Halifax Explosion, 1917

To add to my post I did yesterday morning on the Haliax Explosion, the Library and Archives Canada Flickr website now has put photos on the Internet.

The LAC says that the explosion was a “tragedy on a massive scale (which) happened on Canadian shores on December 6, 1917 when the French cargo ship, the SS Mont Blanc, and the Norwegian SS Imo, collided in the harbour at Halifax, Nova Scotia.’

The photos are at http://www.flickr.com/photos/lac-bac/sets/72157627774733594

2013 as the Year of Korea in Canada

A couple of days ago, I received this announcement from the prime minister’s office -

“Prime Minister Stephen Harper today announced that 2013 has been designated as the Year of Korea in Canada, which aims to highlight Korea's culture, traditions and diversity, and celebrate the contributions of the Korean community to Canadian society.

"Canada and Korea enjoy excellent relations based on 50 years of diplomatic engagement, close personal ties and an important commercial relationship," said the Prime Minister. "It is a privilege to launch the Year of Korea in Canada which will showcase Korea's remarkable culture and traditions and highlight the vibrant relationship our two countries enjoy."

The Year of Korea in Canada will feature a number of cultural and artistic events across the country. Events in Korea will also be organized to commemorate the 60th Anniversary of the Korean War Armistice, including Canada's contributions to help defend the country's freedom.

Read about Canada’s contribution to the Korean War, go to
http://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/history/korean-war

Twitter Will Preserve Memories of Halifax Explosion

There is a news story this morning in the online newpapers that the Nova Scotia Archives will collect stories about the Halifax explosion which happened on December 6. They are going to do this by the use of Twitter.

They are hoping that Twitter brings in new views and details about the explosion, and the period afterward when Halifax struggled to get on it’s feet again.

The project begins tomorrow which is the 95th anniversary of the harbor front First World War event that devastated Halifax.

About 2,000 people died, and thousands more were injured.

The hashtag is #hfxex1917

You may read about the explosion at the Nova Scotia Archives where they have a Virtual Exhibit, a Remembrance Book, and a film “The Way We Were: Nova Scotia in Film, 1917-1957.”

The website is http://gov.ns.ca/nsarm/virtual/default.asp?Search=THexp

Living Library Inspires Human Books to Share Their Stories

Here is a 54 m4 4 4 4 4 4 4 645notice that I received this morning. In part, the message reads  –

"Irena Szpak, Hyman Yanofsky and Adam Leclerc's lives are all open books, literally. Irena, Hyman and Adam have joined nineteen other people from the Ottawa region to volunteer as 'living books', sharing with the public their personal stories as they relate to conflict.

At age 14, Irena trained with the Polish Resistance and was later taken by cattle train to a work camp in Germany. She survived to have a family and emigrate to Canada; Hyman joined the Canadian army to fight Hitler by intercepting messages from the enemy as he travelled through Europe; and Reservist Adam Leclerc spent seven months with the POMLT (Police Operational Mentoring and Liaison Team) training Afghan police to deal with security issues.

The Canadian War Museum, in partnership with the Ottawa Public Library and CBC, brought the Human Library program to Ottawa. The Museum featured one-on-one conversations with individuals who have fascinating personal life experiences and stories.

For their innovative and inspirational project that redefined the meaning of the term "living history", the Canadian War Museum for "Human Library" is the recipient of the 2012 Governor General's History Award for Excellence in Museums: History Alive! Presented by the Canadian Museums Association.

"We are extremely honoured to be the recipients of this prestigious award," said Mark O'Neill, President and CEO of the Canadian Museum of Civilization Corporation which operates the Canadian War Museum. "The Human Library concept was a dynamic and engaging way to help our visitors understand the personal stories that have shaped and continue to shape Canada's military history."

On December 10, 2012, His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada, will honour the Canadian War Museum for their achievements and contributions to furthering interest in and understanding of our history and heritage.

Announcements continue throughout the coming week and profiles of all the recipients, will be available at Canada's History Magazine at http://www.CanadasHistory.ca/GGAwards

Community Creating History

The Chinese Canadian community is interested in collecting stories so they can let people know about their history in Canada.

This project is designed to connect students, school educators, libraries, and community groups such as genealogists, and historians.

They connect people through web resources such as games, lesson plans, and also historical photos.

To read more about Chinese Canadian Stories, and their collection, read their blog at B.C. Heritage Fair at www.bcheritagefairs.ca/chinese-canadian-stories

New/Updated Websites, Blogs, and Newspaper Articles - 03 December 2012

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 –

On Monday, Dec. 03, 2012 the will be a meeting of the Jewish Genealogical Society at which Merle Kastner, will give a talk about "My Family Roots Trip to Romania and Ukraine”.

The talk will focus on the former Bucovina and Radautz, Fratautz, Czernowitz, Suveava and to Moldavia, and Piatra Neamt and Negulesti. She will talk about how she organized the trip and how you can do the same to visit your shtetls

The meeting will be held at 7:30 pm at the Jewish Public Library, 5151 Cote Ste-Catherine Road, Montreal.

You can call 514.484.0969 or visit http://www.jgs-montreal.org

On Saturday, 15 Dec 2012 at 1:00 pm at the City of Ottawa Archives, 100 Tallwood Drive, Room 115, there will be a meeting of the Ottawa Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society in which Kurt Johnson, historical researcher, and Board Member of the Goulbourn Museum, will give a talk on the “Perils and Petticoats: Exceptional Women of the War of 1812”.

Remember that this meeting may be simulcast for members who can’t join the group in person.

For more information, go to http://ogsottawa.on.ca/category/events/branchmeetings

Do you know that Ancestry.ca is on Facebook? Read about the “12 Days of Christmas” on www.facebook.com/Ancestry.ca

Burnaby Village Museum Christmas Holidays www.burnabyvillagemuseum.ca/EN/main/visit/events/events/heritage-christmas.html They have oral histories, library and artifact collection that you are invited to take a look at or listen to while there.

In case you missed my post earlier this week, Richard Watts, Times Colonist reporter in The Province is carrying a story on the B.C. Archives called B.C. opens archives to search family histories
www.theprovince.com/life/opens+archives+search+family+histories/7634449/story.html#axzz2Dv2GiJ5l

French connection: Voices of the past immortalized in Francophone digital collection
www.thewesternstar.com/Arts-Life/Features/2012-11-30/article-3130735/French-connection-Voices-of-the-past-immortalized-in-Francophone-digital-collection/1 Frank Gale from The Western Star newspaper tells how the Memorial University’s Digital Archives Initiative Collection was introduced to French communities on the Port au Port Peninsula in Newfoundland.

Monument proposed for Bernard captains who explored Canada’s north www.journalpioneer.com/News/Local/2012-11-28/article-3129587/Monument-proposed-for-Bernard-captains-who-explored-Canada%26rsquos-north/1 A West Prince committee is hoping to erect a monument next year to recognize a pair of northern explorers who hailed from Nail Pond, Prince Edward Island - Captain Pierre (Peter) Bernard and his nephew, Captain Joseph Bernard.

© Elizabeth Lapointe All Rights Reserved

Anniversary Alert

On January 2^nd, exactly one month from today, it will be the fifth anniversary of my blog, GenealogyCanada.blogspot.com.

In addition to celebrating the anniversary, I am going to give away 5 copies of my research booklet, Migration: Canada and the United States, to the readers who correctly answer a question about the blog.

So remember that day - January 2^nd - and come celebrate with me, and win a booklet!

Elizabeth

The Genealogy of Canadian Food

In an article “Jacob Richler creates a genealogy of upscale Canadian cuisine in My Canada” Andrew Allentuck, who writer for Postmedia News, does a review of Jacob’s latest book, My Canada Includes Foie Gras.

It includes biographies of well known Canadian chiefs, as well as well known Canadian restaurants.

You can read the review at
http://www.vancouversun.com/life/Jacob+Richler+creates+genealogy+upscale+Canadian+cuisine+Canada/7636169/story.html

To read more about the genealogy of Canadian food, here are a couple of sites that may interest you –

Cricket's Tree - A History and Heritage http://cricketstree.blogspot.ca/p/traditional-comfort-food-and-recipes.html This site talks about Traditional French-Canadian Comfort Food and Recipes.

Cuisine of the Maritimes http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuisine_of_the_Maritime The traditional food of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island is explained.

The Genealogy Trails Chuckwagon
http://genealogytrails.com/chuckwagon This site talks about prairie food that was cooked on chuck wagons to feed the “wagon train of settlers or feed nomadic workers like cowboys or loggers”

Update on Ontario Cemeteries Act Petitions

We have not received an update on the what happened to the Cemeteries Act Petitions in May 2011 when the Ontario Legislature was prorogued.

But we are told today that The Ontario Genealogical Society (OGS), and The Ontario Historical Society (OHS) received a life line from Jim Brownell, then retiring Member of Provincial Parliament for Stormont, Dundas and South Glengarry. He arranged for the committee to meet John Gerretsen, then Minister of Business Services – the ministry in charge of cemeteries registration.

A list of more than 1500 unregistered cemeteries across the province was presented to Mr. Gerretsen and the committee had a first hand opportunity to tell the minister about the lack of protection and high risk of removal for unregistered cemeteries.

The joint OGS and OHS Cemetery Registration Committee has been resuscitated and, with assistance from many hardworking branch cemeteries committees, is working to compile the necessary information and send it to the Registrar.

To date the data for four counties – Algoma, Brant, Bruce and Carleton – have been forwarded to the Registrar of Cemeteries. Any new information for these counties will be also forwarded as it is discovered.

The committee asks anyone with cemetery information, particularly little known or abandoned cemeteries to contact them.

You can go to www.ogs.on.ca/home/advocacy.php#cemeteries and read about Bill 126, Inactive Cemeteries Protection Act, 2010.

A Heritage Certificate For Christmas

This a great idea for Ontario Genealogical Society members –

If you're a member of the Ontario Genealogical Society Centenary Club and you're looking for a last minute holiday gift (or just starting your shopping like some of us), consider a supplemental Centenary Club certificate for your relatives. They can be members of the Centenary Club because you've already proved that you are.

Supplemental certificates are only $10 each for OGS Members ($20 for non members) and make a great stocking stuffer.

To purchase one, simply download the application form and fill out Section 1 indicating your name and contact information, the number of certificates you are ordering and the names of the relatives you are buying for. No need to provide evidence, it is already on file here.

Please make sure your request reaches us by December 7th so that we can make sure your certificates reach you in time for the 25th.

Questions? Contact membership@ogs.on.ca or call Provincial Office.

The website of the OGS Heritage Certificate is www.ogs.on.ca/home/heritage_societies.php

A membership to the society is $60.00 CDN per year, and the membership is at www.ogs.on.ca/membership.php

Images of Historical Birth, Marriage and Death Records

Just received this press release from the British Columbia Archives -

Victoria, BC – People worldwide will now have easier research access to images of the original historical records of births, marriages and deaths in British Columbia.

A partnership between the BC Archives and the Vital Statistics Agency, as well as an in-kind donation by FamilySearch International, has resulted in original records being scanned, indexed and now available from anywhere in the world for printing – free of charge – through the Royal BC Museum/BC Archives website.

“Open, free access to public records of an historic nature will help researchers and writers tell the story of British Columbia and assist citizens interested in genealogy or local history,” said Community, Sport and Cultural Development Minister Bill Bennett. “Congratulations to the partnership responsible for making this data available digitally online.”

“Easy access to government services and data is central to our Open Government policy. Having these records online benefits our citizens and people around the world; anyone who has roots in this province can now explore their B.C. heritage.” said Minister of Citizens’ Services and Open Government Ben Stewart.

Since 1997 the Vital Statistics Agency has provided the BC Archives with annually updated indexes to publicly releasable vital event information. The BC Archives is allowed to release personal information about deaths that occurred at least 20 years ago, marriages that took place at least 75 years ago, and births registered at least 120 years ago. In the past, the photographed images of actual documents were only available on microfilm at the BC Archives reading room, at a FamilySearch International centre or through a number of libraries across the province.

“This free access to digital images of historical vital event records is long overdue,” said Kathryn Bridge, Manager of Centralized Access, Royal BC Museum. “The upload of more than 700,000 scanned and indexed documents in the first few months of test operation is unique in Canada, no other province has made this much rich data available online.”

Provincial registration of births, marriages and deaths began the year after British Columbia joined Confederation in 1871. The registration records contain information that can be used to trace a family tree, determine medical history, reveal the history of a community or patterns of illness over time. Birth registrations include name, date and place of birth, parents’ names, and the mother’s maiden name. Marriage registrations include the name, age, birth place and marital status of the bride and groom, the date and place of the ceremony, names of the couple’s parents, names of witnesses and the person who performed the ceremony. Death registrations include the name and birth date of the deceased person as well as the date, place and cause of death.

Phase 1 of this data upload is substantially complete. Phase 2, now underway, will add more images and indexed information, including pre-1872 records, deaths that occurred overseas during the Second World War, between 1939 and 1945. More than 200,000 images of death records from 1985 to 1991 and approximately 19,000 images of marriage records from 1933 to 1936 will also be added. Phase 2 is scheduled for completion by the end of the year and will bring the number of scanned records to the one million mark. Each year more vital event records images will be scanned and uploaded as they become available through annual scheduled releases by the Vital Statistics Agency.

To access the images of historical birth, marriage and death records go to http://search-collections.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/Genealogy/BasicSearch

About the BC Archives

The BC Archives is the oldest archival institution in Canada west of the Great Lakes. In 2003 it joined the Royal BC Museum. The BC Archives acquires, preserves and makes accessible the documentary heritage of British Columbia for its citizens and researchers around the world. Its archivists are stewards of our province’s personal, corporate and social memory.

Postal Museum Closed

Just read the Ottawa Citizen newspaper where the Canadian Postal Museum at the Canadian Museum of Civilization is closed in preparation for the change over to the new Canadian Museum of History to be opened in 2017.

The Postal Museum had been formed in 1971 by Canada Post, and had received various kudos for it’s completeness, but now it will be broken up into various travelling exhibits, with some of it staying behind in Ottawa at the new museum.

If you want to see if your ancestor was a postmaster at Canada Post, go to Post Offices and Postmasters list at the Library and Archives Canada www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/post-offices/001001-100.01-e.php

The Post Office was created as a federal department in 1867, and in early 1950s, cards were prepared by the Public Affairs Unit using the files and letter books on file. They were eventually turned over to the Library and Archives Canada, and put online so that we could use them today as a research tool. The records for the 1875-1902 have not survived.

Saskatoon Church is on CyArk Digital World Heritage Database

CTV News in Saskatoon reports that the Third Avenue United Church is the first Canadian building being added to the CyArk digital world heritage database.

Read the report at http://saskatoon.ctvnews.ca/church-finds-spot-in-world-heritage-database-1.1055333#ixzz2DYrwcPHX

History of the church is at www.thirdavenueunitedchurch.org/church_history.php

New National Historic Sites, Persons, and Events in Canada

The Honourable Christian Paradis, Minister of Industry and Minister of State for Agriculture, announced the designation of new national historic sites, persons and events in Canada that define significant moments in Canada’s history.

The announcement commemorates Frederick Cleveland Morgan whose passion for culture and the arts helped establish the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, and Marc-Aurèle Fortin, the talented painter whose landscapes capture a way of life in Quebec that has now disappeared.

The announcement also include the historic significance of the former Lamaque mine and Bourlamaque Mining Village in Abitibi, a rare and well preserved example of a closed mining town. Also recognized is the historic district of Arvida, known as the “City Built in 135 days,” which is an outstanding, well -preserved example of a Canadian single-industry town and a testimony to the growth and development related to the country’s aluminum industry.

The other designations are the Sainte-Croix de Tadoussac Mission Church, the oldest wooden church in Canada and an important mission base for Jesuits and the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate and the Inuit co-operative movement, which began in 1959 and supported the development of Inuit art while giving Inuit communities and individuals the power to participate effectively in the management of their local economy and fostered new skills.

FREE Shipping Until Nov 29th!

To those people who missed my post on Sunday, Family Roots Publishing writes to say that they are offering FREE U.S.A. shipping on all orders totaling $25 or more at their website over the Black Friday – Cyber Monday weekend – and that includes my two resource booklets – The War of 1812: Canada and the United States, and Migration: Canada and the United States.

The site now boasts thousands of genealogy books, maps and supplies, with new items being posted daily. Everything from genealogy dictionaries to Flip-Pal mobile scanners are now available for immediate shipment. The FREE U.S.A. SHIPPING promotion runs through midnight, MST Thursday, November 29, 2012.

It sounds like a good deal to me! While you shop at the store, say “Hello!” to my friend, Leland.

The website is at www.familyrootspublishing.com

Latest Update on Domaine d’été des Pères Sainte-Croix

On Nov 20th of this year, I posted about an «ONLINE PETITION! Domaine d’été des Pères Sainte-Croix» in which I said that “The Outaouais Heritage WebMagazine of the Quebec Anglophone Heritage Network has an online petition to help save a beautiful and unique piece of Quebec’s religious heritage.

The Domaine d’été des Pères Sainte-Croix located at 1565 chemin des Pères, Lac-Simon, is currently threatened by developers.”

I just received a note from Chantal Crête, saying that the “Municipality of Lac-Simon will have a public consultation on the subject on December 8th 2012 from 9AM-noon. It will be an important day to voice our opinions on the importance to protect this important piece of our heritage.

She is encouraging everyone to please SIGN the petition and make sure to SHARE the link with friends and family.

She can be reached at ccretcha@sympatico.ca

The website is at http://outaouais.quebecheritageweb.com/news/save-lac-simons-domaine-d%E2%80%99ete-des-peres-sainte-croix-sign-online-petition

Library 2.0

Here is another new idea about libraries that has been brought to life by people from the north end part of the city of Vancouver! Could it be used for history and genealogical books?

The story is covered by Layne Christensen in the North Shore News in www.nsnews.com/news/Library+balancing+books+bytes/7607005/story.html   

New/Updated Websites, Blogs, and Articles – 26 November 2012

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

Family History Facilitated http://familyhistoryfacilitated.ca Wayne Shepheard at Family History Facilitated can help you trace your family’s history. He has experience with records of England and Scotland, and Canada. This is a pay site.

Our Ontario www.ourontario.ca/demo/News.html There are over 200 historical newspapers online at this site!

Raised Icelandic www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/westview/raised-icelandic-180668621.html The Winnipeg Free Press has an article on Icelanders and Canadians of Icelandic descent who want to know each other's genealogy and where they are from in Iceland.

Library and archives interlibrary loans soon eliminated www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/story/2012/11/06/ottawa-library-and-archives-canada-interlibrary-loans-cancelled.html The CBC has another news report on the Library and Archives Canada stopping interlibrary loans on December 11th. Special Note: Read the first two comments at the end of the report.

Still seeking lost at sea names www.thevanguard.ca/Arts/Cultural-activities/2012-11-18/article-3122683/Still-seeking-lost-at-sea-names/1 The Yarmouth County Vanguard reports that the town is constructing a memorial wall to those people who have lost at sea.

Plotting history’s future www.nelsonstar.com/community/177975161.html Anne DeGrace has a column in The Nelson Star on the Library and Archive Canada where she writes about the 'not so accessible records', for example.

© Elizabeth Lapointe All Rights Reserved