Shuttle Bus Available Saturday and Sunday at 2013 Conference

A local, family-run, bus company, DURHAMWAY, will run a handi-bus shuttle service on Saturday and Sunday during the main people moving hours of the conference. Durhamway is also running the banquet shuttle for those who purchased bus tickets

A different local business will now rent mobility aids (including scooters) during the conference.

The website is
www.ogs.on.ca/conference2013/category/announcement

The conference website is www.ogs.on.ca/conference2013/home

Head of Library and Archives Canada resigns

Daniel Caron, the head archivist of the Library and Archives Canada, resigned Wednesday. He had billed taxpayers nearly $4,500 for personal Spanish lessons.

Caron was appointed head librarian and archivist of Canada in 2009.

To read the complete story, go to www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/story/2013/05/15/pol-library-archives-daniel-caron-resigns-spanish.html

Call for Presentations - Tracing Forward - Searching for Relatives in Recent Times

This came in this morning from Gwyneth Pearce, the publicity person for the Toronto Family History Branch of the OGS -

"This is a quick reminder about a Call for Presentations issued by the Toronto Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society for our planned fall 2013 workshop titled Tracing Forward - Searching for Relatives in Recent Times. The deadline for proposals is Friday 31 May.

The aim of this workshop, to be held on Saturday 26 October, is to offer new ideas, skills or tools to help researchers trace members of their expanded family trees, people who might still be alive or recently deceased.

We are seeking proposals from professional genealogists, family historians, private investigators, legal experts and heir searchers”.

Go the Branch website at www.torontofamilyhistory.org

Welland Canal Workers’ Historical Exhibit

The following press release just came into the office –

“During the building of the Welland Canal from 1914-1932, 124 men tragically lost their lives while working in difficult and dangerous conditions. When the canal opened in 1932, the Federal Minister of Canals and Railways of the time committed to building a memorial to remember the sacrifice of those men. Unfortunately to this day, that memorial still does not exist.

Malcolm Allen – Member of Parliament for Welland is putting a call out to the community for photographs, letters, artifacts or historical pieces relating to the Canal workers. Items loaned to our office by community members/organizations will be displayed in our constituency office at 60 King St for the month of June in order to promote the need for a permanent memorial.

Your assistance or participation in the upcoming “Welland Canal Workers’ Historical Exhibit” is greatly appreciated.

For more information please contact Lisa Bastien, Constituency Assistant for Malcolm Allen at 905-788-2204”.

To read about the history of the Welland Canal, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Welland_Canal

RootsTech 2014 - Call for Papers

This notice was released yerterday -

"Presentation proposals will be accepted online at www.rootstech.org/proposals from June 17—July 8, 2013. Due to the volume of presentation proposals we receive, please submit no more than five proposals per speaker. Limited, late-breaking technology submissions will be accepted, upon approval, until October 1, 2013.

Speakers selected to present at RootsTech 2014 will be notified by August 2, 2013. Syllabus materials (PDF file) for selected presentations will be due by November 1, 2013. Speakers who don’t submit syllabus materials on time may be removed from the schedule.

Presenters participating in RootsTech 2014 will receive a complimentary conference registration and access to all syllabus materials. Out-of-state speakers selected to present three or more presentations will also receive hotel accommodations. There is no monetary compensation for presenting at this conference".

Questions can be emailed to the attention of the RootsTech Speaker Selection Committee at info@rootstech.org

To see the full post, go to https://familysearch.org/blog/en/rootstech-2014-call-papers

UPDATE: Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario & Quebec Cemeteries

Canadian GenWeb has reported the following updates to the cemeteries across the country -

ALBERTA

Cypress:
- Kin Coulee Cemetery

Stettler:
- Red Willow Cemetery

MANITOBA

Portage la Prairie City:
- Portage Hillside Memorial Cemetery

ONTARIO

Brant County:
- Fairfield / Fairfield United Cemetery
- Mount Pleasant Pioneer Cemetery
- St James / Old Anglican Cemetery

Elgin County:
- Fingal Cemetery

Haldimand County:
- Bethel Cemetery
- Gore / Clanbrassil / Dufferin Cemetery
- McGaw / Steele Cemetery

Lambton County:
- Lakeview Cemetery

Lincoln County:
- St Anne's Church Cemetery

Middlesex County:
- Robin's Hill / Brown's Hill Cemetery

Norfolk County:
- Bethel Methodist Cemetery
- Oakwood Cemetery
- Renew & McIntosh stones
- Teeterville United Church Cemetery
- Zion United Cemetery

Oxford County:
- Blenheim Mennonite Conference Cemetery

Perth County:
- First Lutheran Church Cemetery
- German Baptist Cemetery
- North Logan / Harvey's Cemetery
- Redeemer Lutheran / Monkton Cemetery

Wellington County:
- Hans Cemetery
- Rockwood Cemetery

Wentworth County:
- Westover Baptist Cemetery

QUEBEC

Bonaventure County:
- St Jules de Cascapedia RC Cemetery

Thanks must always go to Marilyn Whiting, Patricia Green, Alison Mitchell-Reid, Sharon Mattiuz, William Cooke and Tim Campbell for their help indexing these cemeteries.

And our “Thanks” must also go to Helen Braden, Angela M. Clatworthy, Beth Cotter, Todd Smith, Kate Ford, Bonnie Lee Breadner, Todd Lumley, J. Blackmore, Chris Pfeifle, Alison Mitchell-Reid, Sharon Mattiuz, William Cooke, Tim Campbell, and Leo Allen for taking photos of gravestones in these cemeteries.

The website is at http://canadacems.blogspot.com/2013/05/alberta-manitoba-ontario-quebec-update.html

Canada GenWeb is one of Canada’s oldest online resources having started in 1996 by Sherri Pettit. If you would like to volunteer in one of the many projects, contact Sherri through the Feedback page at http://canadagenweb.org/feedbackform.html

The site for Canada GenWeb is http://canadagenweb.org/index.html

Brome County Historical Society (BCHS)

They will be holding the opening of the Brome County Historical Society Museum, in Knowlton, Quebec, on May 19th at 12:00 noon.

They will be celebrating the opening of the new season and the introduction of this year’s Scottish theme.

Live entertainment on the museum grounds, guided museum tours, refreshments plus, wine tasting from three local vineyards. Bring your family and friends for an afternoon at the museum to launch our 2013 Season and feel the winds of change.

There will be also be Wine Tasting at 4:30 p.m. until 7:00 p.m.

They are located at exit 90 off the AutoRoute 10, follow route 243 into Knowlton (Lac Brome) 130 Lakeside, Knowlton, Quebec.

They have been in existence since 1919, and they have a collection of books, manuscripts, photographic images, newspaper clippings, obituaries and an index of of 225,000 names are maintained in the
Local History and Genealogy Center.

The website is at www.bclibrary.info/brocohist.htm

Mapping The Mosaic

Have you been to this site yet? I visited it today, and recommend that you take a minute to look at it, because it holds some interesting stories.

Here is what the press release says -

"This easy-to-use, community-driven site is designed to chart the collected memories of English-speaking communities in the Greater Montreal Area.

Users can share experiences of where their history happened by pinning stories, photos or video to an interactive map of neighbourhoods around Montreal and its suburbs.

No point is too small! Educators, historical and cultural groups, and interested individuals are invited to explore, discover and contribute.

Childhood memories of life on your street? Archival photos of lost buildings? Little-known episodes in the life of a neighbourhood school, place of worship or local hangout? Memories of colourful characters or local sports heroes? The grand achievements of entrepreneurs, artists, or innovators?

Mapping the Mosaic is a “people’s history” that welcomes all these and more".

Visit Mapping the Mosaic to begin telling your favourite Montreal stories!

Click here for the website http://mapping.montrealmosaic.com

The Facebook page is www.facebook.com/mapping.montrealmosaic

UPDATE: Ancestry.ca - Canada, Soldiers of the First World War, 1914-1918

R.F.C. Canada. Machine Gun Practice, Camp Mohawk, Desoronto, Ont. 1918 Credit: Canada. Dept. of National Defence/Library and Archives Canada

Ancestry.ca has updated this database which contains an index to the Attestation papers of men enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) of the First World War.

Information contained in the database includes:

•Name of enlistee

•Address

•Birthplace

•Birth date

•Age

•Name of next of kin

•Relationship to next of kin

•Regimental number

Additional information about the enlistee, such as their occupation, marital status, religion, and/or physical description may be found on the original record. Be sure to view the corresponding image in order to obtain all possible information about the individual.

The website is at http://search.ancestry.ca/search/db.aspx?dbid=1086

There are now 598,682 images online.

For more information about the collection, please see the follow page on the Library and Archives Canada website at www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/cef/index-e.html

UPDATE: Release of a new version of the Census of Canada, 1871 database

The Library and Archives Canada has just released a new version of the Census of Canada, 1871 database. This first general census covered the four provinces that were then part of Confederation: Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.

The new version includes suggestions for corrections received from users in recent months, as well as revised district and sub-district information.

If you want to check the 1871 Census, go to www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/census/1871/Pages/1871.aspx

What's New in Genetic Genealogy?

On May 18th, 2013, there will be a meeting of the Quinte OGS Branch at which John D Reid from the blog Anglo-Celtic Connections, will present a talk about What's New in Genetic Genealogy?

The DNA we each carry in trillions of cells of our body is a natural genealogical record waiting to be read. Understanding based on new discoveries is becoming available to us all through personal DNA tests at ever more reasonable cost offered on a commercial basis.

The presentation will discuss how you can find connections to cousins back a few generations and gain insight into your deep ancestry through autosomal DNA tests, which can be taken equally by men and women.

The talk will take place at Quinte West City Hall Library, 7 Creswell Drive, Trenton, Ontario

The website is at www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~canqbogs/index.htm

Ancestry.ca Offers Mother’s Day Discount

Mother’s Day is this Sunday, and it often means one thing for many moms – quality time spent with her family. This year, give Mom that quality time by working together to create your family tree.

When you make it from Ancestry.ca, it makes it easier than ever to create your family tree and discover the story of your family’s past.

Learning about your family’s history is an enriching and meaningful way to spend time with Mom, and can create memories that will be cherished forever.

Family Tree Maker starts at just $39.99 USD, and for a limited time, Ancestry.ca is offering readers of this blog a special Mother’s Day discount of 25% off.

The discount is at - www.ancestry.ca/mothersday.

Disclosure: I am a paid subscriber of Ancestry.ca, but I am not employed by Ancestry.com, or their various divisions, in any capacity.

UPDATE: Niagara Peninsula Branch OGS

Steve Fulton U.E, the Chair of the Niagara Peninsula Branch OGS, brings us up-to-date about happenings at the local branch of the Chair of the Niagara Peninsula -

“First of all, I would like to share about our upcoming General Meeting: Thursday May 9th – this meeting will be streamed to the internet if you are unable to make it. See the firestions of the main page.

Renee Tetreault is a founding member of the Welland Branch of the Franco Ontarien Society of History and Genealogy now known as the Resau Du Patrimoine Franco Ontarien. Renee has served for more than thirty years as the expert who assists researchers at their Centre for Research in the Welland Public Library. She will describe the extensive holdings of their library in and offer suggestions for researching in Quebec. Meeting starts at 7 pm.

Now for some other updates from Niagara.

The Morse and Sons index on our website has been recently updated. We've added three more years to it, from 1960 to Sept 1963. There are now names in this index. Year Range: 1828 to 1963 - don't miss the index and the possibility of finding a connection.

The Canadian Headstones Project - the Welland Historical Society has joined forces with the branch and has taken the Welland Cemeteries on and is in the process of placing them on line starting with Woodlawn. Please visit the site often as St Andrews in St Catharines and Pelham Hickside Quaker Cemeteries have been photographed this weekend and should be on the site soon. Other volunteers have stepped forward to help and we thank them for their effort. We need help with photographing cemeteries if you are interested please contact the branch directly.

**This just in - All volunteers for Canadian Headstones Niagara Project: Today we passed 20,000 names in the Niagara Index. Great going! Thanks for all your dedication!** Thanks to Robert Halfyard for his hard work!!

The Welland Historical Society and myself had the opportunity to be interview on Brock University Radio – The interview talk about the Branch and all the good things we are doing as well the Canadian Headstones Project – click on the link to listen too:
http://www.ogs.on.ca/niagara/radio_interview_2013.mp3

Finally if you are on Facebook and have not been on our page, you are missing all the great things going on there”.

For the Niagara Peninsula Branch, go to www.ogs.on.ca/niagara

BIFHSGO Conference registration is now online

Brian Glenn tells us that the 2013 British Isles Family History Society of Greater Ottawa (BIFHSGO) Conference registration is now open. Both the mail-in form and the online application are now online.

The conference theme this year will be Ireland, and there will be many speakers there, such as, Eileen Ó Dúill (an international probate genealogical researcher from Ireland), Linda Reid (a Canadian genealogists), and Lisa Louise Cooke (an American genealogist with knowledge of new technology is outstanding). There will be many topics presented which should be of interest to those whose research area is Ireland.

For information about the 2013 Conference to be held from Sept 20 to 22, you can go to www.bifhsgo.ca/cpage.php?pt=22

Battle of the Atlantic

                          
The Battle of the Atlantic was Canada’s single longest continuous military engagement of the Second World War. It took place from September 1939 to May 1945.

Today is remembered as the Battle of the Atlantic Sunday in Canada, and there will be many ceremonies that will take place across the country.

For almost six years, the men and women of the Royal Canadian Navy, the Royal Canadian Air Force and the Canadian Merchant Navy fought the enemy in the North Atlantic to ensure vital supplies reached Europe.

After receiving more training, air cover, special intelligence and better equipment, the Battle of the Atlantic reached a turning point in May 1943

However, despite all efforts, enemy forces sunk over 70 merchant vessels, claiming the lives of over 1,600 Canadian crew members

Please visit the Flickr album that the Library and Archives Canada has put on to view the photos of the Battle of the Atlantic at www.flickr.com/photos/lac-bac/sets/72157633223398662

Canada’s Naval History www.warmuseum.ca/cwm/exhibitions/navy/home-e.aspx The Canadian war museum has an online historical exhibit.

70th Anniversary of the Battle of the Atlantic www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/feature/battle-atlantic
The Battle of the Atlantic was Canada's longest military engagement of the Second World War, lasting from September 1939 to May 1945

Remembering the Battle of the Atlantic www.sunnewsnetwork.ca/sunnews/straighttalk/archives/2013/05/20130504-160903.html The Sun News has a story of the Battle of the Atlantic "longest, largest, and most complex" naval battle in history

BIFHSGO Monthly Meeting

On Saturday, May 11, The Bitish Isles Family History Society of Greater Ottawa  (BIFGSGO) will hold a pre-meeting which will feature Comparing FTM, Legacy and Rootsmagic - An Overview which is a part of Before BIFHSGO Education Talks at 9:00 am, and it will be presented by Ken McKinlay.

The main presentation called Building a One-Name Study: The Influence of Computers, The Internet, and DNA will be held from 10:00 am to 11:30 am, and it will be presented by Bill Arthurs.

This presentation will feature the Titus One-Name Study from its inception before the era of computers, through its progression with the advent of the internet, construction of a website, and the use of DNA research.

You can go to and listen to Bill at http://bifhsgo.ca/cpage.php?pt=106 as he talks with Brooke Broadbent about his start in genealogy and One Name Studies.

If you are interested in certain surnames, you can check the surnames on http://bifhsgo.ca/surname.php. There are 1, 293 Internet pages onsite.

The website of BIFHSGO is http://bifhsgo.ca

The Ottawa Genealogist

The Spring/Summer 2013 edition of The Ottawa Genealogist has been released, and it contains an interesting article, and index. It is published by the Ottawa Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society.

The article is by John Patton and it is called the Ballad of Syd and Annie: A Genealogical Mystery, and it is a story of two people, whose story is totally unbelievable. Sydney Frank LEWER (1892- c.1925), is an Englishman who immigrated to Canada in 1909. He gave so many birthdates, it is difficult to understand exactly when he was born. And the plot thickens when he meets Annie HOSKO. There was apparent deception in an adoption process of a son, unusual evidence in a his First World War military record, prison sentence because of a bigamy charge, and on and on it goes. Their life together was turbulent, to say the least, ending with the fact that he possibly may have died in 1925 – at least his wife declared herself a widow at that time.

This article shows that good research can go a long way in resolving these genealogical mysteries such as this.

The index of Early Bytown Settlers Index in this issue go from the letter D to the I. It gives the name, reference and page number, and some information, such as where they lived, their occupation, their age.

The reminder of the journal is filled with news of the Ottawa Branch of the OGS, Interesting Web Sites, Branch Library Additions, and Gleanings from Newsletters in the Ottawa Branch Library.

To go to the website of the Ottawa Genealogical Society, the website is at http://ogsottawa.on.ca

Friends of Laura Secord Historical Walk

Friends of Laura Secord have arranged for just about everyone to commemorate Laura by doing the War of 1812 historic walk on June 22nd.

You can chose one of eight different options - There are shuttle busses for those who can’t walk and even an option for those who can’t travel to Queenston for the day.

Option 1: Walk the FULL walk! (32.3 km)

Option 2: Laura Secord Experience (22.4 km)

Option 3: Heroic Endings (8.6 km)

Option 4: Cross and Climb (4.4 km)

Option 5: A Little Walk, A Little Wine (13.8 km)

Option 6: Beginnings and Endings (11.7 km)

Option 7: The Secord Shuttle Tour

Option 8: Join Us In Spirit!

There are shuttle busses for those who can’t walk and even an option for those who can’t travel to Queenston for the day

There will be the unveiling of the new Laura Secord Stamp and Coin – a joint event by Canada Post and the Royal Canadian Mint on Friday, June 21 at 9 a.m. at the Laura Secord Homestead.

A Toast to Laura Secord is a ticketed VIP event, and will be held Friday, June 21, 4-8 p.m at Queenston Heights Restaurant.

If you would like to attend any of these events, you can register at www.niagaragreenbelt.com/fls/walkintohistory.html

May is Jewish Heritage Month in Ontario

The “Jewish Heritage Month Act” (Bill 17) was passed unanimously in the Legislature on February 23, 2012. JHMO provides an opportunity to appreciate and learn about the history and culture of Ontarians of Jewish heritage who have made an impact in communities across the province.

Two of the many events taking place in Mat, include

May 5 at 11am (Est. Walk Time 1.5 hrs)

Jane’s Walk: A Sense of Spadina (Toronto, ON)

Did you know that Kensington Market, the epicenter of Toronto hipsterdom, was once a thriving Jewish village teeming with kosher bakeries, synagogues, and social clubs? Through the Ontario Jewish Archive’s “Sense of Spadina” Walking Tour, the Jewish life of the past—biographies of its former inhabitants; the sounds; the smells; Yiddish language; religious, social, and political attitudes—is brought to life.

And

Tracing Our Jewish Roots: Selections from the Jewish Genealogical Society of Toronto Library Collection

Bathurst Clark Resource Library, 900 Clark Avneue W., Thornhill, ON

JGS Toronto’s Librarian, Elaine Cheskes, is curating a special exhibit on view for the entire month of May at The Bathurst Clark Resource Library.

For more information, go to http://jewishheritagemonth.wordpress.com/2013-events

Heritage Toronto announce the launch of its 2013 Tours program!

They say that many Torontonians know how great their walking tours are – they have been putting them on for 19 years! Heritage Toronto Tours in 2013 will be a bit different. It’s not just walking tours that they will be offering – they are excited to be expanding their usual walking tour program to include bus, bike, family and boutique tours too!

This year’s Tours program will run from the end of April until October and have 58 in total, including 26 new tours.

You will be able to reserve a spot for our new paid and pre-registered tours via our website www.heritagetoronto.org

Join them on a tour – they would love to show you some hidden gems, tell you about some fascinating stories and share with you Toronto’s amazing heritage!”

For info, go to http://heritagetoronto.org/sample-page/contact-us

The tours are listed on the followimg page at http://heritagetoronto.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/HT_TourBrochureelectronics.pdf

There are many postings to the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/HeritageToronto

There are countless YouTube Videos on www.youtube.com/user/heritagetoronto on various heritage walks in Toronto