Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Upper Canada Village is set to open early!

Upper Canada Village, one of Ontario’s premiere museum, will be opened for its 55th season on May 6th.

It will also be celebrating the 350th anniversary of the Canadian Year of the Horse.

This horse was brought to New France in 1665 when King Louis XIV of France shipped 2 stallions and 20 mares from his royal stables. Eight of the mares perished on the journey, but the remaining horses survived the journey. They arrived in New France on July 16th, 1665.

To read more about the activities at the Upper Canada Village, the website is at http://www.uppercanadavillage.com/index.cfm/en/home/

The Facebook page is at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Upper-Canada-Village-Morrisburg-Ontario/100502250000481?ref=sgm

To read more about The Canadian Horse, go to http://canadianhorseheritage.com/2015/01/17/celebrating-the-canadian-horse-in-2015/



Check the Canadian Week in Review every Monday morning for the latest in Genealogy, Heritage, and History news in Canada.
 
It’s the ONLY news blog of its kind in Canada!
 
It has been a regular post every Monday morning since April 23, 2012

75th Anniversary of Women's Right to Vote in Québec


It was on April 25, 1940 that it was sanctioned by law that women were able to vote and to run for elected office in Quebec.

Women had been able to vote in federal elections since 1919, but Quebec was the last Canadian province to pass the right to vote for women.

To read more about the right to vote in Canada for women, read http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/womens-suffrage/

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Canada's 150 Logo has been chosen


 
The government has made its decision about Canada’s 150th birthday logo. 
 
A University of Waterloo student, Ariana Cuvin, was the winner of the Canada 150 Logo Design Contest. It was chosen from a field of over 300 eligible entries.
 
If you want to read more about Canada 150th celebrations, go to http://www.canada150.gc.ca/eng/1342792785740/1342793251811

Francophones in Alberta: Courage and Determination



The Musée Héritage Museum of St Albert, Alberta have a bilingual exhibition called Francophones in Alberta: Courage and Determination, which tells the story of the French in Alberta. It is based on the Francophone Archives Project, a collective venture between the Provincial Archives of Alberta and the Francophone Secretariat of Alberta.

They say that the exhibit includes ‘artifacts from our own collection to reflect the Francophone history of the St Albert area, highlighting objects from local families to help illustrate the greater experience of Francophone immigrants across the province. Interpretive panels will trace the history of French Albertans through their associations, both economic and cultural, its religious and early pioneering work’.

The exhibit will run through until June 21, 2015.

The website is at http://museeheritage.ca/

The Facebook page is at https://www.facebook.com/ArtsAndHeritageStAlbert

Monday, April 27, 2015

Canadian Week in Review - 27 April 2015

 
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.

This Week in Canadian History

In 1862, Simon Fraser, who explored the B.C. river that bears his name, died in St. Andrews West, Ontario.
   To read further, go to http://www.uelac.org/education/WesternResource/418-Fraser.pdf

In 1904, fire raged through downtown Toronto, causing an estimated $12 million in damage and destroying 104 buildings. No one died in the fire!
   For the story and pictures, go to http://gtmaa.com/history/

In 1907, Tom Longboat, from Ontario's Six Nations Onondaga Reserve, became the first Canadian to win the Boston Marathon, and in 1948, Gérard Côté of St. Barnabe, Quebec won the Boston Marathon for the fourth time.
   For further information, go to http://runningmagazine.ca/feature-gerard-cote-canadas-greatest-boston-marathoner/

Social Media

(Video) WATCH: Historic Alberta water tower comes crashing down
http://globalnews.ca/news/1954581/watch-historic-alberta-water-tower-comes-crashing-down/
   A water tower that was built in the 1930s was torn down Wednesday in the town of Edson.

Articles

Newfoundland-Labrador

History on display
http://www.gfwadvertiser.ca/News/Local/2015-04-23/article-4122114/History-on-display/1
   History will be on display in Grand Falls-Windsor next month as area students participate in one of seven regional heritage fairs across the province.

New Brunswick

Elm Hill's black settlement sign damaged by gunfire
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/elm-hill-s-black-settlement-sign-damaged-by-gunfire-1.3046047
   RCMP are asking for the public's help to determine who shot and damaged the welcome sign in Elm Hill, N.B., which pays tribute to the community's black heritage.

Quebec

Beyond maple syrup: Chefs embrace unconventional Canadian ingredients
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/food-and-wine/food-trends/beyond-maple-syrup-chefs-embrace-unconventional-canadian-ingredients/article24042535/
   The average diner is probably unfamiliar with obscure-sounding – but truly Canadian – ingredients such as pennywort (a herb in the dill and carrot family) or pembina (a low-bush cranberry). But to a growing number of chefs, these and other unconventional foodstuffs are at the forefront of a new era of local food.

Ontario

Explore your country with a Maritime adventure
http://www.thespec.com/shopping-story/5568924-explore-your-country-with-a-maritime-adventure/
   This year, do some creative planning for your 2015 summer vacation. If you are ready to embark on a domestic adventure, get ready for the 11 days, 10 nights Maritime Tour!

Three Quarters of Canadians (74%) Believe 100th Anniversary of Vimy Ridge in 2017 Should Be One of Canada’s Most Important Celebrations During Sesquicentennial
http://www.northumberlandview.ca/index.php?module=news&type=user&func=display&sid=33787
   Majority (51%) of Canadians Support Changing the Name of $20 Bill to a “Vimy”.

Battle of Ypres a baptism of fire for fledgling force of Canadians
http://www.thompsoncitizen.net/news/battle-of-ypres-a-baptism-of-fire-for-fledgling-force-of-canadians-1.1829779
   The 1st Canadian Division had only been in the field a few weeks when the Germans, who had regularly shelled the tiny bulge of territory known as the Ypres Salient, opened a massive offensive.

NATURAL ROOTS: North York’s 250-year-old red oak touched by the lives of explorers, loyalists and rebels
http://www.insidetoronto.com/opinion-story/5567209-natural-roots-north-york-s-250-year-old-red-oak-touched-by-the-lives-of-explorers-loyalists-and-re/
   The age of the tree varies, but the experts seem to agree the oak is more than 250 years old, with the circumference measuring 16 feet, four inches on Aug. 23, 2006.

Saskatchewan

New microbrewery takes Saskatoon through family history
http://ckom.com/story/new-microbrewery-takes-saskatoon-through-family-history/549467
   A century ago two families set up homesteads north of Swift Current, just nine miles apart.
“When we decided to open a brewery a year-and-a-half ago we started thinking about who we were as a business and reflected that our partnership goes back longer than the two of us,” Nine Mile Brewery co-founder, Shawn Moen, told News Talk.

Stories of the Week

 

Here is a really neat idea. I know it would take work to put it together, but the Archives of Toronto has put on an online display called April in Toronto.

They take you through 1801 with the establishment of the Jarvis Collegiate Institute , to the 1904, the Great Fire of Toronto, ending with the 1973 completion of the CN Tower.

This would be a great way to bring people to your site, and to show off the holding that the archives has to be researched. And it provides ‘historical context’ to your genealogical research – it’s a win-win situation!

The website is at http://www1.toronto.ca/wps/portal/contentonly?vgnextoid=7886893bf82a1410VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD&vgnextchannel=7cb4ba2ae8b1e310VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD


April 23rd was World Book and Copyright Day, with events happening all over the world, and when I started the Canadian Week in Review (CWR).

In the 2012 “The Memory of the World in the Digital Age: Digitization and Preservation,” held in Vancouver (Canada) in September 2012 to mark the 20th anniversary of UNESCO’s Memory of the World Programme.

There is an interview with Anne Thurston, International Records Management Trust, in which the future of digital records are discussed.

She contends that the records are fragile and subject to “If digitized records are to survive and be accessible over time, international standards, including the capture of metadata must be applied. This is true in relation both to our digitized heritage, such as records included on the Memory of the World Register, and to digitized modern government records, for instance, land and court records, which will be needed over long periods of time and must retain their legal authenticity”.

Because genealogical records have been digitized, have the organization made sure that they will remain accessible for years to come? Something to consider.

There is more information at http://www.unesco.org/new/en/unesco/events/prizes-and-celebrations/celebrations/international-days/world-book-and-copyright-day-2014


And the Canadian Week in Review (CWR) is three years old!

Back in April 23 2012, after six years of doing the Genealogy Canada blog, I came to realize that nobody was doing a weekly summary of Canadian genealogy, history and heritage news.

So I started the newspaper – the Canadian Week in Review (CWR).

It has changed a bit during the three years – I have added This Week in Canadian History, and I do a wrap-up of the stories trending in Canada for the previous week in Stories of the Week section. It now has a very popular Social Media section, where I list the stories in the week’s blogs, and the stories that have photos or videos attached to them.

So as I start the third year, I am joined by my husband, Mario, in putting the paper together each week. He has been watching from afar, but now is the time he jumps into the genealogy business, so I welcome the helping hand.

As I sign off each edition every week - "And that was the Canadian genealogy, history, and heritage news in Canada this past week!"

If you missed last week's issue, it is found at http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2015/04/canadian-week-in-review-20-april-2015.html


Need help in finding your Canadian ancestors?

Susan I. of Toronto, Ontario says -

"With her wonderful suggestions, including provincial and local archival holdings, books, and local church records, I was delighted to uncover a marriage certificate naming my paternal great, great grandparents and their original county in Ireland.

Elizabeth also mentored me regarding further educational opportunities. I was delighted with her services."

If you do, go to Elizabeth Lapointe Research Services and see how I can help you find that elusive Canadian ancestor.

The next Canadian Week in Review will be posted 05 May 2015.

Sunday, April 26, 2015

FamilySearch Webinars


FamilySearch has just announced the May schedule of Webinars, and there are two which would be of interest to Canadian researchers, and they are -
 
May 14: Family History Library Catalog Webinar—This webinar begins at 6:00 p.m.
 
May 28: Using Canadian Census Records Webinar—This webinar begins at 7:00 p.m.

If you are just getting into genealogy, or have been at it for a long time, these are classes you should not miss.





Check the Canadian Week in Review every Monday morning for the latest in Genealogy, Heritage, and History news in Canada.
 
 
It’s the ONLY news blog of its kind in Canada!
 
It has been a regular post every Monday morning since April 23, 2012

FamilySearch – Nova Scotia Death Records 1956-1957



This collection include death records from 1956-1957 from Nova Scotia counties. The death records are from all counties and are arranged by county name. These records are housed at the Archives of Nova Scotia in Halifax.

Death Records may contain the following information:

Name of deceased

Name of parents

Maiden name of mother

Place of parent’s birth

Name of spouse

Gender

Age at death

Place of birth

Date of birth

Date of death

Place of death

Cause of death

Date of burial

Place of burial

Marital status

Name of cemetery

Name of funeral home

Place of residence

Occupation

I found the death of a son (Austin Locke Peterson) of my great great aunt Margaret Barclay of Jordan River, Shelburne County, Nova Scotia, and since his son-in-law, J. Thomas Whiteway, was the informant on the death certificate, another clue has been was given to me to take my genealogy to another level. Excellent!

If you wish to check out this website, it is at https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2251301



Check the Canadian Week in Review every Monday morning for the latest in Genealogy, Heritage, and History news in Canada.
 
 
It’s the ONLY news blog of its kind in Canada!
 
It has been a regular post every Monday morning since April 23, 2012.

Saturday, April 25, 2015

Diaries are the "meat and potatoes" of genealogy



Diaries are the "meat and potatoes" of genealogy. They bring your ancestors to life with the stories they have to tell.

So from April 20th until June 20th, visitors to the Lambton Heritage Museum, located at 10035 Museum Road, R.R. #2, Grand Bend, Ontario, can view “A Lifetime – Day by Day, Five Women and their Diaries”, on loan from the Archives of Ontario.

The five panel exhibition provides important insight into the everyday lives of early Ontario pioneer women during the last half of the 19th century.

The women featured are -

•Martha Hastie, “Marty”, the daughter of a Presbyterian Minister who started her diary at the age of 13.

•Katherine Beatrice Edgar, whose father was a Member of Parliament, kept a journal of the many social events and activities she enjoyed when her family lived in Ottawa.

•Phoebe Holden Gregg’s journal spans several stages of her life – from her marriage in 1849 to the last entry at age 62 in 1893.

•Bessie Gregg Stewart, Phoebe’s daughter, also began her diary on the day of her marriage. She wrote her diary in Clinton from August to December of 1880.

•Frances Tweedie Milne wrote her diary when she was 18 and living on her mother’s farm in Whitby.

Since this is a travelling exhibit by the Archives of Ontario, contact your local museum to see when it is coming to a facility near you.

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


Check the Canadian Week in Review every Monday morning for the latest in Genealogy, Heritage, and History news in Canada.
 
 
It’s the ONLY news blog of its kind in Canada!
 
It has been a regular post every Monday morning since April 23, 2012.

Ontario historical vital records


The Archives of Ontario’s newest release of historical vital records is now available on microfilm in our reading room and through microfilm interloan service.

Vital Statistics are some of our most heavily used records, and are a highly valuable tool for genealogical research.

The newest release covers registrations for Ontario births from 1917, marriages from 1932 and deaths from 1942, as well as all indexes.

The website is at http://www.archives.gov.on.ca/

For research help on Ontario Vital Records is at https://familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Ontario_Vital_Records




Check the Canadian Week in Review every Monday morning for the latest in Genealogy, Heritage, and History news in Canada.
 
 
It’s the ONLY news blog of its kind in Canada!
 
It has been a regular post every Monday morning since April 23, 2012.

Friday, April 24, 2015

Aboriginal Heritage Festival


 

The Museum and Archives, in collaboration with community partners, is pleased to present the Aboriginal Heritage Festival for the fourth year at this site. The theme of this year’s festival is A Celebration of First Nations, Inuit and Metis Art and Culture.

The festival will be held May 2 at the Wellington County Museum and Archives, located at
0536 Wellington Rd 18, Fergus Ontario from 1:00 – 5:00. It is $5.00 per person or $12.50 per family.

 They say that “This celebration blends the beauty of Native Art, the sounds of the drum and the power of the indigenous voice. The full day event combines guest speakers, native educators, displays and demonstrations.

Local First Nations organizations will be on hand to share the history of the original peoples though discussions and storytelling. The event will also feature native foods for sale and an artisan marketplace’.

The presenters include -

Metis Nation of Ontario

Tribal Vision

Renee Thomas-Hill from the Ohsweken Genealogy Society

Lois Marshall

Jan Sherman

The website of the Wellington Museum and Archives is at http://www.wellington.ca/Museum/?_mid_=16514




 
Check the Canadian Week in Review every Monday morning for the latest in Genealogy, Heritage, and History news in Canada.
 
 
It’s the ONLY news blog of its kind in Canada!
 
It has been a regular post every Monday morning since April 23, 2012. 

What is ‘Story Me’?


At the Kingston Frontenac Public Library in Kingston, Ontario, there is an online section that is called Story Me.

It is a programe through which the library collects images and stories (audio interviews) from Kingston-Frontenac residents. Images and recordings will be added to their local history collection to preserve memories from residents of all walks of lie. You can read these stories online.

Also under the umbrella of the Story Me project is also the WWI Postcard Project. 

Our Home Town, Home Front postcard project invites Kingston-Frontenac residents to learn about the families who lived in their communities during World War I. Everyone is welcome to participate, and to share stories and discoveries with everyone.

Some of the stories are - 

Thomas Hancock, 155 Bagot Street, was captured at the Battle of St. Julien and spent much of the war in a German prisoner-of-war camp.

Benjamin Davy and his brothers Irvin Davy both enlisted from their family home at 50 O’Kill Street, which is now part of the Queen’s University campus.

If you want to read the stories, they are at https://kfplstoryme.wordpress.com/

If you want to contact Story Me, it is at https://kfplstoryme.wordpress.com/contact-us/

The website of the Kingston Branch Genealogical Society is at http://www.ogs.on.ca/kingston/



 
Check the Canadian Week in Review every Monday morning for the latest in Genealogy, Heritage, and History news in Canada.
 
 
It’s the ONLY news blog of its kind in Canada!
 
It has been a regular post every Monday morning since April 23, 2012.

Thursday, April 23, 2015

Dear Myrt’s Beginning Genealogy - Sessions 12




As I promised my blog on 06 January 2014 at http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2015/01/beginning-genealogy-study-group.html, I watched Dear Myrt’s Beginning Genealogy Session 12 yesterday. I will continue to watch the rest of the study group as it proceeds.

The major topic discussed yesterday was how reliable is secondary information given by an informant at the time of death, or on a tombstone?

“Not very” was the answer, and I totally agree.

There could be many reasons why the years of age, misspelled names, the date of death etc could be incorrectly recorded on the death certificate and/or the gravestone. It can be the perfect spot for misinformation to be recoded given the circumstances of the time.

Once again, we have to be careful. We have to fully check the facts, and have more than one source to verify the date of death and burial, for instance.

Some information can be had at -

The American Cemetery Records Wiki is found at FamilySearch at https://familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/United_States_Cemeteries

The American Funeral Homes Wiki is found at FamilySearch at https://familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/United_States_Funeral_Homes

The Canadian Cemetery Records Wiki is found at FamilySearch at https://familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Canada_Cemeteries

The Canadian Obituries Wiki is found at FamilySearch at https://familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Canada_Obituaries

The website for Session 12 is at https://plus.google.com/communities/104382659430904043232

Session 1 - http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2015/01/dear-myrts-beginning-genealogy-session-1.html

Session 2 - http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2015/01/dear-myrts-beginning-genealogy-session-2.html

Session 3 - http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2015/01/dear-myrts-beginning-genealogy-session-3.html

Session 4 - http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2015/01/dear-myrts-beginning-genealogy-session-4.html

Session 5 - http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2015/02/dear-myrts-beginning-genealogy-session-5.htm 

Session 6 & 7 - http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2015/03/dear-myrts-beginning-genealogy-sessions_5.html

Sessioin 8 - http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2015/03/dear-myrts-beginning-genealogy-sessions_13.html

Session 9 - http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2015/03/dear-myrts-beginning-genealogy-sessions_20.html

Session 10 - http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2015/03/dear-myrts-beginning-genealogy-session.html

Session 11 - http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2015/04/dear-myrts-beginning-genealogy-sessions_9.html

Remember to make yourself a member of Dear Myrt’s Genealogy Community before watching the YouTube Google+ Hangout on Air at https://plus.google.com/communities/104382659430904043232

Extra news items


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

There will be a full-day of activities on April the 25th at the Ottawa Branch Genealogical Society of the Ontario Genealogical Society.

At 10:30, there will be Genealogy: Back To Basics! Genealogy B2B. There will be a short lecture on a genealogical topic, followed by a Question and Answer session with Ottawa Branch members. This month's topic will be Genetic Genealogy with Richard McGregor.

Then at 1:30 to 3:00 pm, the society will hold their regular monthly meeting, and the topic will be Don't Fade Away: digitization and preservation of family photographs by Kyla Ubbink.

Digitization is a great way to facilitate creative use and sharing of photographs and documents, but with so many options out there for scanners, cameras and software it is hard to know what will suit your needs.

In this workshop aimed at beginners Kyla will discuss the different kinds of equipment and software available as well as the techniques required for carrying out digitization, organizing the resulting images, and some of the creative projects you can undertake to make the most out of your memories

The website is at http://ogsottawa.on.ca/

There will be a meeting of the Kent Branch Ontario Genealogical Society and it will be held on Friday May 8, 2015 at 7:00 PM at St. Andrew’s Residence, 99 Park St., Chatham. The Victorian Celebration of Death will be the topic.

Learn how our Victorian ancestors buried their death and the rituals and traditions they followed with Catherine MacKendrick, University of Windsor.

Everyone is welcome. Open and free to the public. If you are unable to join the meeting in person, please join us live online!

The website is at http://ogs.on.ca/kent/

If any of you are interested in the idea of researching a single surname, but if you would like to find out more about it, the Surname Society at http://surname-society.org/ now has a public Facebook group which is open to members and non-members alike.

The website is at https://www.facebook.com/groups/905667519498834

This is an international site, with Elizabeth Kipp from Ottawa being the editor of the newsletter The Surname Scribbler. 

One of the founder of this society, Kirsty Gray, will be the keynote speaker at this year's conference of the Ontario Genealogical Society  at http://www.ogs.on.ca/conference/


 
Check the Canadian Week in Review every Monday morning for the latest in Genealogy, Heritage, and History news in Canada.
 
 
It’s the ONLY news blog of its kind in Canada!
 
It has been a regular post every Monday morning since April 23, 2012.

Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Could you become an arbitrator for FamilySearch?


 FamilySearch.org is looking for qualified indexers to become arbitrators. 

All indexers who have indexed at least 4,000 records are eligible to become arbitrators. Qualifying indexers who would like to participate as arbitrators should visit https://FamilySearch.org/indexing/help to learn how to get started.

They say that the following four essential tips will ensure volunteers are ready to submit high-quality arbitrated records during the Worldwide Arbitration Event May 1-8, 2015 -

  • Read the instructions. Read or re-read the field helps and project instructions for each arbitration project before beginning. 
  • Record match. Record matching ensures that arbitrators use a correct and fair comparison between the information recorded by indexer A and indexer B. For instructions, watch the video: “Arbitration Training - Record Matching,” which teaches how to complete this essential step in the indexing process.
  • Index. If possible, volunteers should index one or more batches from each project they plan to arbitrate during the event, then continue to index one batch for every ten they arbitrate. Indexing (and reviewing the instructions) will help arbitrators stay sharp.
  • Arbitrate in native language. Accuracy is highest when volunteers work only in their native language. Unless they have received extensive training in a second language and are highly proficient in that language, or have been specifically trained to index certain types of records in a second language, volunteers should stick with projects in their native language. 

So are you ready to be an arbitrator?

If you are, visit https://FamilySearch.org/indexing/help



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

If you missed this week’s edition, it is at http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2015/04/canadian-week-in-review-20-april-2015.html

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

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

Call for papers

  
 
The second annual Kawartha Conference in Peterborough, Ontario will be held by the Kawartha Genealogical Branch on Saturday, October the 3rd, and they are putting out a call for papers. 

The theme of the conference will be Military Settlers and the organizers are seeking papers on all aspects of the settlement of British discharged military in Ontario.

In particular they are seeking papers on -

  • the situation (economic and political) in the UK that caused military people to emigrate
  • the military situation in Canada that encouraged military settlers the economic situation in Canada how the military emigration took place
  • the results
  • where the documentation is  
 
This will be a one-day conference with five speakers, each of one hour.
   
Please send a brief outline of your paper to kawarthaconference@ogs.on.ca by April the 30th.
 
The site of the is at http://www.ogs.on.ca/kawartha/
 
This is a conference that I am thinking of attending because the subject is so unusual, and the Kawartha Genealogical Society should be congratulated for thinking of having a conference on Military Settlers. 
 
 
Check the Canadian Week in Review every Monday morning for the latest in Genealogy, Heritage, and History news in Canada.
 
 
It’s the ONLY news blog of its kind in Canada!
 
It has been a regular post every Monday morning since April 23, 2012

New building for Stratford-Perth Archives, Ontario




The new building - the Stratford-Perth Archives - located in Stratford, Ontario is almost ready to be occupied and the Grand Opening will be held Saturday, June 6, 2015. 

Next month in May, they will reopen the reading room at the new building (with limited stack retrievals) with a new schedule of hours. They will move to retrievals from the stacks over the following 2 – 3 weeks. Please call ahead of any research visits in May to confirm open hours and what records are available.

They will post updates regarding the progress of the move and any additional service disruptions on the Perth County website as the project moves along and you can contact them if you have any questions.

They have many collections to research including tax assessments, newspapers, and township records.

You can phone 519-271-0531, ext 250, or email them at archives@perthcounty.ca

The website is at http://www.stratfordpertharchives.on.ca/

The new building is at 4273 Huron Road (Highway 8 West, Next Door to Stratford-Perth Museum), Stratford, Ontario.

Happy Researching!



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

If you missed this week’s edition, it is at http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2015/04/canadian-week-in-review-20-april-2015.html

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

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

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

British Columbia city directories

 


Vancouver Public Library's collection of digitized British Columbia city directories dates from 1860 - 1955.

This is an amazing collection!

The directories contain detailed historical information about British Columbia communities, for instance -
  • street and name listings of individuals and businesses in Vancouver and Victoria 
  • population figures
  • government listings
  • operating newspapers
  • and schools and libraries from communities across the province. 
If you have ancestors from British Columbia and would like to find out more information about them, try the city directories.

The website is http://www.vpl.ca/bccd/index.php

Happy Researching! 

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

If you missed this week’s edition, it is at http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2015/04/canadian-week-in-review-20-april-2015.html

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

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

Are you a Billings descendant???


One of the things that Mike More of the Ottawa Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society has done over the years is to keep the Descendants of the Immigrant Roger Billings of Milton Mass to Ottawa, Ontario. So far, there has been 5,894 people listed in the genealogy.

The website says that ‘Braddish BILLINGS, a son of Dr Elkanah BILLINGS was one of the first settlers in what is now the capital of Canada – the city of Ottawa. Braddish's house was left to the city by one of his descendants and has become the Billings Estate Museum.

There is considerable interest in the genealogy of the BILLINGS family by visitors to the City Archives, and this is an attempt to compile a reference chart of the family. It initially concentrated on the descendants of Dr. Elkanah, but an article in The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, `Roger Billings of Milton, Mass., and some of his descendants, by Harold Ward Dana published 1938-1940, lead to an expansion to include the known descendants of immigrant Roger Billings”.

The website is at http://www.ogsottawa.on.ca/billings/index.htm

The website of the Billings Bridge Museum is http://ottawamuseumnetwork.com/index.php?page=billings-estate

The website of the Ottawa Genealogical Society is http://ogsottawa.on.ca/

Happy researching!



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