Saturday, October 25, 2014

Two virtual exhibits at the Toronto Public Library


The Toronto Public Library has two new digital exhibits, and the first one is called Frozen Ocean which is on until December 31, 2014, and the second exhibit is called Toronto: A Place of Meeting.

Frozen Oceans tells the story about the North-west Passage and how it became for many an obsession. Browse colourful maps, beautiful illustrations, posters and books in this online exhibit. And having viewed the exhibits myself, I can say that the maps and illustrations are simply beautiful, and compelling.

To view the exhibit, go to http://ve.torontopubliclibrary.ca/frozen_ocean/index.htm 

Toronto: A Place of Meeting will be of particular interest to people who have ancestors who lived in Toronto. It covers the history of the city in a timeline of five distinct eras, beginning with the first human presence in the city 8000 BC and ending in 2003.

To view the exhibit, go to http://ve.torontopubliclibrary.ca/TPM/index.html 

Friday, October 24, 2014

Peel's Prairie Province releases Grain Elevators in Canada books online


Peel's Prairie Provinces, in partnership with the University of Alberta Libraries, has put online the data on grain elevators in Canada collected by the Canadian Grain Commission. The data, beginning in 1912 and ending in 1998, is now freely available online. 

These records contain lists of licensed elevators, their locations and capacity in western and eastern Canada. 

Peel's Prairie Provinces website is dedicated to preserving western Canadian history and Canadian prairie culture. One can find historical newspapers, bibliography of books, directories, and pamphlets online.  

Thursday, October 23, 2014

Library and Archives Canada: Announces two new guide



The following is the notice that I received from the Library and Archives this morning –

“Canada is pleased to announce the launch of two new guides: Guide to Sources Relating to the Canadian Militia, 1855–1988 and Guide to Sources Relating to Canadian Naval Vessels, 1909–1983. The guides were originally compiled over many years by the late Barbara Wilson (1931–2014), an archivist with the former National Archives of Canada, now Library and Archives Canada. 

Guide to Sources Relating to the Canadian Militia, 1855–1988 

This guide is an indispensable starting point for researching the records that document Canadian militia units. It is a unique finding aid that brings together, by militia unit name, references to records and files scattered throughout several different archival fonds held at Library and Archives Canada.

Guide to Sources Relating to Canadian Naval Vessels, 1909–1983

This guide is an indispensable starting point for researching the records documenting Canadian naval vessels that served with the Royal Canadian Navy. It is a unique finding aid that brings together—by ship’s name—references to records and files scattered throughout several different volumes of archival fonds of the Department of National Defence."

The Website is located at http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/military-heritage/Pages/guide-sources-canadian-naval-vessels.aspx 

Extreme Explorers – Sea to Space

The Canadian Museum of History has a special exhibit on Canada’s leading-edge science and exploration over the years called Extreme Explorers – Sea to Space.

An interesting part of the exhibit will the Arctic Medal 1818–1855. Authorized by Queen Victoria in 1857, it was awarded to individuals around the world who participated ― during the years 1818 to 1855 ― in discovery missions to find the North Pole or the Northwest Passage, or in search expeditions to locate Sir John Franklin’s missing ships.

This exhibit will be from the present to January 4, 2015, and you can read more about the exhibit at http://www.historymuseum.ca/event/extreme-explorers-sea-to-space/?cm_mid=4030473&cm_crmid=76c38def-186a-e211-9333-005056a35e1c&cm_medium=email 

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Ancestry.ca offers FREE access


Ancestry.ca has released the results of a survey which shows a puzzling result – while 94% Canadians feels that knowing their family history is important, only 42% know where their grandparents were born. In light of this, Ancestry is offering free access to Canadian Passenger Lists until 11:59 October 23, 2014. 

That causes genealogist to think, doesn’t it? Maybe it is part of the answer as to why there isn’t a great ground swell for Family History Month that I wrote about in last week’s Canadian Week in Review (CWR). If you haven’t my editorial yet, you can go to http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2014/10/canadian-week-in-review-13-october-2014.html

Meanwhile, Ancestry.ca says - 

Canada may pride itself on being a nation built on immigration but according to a new survey from Ancestry, the world’s largest online family history resource, some of us know very little about our own family history – including where our ancestors originated from and when they first came to Canada. 

In a survey of 1,025 Canadians*, Ancestry discovered that 47 per cent don’t know when their ancestors first arrived in Canada. This is despite the fact that 94 per cent feel that knowing one’s family history is important. 

Additionally, the research revealed that 42 per cent of Canadians don’t know where their own grandparents were born. 

“Immigration is one of the foundations of Canada, so it is surprising how many Canadians don’t know where their ancestors came from, or when they first arrived in the country,” said Lesley Anderson, family historian for Ancestry. “There are so many wonderful historical records available for people to discover their ancestors’ immigration stories, such as Passenger Lists or border crossings, that give you clues as to why your ancestors may have left their homelands or how they came to Canada. The stories you can discover about your forebears are often fascinating and can help to inform your own sense of identity.” 

Ancestry is currently offering free access to its collection of global immigration records including the Canadian Passenger Lists, a collection of more than 7 million records detailing the people who came to Canada by ship between the years of 1865 and 1935, the key growth period in immigration to Canada. The free access lasts until 11:59 on October 23, 2014. 

* Conducted in June 2014

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Fall workshop in Toronto

Gwyneth Pearce, Secretary of the Toronto Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society has sent us a reminder from the Branch that their fall workshop, "Industrial England", is coming up in less than two weeks - on Saturday 1 November.

This full-day workshop, co-sponsored with the Canadiana Department of North York Central Library, will explore the social, economic and cultural effects of the Industrial Revolutions on the lives of English people from 1750 to 1900. Author and professional genealogist Kirsty Gray will be our keynote speaker.

Spaces are still available, but we encourage you to sign up soon to ensure a spot. OGS members are eligible for a fee discount.

Full details about the program, speakers and how to register, are available on our Branch website at http://torontofamilyhistory.org/learn/workshops/industrial-england-workshop/.

Their Facebook page is on https://www.facebook.com/TOFamilyHistory

Monday, October 20, 2014

Canadian Week in Review - 20 October 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 Week in Canada (October 14 – October 20, 2014) 


In 1937, public schools in Toronto opened after a six-week delay caused by a polio epidemic which claimed 150 lives.

To read more about the polio epidemic, go to http://www.cpha.ca/en/programs/history/achievements/02-id/polio.aspx
=============================================
In 1923, Canada’s “Bluenose” defeated the “Columbia” in an international boat race.

To view a Heritage Minute video of the Bluenose, go to https://www.historicacanada.ca/content/heritage-minutes/bluenose
=============================================
In 1967, Expo 67, which opened in Montreal on April 27, closed with a final attendance total of more than 50 million.

To read about Expo ’67, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expo_67

Social Media


(Video) Maritime artist Canada's iconic Heritage Minutes into works of art
Christopher Hemsworth says he is such a big fan of the Heritage Minutes vignettes that his friend bought him the complete set of commercials on DVD.
=============================================
Researching Relatives - A Genealogy Blog about Searching for Ancestors
http://researching-relatives.blogspot.com

Joanne Cowden, a new blogger, has ancestors in various US states, Canada, France, and Germany, and now she is starting to share these ancestors with follow genealogists.

Nova Scotia

Memorial planned for Nova Scotia woman murdered in domestic violence case a century ago
More than 100 years ago, the name of Theresa (Balsor) McAuley Robinson was on the lips of many Kings County residents. Her husband, William S. Robinson, was judged guilty of her murder and sentenced to death. He was the last person publicly hung in Kings County.

Legacy of local Springhill Veterans preserved
http://www.newswire.ca/en/story/1428894/legacy-of-local-springhill-veterans-preserved
Scott Armstrong, Member of Parliament for Cumberland–Colchester–Musquodoboit Valley, today announced Government of Canada funding for the restoration of the Springhill Soldiers' Monument, which honours the achievements and sacrifices of Veterans from within the community.

Libraries: Presenting history in a different way
http://www.ngnews.ca/Community/2014-10-13/article-3901804/Libraries%3A-Presenting-history-in-a-different-way/1
Discover history can be approached in a new ways at Nova Scotia libraries, such as storytelling and writing your own history.

Vandals can’t stop work on Black Loyalist Heritage Centre
http://thechronicleherald.ca/novascotia/1243763-vandals-can-t-stop-work-on-black-loyalist-heritage-centre
What promises to be one of Nova Scotia’s star attractions in 2015 is nearing completion in Shelburne County, despite a setback caused by vandalism.
During the 1780s, Birchtown had the largest population of free blacks outside Africa, when some 3,500 arrived there after the American Revolution.

Hundreds attend Halifax powwow, celebrate Mi’kmaq History Month
Hundreds of aboriginal people and non-natives celebrated First Nations heritage and culture on Saturday at an indoor powwow in Halifax.

History: Hantsport was flourishing 98 years ago
When a New Brunswick-based magazine published a feature on the  Annapolis Valley in 1916, Hantsport was one of the towns profiled.

Prince Edward Island

Bonavista honoured with Prince of Wales prize
http://www.nlnewsnow.com/News/Local/2014-10-14/article-3902869/Bonavista-honoured-with-Prince-of-Wales-prize/1
Heritage Canada award recognizes town for preservation of building.

New Brunswick

Historic Edmundston church will soon be rebuilt
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/historic-edmundston-church-will-soon-be-rebuilt-pastor-says-1.2797817
Anglican St. John the Baptist Church was destroyed in a suspicious fire on September 20th.

Ontario

The First World War: Excerpts from the diary of Woodman Leonard 
http://www.ottawasun.com/2014/10/16/the-first-world-war-excerpts-from-the-diary-of-woodman-leonard
Follow Lt. Col. Leonard during the weeks he travelled from battleground to battleground.

Quiz: Can you pass this Canadian citizenship test?
http://metronews.ca/news/ottawa/1184269/quiz-could-you-pass-a-canadian-citizenship-test
About 140 students from across the country were put to the Citizenship Challenge on Wednesday when they played a bingo-style game at the Chateau Laurier in Ottawa.

The Musées de la Civilisation de Québec to be honoured in Ottawa for their exhibition dedicated to Aboriginal peoples
http://www.newswire.ca/en/story/1427006/the-musees-de-la-civilisation-de-quebec-to-be-honoured-in-ottawa-for-their-exhibition-dedicated-to-aboriginal-peoples
Inaugurated in November 2013, This Is Our Story: First Nations and Inuit in the 21st Century, is the latest addition to the Musées de la Civilisation de Québec's (MCQ) permanent exhibits. This ambitious project offers a contemporary vision of the cultural diversity and Aboriginal realities within Quebec.

Manitoba

Stuart Stuart Murray out as head of Canadian human rights museum
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2014/10/15/stuart_murray_out_as_head_of_canadian_human_rights_museum_1.html
tuart Murray, a former Manitoba Progressive Conservative leader who oversaw the construction of the museum in Winnipeg since 2009, is leaving on November 1st, and another chief executive officer is being sought, the board of trustees said Wednesday.

Alberta

The First World War: Excerpts from the diary of Woodman Leonard
http://www.ottawasun.com/2014/10/16/the-first-world-war-excerpts-from-the-diary-of-woodman-leonard
Follow Lt. Col. Leonard during the weeks he travelled from battleground to battleground.

City recognized for efforts in historic preservation
http://medicinehatnews.com/news/local-news/2014/10/16/city-recognized-for-efforts-in-historic-preservation
The City of Medicine Hat is gaining new recognition for a program to protect its history.

British Columbia

Touring BC's 'Hidden' History Shared by Chinese and Indigenous People
http://www.thetyee.ca/News/2014/10/13/Shared-Chinese-Indigenous-History
Every year for the last five years, Bill Chu has conducted treks along the Fraser Canyon, up to Lytton, Lillooet, and Mount Currie. His purpose: to educate Canadians about the "real" shared history of Indigenous and Chinese people in British Columbia.

Story of the Week

Credit: Library and Archives Canada / C-029399

The Great Depression 

Starting in 1929, the Great Depression swept over the world, and it affected Canada greatly because of our dependence on exporting natural goods to countries that no longer needed them since their own industrial capacity was reduced because of the Depression.

Between 1929 and 1939, the gross national product dropped 40% (compared to 37% in the US). Unemployment reached 27% at the depth of the Depression in 1933! Many businesses closed, as corporate profits of $398 million in 1929 turned into losses of $98 million, due to falling prices.

It was a terrible time for our country.

When I was a child, I can remembers stories that my family use to tell of how they coped with the Depression, and of how my father took “to the rails” as a young man looking for work on the farms in Ontario . He found work on the fruit farms in the Niagara region of Ontario.

One of the imitative which brought my father back to Nova Scotia was the paving of roads that I wrote about in the post Nova Scotia Paving Programme in 1934 the government undertook http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2014/08/nova-scotia-paving-programme.html, and eventually the breakout of the Second World War.

If you have the occasion to research a person who was trying to come to Canada during the Depression years from the United states, for instance, do not be surprised if you find they were denied entry, unless they could prove that they wouldn’t take jobs away from Canadians.

If you want to learn more about the Great Depression, read this article - http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/great-depression/

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 27 October 2014.

Sunday, October 19, 2014

New Digitized Ontario Patent Plans

We now have more than 4,100 recently digitized patent plans on the Archives of Ontario’s Visual Database. 

The images are fully accessible and in high-resolution in a zoomable format that allows you to view fine details – and some of the details are very fine detail indeed! 

Most, but not all of the Patent Plans are available, although looking through them, I would say that most of them are available. You can check to see if the AO have an original plan at the Archives Descriptive Database. 

You can read more about the Patent Plans at http://www.archives.gov.on.ca/en/about/patent-plans.aspx, and it gives the list of township or town that are available to view. I was looking for Elzivir Township and I found it. It was a list of names, showing where they were located in the township at the time. 

Just another tool that you can use to find out exactly where your ancestor was located!

Saturday, October 18, 2014

Oxford County Branch is now on Facebook!

Another Ontario Genealogical Society Branch has joined Facebook and it’s the Oxford County Branch in Southwestern Ontario. 

And it’s looks like they are of to a rousing start! 

They have lots of events to attend, and on their website, there are lots of information, for instance, there are wills, directories, and there is an index to obituaries online. So check them out! 


Thursday, October 16, 2014

LAC Update: Digitized Canadian Expeditionary Force personnel service files are starting to go online

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

We have just received this notice from Library and Archives Canada(LAC) that they are finally putting digitized Canadian Expeditionary Force personnel service files on their site.

Here is the notice -

"In January 2014, we announced a project to digitize 640,000 Canadian Expeditionary Force personnel service files as part of the First World War commemoration activities of the Government of Canada. The goal of this project is to provide free access to high-quality digital copies of all service files in PDF format, anytime and anywhere.

Close to 100 years old, these personnel files are quite brittle. Additionally, over the years, service files have been consulted many times, so they are extremely fragile. It was time to take concrete steps to ensure their preservation for future generations.

To achieve this goal, Library and Archives Canada (LAC) will have to close portions of this collection as they undergo preparation, conservation, and digitization. The entire process is complex because each file must be examined: staples, paper clips and glue must be removed, and in some cases, the files must be treated for mould. After this preparation is completed, digitization is next, starting with box No. 1 and going up. Once digitized, the service files will be stored in a permanent, safe environment. We estimate that 32,000,000 pages will be available online once digitization is finished.

We are happy to inform you that we have started posting the digitized files online. They are accessible via our Soldiers of the First World War: 1914–1918 data base. As of today, 76,330 files are available online. Regular uploads of about 5,000 files will take place every two weeks. All digitized files are searchable by name, regimental number and rank. We will inform you as more digitized files are added to the database.'

So the website is at http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/military-heritage/first-world-war/first-world-war-1914-1918-cef/Pages/canadian-expeditionary-force.aspx 

Two “brick walls” meetings in Canada in November



Two genealogical societies at opposite ends of the county are going to tackle Brick Walls - the British Columbia Genealogical Society (BCGS)  in Vancouver and the Genealogical Association of Nova Scotia (GANS) in Halifax in the month of November! 

The first meeting Brick Walls Seminar 2 – Sharing Strategies on Tough Genealogy Problems by the British Columbia Genealogical Society (BCGS) will be Saturday, November 1, 1:00 – 5:00 pm.  

The panel members - M. Diane Rogers, Brenda L. Smith, and Peter Whitlock will then meet with attendees who have submitted questions in advance for 1-on-1 fifteen minute consultations. While this is happening special guest speaker Eunice Robinson will give a talk on planning a trip to Salt Lake City.

A delicious light meal and refreshments will be provided. And there are great door prizes for lucky participants, including a year’s subscription to FindMyPast.com and a year’s membership in the BC Genealogical Society!

There will be an end-of-the-day wrap-up plus lots of opportunities to ask questions and share experiences!

The fee will be $20.00 (includes food), and an additional charge of $10 for 1-on-1 meeting with an Expert.

Contact the BCGS for details and tickets: bcgs@bcgs.ca or call Susan Snalam at 604 273 8209. Pay at a meeting in person or through PayPal. We will ask for your phone number and an e-mail address, if applicable. These will only be used in case we need to contact you about this Seminar.

The website is at http://www.bcgs.ca/

The Genealogical Association of Novaa Scotia (GANS) will hold the second brick wall meeting on Tuesday, November 25, and it will be the 5th Annual Brick Wall Busters (Monthly Meeting) from .7:00 pm to 9:00 pm. It will be held at the Nova Scotia Archives, Akins Room, 6016 University Avenue, Halifax, Nova Scotia. 

Ginny Clark, CG(C), Dr. Allan Marble, CG(C) and Doug Cochrane CG(C) will provide information found on submitted brick wall questions. The deadline for receiving questions will be midnight October 25th, 2014.

Please include all pertinent available information such as surname and given name, approximate dates, area of Nova Scotia, the piece of information you would like to find, sources you have already checked, and your contact information. You should a present a specific question in which you require an answer or are most interested. We must receive adequate information in order to properly assist you with your query otherwise it may not be accepted.

Eight queries will be selected to be addressed at our lecture on November 25, 2014: four from local members who will be attending the meeting and four from members outside of the Halifax Regional Municipality who are not able to attend the meeting.

At the event, the local members will read their queries for the benefit of other attendees. A member of the GANS Executive will read the queries from the members from “away”.

To get details of the meeting, go to http://www.novascotiaancestors.ca/

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Goenovium Conference updates


Last month, we first heard about the Goenovium Conference which was to take place on October 7 in Leiden, Netherlands. Their blog is at http://www.gaenovium.com/

The conference took place, and one of the participants was Winnipeg’s and Canada’s own Louis Kessler, and his talk was on Reading wrong GEDCOM right.

He has posted his thought of the conference on his Behold Genealogy blog at http://www.beholdgenealogy.com/blog/, and the slides of his talk is at http://www.gaenovium.com/presentations/2014/Gaenovium%202014%20-%20Louis%20Kessler%20-%20Reading%20Wrong%20GEDCOM%20Right.pdf

He also has Tweets from the conference, plus lots of pictures.
You can also hear about the conference from Sue Adams, a British genealogist, on Dear Myrt’s My Tube channel called Mondays with Myrt at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDtuSF9sZVo&list=UUZlX5znu6d7CCz6xobwMXOA.
She was on the panel discussion at the end of the day which was called Panel Discussion: Current & Future Genealogical Exchange Standards. 
They had an interesting discussion on the role of GEDCOM, GEDCOM X, FHISO, FamilySearch, Genealogy APIs, Sync and Market Forces. 
This is of particular interest to me because of the role that FHISO can play in this. I think it goes beyond GEDCOM and GEDCOM X to the heart of having a standard by which information is synced between the different platforms.

Monday, October 13, 2014

Canadian Week in Review - 13 October 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 Week in Canada (October 7 – October 13, 2014) 


In 1668, Canada's first institution of higher education, The Quebec Seminary, later called Laval University, was founded by Bishop François de Laval. 

François de Laval was made a Saint by Pope Francis in April 2014.

=============================================
In 1811, Sir Isaac Brock became president and administrator of the government of Upper Canada. 

For the biography of Sir Isaac Brock, go to http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/brock_isaac_5E.html 
=============================================
In 1877, the first steam locomotive on the Prairies, the "Countess of Dufferin," arrived in Winnipeg by barge down the Red River.

The history of the “Countess of Dufferin” is at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Countess_of_Dufferin.  

Social Media


(Video) Editorial: Naming bridge worth effort 
Read about the effort to name a bridge in Saskatoon
=============================================
(Video) Moncton's Castle Manor to be converted into high-end condos 
The new owners of Moncton's Castle Manor plan to convert the historic landmark into high-end condos.

Newfoundland

Locals included in oral history collection project
Some Grand Falls-Windsor residents got to share their reflections of home today as part of a national project.

Nova Scotia

Home for Colored Children apology: N.S. says sorry to ex-residents 
The province has formally apologized to former residents who faced years of abuse at the Nova Scotia Home for Colored Children, a former Halifax orphanage.

Digby municipality accepts Bear River, Point Prim and Boars Head lighthouses
The Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) formally and officially offered the Bear River lighthouse, the Point Prim lighthouse, and the Boar’s Head lighthouse properties to the Municipality of the District of Digby in September.

Prince Edward Island

Winners of the 2014 National Heritage Awards announced
The recipients of the Prince of Wales Prize, the Leadership Awards, and the Ecclesiastical Insurance Cornerstone Awards were formally nominated by Canadians from across the country.

A man who left his mark on our Island
Capt. Holland was ordered by the Crown to survey British North America, including P.E.I. He and his determined crew, who arrived on the survey ship Canceaux, spent a year surveying what was then called St. John’s Island.

Ontario

A group pressing to have images of famous women included in the next set of banknotes learned that their petitions and letters have apparently fallen on deaf ears.

The First World War: Excerpts from the diary of Woodman Leonard
http://www.ottawasun.com/2014/10/08/the-first-world-war-excerpts-from-the-diary-of-woodman-leonard
The excerpts from Lt. Col. Woodman Leonard's diary of November 1916.

Canadian War Museum launches national Supply Line program for schools
Supply Line, an educational program, is commemorating the 100th anniversary of the First World War.

Canadian War Museum earns TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Award
The Canadian War Museum has just won a 2014 Travelers’ Choice Award from TripAdvisor in the category of Top Museums.

A Queen And Her Country
The 60-year reign of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has paralleled Canada’s development as a modern, diverse country. Through her numerous visits, she has kept our British heritage and traditions alive.

Editorial of the Week



Is it time we have a Family History Month in Canada? 

Australia had their very successful Family History Month in September, and the United States is now celebrating their Family History Month this month (October), but where is Canada’s Family History Month?

The closest we come to this designation is having Family Day in February in some of the provinces (which may or may not feature genealogy), but what about a month-long celebration of this country’s family history? 

Are there enough people who would be interested in doing this? Could we keep it interesting year after year? Do you think we need a Family History Month in Canada?

All the genealogical societies would have to come together year after year to make this a success, and are we capable of making this happen? With social media so prevalent these days, it should be easier now than it was even a few years ago.

Leave a comment (below), and let me know what you think. Do you think we should start a conversation about this, or is it too much for Canadian genealogists to take seriously?

Now, word has filtered up to Ottawa that there are some people who are thinking of having a national genealogy conference in Halifax next year. Notice the proposed word ‘national’ in the title of the convention. Will this be the beginning of a new convention in Canada?

They have national Canadian speakers who are interested in attending, and maybe this could become a viable thing to start in Canada. Maybe it could be the crowning glory to a month-long genealogy Family History Month.

There are lots of ways this could be approached, but I think it’s time that we start a national conversation about this. If not, we are being left behind again. We complain when other people seem to overlook us because we don’t celebrate our own genealogists and websites, but what do we do to promote our own people?

What do you think of this idea?

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 20 October 2014.

Sunday, October 12, 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 most up-to-date news items covered in New/Updated Websites, History, Social Media, and Newspaper Articles. 

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

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

Trent Valley Archives

“Without archives, there is no history” is the tagline used by the Trent Valley Archives located in Peterborough, Ontario. I like this tagline, because it defines archives in one easy sentence. 

This archives is very active in its programming, has a great site, and a local history library. 

The research library has books on emigration, and ‘everyday life’. If you’re looking to learn about the history, people, sources and events that are linked to the area, this is a great place to start.

The website says that “This group offers many fascinating tours throughout the year, mostly in the summer and fall. From ghost walks, to pub crawls, to tours that focus on specific people or neighbourhoods, their tours are sure to delight any history or culture buff. You can stop by the Peterborough & the Kawarthas Visitor Centre to pick up a list of their upcoming events or go to their website to see which tours are available.”

In September, they had an open house, where they displayed, for example,  their holding of the First World War.

To read about the open house, you can go to http://www.thepeterboroughexaminer.com/2014/09/14/about-75-people-attend--trent-valley-archives-open-house

And next weekend, on October the 18th, they will present the Little Lake Twilight Cemetery Tour and Pageant, and the tours and pageant will begin at 6:00 pm. Reservation are required.

And on November the 6th, they will celebrate their 25th year anniversary. They will have a special dinner that night.

So it is clear that they are a very dynamic, engaged archives in the city of Peterborough, and if you have ancestors who are from there, this is one place that you should check for background information.

Their website is at http://trentvalleyarchives.com/

Their Facebook page is at https://www.facebook.com/trentvalleyarchives

Saturday, October 11, 2014

Happy Thanksgiving!


Well, it must be the fall season! The leave are finally turning colour, and that lets us know that fall is here. It is Thanksgiving weekend is Canada, so it’s time to take a break away from genealogy, and rest and relax with our families.

In the meantime, Ancestry.ca has just notified me that they are offering 40% off their Canada Deluxe Memberships for the Thanksgiving weekend.

Go to Ancestry.ca if you wish to take advantage of this offer!

Friday, October 10, 2014

Canada GenWeb is ten years old!

This completely skipped my mind – the Canada GenWeb was 10 years old October the 1st. Congratulations to Sherri Pettit and to all of those who contributed and still contribute to the website today!

Sherri says “Initially our plan was to offer a cemetery directory and list of available cemetery resources for genealogists. It quickly became a repository for photos, indexes and transcripts. 

Over the past ten years hundreds of volunteers have offered their time, expertise, and passion to help this project grow. Because of their efforts CanadaGenWeb's Cemetery Project now offers a directory of 20,000 known Canadian cemeteries, over 1,000,000 indexed names, and more than 600,000 photographs.” 

I am at the site nearly every day to look at their maps, their cemeteries, their pioneer's profiles and I have never been disappointed. It’s one of my “go-to” sites when I am doing research. 

Thursday, October 9, 2014

FamilySearch is looking for more indexers

I watched and listened to the Legacy Family Tree Webinar on Tuesday with Devin Ashby, Community Advocate for FamilySearch as he gave the talk Welcome to FamilySearch Indexing! The news is they are still looking for indexers. The webinar is free for the next seven days, so be sure to catch it at http://www.familytreewebinars.com/download.php?webinar_id=213

You can go to https://familysearch.org/indexing/ to register to be an indexer, and there are projects that you can choose from at https://familysearch.org/indexing/projects/country/ca 

Meanwhile, British Columbia Death Registrations (1871-1986) at https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1538285 , and British Columbia Marriage Registration (1859-1932) at https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1307718 have been updated.

Wednesday, October 8, 2014

FREE Family History Fair

There is going to be a FREE Family History Fair in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia Family History Centre on Saturday, 15 November 2014 from 9:30 am until 4 pm. 

Learn how to search for your ancestors and build your family tree. It will be a day of fun, music, discussions and great teachers. Presenters include Dr Allen Marble, the president of Genealogy Association of Nova Scotia (GANS) and other well known and experienced genealogists.

To see the schedule for the day, click on the following link
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bx5QmHTtDVKmWXNDNGljdzlzRVU/edit?usp=sharing  

Registration is totally free. Everybody will be provide with a free lunch. To sign up, click on the link http://www.lds.org/familyhistoryfair  

The location is Dartmouth Family History Centre, 44 Cumberland Drive in Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia. Google Maps gets you to the door: https://goo.gl/maps/FQ0MD 

For more information contact Doug Williams at ddoug.williams10@gmail.com 

LiterASIAN 2014: A Festival of Pacific Rim Asian Canadian Writing

The LiterASIAN 2014: A Festival of Pacific Rim Asian Canadian Writing begins October 9 to 12 at the Richmond Library and Cultural Centre, British Columbia, and it will feature the following authors

  • Fred Wah

  • Louise Bak

  • Tom Cho

  • Corinna Chong

  • Doretta Lau

  • Edwin Lee

  • Serena Leung

  • Kim Fu

  • Souvankham Thammavongsa

  • Yasuko Nguyen Thanh

  • Elsie Sze 

  • and Lily Chow. 

There will be author readings, book launches and book signings, a special poetry reading evening with open mike, book fair, outreach event at Richmond Library and Cultural Centre, British Columbia and our second annual celebration dinner fundraiser at the Pink Pearl Restaurant.

LiterASIAN: a Festival of Pacific Rim Asian Canadian Writing is a community-building initiative by the Asian Canadian Writers’ Workshop and Ricepaper Magazine. 

To see the full program, go to http://www.asiancanadianwriters.ca/

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Newly Reopened Museum and Archives

The newly renovated Lennox & Addington County Museum and Archives located in Napanee, near Kingston, Ontario has just reopened, and I hear that it is just wonderful. 

The expansion consists of a new addition featuring a large research room, archival storage, and display areas.

The museum and archives is a research library and extensive local archives documenting county history, as well as genealogical files for those who want to find their personal connection to the past. 

For example, the Genealogical Research Collections contain published and unpublished genealogies, published genealogical reference works, micrographic sources, card indices and family files. 

For historical background, there are municipal papers from the County of Lennox and Addington, the old Town of Napanee, villages of Newburgh and Bath, and townships within the County. 

The museum holds the Napanee Standard, Napanee Express, Napanee Beaver, The Heritage and other local newspapers. The archives has over 700 reels of microfilm, and over 10,000 original images. 

The museum and archives will be open from Monday - Saturday, 10 am - 5 pm, but they will be closed on holidays. They are open 3rd Tuesday of the month until 8 pm for "Tuesday Nights at the Museum" 


Monday, October 6, 2014

Canadian Week in Review - 06 October 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 Week in Canada


In 1871, British garrison troops throughout Canada were called home, to be replaced by Canadian militia.There were two types of militia, and they were -
===================================================
In 1907, Alexander Graham Bell formed the Aerial Experiment Association at Baddeck, N.S. The group built several successful gasoline-powered biplanes. John McCurdy made the first manned flight in Canada on Feb. 23, 1909. The group also worked on hydrofoil boats.

To learn more about the Silver Dart, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AEA_Silver_Dart
===================================================
In 1953, John Galt's Canada Co. was formally liquidated at London, England. Chartered in 1826, the company played an important role in colonizing the western part of Upper Canada.

To read more about the Canada Company, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canada_Company

Social Media


(Video) The First World War: Excerpts from the Diary of Woodman Leonard   
If war wasn’t enough to endure, Canadian soldiers had the Battle of the Somme, ammunition shortages, low rations, and the rain that turned everything into mud! 
===================================================
Elgin County Ontario Canada and Talbot Times Genealogy Blog  
Researching Elgin Roots in the Tweed Area

Nova Scotia


Glasgow to get direct flights to Nova Scotia
WestJet, the Canadian airline, has announced a new, direct service from Glasgow to Halifax in Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia farm declared heritage property
Two years after purchasing Janice's family homestead, the Durham (Nova Scotia) couple had Thorbank Farm officially declared a heritage property by the two levels of government during a special ceremony.

Ontario


West Niagara churches commemorate War Measures Act
Two west Niagara churches were among just 100 across the country to celebrate the unveiling of memorial plaques to mark the 100th anniversary of the signing of the War Measures Act.

Hologram Coin Celebrates Canadian Space Agency's 25-Year Legacy
Commemorating a quarter-century of Canadian astronaut and robotic achievements in space, the Royal Canadian Mint has released a new collector coin for the 25th anniversary of the Canadian Space Agency.

Franklin ship found in Arctic was HMS Erebus
The shipwreck located by researchers last month was HMS Erebus, which Sir John Franklin sailed on during his doomed 1845 quest to find the Northwest Passage to Asia.

Canada's Lancaster bomber returns home after historic U.K. tour
Canada’s only operational Second World War-era Lancaster bomber plane was met by hundreds of cheering onlookers and a Scottish marching band as it touched down in Hamilton Sunday after a historic aerial tour in the U.K.

Cobham Parish Magazine helps Canadian man uncover family history
A Canadian man discovered his historic links to Cobham through parish magazine and newspaper clippings dating back to 1914.

Manitoba


Hudson's Bay Company announces donation of historic mural to The Manitoba Museum
The Pioneer at Fort Garry, a 16.5-metre by 3-metre oil-on-canvas mural, which had been a fixture in the Hudson's Bay Winnipeg Downtown store since 1927, was removed in January 2014 in preparation for donation to The Manitoba Museum.

Saskatchewan


Canadian History Ehx: The early settlers of Grenfell
In the early 1870s, the area of Grenfell was open prairie, with a few missionaries and fur traders passing through every so often.

Saskatoon's Knox United asking for help with roof repairs
Church makes case for grant under heritage program using historical work records for money to help fix the roof.

A piece of Saskatoon history finds a new home
The Bedford Road Collegiate gymnasium has found a new home at the Brainsport.

Alberta


Legacy of Heroes looks at history of aircraft used in criminal pursuit
The new issue is called “Flight into Danger”, and Jeff Awid, Writer/Producer with EPS Corporate Communications Branch, says it chronicles the first time in Canadian history that aircraft was used in a criminal pursuit.

British Columbia


Arson suspected in Keefer Street heritage house fire
Property damage appears to have been deliberately set.

Story of the Week


Women’s History Month 2014

As a person who owns my own business at www.elrs.biz, I read the facts that are on the Status of Women Canada webite at http://www.swc-cfc.gc.ca/commemoration/whm-mhf/facts-faits-eng.html with interest, because October is Women’s History Month.

The first fact that is on the page is that women represent 47.3% of the Canadian labour force today, which is good news. And the good news for people who are involved in the genealogy business is that in 2011, women held the majority ownership of 16% of small- and medium-sized businesses – although women were more likely to own small- rather than medium-sized businesses.
They have a 31-day-challenge this year, and it is to share historic and recent information about Canadian women in business, every day, on your favourite social media platform. That sounds like a really good idea!

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 13 October 2014.

Sunday, October 5, 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 most up-to-date news items 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.

Saturday, October 4, 2014

Creepy Alberta!

  


The Alberta Archives during Archives Week will be holding Creepy Alberta! events all this month from October 5 - October 11, 2014 in deference to it being Halloween on October the 31st! And all events are open to the general public. 

For instance, these events will be held - 

Creepy Alberta: Archives Week Launch - “Buildings with a Past?”

When: October 5, 1 pm

Where: Selkirk Grille, Heritage Park, 1900 Heritage Dr SW

Join Harry Sanders for a look at forgotten uses and events in Calgary buildings and sites that might otherwise have been forgotten—if not for available sources in local archives and libraries. 

Grande Prairie

Film and Story Tea

When: October 5, 2 – 4 pm

Where: Golden Age Centre (10222-101 Avenue)

The theme of the event is “the other side of government and politics” and the event includes five storytellers as well as a 16 mm film titled, “Grande Prairie, A Way of Life”, which was produced in 1981. It is sponsored by the 100th Anniversary Committee of the City of Grande Prairie. 

Edmonton

Exhibit: The Eerie Battle of Ortona

When: October 6 – 10, 10 am – 4 pm

Where: Loyal Edmonton Regiment Military Museum, Prince of Wales Armouries Heritage Centre (118, 10440-108 Ave)

The exhibit features a temporary graveyard at Ortona, Italy for fallen soldiers of The Loyal Edmonton Regiment. Sixty-three men died in the grueling Christmas week battle in 1943.

Exhibit: Tonight’s the Night

When: Beginning October 6, 8:30 am – 4:30 pm M-F

Where: City of Edmonton Archives (10440-108 Ave)

Halloween has been celebrated in Edmonton since the early 1880s, and the holiday’s roots can be found in centuries old traditions. Come explore the celebration of Halloween in Edmonton from 1900 to 1950 through the City of Edmonton Archives' new exhibition "Tonight's the Night!". Parties and costumes, tricks and treats. You won’t be disappointed.

Law and Original Order: Discovering Alberta’s Court Records

When: Tours will be available Wednesday, October 8, 7-9pm, and Thursday, October 9, 1:30-4:30pm

Where: Provincial Archives of Alberta (8555 Roper Rd)

The Provincial Archives of Alberta is please to present “Law and Original Order: Discovering Alberta’s Court Records”. 

St. Albert

Open House and Exhibit

When: October 7 to 10, 10 am to 5 pm

Where: Musée Héritage Museum (5 St. Anne Street)

The Musée Héritage Museum Archives will be commemorating Archives Week with a special display in the foyer of the museum. The display will showcase a variety of the donations to the archives over the past year, with a special highlight of materials related to Brigadier-General Raymond Brutinel. 

Hinton

Creepy Stories from Hinton’s Past

When: October 8, 7-8 pm

Where: Teck Coal Room, Hinton Public Library (803 Switzer Dr)

An evening of Ghost Stories during Archives Week 2014

To find out more about these events, go to http://www.archivesalberta.org/

Friday, October 3, 2014

AFHS Beginner’s Course in Genealogy

The Alberta Family History Society (AFHS) will have a Beginner’s Course in Genealogy where you will learn how to get started, organizational skills, and where and how to look online. 

The course will be on Sunday October 19, 2014 from 2 pm to 4 pm and this course will be FREE for all AFHS members. All other non-members will be requited to buy a membership which is $40.00. It will be held at the AFHS library at 712-16 Avenue NW in Calgary, Alberta.

If you wish to attend, please contact Kay Clark at 403.279.1036, or by email at clarkegk@telus.net 


Their Facebook page is at https://www.facebook.com/AlbertaFHS 

Their blog is at http://afhs.ab.ca/blog/

Thursday, October 2, 2014

Update: Nova Scotia Births, 1864-1877



FamilySearch have updates the Nova Scotia Birth 1864-1877 which includes indexes and images of Nova Scotia county births . These records are the registration of births, not birth certificates

Birth registers may contain the following information:

  • Name of child 
  • Gender 
  • Birth date and place 
  • Father’s name, occupation and residence 
  • Mother’s name and maiden name 
  • When and where parents were married 
  • Informant’s name and residence 
  • Date birth was registered 
  • Name of witness 
It covers the counties of
  • Annapolis 
  • Antigonish 
  • Cape Bretonp 
  • Colchester 
  • Cumberland 
  • Digby 
  • Guyborough 
  • Halifax 
  • Hants 

You can go to 

Wednesday, October 1, 2014

All Aboard!

The Kent County Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society meeting will be held on Friday October 10, 2014 at 7 pm.

Take a trip back in time to explore the history of the railroad in Kent County and its impact on local families with the Chatham Railway Museum in a talk entitled All Aboard!

This talk will be held at the St. Andrew’s Residence, 99 Park St., Chatham.

Members of the Kent Branch have been working on indexing branch and library publications, and an index is now available on-line for searching.

This index was updated on March 1st, 2014. The Master Index presently includes an index to 11,988 persons. And it is housed at http://www.kent.ogs.on.ca/master_index/index.php

Their blog is at http://kentcountyogsblog.blogspot.ca/

Their site is at http://kent.ogs.on.ca/