Canadian Week in Review 20 February 2017

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

This Week in Canadian History

No items this week.

Social Media

(Photos) Canada 150: 15 historic dates every Canadian should know
http://www.yorkregion.com/community-story/7035842-canada-150-15-historic-dates-every-canadian-should-know/

How well do you know Canadian history?

(Video) Leduc No. 1: Seven decades ago, a single oil well changed Alberta history
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/leduc-oil-discovery-anniversary-oil-boom-history-1.3980331

The ground rumbled when grease-covered roughnecks opened creaking valves, and a mix of crude oil and gas spewed flames 15 metres into the air.

Seventy years ago Monday, on a sleepy farm near Devon, Leduc No. 1 struck a rich deposit of oil and forever changed the course of Alberta history.

(Video)'Secret Alberta': New documentary brings Amber Valley back to life
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/secret-alberta-new-documentary-brings-amber-valley-back-to-life-1.3968766

To her ancestors, it was the Promised Land.

To Myrna Wisdom, it was home.

Though few traces of Amber Valley still exist, the forgotten town about 100 km north of Edmonton was once a thriving all-black settlement of homesteaders. 

Newspaper Articles

Nova Scotia

N.S. pardons late Mi'kmaq leader: 'He was the first to stand up for us'
http://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/n-s-pardons-late-mi-kmaq-leader-he-was-the-first-to-stand-up-for-us-1.3287955

Gabriel Sylliboy died feeling like he failed his Mi'kmaq people.

The grand chief launched a fight for aboriginal rights after being charged with illegal hunting in the 1920s, but the courts of the era dismissed the notion that a 1752 treaty gave Sylliboy any rights.

It would take another six decades before those rights were recognized by the courts.
 

Stellarton lines up events to mark Heritage Day
http://www.ngnews.ca/news/local/2017/2/16/stellarton-lines-up-events-to-mark-heritage-day.html
 

The Town of Stellarton will celebrate Nova Scotia Heritage Day with a sledding party, music, hot chocolate and snowshoeing. 

Pier 21 exhibit honours unit's Great War service
https://www.localxpress.ca/local-arts-and-life/pier-21-exhibit-honours-units-great-war-service-534666 

On March 25, 1917, the black soldiers of No. 2 Construction Battalion left Halifax for Europe to serve in a non-combat labour unit. To mark the anniversary of the unit's departure, the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 teamed up with the Black Cultural Centre for Nova Scotia to create the temporary exhibit called No. 2 Construction Battalion. It opens Thursday and runs till May 1. 

Sewer work in Amherst unearths collection of antique bottles
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/antiques-glass-bottles-history-amherst-1.3973647

Nancy Allen was struck by a wave a curiosity when she looked into a freshly dug hole in her lawn. Down near her sewer line were dozens of objects covered in years worth of muck and dirt — she wasn't sure what they were, but she wanted a closer look. 

Prince Edward Island 

Former PEI convent is born again as a luxury hotel
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/industry-news/property-report/former-pei-convent-is-born-again-as-a-luxury-hotel/article34009618/

On a recent visit to her former Notre Dame convent, Sister Elizabeth Dunn surveys the dramatic transformation that’s under way here at the cherished downtown landmark.

Sold to developers in 2014 and midway through a $9-million renovation, the 19th-century heritage building is set to open this spring as a luxury boutique inn and apartment suites in the heart of Prince Edward Island’s capital.

Quebec

The McCord Museum pays tribute to Montreal's leading families
http://www.thesuburban.com/arts_and_entertainment/arts/the-mccord-museum-pays-tribute-to-montreal-s-leading-families/article_4984e11e-efc3-11e6-ae72-6396331e642e.html

To mark Montreal's 375th anniversary, Sun Life Financial and the McCord Museum are partnering to give everyone a chance to experience "Our Amazing Families: Three Centuries of Quebec Documents and History", a textual records holding enhancement project that will spotlight the economic, social and family history of Quebec.  

Ontario

Outreach project seeks stories of First World War veterans
http://www.insidetoronto.com/community-story/7085031-outreach-project-seeks-stories-of-first-world-war-veterans/

When Private Henry Agassiz signed up to serve in The Great War in 1916, his proud portrait joined those of more than 2,200 of his fellow enlistees from T. Eaton Company’s Toronto store on the flagship’s walls. 

'Downton Abbey' castle may have been backdrop for Canadian history
http://www.ctvnews.ca/world/downton-abbey-castle-may-have-been-backdrop-for-canadian-history-1.3287735

For “Downton Abbey” fans, Highclere Castle remains a lasting reminder of the popular British television drama and the Crawley family’s struggle to adapt to a rapidly changing world of telephones, gramophones and women’s rights.

But for Canadians, the Victorian country house may have been the setting of a historic meeting that altered the course of Canada’s history.

Black History Month
http://theargus.ca/orillia-2/2017/black-history-month-shades-of-resistance/

The Lakehead University Student Union-Orillia presents Black History Month: Shades of Resistance, a period dedicated to celebrating and highlighting black students and black folks within Lakehead and the community at large. 

Canada history: Feb 15 1965- Canada finally gets its own, wonderful, flag
http://www.rcinet.ca/en/2017/02/15/canada-history-feb-15-1965-canada-finally-gets-its-wonderful-flag/

Canada is still a relatively young country, but our national flag is even younger. At 52, the Canadian Maple Leaf is now one of the most recognized flags in the world. 

Canada’s red and white Maple Leaf Flag was raised officially for the first time on this date February 15, 1965.  

How an Ontario couple is telling Black Canadians' stories — and setting Canadian history straight
http://tvo.org/article/current-affairs/shared-values/how-an-ontario-couple-is-telling-black-canadians-stories--and-setting-canadian-history-straight

When Camille and Roger Dundas launched ByBlacks.com, they wanted to provide a platform for celebrating Black Canadian history, and to amplify the stories of Black Canadians' contributions to their communities.  

Manitoba 

History Matters: No female homesteaders need apply

http://thestarphoenix.com/opinion/columnists/history-matters-no-female-homesteaders-need-apply

On April 30, 1910, Manitoba Conservative MP William J. Roche stood in the House of Commons and asked Interior Minister Frank Oliver whether he had ever given “serious consideration” to the idea of “permitting ladies … the privilege of homesteading.”  

Manitoba museum using social media to solve history mystery
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/pioneer-village-museum-photos-facebook-1.3971489

A Manitoba museum is taking to Facebook to get help solving a history mystery.

The Pioneer Village Museum in Beausejour, Manitoba is scanning photo negatives from the early 1900s and posting them on Facebook hoping to find out who is in them and even where they were taken.  

Original Indigenous place names collected in Manitoba
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/indigenous-place-names-manitoba-1.3968249   

Some people might know Pekwachnamaykoskwaskwaypinwanik Lake, located south of Red Sucker Lake near the Ontario border, for its trout fishing but others might recognize it for its long Cree name.

Pekwachnamaykoskwaskwaypinwanik translates to "where the wild trout are caught by fishing with hooks."  

Alberta 

Celebrating Black History Month in Red Deer
http://www.rdnewsnow.com/article/526984/celebrating-black-history-month-red-deer

A sign once hung in the window of a downtown Red Deer café near the old train station and Windsor Hotel.

‘Whites Only’ it read.  

Museum celebrates Black History Month
http://lethbridgeherald.com/news/lethbridge-news/2017/02/12/museum-celebrates-black-history-month/

The Galt Museum and Archives was the site of a celebration of African and African-Caribbean culture Saturday as the cty came together in honour of Black History Month.

Paul Tokode, one of the event organizers, said the event was intended to showcase African and African-Caribbean culture in the Lethbridge community.  

Saskatchewan 

Saskatchewan Archives Week comes to an end
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatoon/saskatchewan-archives-week-2017-1.3977871

A picture may be worth a thousand words, but the story behind a photograph may not be known unless a record of it is kept.

That's where archivists come in.

Saskatchewan Archives Week is coming to an end after celebrating the history of the province and the people in it.

British Columbia 

How the Douglas-fir tree put Vancouver on the map
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/how-the-douglas-fir-tree-made-vancouver-1.3968058

Long before Vancouver's Shangri-La and Harbour Centre defined the city's skyline, giant evergreen trees towered over those who dared step foot inside the rugged wilderness.

The Douglas-fir was king

Museum gets Canadian world-war exhibit
http://www.kelownacapnews.com/news/412056563.html?mobile=true  

A special commemorative exhibition, From Vimy to Juno: Canada in France 1914-45, opened Jan. 27 at the Okanagan Military Museum.

This national travelling exhibition explores the connections between defining moments in Canadian history and the experiences of Canadians who fought in both world wars. From Vimy to Juno was developed by the Juno Beach Centre, Canada’s only museum on the D-Day Landing beaches in Normandy, France. 

Canada Stories this Week 

Update on the Digitization of the Canadian Expeditionary Force Personnel Service Files

This past week there was more good news from the Library and Archives Canada in that 404,164 of 640,000 files are now available online. 

The latest box digitized is Box 6831 and last name McGee.

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

The website is http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/military-heritage/first-world-war/personnel-records/Pages/personnel-records.aspx

Be sure to tell your friends about us. 

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

Publishers Elizabeth and Mario Lapointe 

Sponsored by Elizabeth Lapointe Research Services. To learn more about the research services offered by ELRS, go to www.elrs.biz The email is genealogyreserch@aol.com 

(c)2017 All rights reserved.

60th annual Manitoba Threshermen's Reunion & Stampede

This year, an unique show will be held at the 60th annual Manitoba Threshermen’s Reunion & Stampede from today until the 27th of July at Austin, Manitoba.

They will be commemorating the First and Second World Wars in displays, exhibits, and musical performances in the “Manitoba’s Military Heritage”. It will commemorate the impact of the 100th Anniversary of the First World War and the 75th Anniversary of the Second World War on Manitoba farms, families and communities.

The feature attraction will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience that includes many unique features such as

•Manitoba’s largest assembly of operating vintage military vehicles, including 1 of 2 operating First World War era Sherman tanks in Canada and a motorized First World War field ambulance

• Live daily presentations of Life in the Trenches for a First World War soldier at 11 am and 3:30 pm

• Displays of the current and heritage capabilities of Canada’s Armed Forces from 1 RCHA and 2 PPCLI from CFB Shilo.

• Exhibits on important Manitoba military sites, people and units stationed in Manitoba

• Daily fashion show of military uniforms and civilian dress from the war years at 4 pm

• Musical performances from the RCAF Air Command Band (Friday and Saturday) and the PPCLI Regimental Drum Line (Saturday only)

Go to their website at http://ag-museum.com/

You can go to the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/mbagmuseum

Parish registers: Manitoba

Heritage Canada has put more digital records online, and one of the records that you may find helpful are the parish records for Manitoba. 

Government registration of vital statistics (baptism, marriage and death) for Manitoba did not begin until the late 1800s. In this collection can be found parish registers and other church records from various churches in the province of Manitoba. 

There are three microfilm rolls - 

H- 1344

H-1812

H - 1813

 

Make sure that you read the first few pages before you start you search. It looks like they in alphabetical order, but in case you do not find the person you are looking for, you will have to go page by page to see if the person is there. Many of the records include the people of the Red River Settlement. 

To go to the records click on the website http://heritage.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.lac_mikan_115731

UPDATE: Canada GenWeb Updates Cemeteries

The following cemeteries have been updated in Alberta, Manitoba, and Prince Edward Island -

ALBERTA

Beaver:

- Kinsella God's Acre Cemetery

Edmonton:

- Westlawn Memorial Gardens & Edmonton Crematorium

Smoky Lake:

- Victoria Park Cemetery

MANITOBA

Armstrong RM:

- Immaculate Heart of Mary Roman Catholic Cemetery

Emerson Town:

- Emerson Cemetery

Franklin RM:

- Friedensthal Lutheran Cemetery

- Ridgeville / South Ridge Cemetery

Rhineland RM:

- Rosenfeld Village & District Community Cemetery

PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND

Queen's County:

- North Wiltshire United Cemetery

All on the cemeteries on Canada GenWeb have been indexed and photographed by volunteers.

Pass along your thanks to Patricia Green & Marilyn Whiting for their help indexing. And to Olga Steinke, Cheyenne Kepke, Patricia Green, Marilyn Whiting, Jim Spence, and Elizabeth Warwick for their photographs.

Go to the website http://canadacems.blogspot.com/2013/06/alberta-manitoba-prince-edward-island.html

UPDATE: Alberta, Manitoba & Saskatchewan Cemeteries

GenWeb Canada has put on the following updates –

ALBERTA

Barrhead:

- St Anne Roman Catholic Cemetery

Ponoka:

- Bismark Lutheran Cemetery

MANITOBA

Brokenhead RM:

- St Mary's Roman Catholic Cemetery

Lansdowne RM:

- Arden Cemetery

Westbourne RM:

- Gladstone Cemetery

Winnipeg City:

- Chapel Lawn Memorial Gardens

SASKATCHEWAN

Birch Hills RM:

- Holy Trinity Cemetery

Corman Park RM:

- First Saskatchewan Cemetery

- Kirilowka Cemetery

- Memorial Cemetery

Insinger RM:

- Theodore Cemetery

Torch River RM:

- Corner Lake Cemetery

To go to the above cemeteries, click on to
http://canadacems.blogspot.ca/2013/02/alberta-manitoba-saskatchewan-update.html

GenWeg Canada recognizes the following people, who do this work for free. They are Flora Stewart, Patricia Green and Julia Adamson for their help indexing. Flora Stewart, George Fedyck, Gloria MacDonald, Gordon Neish, Linda Doran, Patricia Green, Roy Hermanson, and Wayne Sys for photos.

Ancestry.ca Puts on Web: Manitoba, Birth Index, 1866-1912

The key word here is “Web” Search. It means that Ancestry. ca has put on the index from online vital statistics from libraries, local governments, genealogical societies, universities and genealogists from all over the country.

They have put on 476, 200 birth records from Manitoba.

Ancestry.ca says that they make it easier to “find records from many of these content publishers. To help you find genealogy information wherever it exists, we summarize basic information from freely-available web records and provide a link to the original site where you can view the full record, including any associated images”.

If you want like to ckeck these records, go to http://search.ancestry.ca/search/db.aspx?dbid=70599

The Manitoba government declared in 2003 that The Vital Statistics Act was to provide unrestricted access to the following records

Births more than 100 years ago

Marriages more than 80 years ago

Deaths more than 70 years ago

In particular, the index gives you the first and last names of the person, the date of birth, and the place of birth.

You can order the record from the full birth registration from The Vital Statistics Agency for a fee.

Go to the website http://vitalstats.gov.mb.ca/Query.php

Manitoba to Put Local Histories Online

Here is an exciting resource that will be available tomorrow -

“MORE than 200 local Manitoba history books are only a mouse click away, thanks to a project headed by the Manitoba Library Consortium and Manitoba Historical Society, with funding from the Winnipeg Foundation.

The local histories, covering Manitoba communities from Altona to Zbaraz, bring 100,000 pages' worth of digitized Manitoba history to the website www.manitobia.ca.

Also included on the site, designed as a resource for students, teachers and researchers, are digital copies of dozens of Manitoba newspapers going back to 1871, as well as historical photos and maps.

The site will be launched Feb. 11 at 2 p.m. at the Manitoba Legislature Reading Room”.

A great day for genealogists!

Is Your Conference Listed on Conference Keepers?

Jen Baldwin of the website Ancestral Journeys of Colorado has a website that is offering to list your conference (for FREE).

I checked the International Conference site to see if there were any Canadian Conference, and there are conferences there for British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, and Manitoba.

To have your Conference listed, you can connect Jen by filling out a contact page at http://conferencekeeper.weebly.com/contact-us.html

Release of a New Version of the Census of the Northwest Provinces, 1906 Database

This notice was just received by me from the LAC –

“Library and Archives Canada (LAC) is pleased to announce the release of a new version of the Census of the Northwest Provinces, 1906 database.

In 1906, the Canadian government called for a special census of the Prairie Provinces (Manitoba, and the two newly created provinces of Saskatchewan and Alberta) in order to track the high rates of population growth in Western Canada.

Previously, users could search only by geographical information such as province, district and sub-district. It is now possible to also search by nominal information such as name, given name (s) and age for an individual.

This research tool contains 802,442 records that are searchable by name”.

You can go to www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/census/1906/Pages/1906.aspx

Manitoba Heritage Tattoo & Festival

On Saturday, October 27, 2012, at 1:30 PM, there will be over 250 participants from across Manitoba who will be at Westman Place, Keystone Centre, in Brandon to perform at the Manitoba Heritage Tattoo & Festival.

The tattoo will feature the Winnipeg Police Pipes, Drums and Dancers, Rusalka Dance Ensemble, RCMP Drill Squad, Sagkeeng's Finest, Brandon University Symphonic Band, and Brandon University Massed Choristers.

There is also an exciting evening featuring the musicians of the RCAF Band's Celtic, Dixieland, and Jazz Ensembles, on Friday October 26th 7:30 pm at Knox United Church. Tickets are $12, and available at the door.

For more information, go to www.mbhtattoo.ca

Lucille Campey Will Be at The BIFHSGO Conference

Just got a note from Geoff Campey, the husband of Lucille Campey, a lecturer at the BIFHSGO conference in September, and a special speaker at Toronto, also in September.

She will be in Canada to talk about her latest book in her series "The English in Canada" with title Seeking a Better Future - The English Pioneers of Ontario and Québec published recently by the Dundurn Group, Toronto.

In Toronto, she will be giving a public lecture about English emigration to Ontario and Quebec on Thursday 20th September at 7.30 pm at the Blessed Sacrament Parish Hall, 24 Cheritan Avenue, Toronto. For more information,call 416.482.4909 or info@crht.ca

John D. Reid at www.bifhsgo.ca/cpage.php?pt=62 has just interviewed Lucille, and I listened to it this morning.

She talked about her three lectures at the BIFHSGO Conference next month www.bifhsgo.ca/cpage.php?pt=22, and one of the lectures will be about the 200th Anniversary of the Red River Settlement in Manitoba, and it sound interesting.

Another lecture that she will give will be on the Highlanders who settled in Glengarry County in Eastern Ontario, and in other parts of Ontario.

Her website has been updated www.englishtocanada.com

French-Canadian Societies

Marc-Amable Girard (1822–1892) was the second Premier of the Western Canadian province of Manitoba, and the first Franco-Manitoban to hold that post.

There are lots of French-Canadian societies in Quebec, but did you know that there are French-Canadian societies in other parts of Canada? French-Canadians—as they expanded westward across Canada—settled in villages, towns, and cities in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta.

Ontario

In the 2006 Canadian census, there were 488,815 French-Canadians in Ontario. They make up 4.1 per cent of the province's total population.

They are mainly concentrated in Eastern Ontario (in the cities of Ottawa, Cornwall, and towns in-between), Northeastern Ontario (in the cities of Sudbury, North Bay, and Timmins), and in Toronto, Windsor, Penetanguishene, and Welland.

There is Le Réseau du patrimoine franco-ontarien (RPFO) at http://rpfo.ca. This is a collection of over 30 French-Canadian societies in Ontario. Some sites are bilingual(F/E), while others are strictly in French, but they all have good information.

Manotiba

The majority of Franco-Manitobans (about 90%) live in the Greater Winnipeg area. There are Franco-Manitoban centres in Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes, St. Claude, St. Pierre-Jolys, Ste. Anne, Ste. Rose du Lac, La Broquerie, Lorette, St. Laurent, Somerset, and St-Lazare.

The Manitoba Genealogical Society www.mbgenealogy.com covers all linguist groups in the province.

There is also The Manitoba Historical Society at www.mhs.mb.ca, and the Centre du patrimoine, Société historique de Saint-Boniface at http://shsb.mb.ca in which you can access the library database (in French), and the Voyageur contracts database (in French).

Saskatchewan

French-Canadians make up about 2 per cent of the population of Saskatchewan, and live in the cities of Regina, Saskatoon, Prince Albert, and Moose Jaw. They also live in small towns such as Gravelbourg, Albertville, Duck Lake, Ponteix, Zenon Park, and Bellegarde.

Saskatchewan Genealogical Society www.saskgenealogy.com This society has 20 branches throughout the province, and covers the many peoples (including the French-Canadians) who settled there. Also, check La Société historique de la Saskatchewan at www.societehisto.com They have many published books such as La trace des pionniers, and offer a quarterly journal.

Alberta

The French-Canadians are centered in the Bonnie Doon area of Edmonton, in the towns of Bonnyville, Plamondon, and St. Paul in the northeast, and in the settlements of St. Isidore and the Municipal District of Smoky River No. 130, including the towns of Falher, Donnelly, McLennan, and Girouxville, as well as in north-central Alberta.

La Société généalogique du Nord-Ouest www.sgno.ca is located in Edmonton, and they have been a society since 1991. They have a very inclusive research library.

Tomorrow Post: Canadian Archival Societies

Quilt Genealogy

In the Winnipeg Free Press yesterday, there was a story about the Buhler Gallery off of the main lobby/food court of St. Boniface General Hospital, Winnipeg.

They have a new showing of a quilt display called Quilts: Past and Present.

The quilts are on loan from the Manitoba Crafts Museum and Library, and one of the exhibitors is Heather Lair, an acclaimed fabric artist from Gimli, Manitoba.

Lair says that "She has a piece of advice if you've got an heirloom quilt: Interview old-timers in your family who can recall details about its making, and keep the 'quilt genealogy'".

To read the story, go to http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/entertainment/arts/quilts-evoke-warmth-comfort-and-a-sense-of-community-132370098.html
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Be sure to read tomorrow's blog New/Improved Canadian Websites and Blogs Week 9

Icelandic Emigration Center at Hofsos, Iceland

It has been 15 years since the Icelandic Emigration Center opened. Is is estimated that between 20 to 25% of the total population of Iceland emigrated to North America in the early 1900s.

Nelson Gerrard, a write from Eyrarbakki, Manitoba has been in Iceland this summer assisting in answering genealogical inquiries, and in helping at putting together exhibits at the Emigration Center.

He specializes in recording the history of Icelandic emigrants in North America, and his books include Icelandic River Saga and The Icelandic Heritage, and he is currently researching Gimlunga Saga, a 3-volume history of pioneers in the Gimli area.

The museum is at http://en.hofsos.is/, and their email is hofsos@hofsos.is

In Canada, Gimli, Manitoba was where many of the Icelandic people settled, and there is the New Iceland Heritage Museum (NIHM). It was founded in Gimli in 1973.

There is archival photos and local history research material, free audio tours, and there is the Gimli Webcam.

Go to the website http://nihm.ca/museum/about.html. You can contact them at nihm@mts.net

Red River Colony

On Thursday, Library and Archives Canada (LAC) released a new version of the online database Immigrants to Canada. They have added 4,000 names to the database. Settlers who went to the Red River Colony (or Selkirk Settlement) in Manitoba are found in the Thomas Douglas, Earl of Selkirk fonds (MG 19 E1). The database celebrates the 200th Anniversary of the foundation of the Colony.

The database can be found at http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/immigrants-canada/index-e.html

If you want to read more about the Red River Colony, there are some websites you can go to -

The Red River Colony: Lord Selkirk has a Plan
http://www.canadiana.ca/hbc/stories/colony1_e.html

The MÉTIS & THE RED RIVER SETTLEMENT
http://firstpeoplesofcanada.com/fp_metis/fp_metis_redriver.html


Red River Colony
http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/scotsandcanada/redrivercolony/index.asp

FamilySearch Looking for Volunteers!

FamilySearch International is going to make the indexes to the 1861, 1871, and 1916 census available online for free with the help of online volunteer indexers, and an agreement with Ancestry.ca.

The press release says that "Online volunteers are needed to help transcribe select information from digital images of the historical documents into easily searchable indexes."

The completed indexes will be available for free at <www.familysearch.org>.

If you want to become a volunteer, you can start right away by registering online at <familysearchindexing.org>, by downloading the free indexing software, and selecting the 1916 Canada Census project.

It will take about 30 minutes to finish one page of the census, and the volunteer has one week to finish it, if need be.

"The 1916 census was selected first because it is the most recent and smallest of the three census targeted in the first place. It included three of the western provinces (Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Alberta), and has about 1.7-million names - so it will not take long to complete," said Stephen Young, FamilySearch Project Manager.

It is interesting that they have picked three personalities known to people, that is; Arthur Gordon Kelly (Art Linkletter), Sir William Samuel Stephenson (real-life inspiration for James Bond), and Elvina Fay Wray (Fay Wray) who appeared in the 1916 census as example of people you can meet along the way to indexing the census - to make it more interesting to transcribe, I suppose.

The Library and Archives Canada (LAC) owns, and is providing the digital images for, the Canada Census Project.

New Website

Every American blog you see today has news from Illya d'Addezio <www.GenealogyToday.com> saying that he will have a new webpage on the free Live Roots website which will be launched October 10th. The site will list the various genealogy databases and publishers' catalogs.

But we already have a free website which highlights some Canadian sites, and it is the Canadian Genealogy Projects Registry!

It was started in the late 1990s and is a part of the Alberta Family Histories Society <www.afhs.ab.ca/registry/index.html>.

There is births, marriages and deaths already online from church records, civil records, newspaper announcements, bibliographies, and directories - to name but a few resources from all over the country.

Immigration, passenger lists, land-related records, and lineages are some other records that are included.

I have used the registry in looking for my Webster ancestry in Kentville, Nova Scotia (and I found their deaths in newspaper listings) and one branch of the family that went to Winnipeg, Manitoba, and I also found them there.

Also check the Brian W. Hutchinson Scholarship while you are there!

It is a scholarship open to all genealogists to Canadians and is worth $500.00 annually to the person to use for book(s) and the cost of tuition in a recognized educational or accrediation/certification program.

The deadline to submit is 31 December, 2008.