Canada’s first prime minister records

It has been 200 years since the birth of Canada’s first prime minister, Sir John A. Macdonald, and our interest in him and his life has never diminished. And since we are now celebrating the 200^th anniversary of his birth on January 11th, the interest is higher than normal.

The Library and Archives Canada (LAC) has an extensive and varied collection of records related to him, including a virtual exhibition that includes personal papers, photos, artwork, and publications. Within the LAC’s holdings are over 100,000 letters to and from family and close friends, which gives researchers a rare glimpse into his personal life.

You can listen to a podcast Let us be Canadians: Sir John A. Macdonald at http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/news/podcasts/Pages/sir-john-macdonald.aspx, or you can go to the fonds at http://collectionscanada.gc.ca/pam_archives/index.php?fuseaction=genitem.displayItem&lang=eng&rec_nbr=104008.

If you haven’t done so already, remember to check the Canadian Week in Review 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/2015/01/canadian-week-in-review-05-january-2015.html 

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

2013 as the Year of Korea in Canada

A couple of days ago, I received this announcement from the prime minister’s office -

“Prime Minister Stephen Harper today announced that 2013 has been designated as the Year of Korea in Canada, which aims to highlight Korea's culture, traditions and diversity, and celebrate the contributions of the Korean community to Canadian society.

"Canada and Korea enjoy excellent relations based on 50 years of diplomatic engagement, close personal ties and an important commercial relationship," said the Prime Minister. "It is a privilege to launch the Year of Korea in Canada which will showcase Korea's remarkable culture and traditions and highlight the vibrant relationship our two countries enjoy."

The Year of Korea in Canada will feature a number of cultural and artistic events across the country. Events in Korea will also be organized to commemorate the 60th Anniversary of the Korean War Armistice, including Canada's contributions to help defend the country's freedom.

Read about Canada’s contribution to the Korean War, go to
http://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/history/korean-war