Showing posts with label heritage. Show all posts
Showing posts with label heritage. Show all posts

Monday, January 25, 2016

Canadian Week in Review 25 January 2016


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 

First Canadian parachute jump in 1912

In May 1912, promoters of an “Aviation Meet” at Hastings Park announced plans for the first parachute jump out of a plane in Canada. 

The “birdmen” were pilots Phil Parmelee and J. Clifford Turpin, and a parachutist named Professor Morton. 

If you wish more about the parachute jump, go to 

Rationing during the Second World War 

According to new sugar rationing controls in the Second World War in 1942, sugar bowls were to be removed from tables in all restaurants, hotels, boarding houses, and institutions across the country. Sugar was to be served only by request and in reasonable quantities, generally understood to mean two lumps. 

If you wish to read about rationing, go to http://wartimecanada.ca/archive-categories/rationing 

Social Media 

(Video) Royal Alberta Museum prepares for the move downtown 


Behind the closed doors of the old Royal Alberta Museum, staff is culling exhibits from the 2.1 million artifacts in the museum's storage rooms that will be displayed at the new location downtown. 

Upcoming Canadian Events 

Conferences

NEW! 32nd Gene-O-Rama of the Ottawa Genealogical Society 

The conference will be held from April 1 – 2, 2016 at the Confederation Education Centre, 1645 Woodroffe Avenue, Ottawa, Ontario which is at the corner of Hunt Club & Woodroffe Streets. 



If you need further information, go to http://ogsottawa.on.ca/Gene-O-Rama/  

UNLOCKING THE PAST 2016 

International Genealogy Conference UNLOCKING THE PAST 2016 will be held on Saturday, April 23, 2016 at the The Beach Club Resort, Parksville, British Columbia of the Qualicum Beach Family History Society in British Columbia. 

The featured speakers will be Colleen Fitzpatrick and Chris Paton, and registration is now open at http://www.eventbrite.ca/e/international-genealogy-conference-unlocking-the-past-2016-tickets-18765135024. It includes an early bird price. 

The website is located at http://www.qbfhs.ca/ 

Genealogy on the Cutting Edge 2016 

The Ontario Genealogical Society will be holding its annual conference from June 3rd to 5th at the Toronto’s International Plaza Hotel, Toronto. 

Speakers and agenda has been announced this past week. Registration will open in January. Registration is now open at http://www.ogs.on.ca/conference/registration/, Keep up-to-date with the latest news by following their website at http://www.ogs.on.ca/conference/, or their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/events/171812826485725/ 

Our Canada – Your Family: Building a Nation 2017 

The Ottawa Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society will host the 2017 annual conference, and they have a call out for presentations. 

The conference will be held in Ottawa on June 16-18, 2017 at Algonquin College. The theme of the conference is Our Canada – Your Family: Building a Nation. 

DEADLINE FOR PROPOSALS IS FEBRUARY 15, 2016 

To submit proposals or ask questions, please contact the Conference 2017 Program Committee at: program.conference2017@ogs.on.ca. For more information about OGS or Ottawa Branch respectively, please visit: www.ogs.on.ca or www.ogsottawa.on.ca. 

Great Canadian Genealogy Summit 

The summit will be held in Brampton, Ontario from October 21 to the 23, 2016 at the 
Courtyard Marriott. 

On January 30, 2016, the Great Canadian Genealogy Summit will be holding a draw of all registrations and one lucky winner will have their registration fees reimbursed. 

In order to qualify you MUST have paid for your registration before January 29th, 2016 - at midnight http://ogsottawa.on.ca/Gene-O-Rama/ 


Newspaper Articles 

Nova Scotia 

Acadia Lifelong Learning class finds pieces of local history in Starr's Point 


Participants in an Acadia Lifelong Learning (ALL) class got to explore local history through a hands-on archaeological excavation in Starr’s Point. 

Prince Edward Island 

Historic Charlottetown showcased in outdoor heritage exhibit 


The exhibit will be unveiled on Heritage Day and run until Feb. 29 in some storefront windows.  

Ontario 

Early Guelph neighbourhood gets heritage designation 


Guelph now has its first heritage conservation district. 

Nearly a decade after it was first suggested, the Brooklyn and College Hill area has been designated under the Ontario Heritage Act, city staff announced Thursday.

Canada salutes Black History Month with WWI batallion issue 


The latest stamp in Canada Post’s Black History Month series, which began in 2009, salutes the No. 2 Construction Battalion, formed 100 years ago in 1916.  

Turner & Townsend to restore Canada’s historic concert hall 


UK consultant Turner & Townsend has been chosen to project manage the multi-million dollar restoration of Canada’s historic concert venue, Toronto’s Massey Hall, over the next seven years.  

Behind the scenes: What you’ll find in the archives at the Peterborough Museum & Archives 

http://www.mykawartha.com/shopping-story/6237452-behind-the-scenes-what-you-ll-find-in-the-archives-at-the-peterborough-museum-archives/

The museum stores and exhibits important collections that include the key stories, images and artifacts of both the land and the people of Peterborough, 

Continued Neglect of Gore Heritage Buildings an Embarrassment

https://raisethehammer.org/article/2828/continued_neglect_of_gore_heritage_buildings_an_embarrassment

The danger at 18-28 King Street East was that the proposed demolition would merely make long-term property speculation easier by levelling the site and removing any heritage "complications". The fact that the owners did not present clear plans of what they would do with the site of the Gore buildings made it obvious that we would be looking at a huge vacant lot facing Gore Park for years to come.

Royal Canadian Mint plans circulating dollar for suffrage centennial

http://www.coinworld.com/news/world-coins/2016/01/rcm-plans-circulating-dollar-for-suffrage-centennial.html 

Canada is planning to celebrate the 100 anniversary of suffrage with a circulating commemorative dollar coin in 2016. 

During World War I, some women in Canada were finally allowed to vote, and in 1919 all women over the age of 21 gained the right to vote in a federal election. 

Alberta 

A brief history of Calgary newspapers: A front page history of our city's papers 


Calgary has a long newspaper history, with the earliest printing press arriving in our city by rail, addressed to "The end of the line."


One of the great myths of Saskatchewan history is that the two-century-old fur trade ended when Canada acquired the region from the Hudson’s Bay Company in 1870. 

British Columbia 

Vancouver prompted WWII sell-off of Japanese-Canadian-owned property 


The city of Vancouver played a far more significant role in the federal government’s decision to sell Japanese-Canadian-owned property during the Second World War than previously thought, says a Victoria professor 

Haggis a treat for new director of Centre for Scottish Studies

Professor Katie McCullough, the new director of Simon Fraser University’s Centre for Scottish Studies, admits to a secret liking for Scotland’s national dish, haggis. 

Canadian Stories this Week 

Mocavo and Findmypast are coming together 

Did you read this notice last week? I was particularly upbeat by this because I do have subscriptions to both companies, and now they are together. 

This means that Findmypast will inherit Mocavo's digistied newspaper collection, which I find is very good, especially since I found the marriage of my great-great-aunt in New York, which I had been researching for many years. All information had pointed toward Yarmouth, Nova Scotia as the place of marriage, but while she was in New York visiting her brother in Brooklyn, she met a fellow from Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, and they got married in Queens. He took her on an American cross-county trip to San Francisco where his family had migrated, and it was there that she settled, and lived the rest of her very long life.


The Voyageur Database 

Have you heard of this before - The Voyageur Database - which is made from the microfilms of the Protonotaire Montréal Greffes de notaires fonds of the Bibliothèque et Archives nationale du Québec?

It is a project headed by Nicole St-Onge at the University of Ottawa that has digitized over 35,000 fur-trade contracts of indentured servants who were hired in Montreal between the 1730s and 1830s. It is the largest collection of its kind for the fur trade. 

The Saint-Boniface Historical Society migrated the core data to an online platform on its website so that researchers, genealogists, and other interested parties could use this resource. 


And that was the week in Canadian news!

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Monday, January 4, 2016

Canadian Week in Review 04 January 2016




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

St. Lawrence Steamboat Company

In 1763, brewer-banker-steamship builder-politician John Molson was born in Spalding, England. He died in 1836.

John Molson, & Sons, was the first company to start the St. Lawrence Steamboat Co. , and provided many of the emigrants passage from Quebec City down to Montreal. 

For more information, go to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Molson  



Yonge Street, Toronto 

In 1795, plans for building Toronto's Yonge Street were first proposed. The 48-kilometre road, from York (now Toronto) north to Lake Simcoe, was one of the earliest highways in Canada and is still one of the most important roads in Ontario. It was named for Sir George Yonge, then secretary of state for war in the British government. The road was completed in April, 1796. 

For more information, go to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yonge_Street

Calixte Paquet dit Lavallée

In 1842, Calixte Paquet dit Lavallée, the composer of our national antham, O Canada, was born in Vercheres, Lower Canada (now Quebec). The song, with words by Judge A.B. Routhier, was composed for a national convention of French Canadians held in Quebec City in June, 1880. 

He died in Boston in 1891. 



 Social Media 

(Video) Rebuilding Montreal's cobblestone history, brick by brick 


On St-Gabriel St. in Old Montreal, Françis Lemaire and his team of mortar-stained men are slowly rebuilding the street as it was done 200 years ago, one granite stone at a time. 

(Video) Former Sydney Steel mill park launches YouTube history lessons


Visitors at the former Sydney Steel site will be able to explore the plant's memories using smartphones.

The site turned into a commercial and recreational park with walking trails and playground after the plant closed 15 years ago.

Upcoming Canadian Events 

Conferences

UNLOCKING THE PAST 2016 

International Genealogy Conference UNLOCKING THE PAST 2016 will be held on Saturday, April 23, 2016 at the The Beach Club Resort, Parksville, British Columbia of the Qualicum Beach Family History Society in British Columbia.

Registration will be open very soon, but I am writing you now to let you know that we have just issued a supplementary call for presentations on late-breaking cutting-edge developments. 

The Supplementary Call can be found online at www.ogs.on.ca/conference/new-call/, and the full text of the Call is also set out below for your convenience. 

The featured speakers will be Colleen Fitzpatrick and Chris Paton, and registration is now open at http://www.eventbrite.ca/e/international-genealogy-conference-unlocking-the-past-2016-tickets-18765135024. It includes an early bird price. 

The website is located at http://www.qbfhs.ca/

Genealogy on the Cutting Edge 2016

The Ontario Genealogical Society will be holding its annual conference from June 3rd to 5th at the Toronto’s International Plaza Hotel, Toronto. 

Speakers and agenda has been announced this past week. Registration will open in January. Keep up-to-date with the latest news by following their website at http://www.ogs.on.ca/conference/, or their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/events/171812826485725/ 

Our Canada – Your Family: Building a Nation 2017

The Ottawa Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society will host the 2017 annual conference, and they have a call out for presentations. 

The conference will be held in Ottawa on June 16-18, 2017 at Algonquin College. The theme of the conference is Our Canada – Your Family: Building a Nation. 

DEADLINE FOR PROPOSALS IS FEBRUARY 15, 2016 

To submit proposals or ask questions, please contact the Conference 2017 Program Committee at: program.conference2017@ogs.on.ca. For more information about OGS or Ottawa Branch respectively, please visit: www.ogs.on.ca or www.ogsottawa.on.ca.

Great Canadian Summit

The summit will be held in Brampton, Ontario from October 21 to the 23, 2016 at the 
Courtyard Marriott. 

It will be three days of genealogy by speakers such as HRISTINE WOODCOCK | Director, Genealogy Tours of Scotland, RUTH BLAIR, PLCGS | Professional Genealogist, KATHRYN LAKE HOGAN, UE, PLCGS | Professional Genealogist at Looking 4 Ancestors, and MIKE QUACKENBUSH | Professional Genealogist - Research Coach, to name a few. 


Newspaper Articles 

Nova Scotia

Southwestern NS pushing for legacy funding


With Canada's 150th birthday a little over a year away, regional municipalities are stepping up efforts to promote the heritage of southwestern Nova Scotia. 

History on parade


Hants County’s 84th Regiment of Foot granted freedom of the town. 

Windsor - With an official proclamation in hand, the 84th Regiment of Foot can now officially walk through the Town of Windsor. 

Ontario 

Remembering Canadians' sacrifices in Hong Kong 


Christmas Day 2015 marked the 74th anniversary of the fall of Hong Kong to Japanese invading forces. 

Unionville heritage experts to speak at Cookstown seminar 


Two experts who helped develop Unionville’s heritage area will speak during a one-day seminar about Cookstown’s new heritage district on 16 January 2016. 

New Year's Day levee an annual Armoury affair 


A military tradition centuries in the making continued on New Year’s Day in Thunder Bay.

Members of the Lake Superior Scottish Regiment opened the doors of the O’Kelly Armoury to the public on Thursday, toasting Queen Elizabeth II while looking back on the past year and ahead to 2016. 

Manitoba

Farm journals a record of Prairie history 


If you want to know from what direction the wind was blowing in Deloraine, Man., in 1895-96, 1922 and 1924, you’re in luck. 

A set of journals written by William C. White, held in the archives of Manitoba, contains daily entries from those years. 

Saskatchewan 

Underground history: A look at Saskatoon's streetcars


It’s a piece of local history that’s gone underground only to occasionally resurface 

Alberta 

7 names for Calgary before it became Calgary


Calgary was incorporated as a town in 1884, but it was known by many names before that.

Canadian Stories this Year 

Top 5 Stories This Year 

From my vantage point in Canada's capitol area, five top stories that have occupied our minds this year has made the list, and they are - 

1 . Remember this? In January, Canada was atwitter with the news that we would have a new National Genealogy Conference in Canada at Historic Pier 21 in Halifax, Nova Scotia on July 17 - 19, 2015. But as time progressed, and the cost was revealed to be more than the average Canadian could afford, enthusiasm started to wane for the conference. By June, it had been cancelled. So much for that idea. 

But then, in December, another conference had been announced. This time, it came from southern Ontario, and it would be the Great Canadian Genealogy Summit. This time, it is being put on by a trio of Canadian genealogists and I think stands a better chance of making a success of it this time. The cost is reasonable, and it has stuck with some genealogy 'truesms” like, a day of pre-conference workshops. 

2. Ancestry is going to drop the production of their popular sofyware package, Family Tree Maker, effective December 31, 2016. This struck us like a ton of bricks in December! We were't even pre-warned of this coming. 

So we have exactly one year to decide what we are going to do. One thing is for sure, even if we didn't already have our tree on our device of choice before this was announced, we will have it on our computer now. 

3. The continuing drop in membership for genealogical societies and the moth-balling of a number of branches of the Ontario Genealogical Society (OGS) is not good news. What shall we do? This has been going on for at least five years now, and is doesn't look like it is stopping. Which leads to the question – will there be the genealogical societies in Canada five years from now? If so, what will they look like? Who will be the members? Will they exist only on the Internet, like the Waterloo Branch of the OGS does now? 

4. The advent of crowdsourcing for genealogical societies and for special events. As you know, I have been covering the Saskatchewan Genealogical Society this year, and they were successful in revealing their 2015 goal. They quite plainly told people that if they did not reach their goal, they would have to close. And the Centre for Scottish Studies at the University of Guelph tried crowdsourcing for their work in having a special place put aside for digitizing your family history. It is crowdsourcing with a purpose – so give it serious consideration when genealogical organizations ask for your help. 

5. Reduction of social media in 2015. Well, at least this is so in new blogs. Geneabloggers used to list at least a dozen new blogs every Saturday, now it is something if there are 2 or 3, so blogs have definitely dropped in popularity. I just checked, and today (Saturday, 2 January 2016) there is 1 new blog! Facebook is still holding its own, but is more of a 'greet and meet' exchange medium, rather than an exchange of genealogical information, and Twitter, I find the same way. So has social media really changed the genealogy scene that much? I don't think so.

And a special mention should be made of this special announcement in December, which is that the information amassed by the Aboriginal Truth and Reconciliation Commission has necessitated the opening a NEW archives at the University of Manitoba called the National Research Centre. 

The centre will hold thousands of video and audio-recorded statements that the Commission has gathered from the survivors and others affected by the schools. In addition. there will be millions of digitized archival documents and photographs it is collection.

And that was the week in Canadian news!

 Canada's ONLY genealogy, heritage and history newspaper since 2012. 
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Monday, December 7, 2015

Canadian Week in Review 07 December 2015


 


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

In 1824, construction began on the Welland Canal connecting Lake Erie and Lake Ontario.

There were four attempts at building the canal, one in 1829, one in 1845, one in 1887, and one in 1932.

A very good, short history of the canal, has been written at http://www.wellandcanal.com/hist.htm




In 1840, Henry Birks, founder of the Birks jewellery chain, was born in Montreal. His parents were from Yorkshire, England, and had emigrated to Canada in 1832.

He opened his small store in 1879, and in 1893, Birks went into partnership with his three sons (William, John and Gerald), and the name of the firm became Henry Birks and Sons. From there, he expanded across the county.

He died in 1928.

For more information, read about his life story in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Birks

In 1872, Lt.-Col. John McCrae, physician, poet, and author of the famous war poem "In Flanders Fields," was born in Guelph, Ontario.

Most people do not know that he had been in the Boer War, and had led the 1st Brigade of Artillery in 1904 after being promoted to Captain and then Major. He then volunteered in the First World War, and in the trenches near Ypres, Belgium, in the area traditionally called Flanders.

McCrae died Jan., 28, 1918 of pneumonia, and was buried at Wimereaux Cemetery in France.

To read about his life, go to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_McCrae

Social Media

(Video) '3rd hall of Parliament' opens to public in renovated Bank of Montreal building

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/bank-of-montreal-transformed-into-3rd-hall-of-parliament-1.3352061

After nearly eight years of renovations, Canada's so-called "third hall of Parliament" was opened to the public Friday — just in time for people to gather there and watch the speech from the throne.

(VIDEO) Ottawa an important 'cultural landscape' for native Canadians: researchers

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/ottawa-an-important-cultural-landscape-for-native-canadians-researchers

New studies by two Ottawa researchers suggest the National Capital Region was an important “economic and spiritual centre” for native peoples for thousands of years before the arrival of European explorers in the early 1600s.

(Photos) HANTS HISTORY: Dec. 3, 2015 edition

http://www.hantsjournal.ca/Opinion/Columnists/2015-12-03/article-4363227/HANTS-HISTORY%3A-Dec.-3,-2015-edition/1

Here's a look at what was making the news 25 and 50 years ago in the Hants Journal.

(Video) New museum exhibit celebrates Windsor's French-Canadian roots

http://windsorstar.com/news/local-news/new-museum-exhibit-celebrates-windsors-french-canadian-roots

From last names to streetscapes, Windsor is rooted in French.

Upcoming Canadian Events

Conferences

UNLOCKING THE PAST 2016

International Genealogy Conference UNLOCKING THE PAST 2016 will be held on Saturday, April 23, 2016 at the The Beach Club Resort, Parksville, British Columbia of the Qualicum Beach Family History Society in British Columbia.

The featured speakers will be Colleen Fitzpatrick and Chris Paton, and registration is now open at http://www.eventbrite.ca/e/international-genealogy-conference-unlocking-the-past-2016-tickets-18765135024. It includes an early bird price.

The website is located at http://www.qbfhs.ca/

Genealogy on the Cutting Edge 2016

The Ontario Genealogical Society will be holding its annual conference from June 3rd to 5th at the Toronto’s International Plaza Hotel, Toronto.

Registration will open soon, and you can keep up-to-date with the latest news by following their website at http://www.ogs.on.ca/conference/, or their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/events/171812826485725/



Our Canada – Your Family: Building a Nation 2017

The Ottawa Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society will host the 2017 annual conference, and they have a call out for presentations.

The conference will be held in Ottawa on June 16-18, 2017 at Algonquin College. The theme of the conference is Our Canada – Your Family: Building a Nation. As 2017 will be the 150th anniversary of the birth of Canada, Ottawa Branch OGS will host the annual OGS conference and give the Conference a national flair, bringing together genealogists and family historians from all over Canada. We are looking for speakers and talks of interest to genealogists from all provinces.

DEADLINE FOR PROPOSALS IS FEBRUARY 15, 2016

To submit proposals or ask questions, please contact the Conference 2017 Program Committee at: program.conference2017@ogs.on.ca. For more information about OGS or Ottawa Branch respectively, please visit: www.ogs.on.ca or www.ogsottawa.on.ca.

Great Canadian Summit

The summit will be held in Brampton, Ontario from October 21 to the 23, 2016 at the Courtyard Marriott.

It will be three days of genealogy by speakers such as CHRISTINE WOODCOCK | Director, Genealogy Tours of Scotland, RUTH BLAIR, PLCGS | Professional Genealogist, KATHRYN LAKE HOGAN, UE, PLCGS | Professional Genealogist at Looking 4 Ancestors, and MIKE QUACKENBUSH | Professional Genealogist - Research Coach, to name a few.

Registration has opened at http://www.cangensummit.ca/product/full-weekend-registration/

Meetings

Oxford County Genealogical Society

The Oxford County Genealogical Society will be holding their annual general meeting on January 11th, 2016 where they will hold Election for Chair and Vice-Chair.

The speaker will be Gloria Muir, and her topic will be My Trip to the Family History Library in Salt Lake City.

The meeting is held at Woodstock Public Library, 445 Hunter Street, Woodstock, Ontario at 6:45 p.m.

The website for the Oxford County Genealogical Society is at http://www.oxford.ogs.on.ca/

Heritage Food Open House at GANS

From 2-4 pm on Sunday, December 13, the Genealogical Association of Nova Scotia (GANS) will be hosting a Christmas open house for the monthly meeting, where the concept of Heritage Food will be highlighted.

Food is always an important part of any family celebration but we don’t often think about what the recipes and food traditions handed down in our families tell us about our ancestors. There will be heritage recipes on display, sent in from our members, and hopefully some samples and stories.

The meeting will be held at GANS headquarters at 33 Ochterloney Street, Suite 100, Dartmouth.

The website is at http://www.novascotiaancestors.ca/

Alberta Family History Society

The Alberta Family History Society will hold their meeting on December the 14th from 7 to 9 p.m. at River Park Church, 3818 - 14A Street SW, Calgary, Alberta at which there will be a panel of experts who will offer their opinion on Where Have My Relatives Gone?

They aree also asking members (and any visitors who would like to participate) to bring a tray of goodies for us all to share as this will be their last meeting before Christmas.

The website of the Alberta Family History Society is at http://www.afhs.ab.ca/

Newspaper Articles

Nova Scotia

ED COLEMAN HISTORY: Looking back at letters to show life in Kings County in 1863

http://www.kingscountynews.ca/Opinion/Columnists/2015-12-02/article-4362949/ED-COLEMAN-HISTORY%3A-Looking-back-at-letters-to-show-life-in-Kings-County-in-1863/1

What did your great-grandparent do when they wanted to post a letter, say 150 or so years ago, or if someone wanted to correspond with them by mail?

Lighthouse near Lockeport at risk of collapsing, group says

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/gull-rock-lighthouse-1.3341874

A lighthouse perched on a rock off Nova Scotia's South Shore may not last the winter, community members say.

The Gull Rock lighthouse near Lockeport is crumbling with age, says the Protect Gull Rock Lighthouse group.

New Brunswick

Forgotten graveyards offer insight into black history

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/wheary-graveyard-black-history-1.3343299

Mary McCarthy wants people to know about the Wheary graveyard near Fredericton and other black graveyards in the area that are being forgotten by time and history.

Fredericton considers selling Wilmot Park heritage home.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/wilmot-park-residence-fredericton-1.3346603

The City of Fredericton may sell a heritage home that is located in Wilmot Park that had been used for decades as the residence for the park's on-site groundskeeper.

The home, which is located at the corner of Saunders Street and Odell Avenue, has been vacant since 2013 when the city stopped using an on-site caretaker.

Ontario

What do you know about residential schools? Take the quiz

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2015/12/05/what-do-you-know-about-residential-schools-take-the-quiz.html

Understanding one of the darkest chapters of Canadian history is crucial, but you may be surprised by some of these facts about residential schools and indigenous history.

Test your knowledge with information drawn from Facing History and Ourselves’ new resource guide.

JOY OF GENEALOGY: Signs you might be a genealogist

http://www.insidetoronto.com/news-story/6157794-joy-of-genealogy-signs-you-might-be-a-genealogist/

We’ve all heard them, the jokes that begin “You might be a redneck if …” We laugh, while at the same time, there’s that niggling feeling that a few have hit a bit too close to home.

Ex-PMs' archived papers include love letters, $500 — even a molar

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/library-archives-canada-politicians-papers-1.3346026

The day after a federal election, while many civil servants are focused on the future and the continuation or transition of the government, one group of public servants is busy sifting through the past.

Archivists from Library and Archives Canada begin the task of sorting, cataloguing and preserving the official papers of politicians whose terms have come to an end.

Saluting Louis Shickluna, Senglea’s master shipbuilder in Canada

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20151129/life-features/Saluting-Louis-Shickluna-Senglea-s-master-shipbuilder-in-Canada.593980

A Maltese traveller in Canada might be surprised to come across a plaque commemorating a Maltese man and finding out he played a significant part in this faraway city’s history and in Canada’s naval industry.

Manitoba

Province introduces new legislation ensuring students, teachers learn indigenous history, culture

http://winnipeg.ctvnews.ca/province-introduces-new-legislation-ensuring-students-teachers-learn-indigenous-history-culture-1.2684044

Manitoba is introducing new legislation to ensure students and teachers learn about the history and culture of indigenous peoples, the legacy of residential schools and the significance of treaties.

The move to add indigenous history to Manitoba's curriculum follows the release of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's final report last summer.

Saskatchewan

A city councillor is calling for more diversity in street and park names.

http://thestarphoenix.com/news/local-news/a-city-councillor-is-calling-for-more-diversity-in-street-and-park-names

Veteran Saskatoon city councillor Tiffany Paulsen wants to see more city streets, parks and facilities named for women.

British Columbia

B.C. railroad stories told in new book Whistle Posts West

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/whistle-post-west-tells-bc-railroad-history-1.3342124

A train that sunk in a peat bog in Burnaby, tales of robberies (of money and coal) and silk trains that were of such high priority that all other traffic — including a train carrying King George IV on his 1939 Canadian tour — was pushed off the main line.

Yukon

Signs in McIntyre subdivision tell drivers 'Stop' in Southern Tutchone

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/souther-tutchone-street-signs-whitehorse-1.3352066

A Southern Tutchone word has recently been added to stop signs in the McIntyre subdivision of Whitehorse. The translation isn't exact, but the meaning comes through.

Canadian Stories this Week

1917 Halifax Explosion

Although I did not have relatives who lived in Halifax or Dartmouth at the time of the 1917 Halifax Explosion, I did lived in the north end of Halifax near the The Halifax Explosion Memorial Bell Tower on Fort Needham, which overlooks the area devastated by the Halifax Explosion of December 6, 1917.

The park commemorates those who were killed or suffered injury, and those who lost homes and family when the munitions ship, Mont Blanc, blew up in Halifax Harbour. It also honours the survivors, who rebuilt the cities of Halifax and Dartmouth in the years that followed.

The Nova Scotia Archives now have an online exposition of the “first-hand survivor accounts, observations by visitors in the days immediately afterward, photographs, and other miscellaneous material relating to the disaster of 6 December 1917. This is a continuing series, with new items added each year, leading up to the centenary on 6 December 2017”.

You can see the exposition at http://novascotia.ca/archives/explosion/personal.asp, and I came across a woman, Verna Jeffries, who lives in Gananoque, Ontario who talks about the explosion on http://www.ckwstv.com/2015/12/01/ckws-tv-news-one-of-the-last-survivors-of-halifax-explosion-speaks/. She was six months old at the time of the explosion, and lived to tell the tale.

On that day 2,000 people were killed by collapsed buildings, debris and fires, and 9,000 were injured.

Royal Alberta Museum

As one door closes, another one opens, and this time, it is the Royal Alberta Museum that is closing, with a new museum opening in 2017.

To make the closing of the old museum memorable, a 24-hour Closing Party was held this past weekend at the museum, as it prepares to move to its new building.

You can view http://www.royalalbertamuseum.ca/closingParty/

You can see what people want to know about the Museum on the Move at an FAQ at http://www.royalalbertamuseum.ca/new/faq.cfm

And while no closing party was held when the Canada Science and Technology Museum closed earlier this year, because of airborne mould as a result of a leaky roof and it, too, will be open in the fall 2017.

In the meantime, you can still visit virtually, and there is lots to see at http://cstmuseum.techno-science.ca/en/

Scottish Studies Genealogy Research Repository

News has reached us that the Scottish Studies Genealogy Research Repository at the University of Guelph is hoping to raise $5,000 by using CrowdSourcing. So far, they have raised $480.00.

They say that those who are “interested in the history of the Scottish Canadian community, be they academic historians, genealogists, research students, population scientists, journalists, heritage workers, writers, or any Canadian proud of their Scottish ancestry and heritage”.

It is also understood that the repository will also be used as a facility where people will be able to bequeath their family history which the Institute will digitize, house, preserve for future generations. What a perfect idea!

You can donate at http://uofg.convio.net/site/TR?fr_id=1955&pg=entry

And that was the week in Canadian news!

===========================================================================
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 
 
It’s the ONLY news blog of its kind in Canada!
It has been published on a continuous basis every Monday since April 2012!
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Monday, November 30, 2015

Canadian Week in Review (CWR) 30 November 2015


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

In 1851, the first North American chapter of the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) opened in Montreal.

It began as a Christian organization, to provide young males and females going to the cities with low-cost housing. The YMCA combined preaching in the streets and the distribution of religious tracts with a social ministry.

To read more about the YMCA, go to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/YMCA

In 1885, Rocky Mountain Park was established at Banff, Alberta.

It was the first national park in Canada, and only the third in the world.

The park spans 6,641 square kilometres of valleys, mountains, glaciers, forests, meadows, and rivers.

Today, it is known as Banff National Park.

To learn more, please go to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banff_National_Park

Social Media

(Photos) HANTS HISTORY: Nov. 26, 2015 edition

http://www.hantsjournal.ca/Opinion/Columnists/2015-11-26/article-4355837/HANTS-HISTORY%3A-Nov.-26,-2015-edition/1

Here's a look at what was making the news 25 and 50 years ago in the Hants Journal.

(NEW) E-Virtual Website and Facebook group for the Waterloo Region Branch

Tomorrow, there will be a new E-Virtual Website and Facebook group for the Waterloo Region Branch

This site has many exciting features starting with a name index of over 450,000 names and a E-Store for publication purchases. We will have a research form in case you need some help and finally for those who would like to add Waterloo to your OGS membership ($4) you will have even more access to the new members only section of the site.

See what the new website will look like, go to www.waterloo.ogs.on.ca

Upcoming Canadian Events

Conferences
 
UNLOCKING THE PAST 2016

International Genealogy Conference UNLOCKING THE PAST 2016 will be held on Saturday, April 23, 2016 at the The Beach Club Resort, Parksville, British Columbia of the Qualicum Beach Family History Society in British Columbia.

The featured speakers will be Colleen Fitzpatrick and Chris Paton, and registration is now open at http://www.eventbrite.ca/e/international-genealogy-conference-unlocking-the-past-2016-tickets-18765135024. It includes an early bird price.

The website is located at http://www.qbfhs.ca/


Genealogy on the Cutting Edge 2016

The Ontario Genealogical Society will be holding its annual conference from June 3rd to 5th at the Toronto’s International Plaza Hotel, Toronto.

Registration will open soon, and you can keep up-to-date with the latest news by following their website at http://www.ogs.on.ca/conference/, or their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/events/171812826485725/

Our Canada – Your Family: Building a Nation 2017

The Ottawa Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society will host the 2017 annual conference, and they have a call out for presentations.

The conference will be held in Ottawa on June 16-18, 2017 at Algonquin College. The theme of the conference is Our Canada – Your Family: Building a Nation. As 2017 will be the 150th anniversary of the birth of Canada, Ottawa Branch OGS will host the annual OGS conference and give the Conference a national flair, bringing together genealogists and family historians from all over Canada. We are looking for speakers and talks of interest to genealogists from all provinces.

In keeping with this theme, they are invite proposals for presentations on: family history from every region and territory of Canada (e.g. Atlantic Canada, Quebec, Ontario, the Prairies and British Columbia); migration to and from Canada and also within Canada and how this helped to not only build our families, but also Canada; pre- and post-1867 research in Upper Canada; religious associations; military connections; the latest updates on computer, social media and genealogy database technology; the ever growing use of DNA testing for genealogy; and skill-building for family historians (e.g. use of the genealogy proof standard, getting more out of online resources).

DEADLINE FOR PROPOSALS IS FEBRUARY 15, 2016

To submit proposals or ask questions, please contact the Conference 2017 Program Committee at: program.conference2017@ogs.on.ca. For more information about OGS or Ottawa Branch respectively, please visit: www.ogs.on.ca or www.ogsottawa.on.ca.

Great Canadian Summit

The summit will be held in Brampton, Ontario from October 21 to the 23, 2016 at the Courtyard Marriott.

It will be three days of genealogy by speakers such as HRISTINE WOODCOCK | Director, Genealogy Tours of Scotland, RUTH BLAIR, PLCGS | Professional Genealogist, KATHRYN LAKE HOGAN, UE, PLCGS | Professional Genealogist at Looking 4 Ancestors, and MIKE QUACKENBUSH | Professional Genealogist - Research Coach, to name, but, a few.

Registration has opened at http://www.cangensummit.ca/product/full-weekend-registration/

Meetings

London & Middlesex Genealogical Society

Saturday 05 Dec 2015 at 10 a.m, Dennis Mulligan explores several detailed finding aids forgotten in the Branch Library for many years, and one of them is An Exciting Discovery - Newspaper finding Aids for local pre-confederation Newspapers.

The meeting will he held at the Presentations are held at the Westmount Branch of the London Public Library, 3200 Wonderland Rd just south of Southdale Rd, London, Ontario, unless otherwise noted.  otherwise.

The website is at https://www.ogs.on.ca/londonmiddlesex/

Introduction to Genealogy (2 parts)
Tuesday, December 1 and 8
Genealogist Elizabeth Briggs will show you how to trace your family tree using family and public records. You’ll learn the types of genealogical resources, how to record your information, and be introduced to selected websites and online internet software. West End Library, 999 Sargent Ave. 6 – 8 pm. both nights.

City of Winnipeg Library Presentations. Registration required - phone 204-986-4677. No cost.

The website is at http://www.mbgenealogy.com/

Newspaper Articles

Nova Scotia

Alexander Keith's beer bottle may be seized from Halifax diver

If Jon Crouse wants ​to taste his 125-year-old ale, he'd better do it soon.

The Nova Scotia government hopes to analyze the beer bottle, which could be deemed a heritage object.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/hfx-diver-may-have-to-give-up-keiths-bottle-1.3340154

Preserving Nova Scotia’s proud military heritage

http://thechronicleherald.ca/more/thriving-50/1324405-preserving-nova-scotia%E2%80%99s-proud-military-heritage

Countless families through- out Nova Scotia are sheltering a treasure-trove of medals and other military memorabilia earned by generations of loved-ones who went off to fight for King and Country.

Worryingly, the chances of this precious history becoming scattered or lost entirely are increasing as the veterans and their descendants pass away.

Prince Edward Island

Cavendish Grove, former Rainbow Valley site, getting revamped

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/cavendish-grove-rainbow-valley-overhaul-1.3332425

They have now built a trail system and green space. Now they are looking for ways to improve the park.

A public meeting was held to discuss their plans Monday night in North Rustico.

P.E.I. author James W. Macnutt explores the history of Maritime courthouses in new book.

http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/Living/2015-11-23/article-4352713/P.E.I.-author-James-W.-Macnutt-explores-the-history-of-Maritime-courthouses-in-new-book/1

Every courthouse has a story.

And James W. Macnutt tells it in his new book, Building For Justice: The Historic Courthouses of the Maritimes.

Trinity United Church's stained glass windows focus of Sunday sermon

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/stained-glass-windows-attraction-1.3330100

On the 151st anniversary of Trinity United Church in Charlottetown last Sunday, the congregation was treated to the history of the building's stained glass windows.

Instead of hearing from the minister, retired heritage consultant Reg Porter spoke about the church's "paintings in glass."

Quebec

President Henry B. Eyring rededicates temple in Montreal

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865642232/President-Henry-B-Eyring-rededicates-temple-in-Montreal.html

The newly renovated Montreal Quebec Temple stands as a tribute to the rich and diverse history of Montreal and the pioneering Latter-day Saints who built the Church in Quebec’s largest bilingual city.

Ontario

History column: Breaking sodbusters' hearts

http://www.thesudburystar.com/2015/11/22/history-column-breaking-sodbusters-hearts

During the 1840s and 1850s, 13 main colonization roads were built criss-crossing central and eastern Ontario to encourage settlement. That was helped by the flaccid economy in Britain, which was motivating people to migrate to the colonies.

Cobourg’s Carl Verge re-imagines his family history in novel 

http://www.northumberlandnews.com/whatson-story/6127862-cobourg-s-carl-verge-re-imagines-his-family-history-in-novel/

With a passion for genealogy, Cobourg resident Carl Verge looked for an interesting way to bring his family history to life.

Manitoba

Exterior restoration on Dome Building almost complete

http://www.brandonsun.com/local/Exterior-restoration-on-Dome-Building-almost-complete-357120411.html?thx=y

A major fundraising campaign to restore the historic Dome Building on the Keystone Centre grounds has reached the halfway point.

Canadian human right's museum commemorates centennial of the Armenian Genocide

http://www.armradio.am/en/2015/11/27/canadian-human-rights-museum-commemorates-centennial-of-the-armenian-genocide/

A delegation comprising members of the Armenian National Committee of Canada, were joined by members and representatives of the local Winnipeg Armenian community at an event organized by the Canadian Human Right’s Museum dedicated to the Centennial of the Armenian Genocide. To commemorate the anniversary, the museum had organized a special evening, which took place on Wednesday, November 25, with renowned Canadian-Armenian director Atom Egoyan and actress Arsinée Khandjian.

Manitoba, a province ‘Built On Agriculture

http://www.manitobacooperator.ca/crops/manitoba-a-province-built-on-agriculture/

The Selkirk settlers arrived in Manitoba 200 years ago only to be told that it wasn’t possible to farm in Western Canada due to the harsh conditions on the land. We all know how that turned out, and because of it, there are countless stories about agriculture in Manitoba today.

Saskatchewan

Saskatoon aims to increase the number of streets with indigenous names

http://thestarphoenix.com/news/local-news/saskatoon-aims-to-increase-the-number-of-streets-with-indigenous-names

Priscilla Settee says a plan by the city to increase the number of Saskatoon streets and public spaces with indigenous names is a step in the right direction.

Alberta

Edmonton soldiers gather bricks to save piece of city's history

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/edmonton-soldiers-gather-bricks-to-save-piece-of-city-s-history-1.3341986

A piece of the city's past was rescued Saturday by a group of citizen soldiers who want to help preserve Edmonton's history.

Several reserve members from the South Alberta Light Horse regiment stacked up and hauled away bricks from the Leamington Mansions, which was destroyed by fire earlier.

British Columbia

Barry Lane illustrates history of the Canadian Pacific rail line

http://www.thesudburystar.com/2015/11/22/history-column-breaking-sodbusters-hearts

Knifing through southeast British Columbia’s Selkirk Mountains, the 330-metre long and 50-metre high bridge was the largest wooden structure in the world upon completion in 1885, and is just one of the historic topics covered in Lane’s illustrative history book Canadian Pacific: The Golden Age of Travel.

Canadian Stories this week

Family History Lesson Plans

Recently, the Ontario Genealogical Society released the Family History Lesson Plans, to be used by Ontario elementary and secondary school educators as educational resources for their classrooms which integrate family history into the Ontario Provincial Curriculum.

With the generous support provided from the Archives of Ontario, each lesson plan includes primary resources for students to work with and learn.

If you want to know more about the lesson plans, go to https://www.ogs.on.ca/leedsandgrenville/index.php/2015/10/20/family-history-lesson-plans-for-the-ontario-provincial-curriculum/

And in the same them as the Ontario Genealogical Society, there now is a new portable website that will offer a rich pedagogical resource bank for students everywhere across Canada, aimed at teaching the role played by Champlain in the early history of Canada.

French and English sector schools, and teachers at the elementary and secondary levels will have access to this new tool that will enable them to find a vast amount of pertinent pedagogical information concerning Champlain: books, magazines, audio clips, short videos, information programs, and more.

The data bank, part of which is downloadable, is meant to be used as a key pedagogical tool used to support history, geography, and French courses as much as for any school that would like to organize activities related to this historical figure.

If you want to know more, go to http://www.champlain1615.ca/en/resources/

Digital Publications: New Partnership Between Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec and Library and Archives Canada

In a recent press release, the Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec (BAnQ) and Library and Archives Canada (LAC) are pleased to announce a new agreement concerning digital publications from Quebec publishing companies.

As a result of the partnership, publishers who deposit their publications in the ANEL-De Marque Digital Book Repository will be able to authorize BAnQ to transmit them to LAC. Up to 10,000 digital publications could be added to Canada’s documentary heritage through this initiative in the next two years.

I wonder if there will be agreements signed with other archival instutiomns in the country?

To read more about the Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec, go to http://www.banq.qc.ca/a_propos_banq/index.html

And that was the week in Canadian news!

===========================================================================
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 
It’s the ONLY news blog of its kind in Canada!
It has been published on a continuous basis every Monday since April 2012!
Copyright © 2015 Genealogy Canada. All rights reserved
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