Canadian Genealogy News (CGN) 24 July 2015

Here are some news items which have come across the desk this morning -

Family Tree Magazine (FTM) has released their Family Tree Magazine's 101 Best Websites this year, and the four Canadian website are - 

Canadiana.ca at http://www.canadiana.ca/en/home

La programme de recherche en démographie historique (The Research Program in Historical Demography) at http://www.genealogy.umontreal.ca/

Library and Archives Canada at http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/Pages/home.aspx

Nova Scotia Historical Vital Records at https://www.novascotiagenealogy.com/

As long as we understand that this is definitely US centered, with an small after thought to Canadian websites,  I guess the five chosen isn't that bad. But to say they are the best Canadian sites is a bit of an overstatement, I believe. 

To read the complete list, go to http://familytreemagazine.com/article/best-canadian-genealogy-websites-2015

Do you have ancestors in your family tree or did you used to live in Ottawa, Canada, then this may be a place that you should look at, because the city is decommissioned street name signs and they are available for purchase from the city. 

The City of Ottawa sells signs that have been replaced for maintenance, or removed from in order to avoid duplication of names in the wake of amalgamation, and they are available for $10 apiece.

A list of other available signs can be found on the http://ottawa.ca/en/residents/transportation-and-parking/traffic/decommissioned-street-name-signs

Artist John Horton has designed the silver coin which shows HMS Terror and HMS Erebus on the Arctic Ocean, and Nova Scotian Michael Little helped draw two  new stamps to commemorate Sir John Franklin's doomed Arctic expedition. One depicts HMS Erebus, the other shows a mapThe stamps were unveiled at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic on Wednesday, alongside a new silver coin from the Royal Canadian Mint.

Franklin's crew became locked in the ice during a doomed search for the Northwest Passage to the Pacific Ocean in 1845. All 128 crew members eventually died, though there's evidence to suggest some may have survived for several years.

Many searches throughout the 19th century attempted to find the lost ships, but the mystery of what happened to John Franklin and his men has never been solved.

HMS Erebus was discovered last summer, and you can read about it at http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/franklin-expedition-ship-found-in-arctic-id-d-as-hms-erebus-1.2784268

Until tomorrow, have a nice day researching!

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

If you missed last week’s edition, it is at
http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2015/07/canadian-week-in-review-13-july-2015.html

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

Canadian Genealogy News (CGN) 23 July 2015

 There is so much news lately, that instead of creating individuals posts for them, I have decided to issue them in one post once a day, and it will be called Canadian Genealogy News (CGN).

The Canadian News in Review (CWR) will still be published each Monday, as it has been since April 2013.

News comes to us that The Newfoundland and Labrador government will change the Vital Statistics Act to allow transgender people to change their birth certificate and government identification to match their gender identity. 

The change comes after transgender activist Kyra Rees in St. John's took the provincial government to court, in a battle to get her birth certificate to reflect the gender she identifies with.

Changes have already been made in Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia and Manitoba. 

The Ottawa Branch will be hosting the Ontario Genealogical Society Conference 2017. 

There are tours and workshops, lectures and Marketplace, awards, a Research Room, the annual Banquet, displays and special events during the year that Canada will be celebrating its 150th birthday. 

A small committee has started to plan the event but we can always use help. Meetings are held on-line, so you can participate from anywhere in the world. If you would like to join one of the sub-committees, particularly if you have expertise in Marketing or Social Media, please contact Mike More at conference2017@ogs.on.ca. 

If you belong to another heritage or genealogical organization in Eastern Ontario, we would be pleased to have you participate with us. For more details, contact Mike at conference2017@ogs.on.ca. 

There is the last chance to see the exhibition Magna Carta – Law, Liberty and Legacy! It closes 26 July 2015. 

In celebration of the Magna Carta’s 800th anniversary, original copies of the Magna Carta and its companion document the Charter of the Forest from 1300 are featured in the exhibition Magna Carta – Law, Liberty, and Legacy at http://www.historymuseum.ca/magnacarta/ 

Don’t miss this rare chance to come face-to-face with one of the most important historical documents in the world. 

A once-in-a-lifetime-opportunity that you won’t want to miss!

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

If you missed last week’s edition, it is at
http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2015/07/canadian-week-in-review-13-july-2015.html

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

Canadian Genealogy News 22 July 2015

News come from Ancestry that they now have over 100 years of Canadian Yearbook Records at Ancestry.ca, which means that they digitized yearbooks 1908 to 2010.

So I went on to see if my name was there. I had attended the Shelburne Regional High School, Shelburne, Nova Scotia and Acadia University, Wolfville, Nova Scotia but the books from those institutes weren't there. So I out of luck this time, but as they add more schools and universities, I am sure that I will pop up on the radar.

They do say that is it a collection which "contains 1,355,141 Canadian middle school, junior high, high school and university records from almost 800 institutions across the nation".

Th search the collection, go to http://search.ancestry.ca/search/db.aspx?dbid=60576

Global Genealogy has their annual Dog Days of Summer Sale until the end of July.

I have picked out a couple of books that I want, and I will be sure to order them.

Global Genealogy specializes in Canadian books, and you see them at Canadian genealogical conferences.

Enter the Coupon Code words Summer Sale into the 'Coupon Code' field in the shopping cart when checking out online. The shopping cart will automatically calculate your discount. The Summer sale ends on July 31 at midnight.

Their website is at http://www.globalgenealogy.com

And Salt Lake City record-setting 100,000 online volunteers are expected to participate in the second annual Worldwide Indexing Event.

Scheduled for August 7–14, the event will show how anyone with a computer and Internet connection can help you by making information from historical documents easily searchable online.

And this year they are putting International Language Emphasis in the forefront. Currently FamilySearch.org offers 20 times more searchable records in English than in all other languages combined. To balance this ratio, people with fluency in other languages, especially French, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish, are being sought as indexing volunteers.

Go to https://familysearch.org/indexing/ to get started.

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

If you missed last week’s edition, it is at
http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2015/07/canadian-week-in-review-13-july-2015.html

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

Extra news items 21 July 2015

Here are some news items which have come across my desk this morning -

Malcolm Moody of the Archives CD Books Canada tells us that they are having their Mid-Summer SALE!! It is already under way and almost all of their Canadian made digital products have been reduced by 50%!! And you can’t afford to let a sale like this run for too long, so jump on the “bandwagon” while you can. 

To see what is on sale go to their “home” page at www.ArchiveCDBooks.ca/ and select the “CANADA” choice from the left hand column. (Or go to your favorite Province if you prefer.) 

Take a minute to look at these photos of Images of National Parks in Canada on Flickr. They are beautiful! 

The national parks are protected areas established under federal legislation to preserve Canada's natural heritage for public understanding, appreciation and enjoyment. The parks are maintained for future generations and have existed in Canada for well over a century. 

Go to https://www.flickr.com/photos/lac-bac/sets/72157654902028592

Gwyneth Pearce, Secretary of the Toronto Branch, Ontario Genealogical Society is pleased to announce that the fifth annual Toronto History Lecture will take place on Wednesday 5 August 2015 at the City of Toronto Archives.

As they mark the four-year centenary of the First World War, it is fitting that the topic of the 2015 Lecture is Returned Men: Toronto’s Veterans in the Great War’s Aftermath. Historian Jonathan Scotland will examine the consequences, aftermath, and impact of the War and how Toronto’s “returned men” tried to reintegrate into civilian life. 

This event is free to attend but advance reservation is required and space is limited. For details, visit http://torontofamilyhistory.org/learn/toronto-history-lecture/.

Until next time, this is what crossed my desk this morning.

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

If you missed last week’s edition, it is at http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2015/07/canadian-week-in-review-20-july-2015_20.html

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

Canadian Week in Review 20 July 2015

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

This Week in Canadian History 

Carmen Lombardo 1903-1971, was born in London, Ontario on July 16th. Lombardo was of course a member of brother Guy Lombardo's Royal Canadians. It was a dance band which was popular from the 1940s to the 1970s. 

For more information, go to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carmen_Lombardo 

In 1792, at Niagara-on-the-Lake Ontario, John Graves Simcoe 1752-1806 issued a royal proclamation dividing Upper Canada into districts and counties, and setting the allotment of representatives. 

To read about the division, go to the Archives of Ontario site at http://www.archives.gov.on.ca/en/maps/ontario-districts.aspx 

Social Media

Family Tree Knots

New Brunswick Research Sites

A very good survey of New Brunswick research to add to your toolkit

Go to http://familytreeknots.blogspot.com/2015/07/new-brunswick-research-sites.html 

Newspaper Articles

Prince Edward Island

Bedeque museum displays senior's history collection in new exhibits

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/bedeque-museum-displays-senior-s-history-collection-in-new-exhibits-1.3151927

One man's donation of 3,000 items has filled the once empty second floor of the Bedeque Area Historical Museum.

Part of the collection donated by Howard Clark is now displayed in a number of new exhibits at the museum

New Brunswick 

Albert County group aims to grow living apple tree museum

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/albert-county-group-aims-to-grow-living-apple-tree-museum-1.3150719

Some Albert County residents want to preserve unique New Brunswick apple varieties and they are looking for help in locating apple trees 

Ontario

The man behind the scenes

http://www.niagarathisweek.com/community-story/5731037-the-man-behind-the-scenes/

The awards range from the Gemini he netted for the time-lapse video of the building of the (then-named) SkyDome in Toronto to the 12 international awards his recent War of 1812 reenactment video picked up and plenty in between.

Canadians give thumbs-down to grandiose memorials planned for Ottawa and Nova Scotia:poll

http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/canadians-give-thumbs-down-to-grandiose-memorials-planned-for-ottawa-and-nova-scotia-poll

Fifty-eight per cent of respondents to the survey by Postmedia and research firm Mainstreet Technologies said they disapproved of plans to erect a memorial to victims of communism in Ottawa, while 50 per cent objected to a huge statue planned for Nova Scotia.

British Columbia 

Green Island Lighthouse granted heritage status by Parks Canada

http://www.thenorthernview.com/news/314723371.html

The Pacific northwest just got a little more historically symbolic.

The Green Island Lighthouse, located just south of the Alaskan border, gained heritage status by Parks Canada on July 2, along with 20 other B.C. lighthouses.

The Stories This Week

Travel Canada this summer!

Every province, city, town and village has a list of things to so in the summer in Canada.

Always looking for new places to go, I have been reading them, and here are some that you might find interesting - 

50 things to do in Canada this summer

http://www.canada.com/topics/travel/story.html?id=7e45e278-e158-4aed-b2c5-257049a5c187

Top Things To Do & See In Canada: Tourist Attractions 

http://wanderingtrader.com/canada-travel-guide/things-to-do/#sthash.WP4eiPcD.dpuf

20 Things You Must Do This Summer In Canada 

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2014/06/05/canada-travel-bucket-list_n_5445607.html

100 Places to Visit in Canada This Summer 

http://www.hikebiketravel.com/25203/100-places-visit-canada-summer/

And here is 50 free things you can do this summer - 

50 free things to do this summer

http://www.canadianliving.com/relationships/family_connections/50_free_things_to_do_this_summer.php

And that was the Canadian genealogy, history, and heritage news in Canada this past week!

Extra news items 19 July 2015

Here are some news items which have come across my desk this morning

A newspaper article has has been written about Samuel Cunard of Halifax and what a giant he was among fellow ship builders in the world. He once owned the largest fleet of sailing ships on the Atlantic seaboard.

A son of an United Empire Loyalist, he was born in Halifax. He is best know for the ocean liners RMS Queen Mary and RMS Queen Elizabeth. 

If you want to read more, you can go to the article Cunard’s Nova Scotia history at http://thechronicleherald.ca/travel/1299877-cunard%E2%80%99s-nova-scotia-history

If you are searching Morman Pioneers ancestry, the LDS and FamiltSearch sent out a press release yesterday in which they said “In a collaboration between the Church History Library and FamilySearch, individuals can now discover and explore more of their pioneer heritage on the newly redesigned Mormon Pioneer overland Travel website that will also includes information about previously unknown pioneers”.

The Mormon Pioneer Overland Travel site is https://history.lds.org/overlandtravels/

The Grand Manan Museum on Grand Manan Island has just receiveda copy of the journal of one of Grand Manan's prominent early residents - Captain William Frankland's journal - dating back to the late 1700s.

A copy was returned to the island, with help from the New Brunswick Museum, and is on display until the end of this summer, as part of a larger exhibit on the early residents of White Head Island.

The website is http://www.grandmananmuseum.ca/

Until next time, this is what crossed my desk this morning.

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


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

If you missed last week’s edition, it is at
http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2015/07/canadian-week-in-review-13-july-2015.html

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

Extra news items 18 July 2015

Here are some news items which have come across my desk this morning -

 Word has been received that Stuart Ash, the Canadian designer of the last Centennial logo in 1967, is less than impressed with the newly chosen logo for the official celebration of Canada's 150th birthday. He says the choice of the logo was 'too complicated and confusing'.

To read the whole story and to see photos of other logos, go to http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canada-150-logo-called-confusing-by-centennial-logo-creator-1.3154959

It looks like the KICKSTARTER project that was underway for the Oak Island Project has been cancelled if you can believe the latest news on the website at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1730663204/expedition-to-oak-island-nova-scotia-canada-the-mo.

The message says “ Funding for this project was canceled by the project creator about 21 hours ago”, and although no reason was given, it looks like it is no-go for the expedition to Oak Island. 

And finally, the Ontario Heritage Trust is seeking nominations to the Lieutenant Governor's Ontario Heritage Awards and Young Heritage Leaders – its annual recognition programs celebrating contributions to heritage conservation. The nomination deadline is September 30, 2015, 

22 Lieutenant Governor's Ontario Heritage Awards – representing 335 individuals, one community and three projects – were presented for outstanding achievements to conserving Ontario's heritage in 2014, and 195 youth were recognized through Young Heritage Leaders for their volunteer contributions in 2014.

To read information on the awards, go to http://www.heritagetrust.on.ca/Programs/Recognition-programs.aspx

Until next time, this is what crossed my desk this morning.

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


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

If you missed last week’s edition, it is at
http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2015/07/canadian-week-in-review-13-july-2015.html

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

Extra news items 16 July 2015

Here are some news items which have come across my desk this morning

Now they have put the Halifax area in Lego at the Halifax Central Library, and there are tons of photos of the display at http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/lego-versions-of-halifax-area-buildings-on-display-at-central-library-1.3152240

I looked at the photos, and I recognize everyone of the landmarks. Nice to see Gail Meagher, the local artist, included the Quinpool Road Theatre – it used to be my favorite movie theatres when I lived in the city.

The Toronto Public Library has put on a display of the 2015 PanAm Games being held in the city. They say it is “an exciting and colourful display showcasing Ontario’s fascinating summer sports and games history”.

There are also books on display, and you can click on the photos to access their catalogue records for these books on display.

To read more about the exhibit, go to http://torontopubliclibrary.typepad.com/local-history-genealogy/2015/07/canadiana-display-celebrates-the-2015-pan-amparapan-am-games.html

We see that Olive Tree Genealogy has made the top ten list of Twitter influencers! That surely is a feat for a Canadian when Twitter is so popular with genealogists these days worldwide. So congrats, Lorine McGinnis Schulze!

To see the list, go to http://olivetreegenealogy.blogspot.com/2015/07/the-top-10-genealogy-influencers-you.html


Until next time, this is what crossed my desk this morning.

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


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

If you missed last week’s edition, it is at
http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2015/07/canadian-week-in-review-13-july-2015.html

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

LAC Update: Digitization of First World War Service Files

Library and Archives Canada has busy digitizing the service files of the First World War veterans.

They have sent out this press release -

 As of today, 171,771 of 640,000 files are available online via our Soldiers of the First World War: 1914-1918 database at http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/military-heritage/first-world-war/first-world-war-1914-1918-cef/Pages/search.aspx.

Library and Archives Canada is digitizing the service files systematically, from box 1 to box 10686, which roughly corresponds to alphabetical order. Please note that over the years, the content of some boxes has had to be moved and, you might find that the file you want, with a surname that is supposed to have been digitized, is now located in another box that has not yet been digitized. So far, we have digitized the following files:

A to Dagenais (boxes 1 to 2257)

Free to Gorman (boxes 3298 to 3658)

Unfortunately, due to unforeseen circumstances, the following boxes were skipped in the digitization process, but will be done in the next few months.

Dagenais to Fredlund (boxes 2258 to 3297)

Please check the database regularly for new additions and if you still have questions after checking the database, you may contact us directly at 1-866-578-7777 for more assistance

Extra news items 15 July 2015

Here are some news items which have come across my desk this morning -

The news comes to us that the Samuel Holland map of Prince Edward Island which dates back to 1765 is on display at the Confederation Centre in Charlottetown.

The exhibit is called Imperial Designs: Samuel Holland's 1765 Map and the Making of Prince Edward Island and will be at the Centre until January 2016.

The website is at http://www.confederationcentre.com/en/exhibitions-current-read-more.php?exhibition=102

The Holland 250 website is at http://www.samuelholland250pei.ca/book

A newspaper article by Joy Neighbours entitled THE JOY OF GENEALOGY: When you unearth a family secret, tells us to be careful what we do with the subject and explores the effects that family secret have on genealogy.

To read the article, go to http://www.insidetoronto.com/news-story/5731234-the-joy-of-genealogy-when-you-unearth-a-family-secret-be-careful-what-you-do-with-it/

The Library and Archives Canada has posted a blog on the subject of do you want to know who your first French ancestor was and when he or she left France and arrived in Canada? Are you curious about your French origins?

If so, their website is a great place to begin your research. Here you will find a page dedicated to genealogical research on the French. This page provides you with historical information, archival documents and published material from the Library and Archives Canada collection, as well as links to other websites and institutions.

Library and Archives Canada holds a vast collection of census material at , from 1666 to 1916, in which you can find names of your French-Canadian ancestors http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/immigration/history-ethnic-cultural/Pages/french.aspx

Until next time, this is what crossed my desk this morning.

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


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

If you missed last week’s edition, it is at
http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2015/07/canadian-week-in-review-13-july-2015.html

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

Extra news items 14 July 2015

Here are some news items which have come across my desk this morning -

Just a reminder that the exhibit named Ordinary Lives Extraordinary Times at the Guelph Museum will be closing August 9th.

Columbus Centre explores the experiences of Italian Canadians following Italy’s entry into the Second World War. Through video, audio and text, the exhibition puts a human face to this little-known period in Canadian history.

To set the times that the museum is open, go to
http://guelphmuseums.ca/event/ordinary-lives-extraordinary-times-italian-canadian-experience-world-war-ii/

They have discovered an error in the written tribute to Tom Longboat, the Aborginal runner from the Six Nations and 1907 Boston Marathon Winner. The misspelled word - Persistence is spelled as Persistance.

The statue of the Onondaga long-distance runner is in Ontario’s Celebration Zone near Harbourfront Centre

To read more the story, go to http://www.thestar.com/news/crime/2015/07/12/a-typo-for-tom-longboat-on-pan-am-games-sculpture.html

A blog posting called the Railway Sleeping Car Porters has been put on by Library and Archives Canada, which is good news for those who have Canadian ancestors.

It gives their stories, plus photos, and the Stanley G. Grizzle fonds at http://collectionscanada.gc.ca/pam_archives/index.php?fuseaction=genitem.displayItem&lang=eng&rec_nbr=3728356, and the Railway Employees (Employees Provident Fund) at http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/railway-employees-provident-fund/Pages/railway-employees.aspx

Prince Edward Island Railway, 1899, cover and map

And finally, Dick Eastman has put on the Index to French Canadian Revolutionary War Patriots

I must admit, I haven't hears of this before, and I see where there are two people by the same surname as my husband's ancestors  – Audet dit Lapointe. I will have to take a look.

Debbie Duay of Fort Lauderdale, Florida has compiled an index to French Canadian Revolutionary War patriots from Quebec that appear in the Baby, Taschereau, and Williams journal and/or Virginia Easley DeMarce’s Canadian Participants in the American Revolution – An Index.

Her index appears at http://www.learnwebskills.com/patriot/frenchcanadianpatriots.htm.

Until next time, this is what crossed my desk this morning.

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


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

If you missed last week’s edition, it is at
http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2015/07/canadian-week-in-review-13-july-2015.html

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