April 6th - Tartan Day in Canada

 

The Maple Leaf Tartan was created in 1964 by David Weiser in anticipation of the 100th anniversary of Canada's confederation in 1967.

The colours represents the changing seasons of the maple leaf as the pattern incorporates “the green of the leaves' summer foliage, the gold which first appears in the early autumn, the red which appears with the coming of the first frost, and the brown tones of the fallen leaves. The design proved to be very popular throughout Canada”.

The Maple Leaf Tartan was made an official national symbol by ministerial declaration on March 9th, 2011.

Comox Valley Family History Research Group Presents All-Day Seminar

The Comox Valley Family History Research Group will hold its all-day seminar on Saturday April 20th, 2013 at the Florence Filberg Centre Conference Hall in Courtenay, Vancouver Island, BC.

The speakers will be Glenn Wright and Lesley Anderson, both from Ottawa.

Some topics to be covered will be They Came by Ship ... Finding Immigrant Ancestors Before 1865, and Getting Here From There – Immigration Records on Ancestry and Elsewhere 1865 – 1965.

The registration fee for CVFHRG members is $65.00; non-members $75.00. Registration cut-off is 15 April 2013

You may go to www.cvfamilyhistory.org/seminars.html

LAC Opens Displays in Two Cities in Canada

Library and Archives Canada continues to display the richness and diversity of its collections with the opening of two exhibitions, one in Saskatchewan at the Mendel Art Gallery, and the other in Quebec at the the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Gatineau.

In Saskatchewan, the Mendel Art Gallery in Saskatoon is hosting the I Know You by Heart: Portrait Miniatures exhibition until June 2, 2013. The exhibition highlights the intimate, personal nature of portrait miniatures, and the reasons that such images are commissioned and created.

In Quebec, the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Gatineau is presenting the exhibition Double Take: Portraits of Intriguing Canadians until October 14, 2013. Discover portraits of Canadians who have left—and are still leaving—their mark on our country and our culture. .

By presenting exhibitions such as these, Library and Archives Canada is able to make original works of documentary heritage accessible in galleries, museums and other community venues to Canadians across the country.

You can listen to the podcast overview of the featured works and the stories behind them at  www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/news/podcasts/Pages/double-take.aspx

FamilySearch UPDATE: The Canada Wiki

I just heard from Lisa who is a consultant at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City for the work on the Canada Wiki pages, and she has asked for our assistance

She says that “We are starting to post tasks on the FamilySearch Wiki to help us get the Ontario pages ready for a major renovation. If anyone would like to do some wiki reading and editing on the project they can find tasks at www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/FamilySearch_Wiki:WikiProject_Ontario

This project is in the beginning stages, but we hope to make the FamiliySearch Wiki a valuable place to find resource and record help for Ontario genealogists. As we finish Ontario we will move on to complete the same tasks in other provinces of Canada”.

So if you can help in any way, you can email Lisa at mcbridelw@familysearch.org

If you are already helping to read, write or edit Canadian Wiki Project pages at FamilySearch, let me know, so that I and the readers of this blog can recognize your good work.

Nassagaweya History Day, Campbellville, Ontario

The Nasagiweya Historical Society tells us that a day which focuses on Nassagaweya Township history and families, photo and local history exhibits will be held on Saturday April 6th from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm.

There will also be a book launch for the new book Death Notices and Obituaries of Nassagaweya compiled by Joy Simpson.

The event will be held at the Nassagaweya Tennis Centre & Community Hall, Guelph Line/401, Campbellville, Ontario, and there will be free admission, and refreshments available.

You can either call Audrey Allison at 519.837.9288, or click on the website at www.nasagiweyahistoricalsociety.com/id9.html

Genealogy Resources Class at Oakville Public Library, Oakville, Ontario

The OPL is offering two classes in genealogy, and they are -

Ancestry Library Edition

Interested in researching your family roots?

This hands-on workshop will introduce you to Ancestry Library Edition and other library resources that will help you get started.

Tuesday, April 9 from 10:00am – 11:30am

Cost: Free

Genealogy Online

Feeling overwhelmed trying to sift through all of the genealogical information available on the web? This hands-on workshop shows you the best websites to use when researching your family history.

Cost: $5.65 to attend the class.

Thursday, May 16 from 10:00am – 11:00am

To register, go to www.opl.on.ca/blog/type/genealogy

Oxford County Ontario Cemeteries

Dave Cooper maintains the Oxford County Genweb page.

This cemetery webpage consists of more than 100,000 headstone photographs, maps and information of all 102 cemeteries found in the townships of the County of Oxford.

If you wish to add information to the headstone photograph site, feel free to email him anytime at oxfcem@bell.net

The Oxford County Ontario Cemeteries Webpage is at http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~dcoop

Breaking the Silence: British Home Children in Canada

For immediate release

April 3, 2013

Breaking the Silence: British Home Children in Canada

Ottawa-Over 120,000 children came to Canada as domestic servants and agricultural labourers from the British Isles between the 1860’s and the 1940’s. Only now are many Canadians learning that a family member was a Home Child.

The Ottawa Public Library in partnership with Ontario East Home Child Family and the British Home Child Advocacy & Research Association will present information and provide assistance in finding their stories.

Date: Saturday, April 6, 2013

Time: 1:00-4:30 p.m.

Location: Main Library, 120 Metcalfe Street, Mezzanine and Auditorium

For more information, visit www.BiblioOttawaLibrary.ca or contact InfoService at 613-580-2940 or InfoService@BiblioOttawaLibrary.ca.

This program is free and registration is not required.

Ontario GenWeb UPDATE: Cemeteries

The following cemeteries have been updated on March 16, 2013 -

Brant County

- Farringdon Cemetery

- Harley Cemetery

- Mount Hope Cemetery

- St Abner's / Landon / Dickie's Corners Cemetery

Elgin County:

- St Thomas Cemetery

Essex County:

- St Mary's Roman Catholic Cemetery

Hastings County

- Mount Pleasant United Church Cemetery

Huron County

- Dungannon Cemetery Company

- Greenhill Cemetery

Leeds County

- Abandoned (Quaker) Cemetery

- Blanchard Cemetery

- Fulford Cemetery

- Greenbush / Smith's Cemetery

- Hanton Cemetery

- Holmes Cemetery

- Horton Cemetery

- Jelly Farm Cemetery

- Johns(t)on Cemetery

- Kincaid's Corners / Wiltse Pioneer Cemetery

Lincoln County

- St Anne's Church Cemetery

Middlesex County

- Strathroy Cemetery

- Woodland Cemetery

Northumberland County

- Centre Cemetery

- English Line / Tabernacle United Cemetery

Simcoe County

- Rich Hill United Church Cemetery

York County

- Hartman Cemetery

Anne Chamberlain, Deb Belcher, Alison Mitchell-Reid, Jim Anderson, Lorna Eggert, Marilyn Whiting, Sharon Mattiuz, and Tom Thompson shpuld be thanked for the indexing, and thanks should be given to Anne Chamberlain, Nancy Ross-Hill & Kevin Ross, Georgia Kovalik, Brian Smith, Joanne Bushell, Norma Falconer, W. Blanchard, Carol Ann Best, Dorcas Aunger, Sharon Burkhard, Sharon Mattiuz, John De Lange, Art Currie, and Ken Stephenson for photos of the cementeries.

Go to http://canadacems.blogspot.com/2013/03/ontario-update_16.html

Glace Bay Heritage Museum Society

The Old Town Hall of the Glace Bay Heritage Museum needs your help.

The Old Town Hall will mark its 110th anniversary this year, and the society will be starting phase three of the restoration project — the basement.

The foundation has seriously deteriorated resulting in mould, mildew and bad air quality, and the restoration will be cost nearly $400,000 to fix the foundation.

You may telephone the Old Town Hall at 842-5345 or send a donation to The Glace Bay Heritage Museum Society, PO Box 580, Glace Bay, N.S. B1A 6G4

Or you can go to the website, click http://home.seaside.ns.ca/~gbhms/gift.html

Ancestry.ca UPDATE: Free Access

The publicity department of Ancestry.ca has sent me the news that they will be offering FREE access to their collection of First World War historical records from April 9th to 12th.

This is in recognition of Canada's part in the defeat of the enemy in the Battle of Vimy which was highlighted by me in yesterday's post entitled Pictures and Story of the Week: The Battle of Vimy Ridge at http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2013/04/newupdated-canadian-websites-blogs.html