Canadian Bloggers will be at RootsTech 2012

I have deviated from the usual New/Improved Canadian Websites and Blogs for the week, so that I can wish our Canadian Official Bloggers the very best at the RootsTech 2012 in Salt Lake City starting Thursday.

We have two Official Bloggers going to RootTech (that I know of right now), and they are -

Olive Tree Genealogy Blog

http://olivetreegenealogy.blogspot.com/2012/01/rootstech-presentation-international.html Lorine McGinnis Schulze is subbing for Joan Miller, and will be present at an International Panel slated to present a discussion of Social Media at Rootstech 2012.

It will be her second year at RootsTech, and usually does interviews – so watch for her!


^{Lynn Palermo The Armchair Genealogist http://www.thearmchairgenealogist.com/ This will be Lynn's first RootsTech, and she is planning great things at the conference. She has carried a number of posts already on RootTech. So check out her site.}

As for me, as many of you know, I am a great RootsTech follower, and this year there will be streaming videos of all the keynote speakers at http://rootstech.org/downloads, and there will sessions that will be covered. 

The site at http://rootstech.org.

Leeds and the Thousand Islands Archives

It is reported that the Leeds and the Thousand Island Archives, located at the Front of Escott Township Hall in Escott, Ontario, is regularly receiving significant donations of local historical material, including both documents and over 1,500 digital images depicting the history of the area.

They have over ten fonds available, including the Darling Family Fonds, McAlonan Family Fonds, and the Hewitt Family Fonds. As well, over ten places are listed on their website, such as Black Rapids, Ellisville, Escott, and Grenadier Island, as is information on over 40 subjects like the Loyal Orange Lodge #51, and Global Heritage Press.

They are having an "Introduction to Digitization Workshop", on Thursday, February 9, 2012 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Elgin Community Hall, Elgin, Ontario.

Erika Heesen, the archivist for Leeds and the Thousand Islands Archives, will talk about digitization, as will Patrick McMaster, the Digitization Co-ordinator for "Lakes & Islands Times Past Project", an ongoing digitization program. It is the largest and most comprehensive digital repository for heritage and historical documents from the area. You can search it at www.lakesandislands.ca

The website of the archives is located at http://216.168.105.110

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I have just published two booklets - The War of 1812: Canada and the United States, and Migration: Canada and the United States.

They are available for purchase through Global Genealogy at http://globalgenealogy.com, and the National Institute of Genealogical Studies at www.genealogicalstudies.com.

For more on the booklets, go to http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2012/01/booklet-1-war-of-1812-canada-and-united.html and http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2012/01/booklet-2-migration-canada-and-united.html

Genealogy Hands-On Workshop

A genealogy hands-on workshop will be held at Heritage Mississauga. 

It will be held Saturday February 11th, 2012 from 10am-4pm for a fee of $10.00 per person.

There will be three speakers at the workshop, and they are -

Fawne Stratford-Devai - Co-Star of television's “Ancestors in the Attic”

Dorothy Kew - Executive Member Halton Peel OGS

Jane Webb - Executive Member Halton Peel OGS

Sponsored by the Halton-Peel OGS at  www.halinet.on.ca/sigs/ogshp and the Heritage Mississauga at www.heritagemississauga.com.

Formation of a Scottish Interest Group - OGS

Christine Woodcock, the OGS Provincial Region IV Director, has put forward the idea of forming a Scottish Special Interest Group as part of the Ontario Genealogical Society.

She writes that -

"I am interested in forming a Scottish Special Interest group through the OGS. In order for the Scottish SIG to work, we will need 25 members as a minimum. I am hopeful that we will get this support. If you are aware of anyone in your respective branches, who may have an interest in joining this group, please pass along my e-mail address to them and I will be in touch with them from there.

I am hoping that this SIG will be a supportive group in terms of those researching Scottish Ancestors, and I am also hoping that we will be able to provide some training opportunities as well.

At this time, I would think that the membership fees will be the same as for the British Home Child SIG, which is $5 over and above your OGS annual membership".

You may contact her at genealogytoursofscotland@gmail.com

Canadian Genealogy on Facebook

FamilySearch.org has put Canada on Facebook! 

Although this particular Facebook first appeared in May 2011, how of us know that it existed?

FamilySearch says that is it a popular site, and “These pages and groups are run by experienced genealogy volunteers for those areas. These virtual communities are the online equivalent of asking for help at your local Family History Center. We grew from 4 communities to 59 over the past several months. With a minimum need of 2-3 admins per community--and a greater need for larger communities--we are at less than 50 percent "staffed." Advisers are looking to recruit more volunteers”.

Would you want to to help by volunteering your time to connecting researchers the world over? It looks like a good idea that FamilySearch has here. Maybe it could be a good place to post your brick wall. 

Find out about the Facebook Community by going to "Join a Facebook Research Community" at www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Join_a_Facebook_Research_Community.

Sault Ste. Marie Public Library

I see where the Sault Ste. Marie Public Library Community Access Program is offering free Ancestry.com workshops to members of the community.

The one hour workshops will be available until March 29, 2012. Morning, afternoon and weekend workshops are offered. Class sizes are limited to six participants and spots are filling up quickly.

They says that they are "pleased to bring back one of their most popular workshops “Using Ancestry.com”. This workshop will help you discover your genealogy and build your ancestral family tree. Using the library’s account on ancestry.com you have access to millions of historical records to research your family tree. This workshop will guide you through using the ancestry.com database".

And before you go to the library, check out the Genealogy Section of their website, where they have put resources in a pdf. Some examples are "The Anishainaabe: Tracing Your Ancestral Line", and "French Canadian Genealogy".

To sign up for a workshop, or for more information please visit the main branch of the Sault Ste. Marie Public Library or contact the Sault Ste. Marie Public Library Reference and Information Desk at (705) 759-5236.

Their website is http://www.ssmpl.ca

UPDATE! I see where the Ontario Genealogical Society has revamped it's front page to reflect the end of the 50^th Anniversary Year, and they have put it back to the way it was before – somewhat.

If you are looking for TONI (one of the OGSs most popular pages), go to the right, and click on the page. It use to be at the front of the page in the old configuration.

The OGS site is www.ogs.on.ca.

New/Improved Canadian Websites and Blogs Week 18

Here are some of the websites and blogs that I have come across the week ending January 23, 2012.

Family Photo Reunion www.familyphotoreunion.blogspot.com A wonderful blog which is an "An archive of found family photos and artifacts for genealogists and historians". Carol MacKay says that she has reunited over 300 family photos with people over the past 20 years.

Tom Hawthorn's Blog www.tomhawthorn.blogspot.com Tom is a local newspaper writer who lives in Victoria, B.C., and writes about local people and places. He also writes a twice-weekly column for the Globe and Mail.

The Wallace B. Chung and Madeline H. Chung Collection http://chung.library.ubc.ca/news  At the Library of British Columbia, they have over 25,000 rare and unique items (documents, books, maps, posters, paintings, photographs, and other artifacts) that you can go and see.

Out and About Nova Scotia www.outandaboutns.com Photos of Nova Scotia, with a bent towards history of the province.

The Shoreline Journal www.theshorelinejournal.com/obits.html The Shoreline Journal is a monthly community newspaper based in Bass River, Nova Scotia, and serves the Fundy Shore/Glooscap Trail from Truro to Parrsboro. They have obituaries from 2009 to the present.

AuthentiCity: The City of Vancouver Archives Blog http://vancouverarchives.ca This blog provides access to authentic records about the history and culture of Vancouver.

Elmwood Cemetery: Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke County, Quebec www.interment.net/data/canada/qc/sherbrooke/elmwood/index.htm Contributed by Joan Cruickshank, with the last edition being submitted Jan 17, 2012. There are a total of 6,331 records. 

New Canadian Panelist for RootsTech

Lorine McGinnis Schulze has just posted that she will be at the Rootstech Presentation: International Panel: Genealogy 2.0 in Salt Lake City next month.

She explains on her blog that Joan Miller, a blogger from Alberta, was to appear on the panel, but she can't make it due to illness, so Lorine will take her place.

Lorine will appear at the Salt Palace for the presentation in Room 225B at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, February 3, 2012.

If you are going to RootsTech http://rootstech.orghttp://rootstech.org be sure to say “Hello” to Lorine!

Lorine's blog, "Olive Tree Genealogy Blog", is at http://olivetreegenealogy.blogspot.com

And we hope that Joan will get better soon, and return to blogging! Her blog is at www.luxegen.ca

Simcoe Counyy Ancestor News

The November newsletter of the Simcoe County Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society celebrates the 175^th years in 2012 of the founding of the community of Bond Head, Simcoe County.

Bond Head was originally named Wragg Corners, but in 1837 it was renamed to it's present name after Sir Frances BOND HEAD.

The article "Half-Way Stopping Place: A pioneer Ontario Community"gives a very good history lesson about Bond Head, and the article ends with "Bond Head Presbyterian Church – Communion Roll" which gives the names on the communicants, their residence, their profession or occupation, how and when they were admitted, and how and when they removed from thr roll.  

There are 202 names on these pages of Presbyterians who were living in West Gwillimbury in 1822.

In previous meeting in September Melissa Ellis gave a talk about the "Web Sites to further your Family History Project" in which she used Margaret Rudy (ROUTCLIFFE) EDMUND as a case study.

You can go to their website at http://www.simcoebogs.com

If you are interested in joining Ontario Genealogical Society, and the Simcoe County Branch there are two ways to join. Read about the two ways at http://www.ogs.on.ca/membership.php.

Articles at GenealogyToday.com

Since 2002, from time to time, I used to contribute articles on Canadian genealogy for a column called "Canadian Connections" on Illya D'Addezio's website, Genealogy Today, at www.genealogytoday.com/ca/connect/index.html

They are still on his site, and when I took a look at them again, it brought me back to thinking of the time I spent writing for Illya, and the many pleasant memories of researching the subjects and getting them published.

They covered all subjects, from “Canadians 'Out West'” to "Maritimers in the 'Boston States'" to "The Irish in Canada" to “Canada Remembers” to “1906 Canadian Census Released Today”, and more.

If you get a chance to take a look at the articles I wrote, there still is lots of good information in them, and it will provide you with an interesting peek into my life as a genealogical writer.

Alberta Cemetery Records

Have you checked the latest cemetery records at Alberta Family Histories Society?

They say that “This database, which has been recorded over the past 25 years by numerous volunteers, is based on monument and burial information from various cemeteries in Calgary and the surrounding region”.

They now have 168,565 records in the index, and you can check them online at http://www.afhs.ab.ca/data/cemeteries/search.php.

The database includes the Name, Birth/Death Years and Cemetery Name.

For a list of cemeteries transcriptions for sale on DVD http://www.afhs.ab.ca/publications/cemetery.shtml#publications

New/Improved Canadian Websites and Blogs Week 17

^{Here are some of the websites and blogs that I have come across the week ending January 16, 2012.} 

The Legal Resource Centre http://www.legalresourcecentre.ca/blog/?page_id=34 The Blogosaurus Lex blog (Legal Resource Centre of Alberta) One subject covered the The 1929 Person’s Case

Kinsey Family Genealogy The Kinsey.ca Blog http://kinseydotca.blogspot.com If you are related to Stephen Vaughan Kinsey, this blog is for you. The blogger writes about a newspaper report on Google News that gives an account of Kinsey's move from Saskatoon to Manitoba in 1940.  

About Ottawa, Canada, Beechwood Cemetery Registers, 1873-1990 http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=2168&cj=1&o_xid=0001029688&o_lid=0001029688

The five burial ledgers digitized in this database document interments at Beechwood Cemetery in Ottawa, Ontario, from 1873 to 1990. The ledgers also contain names for some people who died before 1873 (as early as 1821) whose remains were later moved to Beechwood.

Susan’s Genealogy Blog http://www.susansgenealogyblog.com A very interesting post in June, 2011 shows Joseph Mullin and his wife, Mary Ann, their five children, and how she searched the Ontario vital records to find this information.

Roots to the Past: Atlantic Canada's Genealogy Hub http://rootstothepast.wordpress.com/about Diane Tibert has started a new blog to go with her newspaper column Roots to the Past that appears in local Maritime newspapers.  

The Quebec Family History Society http://qfhs.ca Just received a press release from the society which says that "the website features several new sections, such as Gary’s Genealogical Picks, research tips, surname interests, and a bulletin board. 

QFHS members researching their ancestors in Quebec will benefit from the new Jacques Gagné Church Compilations in the members’ section. Long-time member Jacques Gagné has compiled historical information and the location of records for more than 1,000 English and French Protestant churches across the province, from 1759 to 1899".

Sask. Archives Board Photo Blog http://sabphotos.wordpress.com The blog invites the reader to look at the photo, and see are any that they recognize. They want to know if you know a location, a date? They say that they will post new photographs approximately once a week, so please come back to take another look.

William Mc/MacDonald – One Name Study

Diane Tibet write that she has started a One Name Study on her great-grandfather and great-great-grandfather were both William McDonald from Harrigan Cove, Halifax County, Nova Scotia.

She says that as "many of you can testify, researching common names like this add to the challenge of locating pertinent information".

You can read about here: http://rootstothepast.wordpress.com/genealogy-news

Diane Lynn Tibert is the author of Roots to the Past genealogy column which appears in several newspapers around Atlantic Canada.