Canadian Week in Review - 01 December 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.

History

1837 - Rebellion in Upper Canada breaks out as Mackenzie's Rebels march on Toronto
   To read more, go to http://canadachannel.ca/HCO/index.php/3._Rebellion_Events_in_Upper_Canada#Doctor_John_Rolph_Takes_Charge

1775 - December 5 - American Revolutionary War - Richard Montgomery begins American siege of Québec with aid of Benedict Arnold; will try to capture fortress before onset of winter. Québec, Québec.
   For more information on the Invasion of Canada (1775), go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invasion_of_Canada_(1775)

1890 - December 5 - Weightlifting - Québec strongman Louis Cyr lifts 534 lbs with one finger; working with the P.T. Barnum circus. USA
   For more information, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Cyr

Social Media

(Pinterest) Nova Scotia and her ships - keepers of the Great Atlantic!   http://www.pinterest.com/yournovascotia/nova-scotia-and-her-ships-keepers-of-the-great-atl/

(Pinterest) Nova Scotia
http://www.pinterest.com/Glasgowrose/nova-scotia/
   Pins about Nova Scotia hand-picked by Pinner Dianne Snider.

Genealogy Ensemble
http://genealogyensemble.com
   A group of people get together in Montreal meet on a regular basis to discuss their genealogy, and now they have a blog. They say "Our ancestors came from Canada, the British Isles, France, Scandinavia, the United States, Italy, and many other countries."

Articles

Nova Scotia

'It’s beyond shocking': Historic church in Nova Scotia destroyed by massive fire
http://metronews.ca/news/halifax/1226425/historic-church-in-nova-scotia-destroyed-by-massive-fire/
   The historic St. Mary’s Polish Parish is gone after a blaze gutted the Sydney-area place of worship on Saturday afternoon.

Quebec

Denis Lebel confirms new span will keep Champlain Bridge name
http://montrealgazette.com/news/quebec/denis-lebel-confirms-new-span-will-keep-champlain-bridge-name
   The name of the new bridge will be the same as the old bridge is called now - the Champlain Bridge.

Ontario

Royal Canadian Mint's $5 coin features work of Cree artist Tim Whiskeychan
http://www.cbc.ca/news/aboriginal/royal-canadian-mint-s-5-coin-features-work-of-cree-artist-tim-whiskeychan-1.2849715
   Limited edition collector coin depicts traditional Cree goose hunt.

History to come alive in a fun, thought-provoking way during Macdonald Week
http://www.kingstonregion.com/news-story/5159612-history-to-come-alive-in-a-fun-thought-provoking-way-during-macdonald-week/
   The events of Macdonald Week—which will be held from January 6 to the 11th, and is timed to mark the first prime minister’s 200th birthday on 11 January. 11—are intended to kick off an entire year of events in Kingston, Ontario.

British Columbia

Pioneers tell tales of B.C.’s history
http://www.theprovince.com/entertainment/books/Pioneers+tell+tales+history/10424018/story.html
   Old-timers provide insight into the past, based on radio journalist Imbert Orchard's interviews—totalling 2,700 hours' worth, taped from 1959 to 1966—with some of British Columbia’s most inspiring pioneers. 

Story of the Week

There have been snippets of genealogy news this week in Canada.

The Ontario Genealogical Society (OGS) has now made available the index to Families, the journal of the Society, at http://www.ogs.on.ca/families.php. However, a membership to the OGS is still required to view the full articles.
   Note that I am the current editor of Families.

The Manitoba Genealogical Society (MGS) is planning a possible Group Trip to Salt Lake City from May 17th to the 24th 2015.
   Send an email to jparadis@mts.net if you are interested, or if you have any questions.
    Their website is http://www.mbgenealogy.com.

The Alberta Genealogical Society (AGS) has a new website at http://www.abgenealogy.ca/.
   It is much cleaner than the former site, and is very professionally done. Great job!

I hear that the Genealogical Association of Nova Scotia (GANS) is all settled in their new headquarters, and they held an open house this past Saturday to celebrate their new facility.
   Their website is http://www.novascotiaancestors.ca/.

The Quebec Family History Society (QFHS) is well into their 2014/15 season, with an upcoming meeting on Saturday, 13 December at 10:30 a.m. at the Briarwood Presbyterian Church Hall, 70 Beaconsfield Boulevard in Beaconsfield.
   The topic will be "Death of 6000 Irish Men, Women and Children", and the speaker will be Fergus Keyes, a Director of the Montreal Irish Monument Park Foundation.
   And don't forget, they are planning a convention in 2015. So stay tuned for details.
   Their website is http://www.qfhs.ca/.

The Surname Society, a new surname study group, has started international operations, and the Society has two Canadians on its board - Ottawa's own Elizabeth Kipp, their Newsletter Editor, and Linda Hauley, their Treasurer from the Toronto area.
   Their new website is at http://surname-society.org.
   I know Elizabeth and Linda, both personally and professionally, and offer them my most heartfelt congratulations on their new positions!

And that has been this week in Canadian genealogy.

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 08 December 2014.

Canadian Week in Review - 24 November 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.
 

History

 

On 18 November 1883, the first operation of Standard Time in North America began at midnight in eastern Nova Scotia. Scottish-born Sir Sandford Fleming played a major role in introducing the concept around the world.

   To further read about Sir Sandford, go to http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/sir-sandford-fleming/

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On 18 November 1929, an earthquake in Cape Breton sent a 15-metre tidal wave onto Newfoundland's Burin Peninsula. The wall of water killed 28 people (27 then, and one years later) and did $20 million (2004 dollars) in damage and loss.
   For more, see http://www.earthquakescanada.nrcan.gc.ca/historic-historique/events/19291118-eng.php

   Be sure to read "Not Too Long Ago...Seniors Tell Their Stories" at the bottom of the page http://en.copian.ca/library/learning/ntla/ntla.pdf.
 

Social Media

 

(Photos) Stone cottage built in the 1700s is a testimony to Quebec's history
http://montrealgazette.com/life/homes/stone-cottage-built-in-the-1700s-is-a-testimony-to-quebecs-history
   This south-facing, small stone cottage on Gouin Boulevard in Ahuntsic-Cartierville speaks volumes about the quality of ingenuity of old construction methods.

(Video) From the CBC archives: Nonsuch arrives in Winnipeg in 1973
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/from-the-cbc-archives-nonsuch-arrives-in-winnipeg-in-1973-1.2841284
   Nov. 19, 1973, a truck transported the replica to its permanent home: a museum gallery that was being built for the two-masted ketch. The museum would receive the Nonsuch, a replica of the 17th-century British ship that led to the creation of the Hudson's Bay Company and the opening of western Canada to commerce.

Nova Scotia
 
HISTORY: An old Kings County militia badge
http://www.novanewsnow.com/Opinion/Columnists/2014-11-20/article-3944074/HISTORY%3A-An-old-Kings-County-militia-badge/1
   A rare Nova Scotia volunteer militia badge that may have been worn by farmer soldiers in Kings County over 150 years ago.

Local recipients receive culture and heritage art awards
http://www.trurodaily.com/News/Local/2014-11-21/article-3948003/Local-recipients-receive-culture-and-heritage-art-awards/1
   The ninth annual Creative Nova Scotia Awards were presented during a special ceremony at the Seaport Market in Halifax on Thursday. The event, with the theme ART is Everywhere!, was organized by the Creative Nova Scotia Leadership Council and Arts Nova Scotia.

Hundreds gather in Purlbrook to see off Nova Scotia tree for Boston
http://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/hundreds-gather-in-purlbrook-to-see-off-nova-scotia-tree-for-boston-1.2105604#ixzz3JRnb0amg
   Hundreds of students and community members gathered in Antigonish County Monday morning as Nova Scotia’s tree for Boston was cut down and wrapped before starting its journey across the border.
   John and Ethel Ann MacPherson of Purlbrook, N.S. are donating their 55-year-old, 13-metre white spruce to Boston this year.

Ontario
War declared by telegram in 1914
http://www.ingersolltimes.com/2014/11/21/war-declared-by-telegram-in-1914
    Oxford Remembers Oxford's Own – a series of 100 events planned throughout Oxford County between 2014 and 2018 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the First World War.

Charlie Chaplin – A Canadian Sidebar in History
http://www.netnewsledger.com/2014/11/20/charlie-chaplin-a-canadian-sidebar-in-history/
   A sidebar in history about Charlie Chaplin’s earliest North American tours with Fred Karno’s Travelling Show in Canada venturing all the way to British Columbia is an alluring time. An interesting story.

Coteau visited Sheffield Park Black History and Cultural Museum in Clarksburg
http://www.theenterprisebulletin.com/2014/11/17/coteau-visited-sheffield-park-black-history-and-cultural-museum-in-clarksburg
   On 13 November, Carolynn Wilson, director of the Sheffield Park Black History and Cultural Museum in Clarksburg, had the chance to show Ontario’s Minister of Culture Michael Coteau around her extensive, lovingly-put-together museum documenting African-Canadian history of her family and other early black pioneers to Canada.

Canada Science and Tech Museum looking to lend out exhibits
http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/canada-science-and-tech-museum-looking-to-lend-out-exhibits
   The show must go on, and for the Canada Science and Technology Museum that means taking the show on the road.

Saskatchewan

City of Saskatoon wants more heritage properties
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatoon/city-of-saskatoon-wants-more-heritage-properties-1.2837349
   The Municipal Heritage Advisory Committee has started building a historic buildings registry, listing all of the historically important buildings in the province.

Alberta

Which Great Alberta Suffragette Are You?
http://blogs.edmontonjournal.com/2014/11/21/which-great-alberta-suffragette-are-you/
   Henrietta Muir Edwards, Roberta MacAdams, Nellie McClung, Louise McKinney, Emily Murphy, Irene Parlby.

Simons: Financial woes halt construction of Ukrainian museum
http://www.edmontonjournal.com/Simons+Financial+woes+halt+construction+Ukrainian+museum/10403819/story.html
    The Ukrainian Canadian Museum and Archives of Alberta was supposed to rejuvenate two of Jasper Avenue’s most important Edwardian buildings, kick-start the redevelopment of The Quarters, and provide a marvellous place to preserve and celebrate Alberta’s rich Ukrainian heritage.
   But now, two years after construction began, the museum, which was supposed to open this spring, is in trouble.

British Columbia

Winners Announced for BC's Best Building Contest
http://www.kelownanow.com/news/bc_news/news/Provincial/14/11/17/Winners_Announced_for_BC_s_Best_Building_Contest
   The contest, by the Architecture Foundation of British Columbia marked 100 years of architecture as a profession in BC. More than 450 nominations from around the world were received and the judges have decided on the winners.

B.C. thanks veterans with 50,000 licence plates in 10 years
http://thenelsondaily.com/news/bc-thanks-veterans-50000-licence-plates-10-years-34518#.VGuc1sVdU8A
   The Province is celebrating a decade of commemorative licence plates honouring Canadian veterans in British Columbia. Since the program launched in 2004 on the 60th anniversary of D-Day, more than 50,000 veterans have been recognized with the licence plates.

Story of the Week

 Memorial to Holodomor Victims in Kiev, Ukraine

 81st Anniversary of the Holodomor

The Holodomor, meaning "death by hunger" in Ukrainian, refers to the great man-made famine of 1932-33 that wiped out millions of Ukrainians. It was recognized by the Canadian government in 2008, when millions of people starved to death.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper issued the following statement commemorating the 81st anniversary of the Holodomor:

"Today is Holodomor Memorial Day, a somber occasion when people around the world remember the forced starvation of millions of Ukrainian men, women and children in 1932 and 1933 by Joseph Stalin’s tyrannical communist regime."

An estimated three to 3.5 million people died of starvation that year, and the famine was caused by agricultural embargoes and economic blockades in Soviet Ukraine that literally starved people to death.

Last year, on the 80th anniversary of the Holodomar, eighty stories were collected from the people who survived the famine, and they are shared on the Share the Story website at http://www.sharethestory.ca/index.html

The Facebook page is https://www.facebook.com/pages/Share-the-Story/1404429459770523

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 01 December 2014.

LAC Update: Digitization of First World War Service Files

As of today, 78,914 of 640,000 files are available online at their Soldiers of the First World War.

You can go to http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/military-heritage/first-world-war/first-world-war-1914-1918-cef/Pages/canadian-expeditionary-force.aspx to see if your ancestor is there.

Canadian Week in Review - 17 November 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.

History

11 November 1813 -  The Americans were defeated at Crysler’s Farm in the War of 1812.

For further reading, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Crysler's_Farm

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11 November 1872 - The Intercolonial Railway was completed between Halifax, Nova Scotia and Saint John, New Brunswick.

For further reading, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intercolonial_Railway

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12 November 1856 – The Grand Trunk Railway was opened from Quebec City, Quebec to Toronto, Ontario.

For further reading, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Trunk_Railway 

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16 November 1885 - Louis Riel was hanged after the Northwest Rebellion.

For further reading, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Riel

Social Media

(Photos) They served so that men could fly

http://www.muskokaregion.com/community-story/4978857-they-served-so-that-men-could-fly/

   “You never hear about these women. It’s a chunk of history that’s just not there,” said local author Glad Bryce. “They were trailblazers. They showed what women could do.”

Newfoundland

Danny Williams hopes documentary teaches people about province

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/danny-williams-hopes-documentary-teaches-people-about-province-1.2828813

   A new documentary from the National Film Board of Canada looks back on former premier Danny Williams and his political career, and will be shown on 10 screens across Newfoundland and Labrador next week.

Nova Scotia

ED COLEMAN HISTORY: A school arithmetic book from 1840 

http://www.novanewsnow.com/Opinion/Columnists/2014-11-09/article-3931513/History%3A-A-school-arithmetic-book-from-1840/1

   Documents relating to school exercise books used here in the 1840s. The books were recently donated to the museum.

Black Loyalist Heritage Society president receives honorary degree

http://www.novanewsnow.com/News/Local/2014-11-10/article-3935173/Black-Loyalist-Heritage-Society-president-receives-honorary-degree/1

   Elizabeth Cromwell, president and founder of the Black Loyalist Heritage Society, was presented with an honourary degree from Mount Saint Vincent University on November 2nd for her work with preserving the black history and culture of Nova Scotia.

Ontario

The White Hurricane: The worst storm in Great Lakes history

http://www.theweathernetwork.com/news/articles/-worst-storm-in-great-lakes-history-101-years-ago-this-weekend/15815/

   Over 250 lives lost. At least 12 ships sunk. Thirty other ships crippled. The worst natural disaster in Great Lakes history.

Ontario's WWII PoW camp casualty of neglect

http://www.sunnewsnetwork.ca/sunnews/straighttalk/archives/2014/11/20141110-074418.html

   The Second World War was fought on many far-flung fronts, but one is much closer than you'd think, and that is PoW Camp 30 in Ontario.

Manitoba

Remembering Canada’s veterans

http://www.manitobacooperator.ca/2014/11/10/remembering-canadas-veterans/

   Remembering Our Veterans is a limited-edition book to be published this fall. The brainchild of Beverley Anderson of MacGregor, it is a compilation of material she has collected, with the help of other members of an ad hoc group from the local area.

Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan newspapers printed during WWI now online

http://cjme.com/story/sask-newspapers-printed-during-wwi-now-online/448477

   When Saskatchewan soldiers went off to fight in the First World War, their stories and the reactions at home were reported in newspapers across the province. Now, everyone can read those headlines online. Newspaper were written in English, German, French, and Ukrainian.

Alberta

Counting the rings on your family tree

http://www.stonyplainreporter.com/2014/11/14/counting-the-rings-on-your-family-tree

   Clarissa Giese and Annemarie Sarango have done this every spring and fall, both on their own, and with the help of a genealogy program offered at the Multicultural Heritage Centre.

British Columbia

Stanley Park's secret military history

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/stanley-park-s-forgotten-military-history-1.2830524

   Stanley Park may seem like a quiet place among the trees to many Vancouverites, but the large park also has a storied military history.

What’s in a name? Time to move beyond “British”

http://www.vancouverobserver.com/politics/commentary/what-s-name-time-move-beyond-british

   The discussion revolved around the question of whether it is time to consider a new name for British Columbia, and if so, what could that be?

Story of the Week

Is the long-form census form on its way back?

The long-form census form was stopped in June of 2010 , and was replaced by the National Household Survey (NHS), which is a voluntary survey, and has been the focus of much controversy since then.

The NHS was intended to be sent to about 4.5 million households. Remember when then-Industry Minister Tony Clement said that the change had been made because of privacy-related complaints, but when asked about this, he said that the decision had been made after consulting organizations and governments that worked closely with Statistics Canada.

In 2013, criticism reared its head again with the National Household Survey when the first set of results were released from the survey.

And this is when Liberal MP Ted Hsu stepped in and introduced a private member's bill, “Bill-626, An Act to amend the Statistics Act”, with the intention appointing a Chief Statistician and reinstatement of the long-form census in Canada.

So this is where it stands right at the moment.

On Saturday evening, I received an email from Mike More, former chair of the Ottawa Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society, and former vice-president of the Ontario Genealogical Society, who said that fellow Ottawa blogger, John D. Reid, on his Anglo- Celtic Connections blog, has a piece on the private member's bill http://anglo-celtic-connections.blogspot.com/2014/11/bring-back-mandatory-long-form-census.html, and was asking members of the genealogical community for their support.

The blog says -

“Ted Hsu, Member of Parliament for Kingston and the Islands has a new private member's bill to bring back the mandatory long-form census. Debate on this bill began last week in Parliament. Your help is sought to build momentum leading up to the vote expected in February.

Debate on this bill began last week in Parliament. Your help is sought to build momentum leading up to the vote expected in February.

The government replaced the 2011 long-form census with a voluntary National Household Survey (NHS). Unsurprisingly, the NHS data is of poor quality and can't be compared with previous census data. Experts who rely on this data, and the continuity of these data sets, call the NHS data worthless.

Bill C-626 is a private member's bill that will reinstate the mandatory long-form census and expand the authority of the Chief Statistician.

Throughout this debate, and leading up to the eventual vote on Bill C-626, you are asked to please:

1) Write or speak to your MP to encourage them to support the bill and reinstate the mandatory long-form census

2) Write a letter or op-ed for your local paper explaining the value of the census and the need to pass Bill C-626

3) Share this information with your friends, family and colleagues

It's not too late to fight for the census! If you wish to contact MP Ted Hsu, please email ted.hsu@parl.gc.ca.”

If you would like to keep informed about the bill as it makes its way through committees, go to http://openparliament.ca/bills/41-2/C-626/?tab=mentions

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 24 November 2014.

FamilySearch Update: Nova Scotia Probate Records (1760-1993).

The FamilySearch site has added more records to their Nova Scotia Probate Records (1760-1993). 

This site includes “records of probate proceedings from Nova Scotia. The records include estate files, inventories, wills, administrations and other records related to probate. Most of the records are dated from 1800-1940, but coverage varies by area.” 

They have the counties of Annapolis, Antigonish, Barrington District, Cape Breton, Colchester, Cumberland, Guysborough District, Hants, and Inverness. 

You can search the records at https://familysearch.org/search/image/index#uri=https://familysearch.org/recapi/sord/collection/2134302/waypoints 

I just briefly looked at the records on the Barrington Distract area since I have family there (the descendants of Henry Blades), and found that the records are of faint quality, but with patience and years of reading these type of records, I was able to pick out probates of interest. 

So give it a try. Remember that they are not indexed, so you will have to skim through them until you find the desired record.

Norfolk County Branch of the OGS Moves to Inactive Status

Alan Campbell, the president of the Ontario Genealogical Society (OGS), wishes to let everybody know that the Norfolk Genealogical Society has transferred all of its work that it has done on local records will "remain in the community via the loan of the Branch Library collection to a local repository. " 

Campbell goes on to say that "Although this is a sad occasion, I must celebrate the numerous volunteer hours put in by Norfolk County Branch volunteers which have resulted in this permanent legacy for present and future researchers. Also, consider the number of hours Norfolk County Branch volunteers must have spent in helping local and distance researchers with their family history research. Thank you Norfolk County Branch volunteers!"

You can still visit their two websites - 

Old website http://www.ogs.on.ca/norfolk/norfolk/index.htm 

New Website http://www.ogs.on.ca/norfolk/?page_id=42 

Their Charlotteville, Houghton, Middleton, Townsend, North Walsingham, South Walsinsham, and Windham Township publications are still on the website under the heading of Published Resources. 

Apparently, they will be available from the provincial office of the OGS at www.ogs.on.ca/

Canadian War Museum to webcast the illumination in Memorial Hall

For the fourth year in a row, the Canadian War Museum is webcasting the illumination of the headstone representing Canada's Unknown Soldier. 

To view the illumination, go to http://www.warmuseum.ca/remember#webcast

While you are at the site, listen to Tim Cook, Canadian War Museum historian, talk about the lasting impact of the First World War on Canada.

CBC will live broadcast the event from the National War Memorial in Ottawa.

Their website is http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/remembrance-day-livestream-watch-listen-on-cbc-1.1143482

Canadian Week in Review - 10 November 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.

Social Media

(Blog) 120th birthday of William George Barker, Canadian flying ace and Victoria Cross recipient

http://thediscoverblog.com/2014/11/06/120th-birthday-of-william-george-barker-canadian-flying-ace-and-victoria-cross-recipient/

   November 3rd marked the 120th anniversary of the birth of William George Barker, Canadian First World War flying ace and Victoria Cross recipient.

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(Photos) From trenches and beyond: Six books illuminate Canadian military history

http://www.therecord.com/whatson-story/4958313-from-trenches-and-beyond/

   Six books have been released by Canadian authors detailing Canada’s role in military conflicts from the War of 1812 to the First World War.
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(Video) WATCH: Former Canadian senator donates piece of WWI history to Okanagan Military Museum

http://globalnews.ca/news/1659913/former-canadian-senator-donates-piece-of-wwi-history-to-okanagan-war-museum/

   It was a momentous day for the Okanagan Military Museum Thursday as they welcomed a new piece of history into their collection.

   Just days before Remembrance Day, Senator Ross Fitzpatrick and his family donated a set of World War I medals to the museum.

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(Photos) Letters from First World War soldiers posted online through U of M project

http://winnipeg.ctvnews.ca/letters-from-first-world-war-soldiers-posted-online-through-u-of-m-project-1.2090709#ixzz3IWAzsuqw

   One Manitoba soldier named Fred Baragar was particularly prolific in his writing. He had studied English at the University of Manitoba, and wrote hundreds and hundreds of pages to home, most addressed “from the somewhere.”

Newfoundland

Author traces Newfoundland regiment's path 100 years later

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/entertainment/books/brave-boys-282012601.html

   Michael Winter takes us along the winding path the men of the Newfoundland Regiment followed during the First World War. Winter's book, Into the Blizzard: Walking with the Newfoundland Dead, is part history, part travelogue, and part author's musings on how our modern minds contemplate the past.

Quebec

Half of Canadians learned 'a lot' about WW2 in high school: poll 

http://www.sunnewsnetwork.ca/sunnews/canada/archives/2014/11/20141107-165412.html

   The results of the Leger survey contradict longstanding concerns that we've largely forgotten our military history.

Ontario

Conservatives support NDP bill to make Remembrance Day a national holiday

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/politics/conservatives-support-ndp-bill-to-make-remembrance-day-a-national-holiday

   The Conservative government is throwing its support behind an NDP private member’s bill that would make Remembrance Day a national statutory holiday, as Canadians mourn the death of two Canadian soldiers killed in separate attacks on home soil.

Fighting in Flanders - Gas. Mud. Memory: New exhibition explores Canadian experience in Belgium during First World War

http://www.newswire.ca/en/story/1441517/fighting-in-flanders-gas-mud-memory-new-exhibition-explores-canadian-experience-in-belgium-during-first-world-war

   This exhibition examines the challenges Canadian soldiers encountered while serving in the last region of Belgium still in Allied hands. It also delves into the memories that remain and highlights the iconic poem In Flanders Fields.

Untold 'story of ‘bravery': Heritage Minute chronicles Winnipeg Falcons, torn apart by WWI and reunited in pursuit of Olympic gold 

http://sports.nationalpost.com/2014/11/07/untold-story-of-bravery-heritage-minute-chronicles-winnipeg-falcons-torn-apart-by-wwi-and-reunited-in-pursuit-of-olympic-gold/ 

   Heritage Minute has created more than 70 short films on moments and characters taken from history. Many vignettes have become ingrained in memory — either from their content or from the frequency with which they run on Canadian television — and have emerged as a sort of national history teacher.

Honouring heroes with a history 

http://www.recorder.ca/2014/11/07/honouring-heroes-with-a-history 

   The Montreal native and Brockville resident has a basement full of books and other information, scores of photographs and other memorabilia, documenting the Second World War and Korean War. 

   He is currently assisting in providing information for a revised history for his Second World War regiment, the Royal Regiment of Canada.

The Alton Mill’s contribution to Canada's efforts during the Second World War 

http://www.orangeville.com/news-story/4966112-the-alton-mill-s-contribution-to-canada-s-efforts-during-the-second-world-war/ 

   During the Second World War, Canada contributed nearly $10 billion in manufactured goods towards the Allied effort.

It’s really a hometown story': John McCrae honoured in Guelph 

http://globalnews.ca/news/1654689/john-mccrae-to-be-honoured-in-guelph-ahead-of-remembrance-day/ 

   Every year on Nov. 11, Lt. Col. John McCrae’s poem “In Flanders Fields” is recited as Canadians remember those lost in the line of duty and honour those who continue to serve. 

   The poem continues to resonate in Canada and Britain on Remembrance Day. On Thursday, a ceremony took place to honour McCrae in his hometown of Guelph, Ontario.

Manitoba

Manitoba soldier’s remains identified 96 years after WWI death

http://www.sunnewsnetwork.ca/sunnews/canada/archives/2014/11/20141105-124619.html

   Private Sidney Halliday, who lived on a farm near Minto, Manitoba before shipping off, has been identified as one of the soldiers whose remains were found in Hallu, France, in 2006.

Saskatchewan

Saskatoon to unveil war memorial honouring WWI soldiers 

http://metronews.ca/news/saskatoon/1205458/saskatoon-to-unveil-war-memorial-honouring-wwi-soldiers/

   On Thursday at the City Archives, Saskatoon Mayor Donald Atchison will be unveiling a World War Book of Remembrance that documents every solider from Saskatoon and student at the University of Saskatchewan who enlisted and died while engaged in combat from 1914 to 1918.

Alberta

Flags of Remembrance fly in central Alberta 

http://www.albertafarmexpress.ca/2014/11/07/flags-of-remembrance-fly-in-central-alberta/ 

   In the brisk October air of early morning on a dark highway in central Alberta, a quiet group of men and women stood sentinel alongside 116 Canadian flags waving in the breeze in remembrance of 116,000 Canadian war dead from 1900 to 2014.

11 Days of Remembrance: A salute to the history of salutes 

http://medicinehatnews.com/news/local-news/2014/11/06/a-salute-to-the-history-of-salutes/ 

   Showing the public your palm in a salute goes all the way back to knights.

   “It started with knights raising their visor and saying ‘I have no weapons in my hand’,” said Capt. (retired) Jason Watt, South Alberta Light Horse regiment.

11 Days of Remembrance: Citizens of Burdett fought hard in First World War

http://medicinehatnews.com/news/local-news/2014/10/31/citizens-of-burdett-fought-hard-in-first-world-war

   When the call came to fight for King and Country, small rural communities in Alberta were on side, perhaps accounting for proportionately more soldiers than larger towns and cities, because of their close ties to Britain, says a historian.

Story of the Week

The Archives of Ontario is offering a New WWI Speakers Series

The first speaker, Jane E. MacNamara from the Ontario Genealogical Society (OGS), will talk about Inheritance Interrupted: WWI reflected in Ontario Estate Files. The date of her talk will be Thursday, November 13, 2014.

The Great War cut short many lives and disrupted the expected passing of property and goods to the next generation. Laws were changed, society changed, the world changed. Drawing from estate files from across the province; this presentation will show examples of these changes and demonstrate how reading between the lines and understanding the process and implications of inheritance records can enhance family and local history—in any era.

The second speaker will be Stewart Boden, Outreach Officer & Exhibit Curator, Archives of Ontario, and the title of the talk will be Curating Dear Sadie: Love, Lives and Remembrance from Ontario’s First World War, from the current AO's onsite exhibit of the same name, which he researched and curated.

 The date of the talk will be Thursday, February 5, 2015, 6:30 pm - 7:45 pm.

Through Stewart’s presentation, the audience will hear about challenges that came from researching the Archives records, and taking different paths while curating the exhibit.

The series will be held in the George Spragge Classroom at the Archives of Ontario.

Admission is free, and a tour will be given of the new exhibit.

You can register online at http://www.archives.gov.on.ca/en/about/speaker_series.aspx

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 the country!

The next post will be on 17 November 2014.

Part I: The Canadian War Record Office

The Canadian Light Horse going into action at Vimy Ridge, April 1917

Reference Number: IKAN 3194785, 3624863

Credit: William Ivor Castle. Canada. Department of National Defence. Library and Archives Canada, PA-001111

The Library and Archives Canada recently sent out this press release, stating that its people have been busy cleaning up some famous photos taken of the First World War, for instance, the two most famous one photos that we all know as “Going over the Top” and the “29th Battalion advancing over No Man’s Land during the Battle of Vimy Ridge.”

“They have been made more accessible to Canadians by enhancing their descriptions through thematic organization in the online database. This has been part of a much larger project to organize and describe the entire Department of National Defence’s photograph collection at LAC to ensure that the records are accurate, complete and accessible to the public. When the war began in 1914, most photographers and journalists were ordered away from the front. The First Canadian Division entered the European war theatre the following year. Finally, in 1916, millionaire press baron Max Aitken was granted permission to start the Canadian War Records Office (CWRO) and it became Canada’s ‘eyewitness to war’ sending reports home from the front. Soon, these reports were also accompanied by photographs and paintings.”

To see LAC’s Flickr photo set entitled “Canada and the First World War”, go to https://www.flickr.com/photos/lac-bac/sets/72157622565188207/

FREE Access to Ancestry.ca and FindMyPast

Recently, Ancestry.ca took a survey, with the results showing that 36% of Canadians didn’t know if they had ancestors who fought in either the First or Second World War.

In an effort to help rectify this, from November 8 to 11, Ancestry is giving Canadians the chance to discover the military heroes in their family by providing free access to more than 3.6 million online military records at http://www.ancestry.ca/cs/ca/world-war-1?o_iid=63120&o_lid=63120&o_sch=Web+Property.

This year, Remembrance Day is especially poignant for those with ancestors who fought during the First World War, as 2014 marks the 100th Anniversary of the start of the conflict.

And if your Canadian ancestor was from Britain, which many were, FindMyPast is also offering free access to you this weekend.

“To commemorate Veterans weekend, from today until 7am on Monday (EST) our records are FREE to access. If you’ve already got a World subscription, we’ll credit your account with 3 extra days. 

There’s never been a better time to explore your family history and bring your past to life.”

The link is at www.findmypast.com/freeweekend

Postscript:  Wayne Macvicar from Cape Breton has written to say that he has just completed an update to his Cape Bretoners in World War One website at https://sites.google.com/site/cbinww1/.

“The site now includes enlistments to the end of 1915. It contains an additional 557 individuals for a total of 2732. The time between updates this time has been exceptionally long due to the increasing amount of information going online, in particular Library and Archives Canada, which I am trying to include in my database. Hopefully the next update will come much sooner. The website is still limited to a nominal roll and chronology but in time I hope to include as much detail as I can find on each individual. I invite everyone to have a look at my site and if they have any information they would like to share to fill out the form I have provided on my general Cape Bretoners at War site <https://sites.google.com/site/cbatwar/>.”

If you have additional information, you can write to Wayne at cbww2@seaside.ns.ca

Reminder: Each year, GenealogyCanada sponsors a contest, and this year in honour of the 100th anniversary of the First World War, the question is – Which province in Canada sent the largest number of men and women to fight in the First World War?

Send your answer to genealogyresearch@aol.com

Hint: You will find the answer in this week’s Canadian Week in Review post at http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2014/11/canadian-week-in-review-03-november-2014.html

I am offering the winner of the contest a detailed research consultation report on an ancestor who fought for Canada in the Great War, or who was involved in the war effort.

The winner will be announced November 12th.

OGS First World War Heritage Society

Credit: Library and Archives Canada, Acc. No. 1983-28-826

To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the start of the First World War, OGS has launched a new Heritage Society. The First World War Society is a lineage Society open to anyone who can show direct descent from a person who served in a documented capacity on the Allied side of the First World War.

To qualify for this Society, your research must show that your named ancestor(s) fits in the category above, and then show the line of descent from that ancestor(s) to you or the person you wish named on the certificate.

For more information and an application form, visit the Heritage Societies area on the OGS website http://www.ogs.on.ca/heritage_societies.php#WW1

And here is a heartwarming story —

It is how social media is being used so that Canadian flags can be placed on soldier’s graves in Italy.

Read about it at http://www.cbc.ca/newsblogs/yourcommunity/2014/11/social-media-helped-place-flags-on-canadian-soldiers-graves-in-italy.html

And they have a Facebook page called Flag from Home at

https://www.facebook.com/flagsfromhome?fref=photo

Reminder: Each year, GenealogyCanada sponsors a contest, and this year in honour of the 100th anniversary of the First World War, the question is – Which province in Canada sent the largest number of men and women to fight in the First World War?

Send your answer to genealogyresearch@aol.com

Hint: You will find the answer in this week’s Canadian Week in Review http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2014/11/canadian-week-in-review-03-november-2014.html

I am offering the winner of the contest a detailed research consultation report on an ancestor who fought for Canada in the Great War, or who was involved in the war effort.

The winner will be announced November 12th.

Canada - Strong, Proud and Free!

From November 5 to November 11th, and for the fourth year running, GenealogyCanada is showcasing Veterans’ Week.

It is an opportunity for all Canadians to recognize the contribution that our veterans have made, and to honour those who made the ultimate sacrifice on behalf of Canada.

Here are some ways to mark your remembrance -

• You can buy and wear a poppy
• You can attend a local Remembrance Day ceremony on November 11th
• You can talk to a friend or relative who served with the Canadian Armed Forces in Afghanistan or in other areas of conflict.

You can watch the Heroes Remember videos and listen to veterans talk about their experiences at http://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/those-who-served/heroes-remember

Each year, GenealogyCanada sponsors a contest, and this year in honour of the 100th anniversary of the First World War, the question is – Which province in Canada sent the largest number of men and women to fight in the First World War?

Hint: You will find the answer in this week’s Canadian Week in Review http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2014/11/canadian-week-in-review-03-november-2014.html

I am offering the winner of the contest a detailed research consultation report on an ancestor who fought for Canada in the Great War, or who was involved in the war effort.

The winner will be announced November 12th.

Good luck to all!