Get creative with The Armchair Genealogist!

Lynn Palermo, aka The Armchair Genealogist—a long-time Canadian blogger and family history writer—is encouraging everyone to get creative, and turn their family history research into stories by being a part of The Family History Writing Challenge - which runs from the 1st to the 28th of February.

For details on the challenge, to register, and take advantage of other incentives, such as receiving the Daily Dose newsletter, please visit her site at http://www.familyhistorywritingchallenge.com.

So how about you? Are you ready for the challenge??

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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/2015/01/canadian-week-in-review-19-january-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 Week in Review - 12 January 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.

History

In 1955, the opening of the Canadian Parliament was broadcast on television for the first time.
   To read about Canada’s form of government, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parliament_of_Canada

On 1805, the first issue of the Quebec Mercury was published.

    It is interesting to note that “The Quebec Mercury was to become a key political tool for the Tories, vigorously denouncing the initiatives of the Canadian Party”.

    Read more about it at http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/confederation/023001-2200.01-e.html

 
Social Media

Alex Inspired
http://alexandrafrankow.com/genealogy
   As is true with so many genealogies, you can trace ancestor’s from Canada to Minnesota, New York, California, and Ireland.

Curating Kin

http://curatingkin.ca/location/index.html

   Follow Chriss as she traces her family from Ireland to Niagara Falls, Ontario.

A Parcel of Ribbons

http://aparcelofribbons.co.uk
   This blog concerns Joseph Scott, brother of John Scott, an émigré who first went from Ireland to the New World in the 1720s, then went to Canada, where he built himself a delightful manor house at Fort Sackville, Bedford, Nova Scotia on land that had belonged to his brother, George.

(Video) Louis Gossett Jr. ‘amazed’ by Canadian story in Book of Negroes

http://www.canada.com/entertainment/Louis+Gossett+amazed+Canadian+story+Book+Negroes+with+video/10702946/story.html
   An interview with Louis Gossett Jr. and his role on the Book of Negroes, partly filmed in Shelburne, Nova Scotia.

(Photos) Halifax bookbinders recreate The Book of Negroes
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/halifax-book-binders-recreate-the-book-of-negroes-1.2893857
   Joe Landry and Katherine Victoria Taylor spent weeks creating the prop for the miniseries.

Articles

Newfoundland

Newfoundland students part of Antarctic expedition

http://www.thetelegram.com/News/Local/2015-01-02/article-3994459/Newfoundland-students-part-of-Antarctic-expedition/1

   On Friday the students and staff from the M/V Ushuaia landed by Zodiac at Danco Island, Neko Harbour, and Goudier Island along the Antarctic Peninsula.

Nova Scotia

It’s 2015, and a scalping law is still on the books
http://www.thecoast.ca/RealityBites/archives/2015/01/07/its-2015-and-a-scalping-law-is-still-on-the-books
    Britain’s colonial government issued three proclamations offering bounties on human beings. Two of those were formally repealed in 1752. The third, ordered in 1756 by Governor William Lawrence, remains. And nobody is sure that the law can be repealed.

From the shores of Nova Scotia, Israel’s first soldiers
http://news.nationalpost.com/2015/01/05/rob-gordon-from-the-shores-of-nova-scotia-israels-first-soldiers
   During the summer of 1917, Windsor, Nova Scotia was home to some of Israel’s founding fathers, and there were hundreds of Jewish boys from New York, Montreal, Russia, and Palestine who were the first to put on a uniform of the Israeli Defence Force.

The Book of Negroes, shot in Nova Scotia, debuts on TV

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/the-book-of-negroes-shot-in-nova-scotia-airs-tonight-1.2891712

   The majority of the film, The Book of Negroes, was shot in Shelburne, my hometown. It will air on CBC Television on Wednesdays until February 11th.

Book of Negroes tops ratings for its time slot
http://www.cbc.ca/news/arts/book-of-negroes-tops-ratings-for-its-time-slot-1.2895342
   1.7 million viewers tune in to  this adaption of Lawrence Hill's book.

Prince Edward Island

Charlottetown restoration reveals building’s heritage
http://www.dailycommercialnews.com/Projects/News/2015/1/Charlottetown-restoration-reveals-buildings-heritage-1004985W
   Read how Chris Tweel renovated an 1880s brick building in the heart of Charlottetown, P.E.I.

Ontario

Sir John A. Macdonald turns 200
http://o.canada.com/news/john-a-macdonald-572482
   Randy Boswell writes an excellent article on the supposed “birthdate” of Sir John A. Macdonald of Glasgow, Scotland.

(Photos) In a war-soaked world, Mennonites struggled for a peaceful response

http://www.therecord.com/news-story/5240671--we-could-not-take-any-part-of-it-in-a-war-soaked-world-mennonites-struggled-for-a-peaceful-response

   In the fall of 1917, as the carnage of the First World War seemed endless, a young Mennonite woman in Guelph wrote to her bishop for advice.

Historical protection of Windsor, Ont., street curbs halts driveway construction
https://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/dailybrew/historical-protection-of-windsor-ont-street-221033309.html
   In Windsor, Ontario, the presence of 130-year-old stone curbs is considered a matter of cultural heritage, and is being protected by the city.

George Daszkowski: Passionate protector of the Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame's archives

http://www.thestar.com/autos/autoracing_blog/2015/01/george_daszkowski__passionate_protector_of_the_canadian_motorsport_hall_of_fame_s_archives.html
   George Daszkowski, who recently passed away, believed in the Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame, particularly the archives. Although he was a walking encyclopedia of racing knowledge, he believed strongly in the storing, filing, and indexing/cross-referencing of photographs and documents in order to create and maintain a historical record of the sport.

 

Alberta

Delving into family history
http://www.highrivertimes.com/2015/01/06/delving-into-family-history
   For those who are curious to gain insight to their family history but don't know much about historical research, the High River Library is offering a beginner’s genealogy course in January and February.

Ukrainian Christmas festivities celebrate a rich heritage

http://www.edmontonjournal.com/Ukrainian+Christmas+festivities+celebrate+rich+heritage/10706932/story.html
   Ukrainian Catholics and Orthodox Christians around the world follow the Julian calendar, and celebrate Christmas on January 7^th.

Fort Calgary uncovers mummified rat, 1890s newspaper during Hunt House restoration

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/fort-calgary-uncovers-mummified-rat-1890s-newspaper-during-hunt-house-restoration-1.2894373

   Fort Calgary workers are uncovering a wide range of rare artifacts as they continue to restore the Hunt House in Inglewood.
   A mummified rat, a child's toy, and a 125-year-old newspaper are some of the items that have been discovered in the building, and buried beneath the structure.

British Columbia

Province commissions book commemorating history of Chinese Canadians

http://ubyssey.ca/news/province-makes-plans-to-publish-book-celebrating-the-history-of-chinese-canadians-in-bc-334
   The province of B.C. has set aside $100,000 for a book that celebrates the achievements of eminent Chinese Canadians.

B.C. whaling – an uncomfortable history
http://www.vicnews.com/opinion/287142931.html
   An Op-Ed piece by on the whaling industry by Kate Humble from British Columbia.

Events to salute Alberni maritime history

http://www.avtimes.net/news/local/events-to-salute-alberni-maritime-history-1.1705487
   The Port Alberni Maritime Heritage Society is kicking off its winter season with the first of three presentations.
 

Stories of the Week

 

 

 

Do you realize that one in four Canadians cannot identify Sir John A. Macdonald as the first prime minister of Canada?

 

This sad news is the result of a recent Ipsos Reid poll commissioned by Historica Canada.

 

Not shocking enough? Well, according to the poll, 28% of Canadians polled didn’t even know the year of Confederation!

 

For readers not familiar with the year Canada became a country—including the aforementioned 28% who missed this question—the answer is 1867.

 

How about this? Forty-four per cent of respondents didn’t know that Canada will turn 150 years old in 2017. This is also disturbing, for it means that either this group didn’t know the year of Confederation (essential to do the calculation), or they did know it, and in doing the math, failed basic addition (or subtraction, depending on one’s methodology in performing calculated date functions).

 

Either way, it shows that of the 44% who got the wrong answer, 100% of this group failed rudimentary Canadian history, and/or rudimentary math.

 

Oh, my!

 

I could go on and on...

 

Maybe we need more Heritage Minutes! (An excellent series of vignettes – well-worth a look).

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heritage_Minutes
• https://www.historicacanada.ca/content/heritage-minutes/agnes-macphail
• https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1848FF9428CA9A4A

 

The full results of the poll is found here - https://www.historicacanada.ca/node/5362

 

 

Canadian Recipients of the Victoria Cross Honoured through the "Toll of War," a project that tells the stories of the valour and sacrifice of Canadians in the World Wars.

 

The press release says that the “Funding for a unique visual and educational program that will inform Canadians about the wartime actions and sacrifices of Canadian soldiers during the World Wars was announced today by the Honourable Keith Ashfield, Member of Parliament (Fredericton), on behalf of the Honourable Shelly Glover, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages.”

 

The Victoria Cross was created by Queen Victoria in 1856, and was awarded to Canadians in all conflicts up to the end of the Second World War. The last Victoria Cross to be awarded to a Canadian was in 1945. There have been 98 Canadian recipients (Canadian-born, serving in the Canadian Army, or having a close link to Canada).

 

A new Canadian honour, the Canadian Victoria Cross—which retains the same design and the same awarding criteria as the British Victoria Cross—was unveiled by the Governor General on May 16, 2008. It joined a suite of Canadian Military Valour Decorations that include the Star of Military Valour and the Medal of Military Valour.

 

 

News has reached us that Tim Cook, adjunct research professor in the Department of History at Carleton University in Ottawa, has been named to the Order of Canada http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_Canada

 

You will know this name because of Cook’s work at the Canadian War Museum and for his contributions to promoting Canada’s military history as an author, researcher, and curator.

 

He is the author of eight books, including Shock Troops: Canadians Fighting the Great War, 1917-1918, a winner of the Charles Taylor prize for literary non-fiction. His latest book, The Necessary War, was published this year, and is the first of two volumes on Canadians in the Second World War. The second volume, Fight to the Finish, will be published next fall.

 

The Order of Canada, one of our country’s highest civilian honours, was established in 1967 to recognize outstanding achievement, dedication to the community, and service to the nation. Since then, more than 6,000 Canadians from all sectors of society have been invested into the Order.

 

 

Have you been following the Early Ontario Teachers & Pupil List 1838-1916 on the Olive Tree Blog at http://olivetreegenealogy.blogspot.com?

 

Although I don’t have any ancestors in Ontario at that time, this list can be important to those people who do.

 

You might also want to get a copy of Education and Ontario Family History by Marian Press through the Ontario Genealogical Society’s online store at http://www.ogs.on.ca/ogsnewcart/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2&products_id=722

 

And that was the week 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!

 

The next post will be on 19 January 2015.

The Archives Association of Ontario offers online courses

The Archives Association of Ontario (AAO) is an organization that supports archival associations, those working in archives, as well as users and supporters of archives. It is made up of 300 members from across the province. It involves itself in a network of archives and archivists providing programs, education, and advocacy. 

 

They are offering online courses, some of which may interest you.

 

The courses are -

 

Caring for Paper-Based Collections
January 20

Creating Access to Your Collections
January 27

Exhibiting Your Collections
February 10

Caring for Oversize Paper Artifacts
February 17

Caring for Scrapbooks
February 24

Writing Your NEH Preservation Assistance Grant (Free)
February 25

 

Spring sessions include new webinars on digital topics as well as caring for photographs, and emergency preparedness.

 

Registration is at https://www.nedcc.org/preservation-training/training-calendar/  

RootsTech 2015 Call for Papers

RootsTech 2015 will be held in Salt Lake City from February 11–14, 2015, and the RootsTech Content Committee is calling for dynamic presentations that inform and educate both those seeking to begin and those continuing to discovering their family story through technology.

They say that presentation submissions will be accepted June 2 to June 27, 2014, through the Call for Presentations portal on RootsTech.org

They are looking for presentations such as -

· Finding and Organizing: search tactics, resources, specialized tools, methodologies, solutions, metadata, apps and software

· Preserving Your Work And Legacy: family trees, digital migration, audio and video solutions

· Sharing: social media, and tools for collaboration, wikis, crowd sourcing, community building, blogs

· Stories and Photos: storytelling and interviewing, capturing stories, preserving stories, enhancing stories with photos, photo restoration, movies and presentations, photo editing, oral histories

· Tools: technology introductions, gadgets, genetic research, DNA, breaking down barriers,

· General: family history topics in general including geographic research, time-period research, inspirations, market trends, research trends, adjacent industries, record types. (Please note, there is still an expectation in this category that technology is a part of the presented topic.)

· Family Traditions And Lifestyle: cultural arts, handicrafts, food, influential historical events, everyday living standards, social customs, pastimes, artifacts. (Please note there is still an expectation in this category that this knowledge assists the learner in family history and that technology is a part of the presented topic.)

And at the Innovator Summit, they would like the following presentations -

· Developer: standards and API’s, mobile app development, social applications, record imaging and visualizations, apps for youth, software and tools that enable the work of family history.

· Business: funding and investment, startups- success stories and tips, opportunities and market trends, networking and partnerships, insights and entertainment

The complete Call for Presentations document is present at https://familysearch.org/blog/en/files/2014/04/RT15-CFP-041614v.2.pdf. It includes presentation and evaluation criteria, the submission timeline, and process details.

Questions regarding the RootsTech 2015 call for presentations can be emailed to the Content Committee at info@rootstech.org.

Good Luck!

Soldiers of Song

The Stirling Festival Theatre in Stirling, Ontario will present the play Soldiers of Song on Sunday April the 12th at 2 pm. 

The play will honour the 100th anniversary of the start of the First World War with a special show that pays homage to one of the most distinctive musical acts in Canadian history – The Dumbells.

The Dumbells were a group of Canadians who were soldiers during the day and entertainers at night during the First World War. 

As the Library and Archives Canada site says “They were a makeshift stage of packing boxes in First World War France to become the toast of the nation for over a decade. They became arguably the most famous of the Canadian Army "concert parties," those entertainment units that were devoted to building the morale of the troops on the front lines”.

Their website is www.stirlingfestivaltheatre.com 

For background information on the Dumbells, go to the Library and Archives Canada site at https://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/gramophone/028011-1007.1-e.html

RENINDER: New/Updated Websites, Blogs, and Newspaper Articles Blog

Don’t forget to check my blog every Monday morning for my New/Updated Websites, Blogs, and Newspaper Articles.

There will be newspaper articles Monday about the agents who went down to Prince Edward Island to recruit men for the Glengarry Light Infantry in Eastern Ontario in the War of 1812, a new blog which features families from Prince Edward Island, and a story about the Empress of Ireland and an exhibit that goes up in 2014 at the new Museum of History in Ottawa, plus many more stories.

There is something of interest for everyone!

Elizabeth