do.

But I had written to them a month ago and asked them if they would tell us where they are on the digitizing scheme of things, and now they have. So bravo to the LAC!

The latest digitized box is #2057, which corresponds to the surname Thomas Cussons. I looked up the name, and it is there – the full service record!

So, hopefully, this little addition to the LAC blog will make a difference to researchers out there. Now I must write a letter of “Thanks” to the people who are working on the boxes.

The website for the First World War Service files is http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/military-heritage/first-world-war/first-world-war-1914-1918-cef/Pages/canadian-expeditionary-force.aspx



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. 

Digging Into the Past: Family History in Canada

In this podcast, genealogy consultants Sara Chatfield and Richard Lelièvre from Library and Archives Canada, discuss genealogy research.

The podcasts explore what genealogy is, what is involved, how to start, suggest resources to use and how Library and Archives Canada can help you with your genealogy research.

Subscribe to their podcast episodes using RSS or iTunes, or if you don’t want to listen to the podcasts, but prefer to read a transcript of the conversation, it is online at http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/news/podcasts/Pages/family-history-canada.aspx

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.

Ever been to the 'library' at the Library and Archives Canada?

Have you ever been to the ‘library’ of the Genealogy and Family History Room on the third floor of the Library and Archives Canada building at 365 Wellington Street, Ottawa? 

 

If you haven’t been there, why not stop in the next time you are in Ottawa? It has many books in it's stacks that may interest you in your pursue of Canadian family history.  

 

They recently received more books under the following headings, such as - 

 

Family Histories 

 

Le grand rassemblement...: familles Zéphirina Dupuis, Aquila Dupuis, André-Joseph Dupuis: généalogie et biographie by Francine Dupuis Loranger 

 

Mes ancêtres Laroche et Desrochers by Lyne Laroche 

 

The Melanson story: Acadian family, Acadian times by Margaret C. Melanson 

 

Une famille, un village, un pays : les Gagnon, les Bergeronnes, le Québec by Rodolphe Gagnon 

 

Ethnic and Local Histories 

 

Cartes mortuaires. Les Éboulements et Saint-Joseph-de-la-Rive by Alain Anctil-Tremblay, Jean-Philippe Tremblay 

 

Cimetières La Malbaie by Alain Anctil-Tremblay, Jean-Philippe Tremblay 

 

Cimetières Les Éboulements, 1733-2010 et Saint-Joseph-de-la Rive, 1932-2010 by Alain Anctil-Tremblay, Jean-Philippe Tremblay 

 

Familles Caron d'Amérique: répertoire généalogique by the Association les familles Caron d'Amérique 

 

Généalogie des familles acadiennes de l'Île-du-Prince-Édouard (volume 5) by Jean Bernard 

 

Gravestones of Glengarry (volumes 10 to 14) by Alex W. Fraser

To see what hours they are open, or to ask a question, go to http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/genealogy/Pages/introduction.aspx

 

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.

 

Irish Research

 A good place to start researching the Irish who came to Canada, is the Library and Archives Canada site at http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/immigration/history-ethnic-cultural/Pages/irish.aspx 

 

They say that ‘Canada's most recent census returns list the Irish as the fourth largest ethnic group in Canada with almost four and a half million Canadians claiming either some or full Irish lineage. Indeed, this bond between Canada and Ireland has been in existence for centuries’.

At this site, they have the Genealogy and Family History section, where they list under the headings of Research at Library and Archives Canada, Research in Published Sources, and Research at Other Insitutions and Online sources that may hold answer to your Irish research. 

So if you have Irish anscestors, this may be a good place to start your Irish research.

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 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.

Library and Archives Canada - online survey

 

Sylvie Tremblay, Manager, Online Content of the Library and Archives Canada (LAC), has sent out the following press release -

‘Library and Archives Canada is conducting a usability study of our to gather information about how visitors use our website. This study includes a question about digital content available on the LAC website. Please note that the identity of respondents is strictly confidential’.

The study can be accessed at: http://fluidsurveys.com/surveys/lacbac01/lac/ until March 6^th.

If you have any questions about the study, please contact: webservices@bac-lac.gc.ca.

So I took the survey, and found that they asked very good questions, such as how did you find the LAC website and what (records) were you searching for today?

The questions caused me to think, and the two things that I would like to see added would be the 1851, 1861 and 1871 agricultural census and the vast collection of newspapers that they have onsite. Whether they will accommodate my wish list remains to be seen.

What did you think of the survey? What would you like to see in the future as far as digital content is concerned? Are there questions that they should have asked, and didn’t?

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.
           
        

Want to see Canadian industrial artwork?

Today I came across some beautiful Canadian artwork that was put out there in form of posters from the Empire Marketing Board (EMB) that existed in the county from 1926 to 1933.

It was set up by the government to promote intra-Empire trade and to persuade consumers to 'Buy Empire'. It was later replaced by the Imperial Preference which was a proposed system of tariffs ot free-trade agreements between the countries of the British Empire. 

There were more than 800 poster designs produced and displayed in train stations, schools, shops and factories. The EMB visited schools, managed a library, produced around 100 films, as well as organized lectures, radio broadcasts and exhibitions.

Now some of the poster has been put online at the LAC Flickr page at https://www.flickr.com/photos/lac-bac/sets/72157649863392650/#

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/canadfian-news-in-review-16-february.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.