JewishGen Canada Database

The JewishGen Canada database is a multi-database search facility containing nearly a quarter of a million records of Jews living in Canada.

A list of the different "JewishGen Canada Databases" include -

The JewishGen Family Finder (JGFF) - More than 3,800 surnames and towns of Jewish families of interest to genealogists researching Canadian Jewry.

The JewishGen Online Worldwide Burial Registry (JOWBR) - There are 68,000 records of Jewish burials in cemeteries in Canada. It has records in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Ontario, Québec, and Saskatchewan.

The JewishGen Memorial Plaques Database - Information from synagogue yahrzeit plaques.

The Canadian Jewish Heritage Network (CJHN) - There are more than 67,000 records from Canadian Jewish archival sources, including Jewish Colonization Association (JCA) - settler reports from western Canada and Québec (1906-1951), obituaries from the "Keneder Adler" (Montreal, 1908-1932), all text, translated from the Yiddish, Hebrew Sick Benefit Association of Montreal - membership listings from 1897-1945, Canadian Jewish Casualties in the Canadian Armed Forces, and so forth.
Montreal Jewish General Hospital Archives - More than 4,000 records, such as contribution cards from 1929.

The "JewishGen Canada Database" can be found at
www.jewishgen.org/databases/Canada

Hostages Along the Border!

On Wednesday, February 27, the Morrin Centre in Quebec City will host a presentation on what American history often refers to as the French and Indian War. While many writers have focused on the trauma and homesickness experienced by the captives during their journey north, fewer have told the story of those who chose not to return to New England and subsequently integrated into life in Quebec.

Several of these former captives played an important role in the early history of Quebec, where their descendants live today. This presentation will be an opportunity to learn more about their story.

With words and pictures Jack Bryden will tell the fascinating story of the hundreds of English-speaking men, women and children captured in New England and brought as prisoners to New France before 1760.

The meeting will be held on Wednesday, February 27 at 7:00 p.m. at the Morrin Centre, 44 Chaussée des Écossais, Quebec City.

Admission is free.

For more information or to reserve your seat, call 418-694-9147 or visit www.morrin.org

John D. Reid and Glenn Wright are at WDYTYA Conference

I learned last week that John D. Reid, and Glenn Wright, will give a special 45- minute talk at the Who Do You Think You Are Live genealogy conference in London, UK on Saturday afternoon.

The talk will be entitled Finding English Emigrants to Canada and Their Descendants.

John said that because of the time constraint “it will be a once over lightly” talk, but if you are going to the conference, both John and Glenn hope that you can stop by, and say ‘Hello’.

You can check John's blog at http://anglo-celtic-connections.blogspot.ca, and Glenn is president of the British Isles Family History Society of Greater Ottawa, and their web site is at www.bifhsgo.ca

All information about the event is at www.whodoyouthinkyouarelive.com

With Only a Suitcase

Ellen Adamsons will talk about her family’s escape from their native Latvia after World War II, their settlement in Kars, Ontario, and the process of writingYou have recently attended a genealogy program at Ottawa Public Library, and this upcoming program may also be of interest to you.

This program will appeal to anyone with an interest in the local history of Kars, Ontario and North Gower Township, or in European history after World War II. It will also be attractive to anyone who wants to hear about telling family stories or writing about family history.

The meeting will be held on Wednesday, March 6, 2:00 – 4:00 pm, Room 1B, Nepean Centrepointe Library Branch, Ottawa.

Please register at biblioottawalibrary.ca/program

If you want to learn more about Canadian immigrants from Latvia, you can go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latvian_Canadian

Kensington Market (Toronto) Historical Society Inaugural Public Event

On Wednesday, March 20, 2013 the Kensington Market Historical Society will be pleased to present two distinguished speakers and authors - Jean Cochrane who wrote the book Kensington (Boston Mills Press, 2000), and Rosemary Donegan who wrote Spadina Avenue (Douglas & McIntyre, 1985).

The meeting will be held at 6:00 pm, and it will be at Lillian H. Smith Library, 239 College St. (at Huron), Toronto.

Admission to this event is free, and light refreshments will be served.

If you want to find out more about this famous area of Toronto, please go to the Kensington Market Historical Society’s website at www.kmhs.ca

Film Screening of the Coffin Ship Hannah

On Wednesday, March 13, 2013 at the Enoch Turner Schoolhouse,106 Trinity Street,Toronto, there will be a special screening of The Coffin Ship Hannah which recounting the extraordinary tale of an Irish coffin ship.

In 1849, while carrying Irish immigrants fleeing to Canada from Ireland’s potato famine, the Hannah struck ice off the coast of Newfoundland, and was shipwrecked.

The film was produced in 2011 by Galafilm, in association with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and Radio-Canada.

The doors open at 6:30 p.m., and the film screening will be at 7 p.m. Discussion will follow the screening at 8:45 p.m.

Tickets for this special event are $10 for adults, $8 for students, seniors and Enoch Turner Schoolhouse Foundation members, and free for children 13 and under.

For more information, or to buy tickets in advance, please visit Enoch Turner Schoolhouse, call 416-327-6997 or email enochturner@heritagetrust.on.ca. Tickets will also be available at the door.

To go to the website, click on www.enochturnerschoolhouse.ca

To go to the Hannah website, click on the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hannah_(1849_shipwreck)

One More River to Cross: Tales of the Underground Railroad

The Canadian Museum of Civilization is going to present the story of Isaac Brown, a Maryland slave. Historians and masterful storytellers Shannon and Bryan Prince bring to life this remarkable true story with hauntingly beautiful songs by Denise Pelley and Tom Starks.

It will be held on Saturday, February 21 in the theatre of the Canadian Museum of Civilization, and tickets are $5.00. They are available online, at the Museum Box Office, or by calling 819-776-7000

The website of the Black History month is at www.civilization.ca/event/one-more-river-to-cross-tales-of-the-underground-railroad?calendar_date=2013-02-23&cm_mid=2217850&cm_crmid={76C38DEF-186A-E211-9333-005056A35E1C}&cm_medium=email