There is a winner!

The winner of the Canada Day Brick Wall Contest is contestant number 12. Congratulations, Susan!

Thank you to everyone who entered the contest. 

The next contest will be held during Canada's Veterans Week from November 5th to the 11th.

Canadian Week in Review 14 July 2014

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

Websites

New websites to help families find graves of first world war dead
Commonwealth War Graves Commission puts 300,000 original documents online for public viewing for the first time
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/08/websites-help-families-graves-relatives-killed-first-world-war

History Week in Canada

In 1978, Alfredo Bessette of Montreal, known as Brother André, was declared venerable in a decree approved by the Pope. In Feb. 2010, he became modern-day Canada's first saint, with the formal canonization held on Oct. 17th in Rome.
To read more, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andr%C3%A9_Bessette
===================================================

In 1989, CN Rail was allowed to abandon Prince Edward Island's only rail service.
To read about the history ot trains on PEI, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_Edward_Island_Railway

===================================================

On 12 July 1920, author and historian Pierre Berton was born in Whitehorse. He died on Nov. 30, 2004. Ten years later, on 12 July 1930, actor Gordon Pinsent was born in Grand Falls, Newfoundland. 

To read about Pierre Burton, go to http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/pierre-berton/, and to read about Gordon Pinsent, go to http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/gordon-pinsent/

Social Media

Former farmland now urban wetland
http://www.thestarphoenix.com/Former+farmland+urban+wetland/10015776/story.html
A video shows Hyde Park, a 123-acre wetland park in the Rosewood part of Saskatoon. that has been reclaimed from farmland that once was farmed by Orville and Hermine Hyde.

Video: SNTC's artistic history

http://www.thestarphoenix.com/news/Video+SNTC+artistic+history/10022670/story.html

A video shows the Saskatchewan Native Theatre Company has produced an artistic retelling of the history of Saskatchewan.

No gimmicks needed to travel back in time to the first Calgary Stampede
http://www.camrosecanadian.com/2014/07/11/no-gimmicks-needed-to-travel-back-in-time-to-the-first-stampede

In the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth, you can take a trip back in time to the first Stampede by listening to Christine Leppard shares the history of the Calgary Stampede as its historical specialist. She is appearing in the Quirk Cabin, the 1886 home of pioneers John and Mary Quirk, located in Weadickville, Alberta.

Newfoundland and Labrador

Tunnel vision: What's with the underground discovery at Bannerman Park?

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/tunnel-vision-what-s-with-the-underground-discovery-at-bannerman-park-1.2704461
Was this a water drain or something else that has been discovered beneath Bannerman Park in St John’s?

Celebrating the wooden boat
http://www.nlnewsnow.com/News/Local/2014-07-08/article-3791540/Celebrating-the-wooden-boat/1
The Trinity Historical Society and the Wooden Boat Museum of Newfoundland and Labrador are putting together new exhibits to mark Trinity Historical Society’s 50th Anniversary. It is called Before Fiberglass: Wooden Boats of Newfoundland and Labrador, and it will include workshops.

French photographers seek N.L. WWI connections for project

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/french-photographers-seek-n-l-wwi-connections-for-project-1.2699024

Read how Eric Ecolan and Mathieu Drouet got together to visit Newfoundland to gather information about the soldier who fought in the First Woirld war in France, especially in two battles - Monchy-le-Preux and Beaumont Hamel.

Nova Scotia

Halifax, Nova Scotia: Bluenose Sidecar Tours
Tours provide a unique window on the significant episodes in the city’s life http://www.thestar.com/life/travel/2014/07/11/halifax_nova_scotia_bluenose_sidecar_tours.html
Isn’t this a neat idea? Is there anyone else doing this?

You can now fire a cannon at Fortress Louisbourg
All visitors can learn about 18th century French artillery science and fire away http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/you-can-now-fire-a-cannon-at-fortress-louisbourg-1.2700322
Another neat idea! For $38.80 fee, you can shot a cannon at Fortress Louisbourg this summer. 

You can book your opportunity online at http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/lhn-nhs/ns/louisbourg/activ/activ9/canon-cannon.aspx 

Maxine Cochran, Nova Scotia’s first female cabinet minister, dies
http://thechronicleherald.ca/novascotia/1221415-maxine-cochran-nova-scotia-s-first-female-cabinet-minister-dies
She first served in 1984 after the death of her husband, Bruce. She was re-elected later that year in a general election and went on to hold a number of portfolios, including transportation, consumer affairs, and culture, recreation and fitness. 

Nova Scotia Revealed film crew visit Ship Hector
http://www.trurodaily.com/News/Local/2014-07-10/article-3793959/Nova-Scotia-Revealed-film-crew-visit-Ship-Hector/1
Clerisy Entertainment, a production company based out of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, is in Pictou to explore the Hector Heritage Quay.

History comes to life at Iona's Highland Village

http://www.capebretonpost.com/section/2014-07-09/article-3793155/History-comes-to-life-at-Ionas-Highland-Village/1
The Highland Village brings to life nearly two centuries of the Nova Scotia Gaelic story. 

‘The most famous pipes in Canadian history’ come home to Scotland http://www.thecourier.co.uk/news/scotland/the-most-famous-pipes-in-canadian-history-come-home-to-scotland-1.462726

Read the story about the Scottish pipes that were rescued at the Somme in 1916 in the First World War.

Prince Edward Island

Ellerslie student in the running in Young Citizens video contest
You can see who has won the Young Citizens video contest by going to http://www.canadahistory.com website. Voting stopped July the 11th.

New Brunswick

Sackville author publishes three books on local history

http://www.sackvilletribunepost.com/Living/2014-07-09/article-3793500/Sackville-author-publishes-three-books-on-local-history/1

Eugene Goodrich, Professor Emeritus (History), Mount Allison University, in association with the Westmorland Historical Society, has completed three works on aspects of the Tantramar region and southeastern New Brunswick. 

NB Museum gets extra $300K, and maybe a new home
Request for proposals for construction or renovation of Market Square location to be issued this month
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/nb-museum-gets-extra-300k-and-maybe-a-new-home-1.2704046

There are changes coming to the The New Brunswick Museum – all for the better. 

Quebec

Lac-Mégantic vigil marks a solemn anniversary
http://www.montrealgazette.com/a9gantic+vigil+marks+solemn+anniversary/10005365/story.html 

A very moving story of Lac-Mégantic a year after the explosion and fire of the train explosion that hit the town on July 6th. 

200-year-old Quebec convent closing its doors; 19 nuns told to leave
http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/200-year-old-quebec-convent-closing-its-doors-19-nuns-told-to-leave-1.1906664#ixzz373qjIVU3 

The Notre-Dame-du-Vieux located in Pointe-Claire will close its doors in December, and 19 nuns will have to find other accommodation. 

Ontario

'Camp X' unearths Canadian roots of CIA
http://www.therecord.com/whatson-story/4627491--camp-x-unearths-canadian-roots-of-cia
History Channel documentary "Camp X: Secret Agent School," tells the story of an unlikely training ground for Canadian, British and American Second World War spies — some of whom went on to become the founding members of the CIA.

Watch 'Speakers for the Dead' - 50-Minute Documentary on *Hidden* History of Blacks in Canada
http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/watch-speakers-for-the-dead-50-minute-documentary-on-hidden-history-of-blacks-in-canada-20140707

"Speakers for the Dead," which reveals some of the *forgotten* history of Blacks in Canada - specifically, the original black settlers of Priceville, Ontario, Canada, who've been there for centuries, and whose long-time presence and contributions have been mostly ignored. 

To view the documentary, go to http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/watch-documentary-short-from-the-heart-of-black-nova-scotia-20140703

Manitoba

No stories this week. 

Saskatchewan

No stories this week. 

Alberta

Alberta wants to change 'Wild Rose Country' to alberta.ca on licence plates

http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/alberta-wants-to-change-wild-rose-country-to-alberta-ca-on-licence-plates-1.1910619#ixzz37GXpPNZ2
Read about the reaction to eliminate “Wild Rose Country” and replace it with “alberta.ca” – the government’s website address.

British Columbia

Heritage home could serve as agricultural interpetive centre
http://www.delta-optimist.com/opinion/heritage-home-could-serve-as-agricultural-interpetive-centre-1.1202260#sthash.WL3LA8FB.dpuf
The Kittson house could become an agricultural interpetive centre if everythinbg turns out right.

Story of the Week

Here is a fun thing to do – vote for your favourite Canadian city.

Canada, because of its size and diversity, has lots of favourite places, and one of my favourite places is – Quebec City.

I first went to Quebec City with my parents in the 1980s for a short one day visit, and two years later, I went back to the city on my honeymoon. We had taken a trip through Maine, up the Canada Highway (where so many French-Canadians had gone down to the United States for work at the turn of the 20th century), through the Beauce – and it was beautiful beyond words.

We have returned there many time that first visit, and it is the most captivating city I have ever seen - especially in the wintertime – it’s beautiful. There is something about being there in all of the seasons that is like no other place I have ever been to in Canada. And besides - my husband is from there!

So now that your know my pick, vote for your favourite city at 

http://www.yareah.com/2014/07/06/quebec-winnipeg-toronto-victoria-vote-favorite-city-canada

Reminder: Check the Canadian Week in Review next Monday for the latest in Genealogy, Heritage, and History news in Canada. It’s the ONLY news blog of its kind in country! 

The next post will be on July 21, 2014.

Reminder: Canadian Week in Review

Check the Canadian Week in Review tomorrow morning for the latest in Genealogy, Heritage, and History news in Canada. 

It has the latest news covered in New/Updated Websites, History, Social Media, and Newspaper Articles.

It’s the ONLY news blog of its kind in country!

If you missed least week's edition, it is at http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2014/07/canadian-week-in-review-cwr-07-july-2014.html 

It has been a regular post every Monday morning since April 23, 2012.

Call for Presenters: OGS Conference 2015 – “Tracks Through Time”

The Ontario Genealogical Society will host the Society’s annual conference on 29-31 May 2015 at Georgian College Campus, Barrie, ON, Canada. The conference theme — Tracks through Time – originates from the 130th Anniversary of the completion of the Canadian Pacific Railway across Canada.

Many family historians have their roots in the immigrant laborers who built this railway across our vast country. Other ancestors were tempted by the transportation routes and migration opportunities allowed by its completion. Still others worked for the railway company itself over the years to follow. As researchers, we track our family history through time in many ways, always attempting to ensure we are tracking the right people from the right line. The variations on Tracks through Time are endless. 

The subject of presentations should preferably fall within one of the following categories:

1.Impact of the development of the railway in Canada
2. Tracking various cultural and ethnic ancestor groups to and within Canada (e.g., Aboriginal, African American, Chinese, Scandinavian, Quaker, Polish, Jewish, etc.)
3. Tracking ancestors through various record groups (land, company, religious, civil, etc.)
4. Tracking the right people (sorting out same-name research, One-Name Studies, etc.)
5. Technological advancements in tracking our ancestors

Saturday and Sunday lectures will be one hour long, including time for questions. Friday workshops offering a more in-depth exploration should be 2.5 to 3 hours in length, including time for questions. Consideration will also be given to distance presentations – “streamed in” from a presenter’s location and/or “streamed out” to a distance audience.

Each one-page proposal should include:

Presentation Title

Abstract – no more than 200 words

Presentation Description – one or two sentences for program brochure• Full Contact Information – name, postal address, telephone number, e-mail address, and website (if applicable)

Brief Biography

Target Audience – beginner, intermediate or advanced level family historians; general or specialist audience.

If your proposal is accepted, you will be requested to provide a 2- to 4-page summary of your lecture or workshop for our Conference Syllabus. This may include a brief overview, references and web addresses mentioned, sample screen shots, etc. It will be submitted electronically no later than 1 March 2015 as a word processing file or in rich text for ease of formatting our Program Syllabus. Speakers should also bear in mind that PowerPoint presentations must be clearly readable from a minimum distance of 20 metres/65 feet and should employ fonts no smaller than 32 points.

Please include your approximate travel costs, economy class, to Barrie, Ontario, Canada. Remuneration will normally include reimbursement of transportation expenses, free conference registration, free accommodation, meals on the day(s) of your talk(s), free social activities, plus honorarium. Workshop fees may be negotiated.

Contact Info: Conference 2015 website: http://www.ogs.on.ca/conference/

Email address: program.conference@ogs.on.ca

The deadline is 12 September 2014 

LAC: Soundex - How to find spelling variations of a surname

The Library and Archives Canada explains how to use the JOS Soundex code to find information on names that are difficult to find because of the way that they are spelled. 

They say that “Many American archival records have been indexed using this system. It’s a way to search surnames while ignoring minor differences in spelling. The code uses the first letter of the surname, followed by three numbers associated with the sound of the name. 

Letters of the alphabet are assigned a number (0 to 9). Vowels (A, E, I, O, U and Y) and the letters H and W are not considered. Also, if the same letter occurs twice in a row in the name, it is counted only once (e.g., Lloyd becomes Loyd). If there are fewer than 3 letters in the name, 0 is used for the last digit.” 

To help you identify different spellings of surnames, we suggest that you use the following Soundex indexing site: Avotaynu Consolidated Jewish Surname Index at http://www.avotaynu.com/csi/csi-home.htm. It can also be used for non-Jewish surnames. To help you identify the Soundex code, you can use the JOS Soundex calculator found at http://www.jewishgen.org/JOS/jossound.htm.

So, speaking of ways to make genealogy research easier for you, have you entered the Canada Day Brick Wall Contest? This is the second year that I have had the contest and it closes at 6:00 a.m. EST on Tuesday, July 15th.

You can go to the website and get the details http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2014/07/happy-canada-day.html and get the details.

GOOD LUCK!  

Special Meeting - QFHS Society

This office received a link to an article on the Genealogy Ensemble blog by Janice Hamilton to tell us about a special meeting of members of the Quebec Family History Society (QFHS) to be held this fall.

In part, the message says “The QFHS will hold a special general meeting of its members on September 13, 2014 for approval to obtain a Certificate of Continuance, a document that grants the organization continuance as a federally incorporated not-for-profit society.

Also on the meeting agenda is a discussion of possible future changes to its constitution. Members have been invited to submit written recommendations for changes to the bylaws, which were written in 1992. The deadline for these submissions is August 13.”

The link to the full story is http://genealogyensemble.wordpress.com

Archives of Ontario - First World War Exhibit

The Archives of Ontario (AO), in Toronto, has put on an exhibit of a First World War family where six brothers enlisted. The exhibit is called The McLean Brothers of Sunderland,Ontario Real Genealogy Stories WWI Exhibit in the Archives Reading Room on the main floor, just to the left of the reception desk.

This is the story about of six brothers of the same family who enlisted together to take part in the Canadian war efforts. In partnership with guest curator Paul Hector this exhibit uses AO genealogical records to bring a very unique First World War family story to life.

I made my yearly trek to the AO in April of this year, and spent two days there, and accomplished a lot of client research. It is a fantastic facility, with a friendly, helpful staff. And it has a manuscript holdings that you can loose yourself in – I was impressed!

At that time they were busy gathering material for the exhibit, and I am glad that they were able to put it together. So if you are in Toronto, you should plan to visit.

The website is http://www.archives.gov.on.ca/en/index.aspx 

They also have another exhibit online that you can visit - Dear Sadie – Loves, Lives, and Remembrance from Ontario’s First World War.

In this exhibit, you can read about four different families and what happened to them during the First World War. This exhibit “highlights the impact that the war had on individual lives”. 

The website is http://www.archives.gov.on.ca/en/explore/online/ww1/index.aspx

I plan to return next June to do more research.

Ireland Canada Monument Project

Every so often, I hear from the Ireland Canada Monument Project in Vancouver, British Columbia by receiving their newsletter.

The Monument project is an historic endeavour to give recognition to those of Irish birth or descent who have given or continue to give to Canada, its provinces and the City of Vancouver.

They say that “The core work for the project is basically complete and general agreement has been reached between the Monument Society and Vancouver Parks Board on site details. Once a new site is agreed upon, the Monument Society looks forward to finalizing the site layout with Parks Board staff.”

They have a blog at http://irelandmonumentvancouver.com and you can be placed on the newsletter distribution list by writing to irelandmonumentcanada@gmail.com 

Their Facebook page is at https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Ireland-Canada-Monument/103460626418488

Canadian Week in Review (CWR) 07 July 2014

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

Websites

The First World War Centenary

http://www.1914.org

People around the globe are asked to join together and honour the people who fought for the Allies in the First World War.

Help the Government of Canada organize its website!

https://webstandard-normesweb.optimalworkshop.com/treejack/canadaca-arts-culture-en

I have just taken the 5-minute survey. You may want to take it, because there are a couple of questions among the eight that concern Library and Archives Canada.

On the other hand, if you want something simple to answer, take the Family History Online International Research Use survey at https://survey.zohopublic.com/zs/LHCKyB

This Week in History

July 3rd In 1898, Joshua Slocum of Briar Island, Nova Scotia (near Digby), arrived in Newport, Rhode Island, to complete the first solo trip around the globe.

To read more about him, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joshua_Slocum
==================================================

In 1836, Canada’s first railway, the Champlain and St. Lawrence, started service between Laprairie and St. Jean, Quebec.

To read more about it, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Champlain_and_St._Lawrence_Railroad
===================================================

In 1849, Canadian doctor Sir William Osler, was born in Bond Head, Ontario (near Toronto). He was called the “most influential physician in history,” Osler pioneered medical training that combined clinical observation with lab research.

To find out more about him, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Osler
===================================================

On July the 5th in 1937, the hottest temperature in Canadian history was recorded in Midale, Saskachewan. The mercury rose to 45 degrees Celsius.

To read more about Midale, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midale

Social Media

History buffs bring WWI to life in Elliston

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/history-buffs-bring-wwi-to-life-in-elliston-1.2693000

View the video that shows Neal Tucker and his nephew Daniel from the Bonavista Peninsula, Newfoundland to recreate an element of daily life for soldiers in the Great War. They recreated a trench in Elliston, to mark the 100th anniversary of the start of the First World War.

History Video: Letter from Britain – 1945 – Three Canadian Soldiers Write Home From War

http://www.anglotopia.net/british-history/history-video-letter-britain-1945-three-canadian-soldiers-write-home-war

Listen to the stories that soldiers told Canadians back home in Britain Through Canadian Eyes.

Newfoundland and Labrador

Forget-Me-Not
http://www.nlnewsnow.com/Community-/2014-06-30/article-3781407/Forget-Me-Not/1
The little blue flower is by people on Memorial Day, July 1 to commemorate the brave Newfoundlanders who died in World War One. This is especially true of the men who died on the battlefield of Beaumont-Hamel during the Battle of the Somme in 1916.

Nova Scotia

No articles this week.

New Brunswick

No articles this week.

Quebec

No articles this week.

Ontario

‘Our Canada’ celebrates our country

http://citizen.on.ca/?p=2249

The Dufferin County Museum and Archives celebrated with a free event called ‘Our Canada’, which included the official opening of a new Canada showcase, activities for the family and more.

Canada's 'Liberty Bell' Comes Home After 150 Years On U.S. Soil

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2014/06/30/canada-liberty-bell-charlottetown_n_5542988.html

A bronze bell from the S.S. Queen Victoria salvaged from the steamship which sank off the coast of North Carolina, two years after the vessel ferried the Fathers of Confederation to the Charlottetown Conference in 1864 – and it will be on display Canadian Museum of History for 15 months beginning this November, part of an exhibit to mark the 150th anniversary of the events leading up to Confederation in 1867. It is Canada’s Liberty Bell.

Korean adoptees in Canada visit homeland

http://nwww.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20140629000173

About 30 Korean children adopted by Canadian parents are visiting Korea for two weeks to learn about Korean culture and history, according to Korean Canadian Children’s Association.

Turn-of-the-century Canadians were getting up to stuff you aren’t going to read in history textbooks
http://news.nationalpost.com/2014/07/01/turn-of-the-century-canadians-were-getting-up-to-stuff-you-arent-going-to-read-in-history-textbooks

On about 15 metres of shelving at the British Library in London is a collection of Canadian images taken over 100 years ago, and some of them are in this article.

Canoe trek traces Métis history in Canada

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/canoe-trek-traces-metis-history-in-canada/article19407164
Holland River to the calm waters of Lake Simcoe – and 18 kilometres closer to their summer’s epic destination, the general assembly of the Métis Nation of Ontario in Thunder Bay, two months and two Great Lakes away.

Manitoba

Ancient Inuit hunting camp to be uncovered in Manitoba: 1,000-year-old tent rings, as well as food caches, burial grounds and kayak rests can be seen at the site

http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/ancient-inuit-hunting-camp-to-be-uncovered-in-manitoba-1.2691611
Some 400 years before Europeans came to North America, the grassy cliff on the western coast of Hudson Bay in northern Manitoba was a thriving hunting camp for the ancestors of today's Inuit.

See Manitoba's vital history live with St. Andrews Rectory restored: Venerable Selkirk Settlers structure will be open to public for summer

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/see-manitobas-vital-history-live-with-st-andrews-rectory-restored-265162421.html
St. Andrews Rectory, built in 1854 in the Rural Municipality of St. Andrews by the Selkirk Settlers of the area, is one of the most curious because of the use of rings that were made of Tyndall stone from area. The stone was used to hold the ducts of the wood stove so that the rectory could have central heating.

The rectory will reopened to the public during July and August.

Saskatchewan

Ukrainian Project Cto will commemorate Canadian internment camps

http://www.thestarphoenix.com/news/Ukrainian+Project+will+commemorate+Canadian+internment+camps/9987912/story.html
The Eaton Internment Camp in Saskatchewan was one of 24 forced labour camps across Canada created at the outset of First World War to imprison "enemy aliens." More than 8,500 prisoners of war were sent to these camps to work on public projects such as the railway.

Ukrainian church in Regina to commemorate First World War Canadian internment camps

http://www.leaderpost.com/news/Ukrainian+church+Regina+commemorate+First+World+Canadian+internment+camps/9994198/story.html

An upcoming project by the Ukrainian Canadian Civil Liberties Association called Project Cto meaning “one hundred” in Ukrainian ,will commemorate the 100th anniversary of the War Measures Act. On August 22, 100 plaques across Canada recalling the internment camps will be unveiled at 11 a.m. local time.

Two Athabasca heritage buildings receive $55,400 in grants

http://www.athabascaadvocate.com/article/20140702/ATH0801/307029959/-1/ath08/two-athabasca-heritage-buildings-receive-55400-in-grants

Two historic Athabasca buildings — the Athabasca United Church and the old Canadian Northern Railway Station, have received thousands of dollars through the Alberta Historical Resources Foundation.

Alberta

No articles this week.

British Columbia

No articles this week. 

Story of the Week 

Canada History Week (July 1-7)

I think we were so busy with Canada Day this past, did you realize that it was also Canada History Week?

Each of the seven days had things we could, and still can do, like 7 days, 7 films: celebrating Canada History Week at http://blog.nfb.ca/2014/07/01/canada-history-week

To see more of the activities, go to http://www.pch.gc.ca/eng/1403098451625

Reminder: Check the Canadian Week in Review next Monday for the latest in Genealogy, Heritage, and History news in Canada. It’s the ONLY news blog of its kind in country

The next post will be on July 14, 2014.

Reminder: Canadian Week in Review

Check the Canadian Week in Review tomorrow morning for the latest in Genealogy, Heritage, and History news in Canada.

It has the latest news covered in New/Updated Websites, History, Social Media, and Newspaper Articles.

It’s the ONLY news blog of its kind in country!

It has been a regular post every Monday morning since April 23, 2012.

I Love London, Ontario

London, Ontario has a Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Vintage-London-Ontario/256233541169617

It covers many local towns in the area from their beginnings to the 1990s. Old pictures, memories, adverts....anything you might consider Vintage London or surrounding villages. You can also follow Vintage London on Twitter - https://twitter.com/VintageLondonOn 

While there you can go to the London-Middlesex Genealogical Society, and check out two websites – 

Early Settlers Project 

They have 184 pages of settlers listed who settled in Middlesex County prior to 1900. This collection, begun over 30 years ago, includes family information submitted by branch members. This list is FREE!

Family History Index

They also have a 33 page Family History Index to the family history books they have in their Resource Centre. The index covers only the most frequent surnames found in each book This list is FREE!

You can check their homepage at http://londonmiddlesex.ogs.on.ca

Reminder: Canadian Week in Review (CWR)

Check the Canadian Week in Review tomorrow morning for the latest in Genealogy, Heritage, and History news in Canada.

It has the latest news covered in New/Updated Websites, History, Social Media, and Newspaper Articles.

It’s the ONLY news blog of its kind in country!

It has been a regular post every Monday morning since April 23, 2012.

The Great War (1914-1918)

Postmedia has put on a new site called The Great War (1914-1918) and it has five different parts - The Great War Memory Project, Faces of War, the Home Front, the Battlefront, and After the War.

It contains lots of pictures as well as articles and letters, and they are looking for people to add their own family memories to the Great War Memory Project – a virtual museum of Canadian memories of the Great War.

You can email your stories and photo scans to greatwar@postmedia.com;

The website is at http://ww1.canada.com

Update: Canadian GenWeb Cemeteries

 

The updates to Ontario cemeteries are out by the people from Canada GenWeb, and they are –

Brant County

- Farringdon Cemetery
- Harrisburg United Church Cemetery
- Mount Hope Cemetery

Bruce County

- Invermay Methodist / Aarold Methodist / Old Methodist Cemetery
- Langside Mennonite Cemetery
- Salem Evangelical United Brethren Cemetery
- South Kinloss Cemetery

Dundas County

- Dixons Corners South / Wesleyan Methodist 1825 Cemetery
- Spruce Haven Cemetery

Elgin County

- Trinity Anglican Cemetery

Essex County

- Fairbairn Union Cemetery
- St Francis Xavier Cemetery

Grey County

- Greenwood Cemetery

Halton County

- Ashgrove United Church / Mount Pleasant Canadian Wesleyan Methodist New Connexion Cemetery
- Churchill Cemetery
- Merton Mount Pleasant Cemetery

Hastings County

- Sine's Burying Ground

Huron County
- Hope Church Cemetery

Kent County
- St Philippe RC Cemetery

Lambton County

- Beechwood Cemetery
- Blackwell United Church Cemetery
- Lakeview Cemetery
- St James Cemetery
- St John's Roman Catholic Cemetery
- Watford Cemetery
- Wilkesport Cemetery
- Wyoming Cemetery

Lincoln County

- Boyd / Turney / Christie Cemetery
- Grace United Church Cemetery
- McCombs Family Cemetery
- Nicholas Smith Family Cemetery
- St Anne's Church Cemetery
- The May Family Burying Ground
- Victoria Lawn / St Catharines Cemetery

Norfolk County

- Newkirk Cemetery

Perth County

- Hampstead Cemetery
- North Easthope Presbyterian Cemetery
- St Joseph's Cemetery

Peterborough County
-Update: Canadian GenWeb Cemeteries

Russell County
- Update: Canadian GenWeb Cemeteries

Waterloo County

- Mount Hope Cemetery
-Update: Canadian GenWeb Cemeteries

Wellington County

- Greenfield Cemetery
- Hillsburgh Pioneer / God's Acre Cemetery
- Zion United Church Cemetery

Wentworth County

- Binkley Private Cemetery
- Henry Brinkley Cemetery
- Woodland Cemetery

We must say ‘Thank You’ to all of the people who work on the cemetery updates and take photos of the headstones.

To go to the website, please go to http://canadacems.blogspot.com/2014/06/ontario-update.html

Postscript: To enter the Canada Day Contest, go to http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2014/07/happy-canada-day.html

Join the Worldwide Indexing Event

FamilySearch is looking for new indexers to meet a specific goal that they have set for this month -  

"Join volunteers from around the world on July 20 and 21 for an international history-making event! The goal? For 50,000 indexers and arbitrators to submit at least one batch in a 24-hour period! Do more if you would like, but one batch is all that is required to be counted in the record!

This remarkable goal will require help from every current indexer and arbitrator out there, plus many new volunteers,* but it can be achieved if generous volunteers like you commit to participate. So mark your calendar and spread the word! Invite friends and family to join you. Organize an indexing party; create a fun family challenge or a society or church service project. Everyone is needed. Everyone can make a difference!

The record-setting begins at 00:00 coordinated universal time (UTC) on July 21, which is 6:00 p.m. mountain daylight time (MDT or Utah time) on Sunday, July 20. It ends 24 hours later, at 23:59 UTC (or 5:59 p.m. MDT) on Monday, July 21."

Example of some of the records that are waiting to be indexed are -

• Canada, British Columbia—Marriages, 1937
• Canada, Newfoundland—Vital Records, 1840–1949
• Canada, Newfoundland—Vital Statistics Collection, 1753–1893 

Check the FamilySearch Indexing Page at https://familysearch.org/indexing.

Check the FamilySearch Facebook Events page at https://www.facebook.com/events/722157871184202 for your local start time and status updates.

Postscript: The Canada Day Contest is on until July 15th. To enter the contest, go to http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2014/07/happy-canada-day.html

HAPPY CANADA DAY!

Canada: Strong. Proud. Free. 

Have a Canadian brick wall you need help with?

Then here's your chance to win a research package to help you find your elusive Canadian ancestor!

This year, the contest returns for the 147th birthday of Canada, and the rules are simple -

• provide me with your email address
• in the email, tell me about your Canadian ancestor’s ‘brick wall’
• answer the skill-testing question

The contest runs until 6:00 a.m. EST on Tuesday, July 15th. The lucky winner will be then be picked by random, and the name (first name and last initial) announced later that day.

The research package includes four hours' worth of research time, and a written report of the findings.

For more on my research services, please visit www.ELRS.biz.

Oh, yes! The skill testing question this year is – "This year, the name of the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Ottawa received a new name. What is the NEW name of the Canadian Museum of Civilization?"

Please send your entry marked "Contest" to genealogyresearch@aol.com

GOOD LUCK!

Canadian Week in Review 30 June 2014

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

Websites

New Website for Canadian Conservation Institute (CCI)
https://www.cci-icc.gc.ca/index-eng.aspx
The Canadian government has asked each of its departments to re-do their home pages to confirm to the standard, and the CCI is the latest department to do so

Librarian and Archivist of Canada
http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/about-us/Pages/librarian-archivist-canada.aspx
Here is an introduction to Dr. Guy Berthiaume, the new Librarian and Archivist at the LAC. He took over the position on June 6th.

And here is the last speech that was made by the former acting Librarian and Archivists (Mr. Hervé Déry) of the LAC -

Background information: Setting the Stage for the Future Speech by the Acting Librarian and Archivist of Canada to the Association des archivistes Québec at the Congrès 2014, on May 30, 2014, Laval
http://news.gc.ca/web/article-en.do?mthd=tp&crtr.page=1&nid=853719&crtr.tp1D=970&_ga=1.180446126.88265336.1398706573

This Week in History

On June 24, 1534, the French explorer, Jacques Cartier, discovered Prince Edward Island, which he named Îles aux Oiseaux, believing that it was connected to the mainland.

Download the following PDF to read about the history of Cartier on Prince Edward Island http://137.149.200.109:8080/fedora/get/imagined:208352/OBJ
===================================================
In 1611, English explorer Henry Hudson, his son, and several sick men were set adrift by mutineers in what is now Hudson Bay.

To read more about Henry Hudson, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Hudson
===================================================
In 1904, King Edward VII allowed the North-West Mounted Police (now the RCMP) to use the prefix "Royal." 

To read more about the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North-West_Mounted_Police
===================================================
In 1918, airmail service was inaugurated in Canada with a biplane flight from Montreal to Toronto by Royal Air Force Capt. Brian Peck.

To read more on the subject, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leaside_Aerodrome
===================================================
In 1916, Toronto-born actress and silect-screen star, Mary Pickford, became the first Hollywood star to produce her own movies.

To read more about the subject, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Pickford 

Social Media

Geneapalooza
http://geneapalooza.blogspot.com
A genealogy comic strip announced every Monday/Wednesday/Friday - one panel at a time!

Video: Young Vancouver historian studies Canada’s residential schools
http://www.vancouversun.com/news/world/Video+Young+Vancouver+historian+studies+Canada+residential+schools/9974464/story.html#ixzz35kAt2EhP
Vancouver Grade 7 student Ava Weinstein-Wright has produced a video “explaining the evolution and lasting effects of the residential school system". This will make her one of six students chosen by Canada’s History Society to attend this year’s Governor General’s Awards.

The Newman Family in Elgin County Ontario Canada - Part 1 - John Newman and Jane Poulter http://elgincountyogs.blogspot.com/2014/06/the-newman-family-in-elgin-county.html
They have many parts to this story of the Newman a nd Poulter family. 

Newspaper Articles

Newfoundland and Labrador

The Cupids Legacy Centre has mounted a Hooked Rug Display of Newfoundland Stamps, 1857-1949.

http://www.cbncompass.ca/Columnists/Burton-K.-Janes/2014-06-23/article-3773740/Rug-hookers-display-wares-in-Cupids/1

This exhibition by the Rug Hooking Guild of Newfoundland and Labrador, started on June 8 and runs until July 31. The exhibition is about commemorating Newfoundland’s postage stamps in hooked rugs. 

RANL art project unveiled in Burin

http://www.southerngazette.ca/News/Local/2014-06-23/article-3773779/RANL-art-project-unveiled-in-Burin/1 

The Realist Artists of Newfoundland and Labrador’s (RANL) has a ew exhibit of paintings on the history of Burin at the Burin Exhibition Hall, formerly St. Patrick’s School in Burin, Newfoundland. 

Carbonear artist Michelle Penney-Rowe sees a lot of potential when she looks around Carbonear and the surrounding area. 

http://www.thetelegram.com/News/Local/2014-06-23/article-3773609/Carbonear-artist-recreates-history/1

Artist Michelle Penney-Rowe, from Carbonear, finds that there is no shortage of subjects waiting to be put to canvas.

Nova Scotia

Saint Mary's demolishes historic Halifax Infants' Home building Heritage Trust of Nova Scotia unhappy about university tearing down 115-year-old building

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/saint-mary-s-demolishes-historic-halifax-infants-home-building-1.2690093 

The home, built in 1899 for single women and their children, was bought by the university in 1998 from the Salvation Army, and used for classroom space until last fall.

Nova Scotia Week kicks off July 3rd at PEI 2014 Celebration Zone
http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/2006419#ixzz35ZVggTjx 

The province of PEI will host the province of Nova Scotia, a partner of the PEI 2014 celebrations, during Nova Scotia Week, July 2nd to 6th. The performing arts community will be showcased throughout the week at the free, family-friendly Celebration Zone, and will include performances by fiddling sensation, Natalie MacMaster, and Cape Breton’s own, The Barra MacNeils, on July 4th.

Nova Scotia joy ride: Exploring the best of the Northumberland coast
http://www.commdiginews.com/travel/nova-scotia-joy-ride-exploring-the-best-of-the-northumberland-coast-20115/#0j260kYfXx2EBdG9.99 

Besides the story, there are beautiful photos here to see and admire.

Living history on the high seas
http://www.dal.ca/news/2014/06/26/living-history-on-the-high-seas.html
Hillary MacKinlay is completing her BA Honours in history at Dalhousie University, and is spending April until October guiding visitors through the exhibits at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic as a historical interpreter.

February holiday dubbed Nova Scotia Heritage Day. New holiday starts in 2015 in honour of Viola Desmond
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/february-holiday-dubbed-nova-scotia-heritage-day-1.2688258
The province's newest holiday, to be celebrated on the third Monday in February, will be known as Nova Scotia Heritage Day.

New Brunswick

Renewed cultural policy unveiled 

http://www.sackvilletribunepost.com/Community/2014-06-23/article-3773295/Renewed-cultural-policy-unveiled/1

The document, Creative Futures: a renewal Cultural Policy for New Brunswick, highlights new investments in cultural and heritage programs supported by the province. 

Quebec

Soggy weather for St. Jean parade 

http://www.montrealgazette.com/life/Soggy+weather+Jean+parade/9970748/story.html

The rain did little to dampen the enthusiasm of spectators who gathered along Montreal streets to watch the annual parade in celebration of Quebec’s 180th Fête nationale. It is supposed to rain, with thunderstorms, in Ottawa tomorrow as we celebrate the country’s 147th birthday. 

Ontario

Hysterical history launches Globus summer season 

http://www.mykawartha.com/news-story/4592490-hysterical-history-launches-globus-summer-season
Theatre at Lakeview Arts Barn kicks off with tongue-in-cheek jaunt through 50,000 years of evolution with The Canada Show.

Vintage Chinese press holds Canadian history
http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/vintage-chinese-press-holds-canadian-history 

Toronto’s Shing Wah Daily News lives on in an Ottawa museum in the form of an old printing press. It printed the paper from 1930 to 1978. It is now stored at the Canada Science and Technology Museum.

Canadians honoured for WW II rescue of Italian boy Gino Farnetti-Bragaglia, now 76, was cared for by members of Royal Canadian Army Service Corps 

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/canadians-honoured-for-ww-ii-rescue-of-italian-boy-1.2684039 

Gino Farnetti-Bragaglia travelled all the way from his native Italy to honour a group of Canadian soldiers who saved his life when he was just five years old. 

Manitoba

Visitor centre at The Forks set for major facelift 

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/visitor-centre-at-the-forks-set-for-major-facelift-1.2688640
Construction will begin this summer, with the new visitor centre slated to open in spring 2015.

Manitoba’s rich rowing history on display

http://globalnews.ca/news/1414119/manitobas-rich-rowing-history-on-display
The Manitoba Sports Hall Of Fame is paying tribute with the new “Rhapsody On The River” rowing exhibit 

Saskatchewan

No news stories this week  

Alberta

Museum construction on budget and on schedule, Alberta culture minister reports

http://www.edmontonjournal.com/Museum+construction+budget+schedule+Alberta+culture+minister+reports/9967950/story.html
The $340-million Royal Alberta Museum is under construction north of Edmonton’s City Hall, near 100 Street and 104 Avenue. It is expected to be complete by late 2017.

British Columbia

Port Moody WW I soldier honoured with living history event 

http://www.edmontonjournal.com/Museum+construction+budget+schedule+Alberta+culture+minister+reports/9967950/story.html

The McKnight Trench living history experience is taking place this week, and over the weekend through Canada Day, on the museum's grounds off Murray Street in Port Moody. 

Story of the Week

Tomorrow is Canada Day! 

Get ready to celebrate Canada's 147th birthday tomorrow!

And don’t forget to check out my blog tomorrow because I will have my annual Brick Wall Contest in celebration of Canada Day! 

The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation has Canada Day celebrations on their website entitled, A guide to CBC's July 1, with special event coverage at http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/canada-day-on-cbc-1.2688677 

Have a great day!

Reminder: Check the Canadian Week in Review next Monday for the latest in Genealogy, Heritage, and History news in Canada. It’s the ONLY news blog of its kind in country!

The next post will be on July 7, 2014.

Canadian Week in Review

Check the Canadian Week in Review tomorrow morning for the latest in Genealogy, Heritage, and History news in Canada. 

It has the latest news covered in New/Updated Websites, History, Social Media, and Newspaper Articles.

It’s the ONLY news blog of its kind in country! 

It has been a regular post every Monday morning since April 23, 2012.

Annual Accrual of Historical Vital Statistics Now Available

My father (Harold Arthur Barclay) and myself (Elizabeth Anne Barclay) in the Public Gardens in Halifax, Nova Scotia. It was a favorite place to go on Sunday afternoons. 

I have been reminded by one of my readers that the Nova Scotia Archives has put on an additional 25,589 historical vital statistics on www.novascotiagenealogy.com! 

These records were released on 31 December 2013 and since then have been digitized, fully indexed, and checked for quality control. This year's accruals include 14,974 births (1913), 4,233 marriages (1938), and 6,382 deaths (1963). As usual, the birth records include some 'delayed' entries for individuals born in 1913 (or earlier) but not registered until a later date.

My surnames of interest are -

BARCLAY - Shelburne County and Yarmouth County  

BLADES - Shelburne County and Yarmouth County 

WEBSTER - Kings County

FREE - Virtual Bloggers Conference

This weekend there is the Virtual Bloggers Conference, where there are scheduled keynote speakers who will talk about such things as –

Hootsuite and Evernote 

The State of Google Plus Hangouts 

Using Instagram Effectively 

Anyone can choose to attend and view the streaming event on Google+ or YouTube. If you miss a session, you can always go back and catch the replay.

There are 11 events today and tomorrow, and the conference is completely virtual - completely FREE! 

Go to http://www.askchefdennis.com/2014/06/2014-second-annual-virtual-bloggers-conference-google-plus

Ledgers of CEF Officers Transferring to Royal Flying Corps, 1915-1919

Credit: Lecture on rigging, School of Aviation, Royal Flying Corps Canada, University of Toronto

Acestry.ca says the following - 

“Canada did not have its own air force until late in the First World War, but 22,000 men from the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) were welcomed into the growing British Royal Air Force, which was formerly known as the Royal Flying Corps. 

The British Air Ministry maintained these ledgers of CEF members who transferred to the Royal Air Force. The records were later transferred to the Department of National Defence.

The records include name, address, date of birth, next of kin, the officer’s movements from unit to unit, appointments and promotions, decorations and honours, medical information, and civilian employment. Dates and notations on the ledger pages indicate records were filled out between 1918 and 1919. The activities and movements recorded in the ledgers took place between 1915 and 1919”. 

To get more information, you can go to the Ancestry.ca site at http://search.ancestry.ca/search/db.aspx?dbid=9148 

To get more information on the Royal Flying Corps Canada 

at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Flying_Corps_Canada 

Toronto in Time

Toronto In Time is a free mobile app created by the Historica-Dominion Institute/The Canadian Encyclopedia for iOS and Android that highlights the history of Toronto through "then and now" photos, slideshows, trails, and historical stories for more than 150 sites!

You can check out the Toronto In Time on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/TorontoInTime and it in on the website http://citiesintime.ca/toronto

And there is also a Vancouver In Time app at https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/vancouver-in-time/id480547811?mt=8

These apps are free!

FLASH: Ancestry.ca offer Free Access

Free access to all 235 million Canadian records until Canada Day on July the 1st .

On the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/Ancestry.ca they are asking “What key stories have you found researching your family history”?