Google in overhauling it’s maps!

At the developer show held in San Francisco last week, Google announced it will be using two of its own programs to enhance it's map feature – it will be using anonymous data collected from people using Google Maps on mobile phones, it picks the best navigation routes, and it will be using photos people upload to its Panoramio and Picasa photo services, it generates immersive tours that swoop around popular attractions

Read all about it at http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57585066-93/how-google-with-your-help-is-overhauling-its-maps/?tag=nl.e496&s_cid=e496&ttag=e496

Newfoundland and Labrador's Historic Sites Open this Weekend

The Commissariat - At the corner of King's Bridge Road and Military Road, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. Credit: Newfoundland and Labrador Historic Sites

Historic Site are opening this weekend in Newfoundland and Labrador.  Are you planning to visit any, or some or them this summer?

“Our Provincial Historic Sites offer an interactive history lesson on the many influences that have shaped who we are today as a people, including the lives of the Beothuks and the history of lighthouses,” Terry French, minister of tourism, culture and recreation, said in a news release. “You can experience Christmas in the Library at Mockbeggar; Voices on the Wind at the Beothuk Interpretation Centre; Jam and Jammin at Point Amour; or Cultural Company at Heart’s Content, to name a few. I invite visitors from home and abroad to explore our unique culture and heritage.”

Provincial Historic Sites include: the Commissariat House and the Newman Wine Vaults in St. John’s, as well as the Colonial Building (which is currently closed for renovations); the Cape Bonavista Lighthouse and Mockbeggar Plantation in Bonavista; Hiscock House Visitor Centre, and the Mercantile Premises in Trinity; the Heart’s Content Cable Station; the Beothuk Interpretation Centre in Boyd’s Cove; the Cupids Cove Plantation; and, Point Amour Lighthouse in Labrador.

For more information on these and other programs, visit www.seethesites.ca .
The provincial government has also announced that visitor information centres around the province opened today.

The centres provide information to the travelling public such as directions, advice and local knowledge, and also assist with booking reservations.

Provincial visitor information centres are located in Port aux Basques, on the Deer Lake Highway, Notre Dame, Clarenville, Whitbourne, and Argentia. The Argentia location is currently undergoing renovations and an update on its opening will be provided at a later date.

International Museums Day

Do you plan to celebrate Museum Day tomorrow?

The ICOM sent this press release -

"The worldwide community of museums will celebrate International Museum Day 18 May, 2013.

This year, the theme of the International Museum Day will be Museums (memory + creativity) = social change. Our rich heritage, which museums both display and protect, is associated with inventiveness and vitality, both of which have characterized the museum sector in recent years and are museums’ greatest strengths.

ICOM General Director, Julien Anfruns adds: “Reconciling their traditional mission of preservation with cultivation of the creativity necessary for renewal and visitor growth is the evolution that museums are striving for, with the firm conviction that their presence and their actions can change society in a constructive manner.”

The International Council of Museums (ICOM) established International Museum Day in 1977 to increase public awareness of the role of museums in the development of society. Momentum has been rising unabated ever since. In 2012, International Museum Day garnered record‐breaking participation with almost 32,000 museums hosting events in more than 129 countries.

ICOM is partnering with the UNESCO Memory of the World Programme – which celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2012 – for International Museum Day 2013. ICOM and Memory of the World, which is dedicated to world documentary heritage, share a common vision of safeguarding heritage for the benefit of society and are joined in their reflection on the potential of digitization for this purpose".

Visit the International Museum Day official website at
http://imd.icom.museum

Shuttle Bus Available Saturday and Sunday at 2013 Conference

A local, family-run, bus company, DURHAMWAY, will run a handi-bus shuttle service on Saturday and Sunday during the main people moving hours of the conference. Durhamway is also running the banquet shuttle for those who purchased bus tickets

A different local business will now rent mobility aids (including scooters) during the conference.

The website is
www.ogs.on.ca/conference2013/category/announcement

The conference website is www.ogs.on.ca/conference2013/home

Marketplace at the OGS Conference 2013

The marketplace will be open Friday 11:00 a.m.—6:00 p.m., Saturday 10:00 a.m.—5:00 p.m., and Sunday 8:30 a.m.—1:00 p.m.

Vendors, heritage organizations and OGS branches will set up displays in Durham College’s largest and newest gym, which is three full courts in total area.

Vendors at Conference 2013 are -

Buisness 

•Ancestry.ca

•Archive CD Books

•The Bookfinder – Fenlon Falls

•Canadiana.org

•Dave Cook, bookseller

•Dundurn Press

•Fading History

•Family History Alive

•Family History Simplified

•FamilySearch.org

•Family Tree Magazine

•George Laidlaw

•Global Genealogy

•Kinfolk Finders

•Linda Corupe, UE

•Marks in Time

•Moorshead Publications

•Multitech Graphics

•National Institute for Genealogical Studies

•Our Digital World

•Pat McGregor Books

•Progeny Genealogy

•Durham County Genealogy

•Strategic Property Solutions

Heritage Groups

•Archives of Ontario

•British Isles Family History Society of Greater Ottawa

•Canadian Friends Historical Foundation

•Guild of One Name Studies

•Newcastle Village and District Historical Society

•Toronto Cornish Association

•Trent Valley Archives

OGS Branches

•Ontario Genealogical Society

•OGS Conference 2014

•Brant CountyBranch

•British Home Child SIG

•Bruce & Grey County Branch

•Durham Region Branch

•Halton- Peel Branch

•Ireland SIG

•Irish Palatine SIG

•Kawartha Branch

•Kingston Branch

•Lambton County Branch

•Leeds & Grenville Branch

•Niagara Peninsula Branch

•Ottawa Branch

•Oxford County Branch

•Quinte Branch

•Simcoe County

•Toronto Branch

•Waterloo Region Branch

To go to the Marketplace, go to www.ogs.on.ca/conference2013/market-place. There is individual websites for each participant.

You can go into the marketplace for FREE, and there will be lots for you to see.

Head of Library and Archives Canada resigns

Daniel Caron, the head archivist of the Library and Archives Canada, resigned Wednesday. He had billed taxpayers nearly $4,500 for personal Spanish lessons.

Caron was appointed head librarian and archivist of Canada in 2009.

To read the complete story, go to www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/story/2013/05/15/pol-library-archives-daniel-caron-resigns-spanish.html

Society for German Genealogy in Eastern Europe Conference 2013

A press release was received by the office this afternoon -

“Many of our German ancestors lived in areas of modern Poland which were once considered German, known as Prussia, Pommern and Posen. Others migrated through Poland and into Russian territory in search of land to farm.

Members of the Society for German Genealogy in Eastern Europe concentrate their search in the areas of Poland and Volhynia (Ukraine) and help others whose ancestors might have migrated through these regions.

The SGGEE is holding its annual Convention in Seattle, Washington from August 9-11.”

The web site is at www.sggee.org

Call for Presentations - Tracing Forward - Searching for Relatives in Recent Times

This came in this morning from Gwyneth Pearce, the publicity person for the Toronto Family History Branch of the OGS -

"This is a quick reminder about a Call for Presentations issued by the Toronto Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society for our planned fall 2013 workshop titled Tracing Forward - Searching for Relatives in Recent Times. The deadline for proposals is Friday 31 May.

The aim of this workshop, to be held on Saturday 26 October, is to offer new ideas, skills or tools to help researchers trace members of their expanded family trees, people who might still be alive or recently deceased.

We are seeking proposals from professional genealogists, family historians, private investigators, legal experts and heir searchers”.

Go the Branch website at www.torontofamilyhistory.org

Welland Canal Workers’ Historical Exhibit

The following press release just came into the office –

“During the building of the Welland Canal from 1914-1932, 124 men tragically lost their lives while working in difficult and dangerous conditions. When the canal opened in 1932, the Federal Minister of Canals and Railways of the time committed to building a memorial to remember the sacrifice of those men. Unfortunately to this day, that memorial still does not exist.

Malcolm Allen – Member of Parliament for Welland is putting a call out to the community for photographs, letters, artifacts or historical pieces relating to the Canal workers. Items loaned to our office by community members/organizations will be displayed in our constituency office at 60 King St for the month of June in order to promote the need for a permanent memorial.

Your assistance or participation in the upcoming “Welland Canal Workers’ Historical Exhibit” is greatly appreciated.

For more information please contact Lisa Bastien, Constituency Assistant for Malcolm Allen at 905-788-2204”.

To read about the history of the Welland Canal, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Welland_Canal

RootsTech 2014 - Call for Papers

This notice was released yerterday -

"Presentation proposals will be accepted online at www.rootstech.org/proposals from June 17—July 8, 2013. Due to the volume of presentation proposals we receive, please submit no more than five proposals per speaker. Limited, late-breaking technology submissions will be accepted, upon approval, until October 1, 2013.

Speakers selected to present at RootsTech 2014 will be notified by August 2, 2013. Syllabus materials (PDF file) for selected presentations will be due by November 1, 2013. Speakers who don’t submit syllabus materials on time may be removed from the schedule.

Presenters participating in RootsTech 2014 will receive a complimentary conference registration and access to all syllabus materials. Out-of-state speakers selected to present three or more presentations will also receive hotel accommodations. There is no monetary compensation for presenting at this conference".

Questions can be emailed to the attention of the RootsTech Speaker Selection Committee at info@rootstech.org

To see the full post, go to https://familysearch.org/blog/en/rootstech-2014-call-papers

Canadian Week in Review

13 May 2013

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

Websites

Randy Saylor: Family & Bay of Quinte Records Genealogical and Historical Research http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~saylormowbray/index.html What a gem of a site! There has been so much information added to it, since I first went to the site in 2010. New people, new information – it is added to every month.

Blogs

Where the story takes me http://wherethestorytakesme.ca A blog by Jane E. MacNamara in which she writes about Toronto, and its people.

Facebook- YouTube – Video

Museum explains history behind heirlooms www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/story/2013/05/06/nb-heirlooms-museum-1215.html People brought in their heirlooms to be assessed by the curators at The New Brunswick Museum last weekend.

Newspapers

Lorna Crozier, Sarah Ellis honoured at B.C. book prize http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2013/05/06/bc-book-prizes.html And the Bill Duthie Booksellers’ Choice Award went to Shelley Fralic, with research by Kate Bird, Making Headlines: 100 Years of The Vancouver Sun (The Vancouver Sun), and the winner of the Roderick Haig-Brown Regional Prize for contributing to the understanding of British Columbia was Derek Hayes, British Columbia: A New Historical Atlas (Douglas & McIntyre).

Manachaban students to get a taste of history when they visit Quebec www.rockyviewweekly.com/article/20130506/RVW0302/305069986/manachaban-students-to-get-a-taste-of-history-when-they-visit-quebec More than 60 Grade 8 students from Manachaban Middle School in Cochrane, Ontario will be in Quebec from May 12 to 18.

Durham history is one for the books: Oshawa teacher releases historical fiction about rebellion in Whitby area www.durhamregion.com/news/article/1614028--durham-history-is-one-for-the-books Mary Hosmar, a teacher in the Oshawa School System has written her first historical fiction novel, A Matter of Conscience, about a young boy and the Upper Canada Rebellion of 1837.

Online exhibit honours work of former curator, archivist Harry Piers www.halifaxnewsnet.ca/News/2013-05-07/article-3239281/Online-exhibit-honours-work-of-former-curator,-archivist-Harry-Piers/1He was known as the Museum Maker of Nova Scotia. Besides reading about him, there is a timeline on http://gov.ns.ca/nsarm/virtual/piers/timeline.asp of the development of the Nova Scotia Museum.

Nova Scotia's provincial flag confirmed 155 years later www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/story/2013/05/08/ns-forgotten-flag.html Read about how a school students recognized that the coat of arms that represents Nova Scotia has never officially been recognized as the provincial flag.

Pictures and Story of the Week

Korean War Armistice

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the Korean War Armistice, as well as the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Canada and South Korea.

Veteran’s Affairs have put together a virtual exhibit which has online ceremonies and events, events photos, The Books of Remembrance...The Korean War, Certificate of Recognition, and a video of the War called Land of the Morning Calm: Canadians in Korea 1950 – 1953 at www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/collections/korea.

To view the full exhibit, go to www.veterans.gc.ca/eng

The next Canadian Week in Review will be issued Monday May 20, 2013

Celebrating Our Female Roots Day

On Wednesday, May 15, 2013, at 1:30 to 4:00 p.m., Quebec Family History Society Heritage Centre and Library, 173 Cartier Avenue, Pointe-Claire will be open for a coffee, tea, and informal conversation to talk about some of the favourite women in your family. Bring your own books, photos, and memorabilia that have helped you in your research.

Bring a friend or just bring yourself.

You will have a chance to win two free tickets to visit the historic Maison Saint-Gabriel, acquired in 1668 by one of Montreal’s most well-known women, Marguerite Bourgeoys.

Chat with new and experienced genealogists about how to learn what life was like for your female ancestors. What was home life like during the time they lived? Do you own any letters or diaries? Share the challenges you face – and your successes – in your family history research.

On display for you to browse will be books from the QFHS collection about women and social history.

Remember, half of our direct ancestors are women. Since Mother's Day takes place this weekend, this is a good time to celebrate the women in our family tree.

Open to our members and the public. Admission is free. Visit www.qfhs.ca/events.php

Thank you Susan for the notice.

UPDATE: Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario & Quebec Cemeteries

Canadian GenWeb has reported the following updates to the cemeteries across the country -

ALBERTA

Cypress:
- Kin Coulee Cemetery

Stettler:
- Red Willow Cemetery

MANITOBA

Portage la Prairie City:
- Portage Hillside Memorial Cemetery

ONTARIO

Brant County:
- Fairfield / Fairfield United Cemetery
- Mount Pleasant Pioneer Cemetery
- St James / Old Anglican Cemetery

Elgin County:
- Fingal Cemetery

Haldimand County:
- Bethel Cemetery
- Gore / Clanbrassil / Dufferin Cemetery
- McGaw / Steele Cemetery

Lambton County:
- Lakeview Cemetery

Lincoln County:
- St Anne's Church Cemetery

Middlesex County:
- Robin's Hill / Brown's Hill Cemetery

Norfolk County:
- Bethel Methodist Cemetery
- Oakwood Cemetery
- Renew & McIntosh stones
- Teeterville United Church Cemetery
- Zion United Cemetery

Oxford County:
- Blenheim Mennonite Conference Cemetery

Perth County:
- First Lutheran Church Cemetery
- German Baptist Cemetery
- North Logan / Harvey's Cemetery
- Redeemer Lutheran / Monkton Cemetery

Wellington County:
- Hans Cemetery
- Rockwood Cemetery

Wentworth County:
- Westover Baptist Cemetery

QUEBEC

Bonaventure County:
- St Jules de Cascapedia RC Cemetery

Thanks must always go to Marilyn Whiting, Patricia Green, Alison Mitchell-Reid, Sharon Mattiuz, William Cooke and Tim Campbell for their help indexing these cemeteries.

And our “Thanks” must also go to Helen Braden, Angela M. Clatworthy, Beth Cotter, Todd Smith, Kate Ford, Bonnie Lee Breadner, Todd Lumley, J. Blackmore, Chris Pfeifle, Alison Mitchell-Reid, Sharon Mattiuz, William Cooke, Tim Campbell, and Leo Allen for taking photos of gravestones in these cemeteries.

The website is at http://canadacems.blogspot.com/2013/05/alberta-manitoba-ontario-quebec-update.html

Canada GenWeb is one of Canada’s oldest online resources having started in 1996 by Sherri Pettit. If you would like to volunteer in one of the many projects, contact Sherri through the Feedback page at http://canadagenweb.org/feedbackform.html

The site for Canada GenWeb is http://canadagenweb.org/index.html

Online registration ends May 17 for OGS Conference

The OGS Conference has let us know that at the end of the day on May 17, the online registration for the OGS Conference will be closed.

At that point, the OGS Conference committee will be letting the caterers and banquet hall know the amount of food to order.

We’ll reserve a few extra tickets, but the number will definitely be limited. Between May 18 and 24, registrations will be taken by phone, and the office staff will be able to tell you whether there are any food or banquet tickets left.

After May 24, no new advance registrations will be accepted.

Those who aren’t able to plan ahead can still register for the Saturday and Sunday lectures upon arrival at the conference, but will find most of the Friday events sold out, and should be prepared to make other arrangements for food in case there are no tickets left.

The Conference website is at www.ogs.on.ca/conference2013/home

Voices from the Dust – Family History Conference

I know this is a bit late, but if you live in the Ottawa area, and if you would like to attend a family history seminar this afternoon, there will be session from 1:30 pm to 5:30 pm, at the Ottawa Ontario Stake Family History Centre of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1017 Prince of Wales Drive, Ottawa.

Some workshop speakers share their thoughts, feelings and stories about their ancestors:

1. Joseph Auclair - by Sylvie Tremblay

2. Ronald McGregor Warrener - by Ken McKinlay

3. Florence Crofts Carr – by Lesley Anderson

4. Helene Wright - by Glenn Wright

5. Mary Ann Booker – by Shirley-Ann Pyefinch

Or you can drop-in to see displays in the Cultural Hall by Ancestry.ca, British Isles Family History Society of Greater Ottawa (BIFHSGO), Gloucester Historical Society, Lanark County Genealogical Society (LCGS), Ottawa Branch – Ontario Genealogical Society (OGS), Ottawa Public Library, Ottawa Stake Family History Centre, Pepper Mintz – Scrapbooking, Ukrainian Genealogy Group (UGG)

To view the full program, go to www.ottawastakefhc.on.ca

Brome County Historical Society (BCHS)

They will be holding the opening of the Brome County Historical Society Museum, in Knowlton, Quebec, on May 19th at 12:00 noon.

They will be celebrating the opening of the new season and the introduction of this year’s Scottish theme.

Live entertainment on the museum grounds, guided museum tours, refreshments plus, wine tasting from three local vineyards. Bring your family and friends for an afternoon at the museum to launch our 2013 Season and feel the winds of change.

There will be also be Wine Tasting at 4:30 p.m. until 7:00 p.m.

They are located at exit 90 off the AutoRoute 10, follow route 243 into Knowlton (Lac Brome) 130 Lakeside, Knowlton, Quebec.

They have been in existence since 1919, and they have a collection of books, manuscripts, photographic images, newspaper clippings, obituaries and an index of of 225,000 names are maintained in the
Local History and Genealogy Center.

The website is at www.bclibrary.info/brocohist.htm

Mapping The Mosaic

Have you been to this site yet? I visited it today, and recommend that you take a minute to look at it, because it holds some interesting stories.

Here is what the press release says -

"This easy-to-use, community-driven site is designed to chart the collected memories of English-speaking communities in the Greater Montreal Area.

Users can share experiences of where their history happened by pinning stories, photos or video to an interactive map of neighbourhoods around Montreal and its suburbs.

No point is too small! Educators, historical and cultural groups, and interested individuals are invited to explore, discover and contribute.

Childhood memories of life on your street? Archival photos of lost buildings? Little-known episodes in the life of a neighbourhood school, place of worship or local hangout? Memories of colourful characters or local sports heroes? The grand achievements of entrepreneurs, artists, or innovators?

Mapping the Mosaic is a “people’s history” that welcomes all these and more".

Visit Mapping the Mosaic to begin telling your favourite Montreal stories!

Click here for the website http://mapping.montrealmosaic.com

The Facebook page is www.facebook.com/mapping.montrealmosaic

UPDATE: Ancestry.ca - Canada, Soldiers of the First World War, 1914-1918

R.F.C. Canada. Machine Gun Practice, Camp Mohawk, Desoronto, Ont. 1918 Credit: Canada. Dept. of National Defence/Library and Archives Canada

Ancestry.ca has updated this database which contains an index to the Attestation papers of men enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) of the First World War.

Information contained in the database includes:

•Name of enlistee

•Address

•Birthplace

•Birth date

•Age

•Name of next of kin

•Relationship to next of kin

•Regimental number

Additional information about the enlistee, such as their occupation, marital status, religion, and/or physical description may be found on the original record. Be sure to view the corresponding image in order to obtain all possible information about the individual.

The website is at http://search.ancestry.ca/search/db.aspx?dbid=1086

There are now 598,682 images online.

For more information about the collection, please see the follow page on the Library and Archives Canada website at www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/cef/index-e.html