Regina Saskatchewan Family History Centre (FHC) News

John Williams, FHC Director, has sent us the following news story -

The Family History Centre at 550 Sangster Blvd. in Regina has recently undergone a “high-tech barn raising” to help individuals and groups succeed in their genealogical research efforts. Here are some of the changes we have made:

• New Computers: We recently set up four new Dell Optiplex 9010 AIO computers. With 4 GB of RAM and i5 processors, these machines offer considerably more speed and shorter processing times than their predecessors.

• New Printers: We have installed two new printers: a Lexmark E460dn and a Lexmark X466de. The X466de is a multifunction unit with copy, scan, fax and printing capabilities.

• New Software: Every Family History Centre computer now has a large selection of genealogy software including Roots Magic, PAF Companion, Ancestral Quest and Legacy Family Tree. For more details, see www.familysearch.org/products and the attached spreadsheet. The software provides new ways of organizing family information and enables the generation of a wide variety of reports including pedigree charts, family group sheets, relationship charts, wall charts and timeline charts.

• New Inventory List: For the first time, the FHC has published an electronic catalogue of its inventory including more than 1500 in-stock microfilms, 100 books and 150 maps.

• Premium Websites: The Family History Centre provides researchers with free access to a wide range of genealogy research websites that make it possible to search for an ancestor by typing in a name. Available sites include Ancestry, Find My Past, Heritage Quest and World Vital Records.

• Family Tree Training: In conjunction with the recent release of the New FamilySearch and Family Tree to the public, the Family History Centre offers its patrons free training on the use of these websites.

• Microfilm Ordering: Family History Centre patrons have access to the world’s largest collection of microfilms and microfiche. Films can be ordered online at https://familysearch.org/catalog-search Both 60 day & permanent loans are available.

The Family History Centre is open on Tuesdays from 6:30 PM to 9:00 PM and on Thursdays from 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM. The Centre closes at 12:00 PM on Thursdays in July and August.

As always, Family History Centre staff offer one-on-one assistance to individuals pursuing their own genealogical research.

If you have any questions regarding the Family History Centre, please do not hesitate to contact me at http://inbox463@hotmail.com

Check your Family History Centre on a regular basis because there is always something new. You can get the address of your local FHC by going to https://familysearch.org/locations

OGS Blog Poll #2

The first poll of the OGS blog has taken place, and now it’s time for Poll # 2.

The subject of this poll is Records. You can choose as many choices from the list as you wish. To view the results after you have voted, simply refresh the page.

Aside from Census, Birth, Death and Marriage records, what other records have you found useful in building your family tree?

So far, the poll has shown that Cemetery Records as the first choice, Church and Parish Records in second place, and Wills and Probate in the third place.

Go to www.ogs.on.ca/ogsblog, and put in your choice!

Dave Obee Gives Two Talks

His first talk, entitled “Destination Canada”, will be given on Saturday, March 24th from 12:30 to 2:00 p.m. at the West Vancouver Memorial Library.

More than seven million people arrived in Canada from Europe, the United States, and Asia between 1815 and 1930.

This talk discusses the wide variety of sources that deal with immigration to Canada, including ship passenger lists (available from 1865 through 1935), border-crossing records, and naturalization and citizenship documents.

The second talk, “Writing Your Family History”, will be held from 2:30 to 4:00 p.m. in the Welsh Hall, and touch upon the reason for writing a family history, and how a well-written story will make other family members more interested in the research that you are doing. He will also discuss ideas that will help you get over writer's block.

For more information, visit the West Vancouver Memorial Library at http://www.westvanlibrary.ca/, or write info@westvanlibrary.ca.

Transfer of Vital Statistics to PEI Archives

In May of this year, Royal Assent was given to a bill allowing amendments to the Vital Statistics Act which permitted the transfer of records after certain time restrictions have passed www.gov.pe.ca/cca/baptismal

There are time restrictions on the Vital Statistics, as follows -

Birth Records - restricted for 120 years after date of birth

Marriage Records - restricted for 75 years after the date of marriage


Death Records - restricted for 50 years after the date of death. The cause of death remains restricted regardless of when the death occurred.

Baptismal Records - All records in the post-1886 Baptismal Records Index now have been posted.

Simply place the surname you are looking for in the search box and you will receive the Child's Full Name, the Birth Date, the Baptism Date, the Mother's Name, the Father's Name, the Birth Place, and the Baptism Place.

At the present time, baptismal records are from 1777 to 1923. There are 93,000 records.