Obituary on Joan Miller’s Blog

There is a note from Kevin Miller, in honour of his mother Joan Miller, whom we noted, had passed away last week.

The post contains her obituary, and he says that he will “ continue to manage and maintain this blog for as long as I can”, which is good news to fellow genealogists.

The blog is Luxegen Genealogy and Family History, and is at http://www.luxegen.ca

Land of the Morning Calm: Canadians in Korea 1950 – 1953

The Honourable Steven Blaney, Minister of Veterans Affairs has declared the Year 2013 as the year in which Canadians honour the 26,000 Canadians who served in the Korean War, with more than 1,550 casualties, including 561 who dead.

The Veterans Affairs site, called the The Land of the Morning Calm – Canadians in Korea 1950-1953 says that it “presents Korean War history and archival footage, interviews with Canadian Veterans of the Korean War and a comprehensive history calendar using an interactive format in either HTML or Adobe Flash formats.

Presented in broadcast style, complete with news anchor and video footage, this feature delivers a multimedia-rich experience for Canadians of all ages, especially youth, to better know and be thankful for the sacrifices of our Canadian men and women in uniform”.

Go to www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/collections/korea

A DAY AT THE ARCHIVES

This notice from Mike More shoulf be of interest to all Ottawa area genealogists -

Want to learn more about the collections in the libraries of the Ottawa Branch, the Sir Guy Carleton Branch UELAC, the British Isles Family History Society and the corporate Archives of the City of OttaArchives of the City of Ottawawa?

Come and visit the City of Ottawa Archives at 100 Tallwood Avenue on
Saturday, February 2 between 1:30 and 3:30 p.m. There will be specialists on hand:

 To explain generally how archives work

 To show you all the genealogical materials available

in the libraries housed at the Archives

 To give you tips on researching military ancestors

 To outline the best strategies for using Ancestry.com

 To provide general information on records in the United

Kingdom and Ireland

 To help you search for your Loyalist ancestors

 To illustrate how the Guild of One Name Studies can help you

 To inform you about local resources, particularly in former

Goulbourn Township

 To guide you in choosing genealogy software

 To assist you with your genealogical adventure!

So mark Saturday, February 2, 2013 on your calendar and plan to visit the City of Ottawa Archives on Tallwood between 1:30 and 3:30 p.m.

More details are available at www.ogsottawa.on.ca

The Ontario Name Index (TONI) Needs Indexers

The Ontario Name Index (TONI) reached 1-million entries last fall. This is a remarkable milestone but there are many more items that could be added with a larger team of indexers preparing the materials.

A larger TONI indexing team can help us make more information available such as the following:

» Diaries and letters from the Cobourg area

» Information about visitors to a hotel in Kirkland Lake

» Road Petitions from Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Counties

» Archival information from the Ottawa Valley

» Obituaries from London- Middlesex

» Documents from Cornwall

» Newspapers from an old Toronto area village

and,  By-Laws and assessment rolls from villages in the Peterborough area

Everyone is welcome to be a TONI indexer and you can do it in the comfort of your own home. You will need your own computer, the software to read pdfs (downloaded for free), and you will need to be comfortable working with Excel.

If you’re interested in helping get this information online, contact the Provincial Office at provoffice@ogs.on.ca, and we’ll connect you with the project.

To ust TONI, go to www.ogs.on.ca/integrated/toni_database1.php

Biggest Events of the Year Coming to the St. Lawrence Area

The Event Centre of the St. Lawrence War of 1812 Bicentennial Alliance has put out a press release which tells us their plans for the year 2013 -

“While the War of 1812 Bicentennial has raged for nearly a year, the biggest events to hit the St. Lawrence are just coming up. 2013 will mark some key historic events, including the 200th anniversaries of the Raid on Ogdensburg (February 22-24), and the Battle of Crysler Farms (November 11).

Yet what makes next year a once in a lifetime opportunity for regional tourism is a month of unique historical experiences that could draw unprecedented numbers of cultural tourists.

The St. Lawrence War of 1812 Bicentennial Alliance invites all interested parties to attend a special information session at the Red George Pub in Prescott on Sunday, January 20th.

We will unveil upcoming events, our joint marketing plans and suggestions for individuals, groups and businesses alike, looking to be a part of this major tourism initiative for 2013.

The presentation is part of a regular 1812 Dinner Series, featuring fine period cooking. Join us for dinner or a drink, but be sure to reserve your space each month in advance - as there are only 30 spaces available.

Dinner begins at 5:30. The presentation will start at 7:00”.

Call +1.613.925.8800 to save your place, or go to http://celebrate1812.ca

Release of a New Version of the Census of the Northwest Provinces, 1906 Database

This notice was just received by me from the LAC –

“Library and Archives Canada (LAC) is pleased to announce the release of a new version of the Census of the Northwest Provinces, 1906 database.

In 1906, the Canadian government called for a special census of the Prairie Provinces (Manitoba, and the two newly created provinces of Saskatchewan and Alberta) in order to track the high rates of population growth in Western Canada.

Previously, users could search only by geographical information such as province, district and sub-district. It is now possible to also search by nominal information such as name, given name (s) and age for an individual.

This research tool contains 802,442 records that are searchable by name”.

You can go to www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/census/1906/Pages/1906.aspx

Two Meetings in Ottawa

BIFHSGO Meeting

On Saturday, January 12, BIFHSGO presents their monthly meeting -

"What’s New in Genetic Genealogy" (Before BIFHSGO Education Talks) which starts at 9:00 am. It will be presented by John Reid.

"A Sense of Place: Following the A272 to My Sussex Ancestors"! (Monthly Meeting) 10:00 am to 11:30 am

The talk will be presented by Christine Jackson, and she will talk about a ‘sense of place’. It can relate to the outstanding geographic characteristics of a place. But it can also describe the feelings or perceptions we have about a landscape, arising from childhood experiences which in turn help form our personal identity.

Her favourite British road is a particular stretch of the A272 traversing the lush countryside of Sussex and climbing up and over the bare chalk downs of Eastern Hampshire to Winchester. That countryside exudes very positive vibes to Christine, as though she have always known that is where her deepest roots lie.

I listened to her interview with Brian Glenn, where she spoke about her presentation.

The interview is at the BIFGSGO podcast page at www.bifhsgo.ca/cpage.php?pt=59

Go to www.bifhsgo.ca/events.php to see the details.

Ukrainian Genealogy Group

Their monthly meeting will be held on Tuesday January 22 at 7:30 pm, and it will be held at Ukrainian Catholic Church Hall, Green Valley Crescent, Ottawa.

The topic of the talk will feature “FamilySearch.org Website” by Shirly-Ann Pyefinch, Director for the Ottawa Ont. Stake Family History Centre of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

For information, you can call 613.731.1870 in the evenings

Celebrating Our Scottish Roots Day

I just got this news from the Quebec Family History Society -

The Quebec Family History Society will hold “Celebrating Our Scottish Roots Day” on Wednesday, January 16, from 1:30 to 4:00 pm, at the QFHS Heritage Centre and Library, 173 Cartier Avenue, Pointe-Claire. This is part of a series of monthly “Roots Days,” created to bring together genealogists in a friendly setting.

Admission is free.

Even if you don’t have a dram of Scottish blood in your veins, members and the public are invited to drop by anytime during the afternoon to chat about family history.

Share your stories, learn from others, and browse books from the QFHS Scottish collection. Meet members who travelled to Scotland to research their ancestry at major archival centres and hear about their experience.

So, bring a coffee mug, your own favourite books or memorabilia on Scotland that have helped you in your research, a friend, or just bring yourself.

Visit www.qfhs.ca/events.php

Ontario Genealogical Society Conference 2013

The OGS has just opened their registration for their Conference 2013 to be held in Oshawa May 31, June 1 & 2 of this year. The theme of this year’s Conference will be “Pulling Up Stakes: Putting Down Roots”.

They have also put the program on the site and it does look interesting with a good mix of Ontario, and US speakers. Canadian such as Dave Obee, Marian Press, and Brian Gilchrist, and American such as Maureen Taylor, and Liza Also.

The Conference was held in 2006 at the same place, and at that time, they had a great Conference, so this one should be no different.

There are plenty of classes to chose from, early bird registration, lots of tours to take, and there will be a marketplace, so take a look at www.ogs.on.ca/conference2013/home

Canadian Blogger Joan Miller RIP

This came through on the OCAPG (Ontario Chapter of the APG) message board from Lorine McGinnis Schulze this morning. I am sure that you join me in saying that the genealogy community in Canada is sad today to hear this news -

"Hello everyone

I am not sure if the group has heard of the sad passing of fellow Canadian genealogist Joan Miller on Friday Jan.4, 2012. Joan was an avid genealogist, blogger and public speaker. One of Joan's passions was her blog Luxegen Genealogy and Family History. I met Joan at Rootstech 2011 and spent quite a bit of time with her and her husband Reg.

Joan's enthusiasm and cheerful spirit were contagious! She will be greatly missed. If any of you knew Joan you may wish to remember her.

Joan's family has requested that anyone wishing to donate in Joan's memory please do so on Kiva. Joan was a co-founder of the group Genealogists for Families which is a team on Kiva. If you are not familiar with Kiva:

Kiva connects thousands of people to borrowers and partner institutions around the world, working together to create opportunity and alleviate poverty. It only takes $25 to get started.

I made a loan to Delia, a pig farmer in the Philippines, in Joan's name. If you wish to participate you can choose who you wish to help by going to http://www.kiva.org/invitedby/lorine5773

I chose to make a commerative loan, dedicated to Joan. When the loan is repaid, the money will go directly back to Kiva instead of to me and another person will be given a loan”.

Lorine

Thank you for this news, Lorine.

You can follow genealogy news on her blog at http://olivetreegenealogy.blogspot.com

New/Updated Websites, Blogs, and Newspaper Articles - 07 January 2013

I have come across the following websites, blogs, and newspaper articles this past week that were of interest to me, and I thought you might be interested in them, too –

Name Our Newsletter!
The Saskatoon Heritage Society wants you to send in names for their newsletter. Their website is at www.saskatoonheritage.ca

Former Bay boy has tenuous claim to non-existent Irish throne 
http://www.capebretonpost.com/Opinion/Columns/2012-12-29/article-3148319/Former-Bay-boy-has-tenuous-claim-to-nonexistent-Irish-throne/1 A delightful story about a newspaper man from Cape Breton (Nova Scotia) who previously had no interest in family history, until ...

Long-time Whitby archivist Brian Winter retires www.durhamregion.com/news/article/1555787--long-time-whitby-archivist-brian-winter-retires A reporter for the Durham Region.com online newspaper sat down with the now retired Archivist Brian Winter and talks about the Whitby Archives.

Crossfield library becomes part of Marigold Library System www.rockyviewweekly.com/article/20121231/RVW0302/312319993/crossfield-library-becomes-part-of-marigold-library-system The Crossfield Library just joined the Marigold Library System after they heard from their patrons who wanted more access to electronic resources, eg e-Books on genealogy, heritage, and history.

Southwestern Quebec Genealogical Resources Huntingdon County and the Seigniories of Chateauguay and Beauharnois www.swquebec.ca/default.html I just came across this site the other day, and it includes “a growing database containing the detailed content of over 57,000 19th century birth, marriage and death records from the Protestant churches in the region; current and outdated maps and place-names; an index to our complete copy of Sellar's Notes of Conversations with First Settlers; some 100 descendant trees of 19th century settlers as detailed by your distant cousins; many other resources, and links to web-sites all focused upon this unusual Anglo-Quebec region in Southwestern Quebec”. A very good site!

© Elizabeth Lapointe All Rights Reserved

Canadian War Graves in Wales Get QR Codes

Jean-Yves BAXTER at Geneanet tells us that the Canadian War Graves at St Margaret's Church, Bodelwyddan, Wales now have been given QR (Quick Response) codes which can be scanned by using smart phones. The codes were created by community-based information project called HistoryPoints.org.
Their website is at www.historypoints.org

It is believed that the soldiers died of the flu epidemic that raged around the world at the end of the First World War.

You can read the story at www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-north-east-wales-20881406

Five Top Canadian Sites for 2012

GenealogyInTime has put out the top five genealogy sites in Canada in 2012, and they are in order -

Ancestry.ca

GenealogyInTime Magazine

Automated Genealogy

Ontario Genealogical Society

Anglo-Celtic Connections

Congratulation to everyone!

If you want to see the full list, and the explanation as to why these sites were chosen, go to www.genealogyintime.com/articles/top%20100%20genealogy%20websites%202013%20page2.html