Here are some of the blogs I follow on a daily basis, in no particular order. I thought that you would enjoy them, also -
Anglo-Celtic Connections
http://anglo-celtic-connections.blogspot.com
This is the blog of John D. Reid, and he posts on a regular basis. This may be of interest to those searching their Anglo-Celtic as well as Canadian ancestors.
Saskatchewan Genealogical Society
http://saskgenealogy.blogspot.com
This blog is from the Saskatchewan Genealogical Society, and they talk about Canadian and Anglo-Celtic sources.
Alberta Family Histories Society Blog
http://afhs.ab.ca/blog
This is the blog of the Alberta Family History Society. They post about genealogy happenings in Canada.
CanadaGenealogy, or, 'Jane's Your Aunt'
http://canadagenealogy.blogspot.com
This is M. Diane Rogers' blog. In addition to her own family, she blogs about news in British Columbia, and of her own experiences as a graveyard rabbit.
Olive Tree Genealogy Blog
http://olivetreegenealogy.blogspot.com
This blog by Lorine McGinnis Schulze has a plethora of primary resources transcribed online. This is especially true of passenger lists that no one else seems to have.
Janet the Researcher
http://researchergal.blogspot.com
Janet Iles has a very interesting blog, and always writes about ancestors from a researcher's point of view.
Librarians Helping Canadian Genealogists Climb Family Trees
www.canadianlibgenie.blogspot.com
This is a blog by Elise C. Cole, and she write about genealogy from the librarian's point of view.
Brenda Dougall Merriman
http://brendadougallmerriman.blogspot.com
A blog written by a fellow member of APG, she often writes about my home province (Nova Scotia) in her postings.
Ontario Genealogical Society (OGS) Blog
www.ogs.on.ca/ogsblog
The official blog of the Canada's largest genealogical society, they post all the news about the OGS.
Finally, please allow me to wish you and yours a Happy New Year, and the best for 2011!
Thank you for following MY blog (Genealogy Canada). I hope you've enjoyed it!
Elizabeth
Friday, December 31, 2010
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Anglo-Celtic Roots - Winter 2010
"The cover image combines the Coat-of-arms for the Blakes of Wiltshire/Hampshire/Somerset, England, (courtesy Elizabeth Kipp) with an image of a DNA helix (Wikipedia: National Human Genome Research Institute)"
I wasn't able to go to the December 11th meeting because of work commitments, but my dear husband dropped in for a minute and picked up the latest copy of Anglo-Celtic Roots, the award-winning quarterly publication of BIFHSGO (British Isles Family History Society of Greater Ottawa).
In this issue are three articles, a review of their annual Fall Conference held in September, news on the Home Children Book Project by Brian Glenn, the passing of long-time BIFHSGO member (and former president) and ACR columnist ("The Printed Page") Gordon Taylor, and a report of the writer's workshop by Carol Annett, which was also held during the Conference.
As well is "The Bookworm" by Betty Warburton, listing new holdings (with some interesting titles) for the Brian O'Regan Memorial Library, the "Members' Surname Search" by Elizabeth Kipp, a membership report by Tara Grant, a message from the president, Glenn Wright, and a note from the editor.
The first article by Elizabeth Kipp, Barrie Blake, and Bill Bleak — "Revealing the Blake Family - a yDNA Project" — looks into how the surname of Blake originated. It follows through the yDNA process, and outlines the ongoing research.
If you have questions about the Blake surname, Elizabeth can be reached at kippeeb@rogers.com.
The second article, by Anglo-Celtic Connections blogger, John D. Reid — "Local Roots of Governor General David Johnston" — tries to trace the ancestry of David Johnston, Canada's newest Governor General.
Although the Library and Archives Canada does not have some of the newspapers which could have BMDs in them, he does find the newspaper at the local library, and starts to trace back the family.
If you are researching relatives in the 20th century, this is an excellent article (with detailed endnotes) to read.
The third article is a "Great Moments" article by Chris MacPhail (the editor of ACR) who writes about his great-aunt Lillian and the surprises he found in "The Importance of Being Ernest".
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Membership Month at OGS
Do you know that the OGS has a blog www.ogs.on.ca/ogsblog, and that it is open to the public?
An example of a posting is listed below -
December 8th, 2010
It's Membership Month here at the Ontario Genealogical Society. If you're a current member, you have received, or will soon receive, your OGS membership renewal form with your November issue of Families. If you're not a current member, now is the best time to join us to ensure you get a full year's worth of OGS membership benefits.
So, why join OGS?
OGS Members receive our journal, Families, and our print newsletter, NewsLeaf, and the electronic version sent by email, e-NewsLeaf.
Families is a quarterly publication that includes researched, referenced, and illustrated articles; the Game, a queries column that members may contribute to; and a book review section on books of interest to genealogists.
NewsLeaf is our newsletter which is published quarterly, as well. It includes OGS news and happenings; a section announcing forthcoming gatherings and special events; and current news from the 30 OGS Branches and SIGs.
The e-NewsLeaf has links to other websites of interest to members, as well as timely news items and announcements.
Join us to receive these publications.
To become a member, click on to the Membership page.
Since I am the editor of both publications, I can say—modestly—that they are top-notch in passing along the latest news to, and about, the OGS and its members.
In the February issue of both NewsLeaf and Families will be articles on how to discover Jamaican and Trinidadian roots from Canada, an article on the Library and Archives Canada, and one on an Irish family from the Ottawa Valley in Ontario.
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Canadian Families Database
Family events such as baptisms, marriages, and burials are key elements of genealogy and family history research.
From early times to the present, these events have been recorded in church records. Library and Archives Canada holds a small collection of church records, some of which are indexed by name.
To provide better access to those indexes, the information they contain has been entered in a database that will expand slowly over the next few years.
The records are in the Canadian Families database www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/whats-new/013-500-e.html
Although I am pretty certain that I do not have any direct descendants in Ontario on either side of my family (BARCLAY, BLADES), I just put the names in on the off-chance that there may have been something there.
And while no one directly related was discovered, at least I found out how it works.
However, the Barclay name yielded one entry on the database in Leeds County. There was nothing for Blades.
Name: Barclay family
Parish: Leeds County, Ontario
Fonds: Miller, W.J. (Bill) Collection
Volume: 2
Page: 67 - 68
Microfilm: H-1668
Reference: MG 25 G370
It should be noted that, at present, the Canadian Families database covers the St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, Williamstown, Ontario; the Miller, W.J. (Bill) Collection; and the Kipling Collection: Card Index. Future databases will be added.
LAC has another database called That's My Family at www.thatsmyfamily.info/Metamoteur/explications_en.html.
It contains the Marriage Records Index for Canada, of which there are more than 3 million records for the Quebec population between 1621 and 2004.
From early times to the present, these events have been recorded in church records. Library and Archives Canada holds a small collection of church records, some of which are indexed by name.
To provide better access to those indexes, the information they contain has been entered in a database that will expand slowly over the next few years.
The records are in the Canadian Families database www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/whats-new/013-500-e.html
Although I am pretty certain that I do not have any direct descendants in Ontario on either side of my family (BARCLAY, BLADES), I just put the names in on the off-chance that there may have been something there.
And while no one directly related was discovered, at least I found out how it works.
However, the Barclay name yielded one entry on the database in Leeds County. There was nothing for Blades.
Name: Barclay family
Parish: Leeds County, Ontario
Fonds: Miller, W.J. (Bill) Collection
Volume: 2
Page: 67 - 68
Microfilm: H-1668
Reference: MG 25 G370
It should be noted that, at present, the Canadian Families database covers the St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, Williamstown, Ontario; the Miller, W.J. (Bill) Collection; and the Kipling Collection: Card Index. Future databases will be added.
LAC has another database called That's My Family at www.thatsmyfamily.info/Metamoteur/explications_en.html.
It contains the Marriage Records Index for Canada, of which there are more than 3 million records for the Quebec population between 1621 and 2004.
Friday, December 24, 2010
Holiday Wishes
Merry Christmas to you and yours, our loyal readers!
Thank you for dropping by. We hope you take the time to explore all we have to offer. Use our search engine to go through over 200 blog postings to date.
Start now, and you might just be finished in time to read our new posting on Boxing Day!
All the best,
Elizabeth
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
LAC Launches 1916 Census of the Prairie Provinces
Library and Archives Canada (LAC) is pleased to make the 1916 Census of the Prairie Provinces (Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta) available online at www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/census-1916/index-e.html.
In order to track the high rates of population growth in Western Canada during the early years of the 20th Century, the Canadian government called for a special census of the Prairie provinces (Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta). The first census was conducted in 1906, followed by another in 1916.
Access to the digitized images of the 1916 census is available online in two different ways:
* Through a database that is searchable by Province, District Name, District Number, and Sub-district Number. The database is available at: www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/census-1916/index-e.html
Please note that this is NOT a nominally-indexed database - it is not searchable by family name.
* Through the research tool "microform digitization," you can browse the microfilm reels page by page. The tool is available at:
www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/microform-digitization/index-e.html
One webpage which the LAC staff has published is "Column Headings and Interpretation", which gives an explanation of each of the fields of the census plus "Common Abbreviations".
On a personal note, I do have Webster ancestors (by marriage) who went out to Manitoba in 1904, and I can trace them up to the present day, due to the census and material that is at the LAC.
So while you are at the LAC website, be sure to put your ancestor's name in the search engine, and the results will be shown in the Archives, the Library, the Ancestor Database, and on the Websites at the LAC.
In order to track the high rates of population growth in Western Canada during the early years of the 20th Century, the Canadian government called for a special census of the Prairie provinces (Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta). The first census was conducted in 1906, followed by another in 1916.
Access to the digitized images of the 1916 census is available online in two different ways:
* Through a database that is searchable by Province, District Name, District Number, and Sub-district Number. The database is available at: www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/census-1916/index-e.html
Please note that this is NOT a nominally-indexed database - it is not searchable by family name.
* Through the research tool "microform digitization," you can browse the microfilm reels page by page. The tool is available at:
www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/microform-digitization/index-e.html
One webpage which the LAC staff has published is "Column Headings and Interpretation", which gives an explanation of each of the fields of the census plus "Common Abbreviations".
On a personal note, I do have Webster ancestors (by marriage) who went out to Manitoba in 1904, and I can trace them up to the present day, due to the census and material that is at the LAC.
So while you are at the LAC website, be sure to put your ancestor's name in the search engine, and the results will be shown in the Archives, the Library, the Ancestor Database, and on the Websites at the LAC.
Friday, December 17, 2010
Bill C-568 - Gordon Watts Latest Census Report
As genealogists know, Canada has had a long battle with the government over the country's census - it's collection and release.
The latest battle has been over the dropping of the long term census, but Gordon A. Watts, in his latest newsletter issue, reports that it is coming to an end.
To see his report, go to http://globalgenealogy.com/globalgazette/gazgw/gazgw-0127.htm
Bill C-568 has been in the Senate, and Watts says "Debate on Second Reading of Bill C-568, that would restore the mandatory long-form Census and would remove imprisonment as a punishment for failure to complete the Census, took place on 5 November and 3 December 2010. The vote on a motion to pass second reading and to refer the Bill to the Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology took place on 8 December 2010. The motion was passed on a division of 147 to 136.
Following consideration by the Committee, the Bill will be reported back to the House of Commons, with or without recommendation. It may then be debated in Third Reading, and if passed there, would be referred to the Senate for consideration.
While this Bill may very well receive Third Reading in the House of Commons, I think it unlikely that it will pass through the Senate. There are currently 152 sitting Conservative members of the Senate. If all of these Senators voted against the Bill, and all non-Conservative Senators (151 in total) voted in favour of it, it would fail by one vote.
Bill C-583, dealing with the method of appointment of the Chief Statistician and some of the responsibilities of that position, received First Reading in the House of Commons on 30 September 2010. As of this writing, it has not yet been placed in the order of precedence, and so debate on Second Reading has not yet begun."
And Wells tells us that there is to be a second court action being taken on long-form Census.
He says that "Media reports indicate that a coalition of aboriginal organizations and chiefs from Atlantic Canada were in Halifax Federal Court Monday 13 December to argue that the removal of the mandatory long-form Census questionnaire violates their Charter rights. Lawyers for the Native Council of Nova Scotia, the New Brunswick Aboriginal Peoples Council, the Native Council of Prince Edward Island, the Maritime Aboriginal Peoples Council, and three Atlantic chiefs claim that the changes to questions about ethnicity and ancestry will make it difficult for the government to discharge its constitutional duties to aboriginal peoples.
This is the second group to take the government to court over the government's decision to do away with the mandatory long-form Census. The first was a Francophone organization in Quebec that argued the long-form Census was the only reliable source of information about minority French-speaking communities. A Federal Court judge ruled against that argument.
The federal government has stated that they will be introducing legislation to remove the imprisonment penalties for failing to complete the Census from the Statistics Act, but to date I have seen no indications of any such legislation being presented to the House of Commons."
So, there is the latest news on the census.
Hopefully, some comprise can be found which would satisfy everyone, but I think that time has passed, and we will get whatever the government decides.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)