Monday, July 13, 2015

Canadian Week in Review - 13 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


Joseph 'Joe' Schuster (1914-1992), a cartoonist in Toronto, moved to Cleveland, Ohio at the age of nine. Later, he met Jerome Siegel, and together, they co-created Superman, which first appeared in the June 1938 edition of Action Comics.

To read more, go to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Shuster




On July 8, 1917, three Canadian pilots in Britain’s Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) were awarded military decorations. The pilots – Raymond Collishaw, John Sharman, and Ellis Reid – were members of the Black Flight, whose successes in the First World War were legendary.

To read more, you can go to http://www.pc.gc.ca/apps/cseh-twih/index_e.asp

Social Media

Ontario Genealogical Society Conference 2015 – Barrie Ontario
http://blog.familyhistorysearches.com/2015/07/ontario-genealogical-society-conference-2015-barrie-ontario/
Ruth Blair has written a summary of the recent OGS Conference.


Newspaper Articles

Newfoundland

Caribou badge: St. John's street signs changed to honour WW I history
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/caribou-badge-st-john-s-street-signs-changed-to-honour-ww-i-history-1.3135524
In a project to honour the soldiers and wartime service of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment, the image of the caribou on the regimental badge — is now affixed to the signs of more than three dozen of the city's streets.

Nova Scotia

READER’S CORNER: Nova Scotia must mark Black Battalion centenary
http://thechronicleherald.ca/letters/1297855-reader%E2%80%99s-corner-nova-scotia-must-mark-black-battalion-centenary
In a little less than a year, one of the most significant dates in Nova Scotia black history will be upon us: the centennial of the commissioning of Canada’s first and only black battalion, the No. 2 Black Construction Battalion of the First World War.

New Brunswick

Heritage wharves along St. John River running out of cash
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/heritage-wharves-along-st-john-river-running-out-of-cash-1.3144645
More than 60 people turned out to a public meeting in Long Reach on Wednesday evening to discuss the future of two heritage steamboat wharves in the area.

Quebec

Quebec City nuns find business solutions
 http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2015/07/02/quebec-city-nuns-find-business-solutions.html
Compared to founding the province’s health system, the current project of the Order of the Augustinian Sisters of the Mercy of Jesus of Quebec — setting up a boutique hotel on the grounds of their monastery — shouldn’t be a problem.

St Sixte Catholic Church destroyed in Monday evening fire near Thurso, Quebec
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/st-sixte-catholic-church-destroyed-in-monday-evening-fire-near-thurso-que-1.3140925
A 130-year-old church was destroyed by fire north of Thurso, Quebec, on Monday evening.

The St. Sixte Catholic Church, established in 1885, was in the village of Saint Sixtus, north of Thurso, in the Outaouais.

Montreal Jazz Fest entrusts private archives to BAnQ
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/montreal-jazz-fest-entrusts-private-archives-to-banq-1.3132031
Montreal's Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec announced on Monday that it has acquired the archives of the Montreal International Jazz Festival.
   It is one of the library's largest private collections, with 2,660 videos and upwards of 1,800 hours of listening material.

Ontario

Renovation of Senate's temporary home $29M over budget
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/renovation-of-senate-s-temporary-home-29m-over-budget-1.3135855
Fixing up a temporary home for the Senate has gone over budget by at least $29 million, and Public Works wants to squeeze office-relocation costs for senators to make up the difference.

Oliver Anderson: Canoeing into Ottawa history
http://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/oliver-anderson-canoeing-into-ottawa-history
Spring log drives were once the defining activity on rivers in the Ottawa watershed, because the city we think of as a government town was the logging centre of the world in the 19th and into the 20th century. Canoe trippers have a unique opportunity to see this history first-hand on the landscapes of Ottawa’s tributary rivers.

126-year-old Brantford-built bike salvaged by collector
http://www.brantnews.com/news-story/5709516-126-year-old-brantford-built-bike-salvaged-by-collector/
At the 14th annual Canadian Vintage Bicycle Show – hosted at a farm on Tutela Heights Road on Sunday – Rick Wolfe proudly displayed an 1889 Goold Bicycle Company bike that he saved from the landfill in Ottawa this past December.

GENEALOGY WITH JANICE: Discover the scoundrels, criminals and black sheep in your family tree
http://www.insidetoronto.com/news-story/5702358-genealogy-with-janice-discover-the-scoundrels-criminals-and-black-sheep-in-your-family-tree/
No one wants a criminal at the dinner table, but finding one in your family tree can add pizzazz to an otherwise boring list of names and dates.

Wilfrid Laurier to house 22 life-size statues of Canadian PMs
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/kitchener-waterloo/wilfrid-laurier-to-house-22-life-size-statues-of-canadian-pms-1.3132952
A controversial proposal to erect 22 life-size statues of Canada's prime ministers has found a home on Wilfrid Laurier University's Waterloo campus after being rejected for Kitchener's Victoria Park over a year ago.

British Columbia

Canadian Mosaic Project: Picture this
http://www.comoxvalleyrecord.com/news/310799891.html
Forty-six-year-old Tim Van Horn visited Vancouver Island in June for the second time in the past seven years, adding more touches to his Canadian Mosaic Project, which will be unveiled during Canada’s 150th birthday celebrations, in 2017.

The Stories This Week


This week's news came to us that the St Sixte Catholic Church and all of its archives had burnt to the ground. (see Quebec - St Sixte Catholic Church destroyed in Monday evening fire near Thurso, Quebec.

I have seen that church a number of times that I have driven the Quebec countryside, and now it and it's archives are all gone. Just think of the memories that went up in smoke.

And how many genealogies have been lost in the fires that have ripped through the provinces of Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia? We dare not think.

There are lots of commercial companies that can help you to keep your genealogy safe once it is finished, but don't forget to put it in the cloud while you are working on it at home.

That way it stays safe and secure while you are working on it. If your hard drive should fail, it will be held for you.

I work mostly in Goggle now. It took awhile to adopt it, but I have accepted it now, and anytime you visit me, you will see that I am using Google to do almost everything.

So give it a try.

Go to http://google.com to see how you can use it. The service is free to everyone who uses it.

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


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


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/cwr-06-july-2015.html

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

Sunday, July 12, 2015

Muskoka Heritage Place, Huntsville, Ontario

There are many genealogy, history and heritage things to do at the Muskoka Heritage Place since it was first envisioned in 1958. It comprises of a museum, a village and a train which can take you around the village. 

There is an exhibit on site "War: What is it Good For?" It is an exhibit of locally-pertinent First World War artifacts, featuring several items specific to Muskoka's own 122nd Battalion, information panels and historic images, to honour the 100th anniversary of "The Great War".

The temporary exhibit will be on display until 2018.

The homepage is at http://www.muskokaheritageplace.org/en/index.asp

Their Facebook page is at https://www.facebook.com/MuskokaHeritagePlace?ref=hl

=====================================================================
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/cwr-06-july-2015.html

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

Saturday, July 11, 2015

Extra news items 11 July 2015


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

Isn't this a neat idea from Canada's heritage!

Cheryl Horgan, a local St. John's artist, is making jewellery from a church's copper roofing. And she is using the copper roofing as it is stripped off the 160-year-old Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, so that the copper roofing can be replaced.

Cheryl is donating two third of the sales to the restoration effort of the roof of the church.

To read the rest of the story, go to http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/cheryl-horgan-is-making-jewellery-from-church-s-copper-roofing-1.3147264


And her come another neat idea.

To the Revitalizing Indigenous Agriculture Project, methods of indigenous culture will be used to plant the seeds and help the garden grow at the Wanuskewin Heritage Park in Saskatoon.

And they are using Mohawk traditions using the idea of growing for sustenance.

To see the pictures of the garden, go to http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatoon/saskatoon-community-garden-grows-thanks-to-aboriginal-culture-1.3147407


And finally, there is the project called A Flanders Field in London, Ontario, a remembrance project that about a dozen local volunteers has been busy planing a garden of poppies.

The garden will be on the city-owned park on the southwest corner of Veterans Memorial Parkway and River Road. Over the past two years, they’ve been developing a large poppy garden to honour veterans, remember soldiers who have fallen and provide information about Canada’s military history.

Here is the story in the paper http://www.thelondoner.ca/2015/07/10/remembrance-gardens-nearly-ready-for-dedication

Here is their website at http://remembernovember11.com/

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/cwr-06-july-2015.html

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

Friday, July 10, 2015

151th PEI Highland Games and Scottish Festival 2015



It's time to start posting the highland games events that will take place around the country each summer.

The Caledonian Club of P.E.I.’s annual 151th PEI Highland Games and Scottish Festival 2015 at the Lord Selkirk Provincial Park, Eldon, PE from August 1 – 2, 2015.

Schedule of Events 2015 are posted on the main page page of the society at http://caledonianclubofpei.ca/?page_id=16

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


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/cwr-06-july-2015.html

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



Thursday, July 9, 2015

Summer Series of Talks at Keir Museum, Malpeque, PEI


 The Keir Memorial Museum is housed in the former Keir Memorial Presbyterian Church (1925-1983) 
 
This is the roster of speakers for the summer series of “Talks” at Keir Museum, Malpeque Route 20 for the summer of 2015. The Malpeque Historical Society has been presenting these talks relating to the history and people of Malpeque and Area for the past 16 years.
 
The talks are held each Wednesday morning at 10:00 a.m. beginning on July 15th and ending on August the 12th. Go and join them and bring a friend!
 
July 15 - Stories and Songs of the Sea by Leon Gallant.
 
July 22 - Birds of P.E.I. by Gerald MacDougall
 
July 29 - Island Heroine: Great War Nurse Lillian Pidgeon of Kensington by Katherine Dewar
 
August 5 - Maps and the Army:The Military Career of Samuel Holland by Earle Lockerby
 
August 12 - Over and Under the Darnley Bridge: songs and stories of the Island by Cindy C. Stone
 
If you happen to be in PEI this summer, why don't you take in one of these talks, especially if you have ancestors that came from the island.
 
You can go to the website at http://www.malpequebay.ca/keirmuseum.htm 
 
=====================================================================


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/cwr-06-july-2015.html

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

Wednesday, July 8, 2015

Extra news items



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

Lancaster Day will be celebrated in Ontario on July 11th

The Museum is keen to have as many Lancaster airplane crew Veterans present as will as well.

Lancaster veterans will receive FREE admission for themselves and two guests.

Contact Erin Napier at 905-6794183 ext. 245 or erin@warplane.com to receive VIP parking.

The Bomber command Museum of Canada also has a Canadian-built Lancaster B.X in their collection, FM159, which they have lovingly restored to ground-running condition.

To go to the website, go to http://www.warbirdsnews.com/warbirds-news/lancaster-day-july-11th-2015-hamilton-ontario.html
 

N.L. residents feel strongest sense of belonging, survey finds

More people in Newfoundland and Labrador feel a strong sense of belonging to their province than anywhere else in Canada, according to a recent report.

A Statistics Canada survey found that 65 per cent of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians feel a "very strong sense of belonging" to their province.

To read the article, go to http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/n-l-residents-feel-strongest-sense-of-belonging-survey-finds-1.3137979

No Plaisance for town of Placentia logo

Placentia's controversial new town logo will remain the same — disappointing news to some 500 residents who signed a petition, appealing the town to incorporate its French name, Plaisance, into the design.

To read the article, go to http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/no-plaisance-for-town-of-placentia-logo-mayor-says-1.3131228


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/cwr-06-july-2015.html

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

Tuesday, July 7, 2015

How about changing the term “Meetings”?


What I mean by this is “Meetings” is getting to be an old term. Something out of the 20th century. How about calling them something different, like the Toronto Family History Branch has done. They now call their meetings and special events Learn with Toronto Branch.

And isn't that why we hold meetings – to learn?

September will be a busy month with them, with a three-session course taught by Carol Nichols on how to make the most of Ancestry.ca Library Edition running on Wednesday afternoons. Carol’s course, titled Hands-On Ancestry.ca Library Edition, will be followed by three drop-in sessions at the Toronto Reference Library, again on Wednesday afternoons, where you can practice your Ancestry.ca skills with the help of volunteers from the Toronto Branch Members Network.

On Friday 18 September, they present a special two-hour afternoon lecture by professional genealogist Chris Paton on his research into the hardships endured by our Scottish ancestors.

And on Saturday 19 September, Chris will be back with us together with historian Dr. William Roulston for a full-day workshop on Irish Genealogy—Focus on Ulster. This workshop is aimed at family historians researching ancestors in the nine counties in the historic province of Ulster, but many of the topics discussed will be of relevance to Irish research generally.

They are now accepting registrations for all of the above courses and events.

Visit their Learn with Toronto Branch pages at http://torontofamilyhistory.org/learn/ to read about the program and details and to sign up online. We expect to open registration for October and November courses in late July.

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


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/cwr-06-july-2015.html

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

Monday, July 6, 2015

Canadian Week in Review 06 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

In 1784, Britain split the colony of Nova Scotia into three separate colonies: New Brunswick, Cape Breton Island, and present-day peninsular Nova Scotia. The capital city was Sydney.

In 1820, the colony of Cape Breton Island was once again merged with Nova Scotia.
To read more information, go to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_Breton_Island



In 1833, Capt. John Ross and 19 of his crew were rescued from Baffin Island. After their ship became ice-bound, they survived by living with Inuit for three years.

He led three Arctic expeditions, the last one in 1850, when he set out to find Sir John Franklin. Upon returning, he settled in Scotland, and died in London in 1856.
For further information, go to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Ross_(Arctic_explorer)

Social Media

(Photos) History of Digby’s old public clock – new town clock to be dedicated this Saturday
http://www.novanewsnow.com/Community/2015-06-18/article-4187122/History-of-Digby%26rsquo%3Bs-old-public-clock-%26ndash%3B-new-town-clock-to-be-dedicated-this-Saturday/1
Digby’s new town clock will be the first one on Water Street since 1963, when the old post office was torn down.

Articles

Nova Scotia

Why no Loyalist Day for Nova Scotia?
http://www.digbycourier.ca/News/Local/2015-06-18/article-4186796/Why-no-Loyalist-Day-for-Nova-Scotia%3F/1
The Loyalists' arrival in Nova Scotia after the American Revolution doubled the province’s population, and today 20 percent or more of Nova Scotians could have an ancestor who was a United Empire Loyalist.

Local lighthouse competing for top prize
http://www.guysboroughjournal.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=82:local-lighthouse-competing-for-top-prize&catid=42:front-page-stories
The Port Bickerton Lighthouse is battling it out with other lighthouses in Nova Scotia in Heritage Canada’s “This Lighthouse Matters” crowd-funding competition, which began June 17.
Parks Canada has just named 74 lighthouses at http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/progs/lhn-nhs/pp-hl/page01.aspx

Vice-Admiral Harry DeWolf remembered over Bedford Days
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/vice-admiral-harry-dewolf-remembered-over-bedford-days-1.3128308
Thousands of people will celebrate Bedford Days over the weekend, and many will do so in DeWolf Park, the waterfront hub for the Halifax community.
   Few may know the man who gave the park its name: Bedford resident and naval hero, Vice-Admiral Harry DeWolf.

Prince Edward Island

Battle of Waterloo P.E.I. veteran celebrated
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/battle-of-waterloo-p-e-i-veteran-celebrated-1.3119725
A ceremony Thursday commemorated a veteran of the Battle of Waterloo, whose grave was recently discovered in a small community in eastern P.E.I.

Feasts, workshops from Macphail's new kitchen
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/feasts-workshops-from-macphail-s-new-kitchen-1.3127083
A newly-renovated kitchen at P.E.I.'s Sir Andrew MacPhail Homestead is allowing the historic property to expand its programming.

New Brunswick

Birch bark canoe from 1800s fails to excite museum community
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/birch-bark-canoe-from-1800s-fails-to-excite-museum-community-1.3112010
The canoe is around 195 years old, and it has been stored upside down in Richard Paul's garage. It is wrapped carefully in plastic to keep its fragile web of ribs and birch bark intact.

Manitoba

Don Murray Museum collection goes to auction
http://www.mywestman.ca/community-news/3947-don-murray-museum-collection-goes-to-auction.html
In a two-day auction to be held July 4 and 5, Don Murray will disburse his extensive collection of antiques, collectibles, and artifacts from his private on-site museum.

Alberta

Historic church gateway to Alberta’s past
http://www.cochranetimes.com/2015/06/18/historic-church-gateway-to-albertas-past
A solitary church stands near a natural ford by the Bow River along Highway 1A between Cochrane and Morley.
   In its 140th year, the George McDougall Memorial United Church is a monument to what once was, and a reflection to what has developed since.

Grain elevators as art in Spruce Grove
http://www.sprucegroveexaminer.com/2015/06/26/grain-elevators-as-art-in-spruce-grove
Last weekend was a busy one for the Spruce Grove Agricultural Society as they played host to the Alberta Grain Elevator Society (AGES) and its membership from across the province

The Stories This Week

Read the whole census, please!
One thing that beginning genealogists don’t do is read enough. And they would say, “I read everything. I have never had so much to read in all my life – history, immigration, profile ...”.

But I ask, “When you try to find your ancestor in the 1851/52 census, for example, do you read every page of the census? There may be facts lying there in the weeds, so to speak, which you may not discover on the first reading of the census report of that particular area that the ancestor is from.”

For example, the census of this particular effort was taken by an English-speaking enumerator. When it came to surnames, he wrote down what he heard. And since many of the people were French – the surnames are somewhat “tortured”, so to speak.

Second, there are a number of pages to this particular census.

If you can’t find your ancestor, maybe they were in jail, for instance. On this particular census, two people were in jail, and the enumerator wrote them on the last pages of the census – albeit removed a number of pages from where I was looking at my ancestor.

Also, on the first pages of the census, the enumerator wrote a small description of the village in which he gave a picture of the place as it was in 1851/1852.

So the moral of the story is to watch what you read. Make sure you read all of the census, and don't disregard the "small stuff:".

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


 Canada Day Contest


This year, for the annual Canada Day Contest sponsored by the Canadian Week in Review, the skill-testing question is -

This year, Canadians celebrate the birthday of Canada's first prime minister, Sir John A. Macdonald. The question is - When was his birthday, and where was he born? Hint: Like a true immigrant, he wasn't born in Canada!

One winner will be drawn from the correct entries.

The lucky contestant will get a free consultation with me in which they will be told of some of the places they can look to hopefully discover the year in which their Canadian ancestor immigrated to Canada, or some other detail.

The contest will close at the end of Canada History Week at midnight on Wednesday, 07 July 2015.

Place "Canada Day Contest" in the subject of the email to genealogyreserch@aol.com




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/2015/06/canadian-week-in-review-cwr-29-june-2015.html

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

Saturday, July 4, 2015

Dear Myrt’s Beginning Genealogy Study Group: What did I learn?



As I promised in my blog on 06 January 2015 at http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2015/01/beginning-genealogy-study-group.html, I watched Dear Myrt’s Beginning Genealogy Study Group to its conclusion, and this will be my last post in this series.

So what did I learn?

Contrary to what I said in the last post I made that it was starting to get confusing, the confusion was cleared up in the last two sessions/ I was able to review the sessions of the study group, and here is what I learned -


that I should add to my Canadian Research Toolkit. Just like Cousin Russ, who built the American Research Toolkit at https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1CXE1JFJ9HJaaGsbUPe7y0iPUX6_xnakSVL7S9XBIqUo/edit?usp=sharing we should build one of our own. There is also a Scottish Research Toolkit at https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1WctuJalvphJk9mQWVzbJuRcnrgT01EQjusfvrCDkBd0/edit#gid=1716377541, since Dear Myrt and Claire V. Brisson-Banks are presenting the Scottish Study Group.

The second thing I leaned was that, as Cousin Russ said, you should research one record group at a time. I usually start with the census records, and then the vital statistics records, and so forth. I was sort of doing this anyway, before it was mentioned in the study group by Cousin Russ, but it helped to hear someone else say it, and to put it into words that everyone could understand.

I extend a big thank you to Dear Myrt, Cousin Russ, the panelists, and the community for bringing this to us over 20 sessions. It is well worth it to take some time out of my busy day to listed to all of the sessions. Very well done!

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
================================================
Canada Day Contest
This year, for the annual Canada Day Contest sponsored by the Canadian Week in Review, the skill-testing question is -

This year, Canadians celebrate the birthday of Canada's first prime minister, Sir John A. Macdonald. The question is - When was his birthday, and where was he born? Hint: Like a true immigrant, he wasn't born in Canada!

One winner will be drawn from the correct entries.

The lucky contestant will get a free consultation with me in which they will be told of some of the places they can look to hopefully discover the year in which their Canadian ancestor immigrated to Canada, or some other detail.

The contest will close at the end of Canada History Week at midnight on Wednesday, 07 July 2015.

Place 'Canada Day Contest" in the subject of the email to
genealogyreserch@aol.com

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

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/2015/06/canadian-week-in-review-cwr-29-june-2015.html
 

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

Friday, July 3, 2015

Family History Conference in Ottawa


Marianne Rasmus, in charge of publicity at the British Isles Family History Society of Greater Ottawa's (BIFHSGO) Conference Planning Committee, has just informed me that registration is now open.

Marianne tells us that this year's conference will take place from September 18 to 20, 2015 in Ottawa.

The conference themes will be -

Scottish Family History

Photographs in Genealogy

Technology for Genealogists

They will also have a fantastic slate of speakers, including Maureen Taylor, Chris Paton and Thomas MacEntee.

Pre-conference workshops are also offered.

The program and registration information are available on the BIFHSGO website at http://www.bifhsgo.ca.

Early Bird Registration Deadline is August 14, 2015.

Please note the new conference venue: Ben Franklin Place, 101 Centrepointe Drive, Ottawa, Ontario.

 ===============================================================
Canada Day Contest

This year, for the annual Canada Day Contest sponsored by the Canadian Week in Review, the skill-testing question is -

This year, Canadians celebrate the birthday of Canada's first prime minister, Sir John A. Macdonald. The question is - When was his birthday, and where was he born? Hint: Like a true immigrant, he wasn't born in Canada!

One winner will be drawn from the correct entries.

The lucky contestant will get a free consultation with me in which they will be told of some of the places they can look to hopefully discover the year in which their Canadian ancestor immigrated to Canada, or some other detail.

The contest will close at the end of Canada History Week at midnight on Wednesday, 07 July 2015.

Place 'Canada Day Contest" in the subject of the email to genealogyreserch@aol.com

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


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/2015/06/canadian-week-in-review-cwr-29-june-2015.html
 

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

Thursday, July 2, 2015

Extra news items

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


News has come to me that the Memorial to the Victims of Communism in Ottawa—first reported to our readers here in http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2015/02/canadian-week-in-review-09-february-2015.html (the story appears under Stories of the Week)—has turned out to be an ever-changing saga.

I understand from the latest news is that the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada, Heritage Ottawa, and two architects are taking the National Capital Commission’s decision to begin decontamination of the site for the Memorial to the Victims of Communism to court.

Hmmm, this could changes things a bit, doesn't it?

This is right behind last week's meeting that the National Capital Commission had with interested parties to show them some of the changes that had been suggested to the design of the memorial, such as -

 - that the five folded sheets of steel called “Memory Folds,” will reach up eight metres, not 14.3 meters high

 - that the foot bridge (Bridge of Hope) will be five metres high, down from 11, and there will not be a proposed elevator inside

 - that the whole project will be farther back from Wellington Street, and it will be settled or “nestled” behind a natural earth berm. Apparently, this would reduce its visibility on the street view

But it will still be located in front of the Supreme Court, next to the Library and Archives Canada, and won't be moved to the Gardens of the Provinces park across the street from the Library and Archives Canada that was its original site.



The Library and Archives Canada has released studies of photographs that you may interesting -

These photographs of Oscar Peterson and his family which were taken in 1944 is at http://thediscoverblog.com/2015/06/26/oscar-peterson/.

Also, there is Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Tour of Western Canada – Visit to Jasper National Park, which was commissioned as a trip across the country.

His trip can be viewed at http://thediscoverblog.com/2015/06/25/sir-arthur-conan-doyle-tour-of-western-canada-visit-to-jasper-national-park/



It has been suggested by Fin Armsworthy, the Municipality of the District of Guysborough councillor, that the town of Canso, Cape Breton, may be interested in hosting The Never Forgotten National Memorial, which was first reported to our readers in the June post under the title of Is the Never Forgotten National Momument going to be built?

You can read  the post at http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2015/06/is-never-forgotten-national-momument.html

When a meeting is held July 8, Armsworthy intends to bring it forward to the rest of the members, and ask for public consultations to have it construed at Canso.

Stay tuned for future developments.

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

===============================================================
Canada Day Contest


This year, for the annual Canada Day Contest sponsored by the Canadian Week in Review, the skill-testing question is -

This year, Canadians celebrate the birthday of Canada's first prime minister, Sir John A. Macdonald. The question is - When was his birthday, and where was he born? Hint: Like a true immigrant, he wasn't born in Canada!

One winner will be drawn from the correct entries.

The lucky contestant will get a free consultation with me in which they will be told of some of the places they can look to hopefully discover the year in which their Canadian ancestor immigrated to Canada, or some other detail.

The contest will close at the end of Canada History Week at midnight on Wednesday, 07 July 2015.

Place 'Canada Day Contest" in the subject of the email to genealogyreserch@aol.com

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


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/2015/06/canadian-week-in-review-cwr-29-june-2015.html
 

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

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

Canada Day at the Museum


Today is Canada's 148th birthday!

If you want to do something different this year to celebrate Canada's birthday, how about going to the events being held at the Canadian Museum of History today, located right across the river from Parliament Hill in Ottawa?

They are planning a whole day of FREE activities from 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Family Fun with Music
At 1 p.m., 3:30 p.m., and 6 p.m. in the Grand Hall

Family Fun with Crafts
From 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. in the Canadian Children’s Museum

Adventures with Odysseus
From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., in the exhibition, The Greeks – Agamemnon to Alexander the Great

The website is http://www.historymuseum.ca/event/canada-day-at-the-museum/

And right cross from the museum is Jacques Cartier Park, where you can also take part in Canada Day activities http://canadaday.gc.ca/eng/1399923093900/1399923177644

Enjoy yourself, and above all – Have fun!

Canada Day Contest

This year, for the annual Canada Day Contest sponsored by the Canadian Week in Review, the skill-testing question is -

This year, Canadians celebrate the birthday of Canada's first prime minister, Sir John A. Macdonald. The question is - When was his birthday, and where was he born? Hint: Like a true immigrant, he wasn't born in Canada!

One winner will be drawn from the correct entries.

The lucky contestant will get a free consultation with me in which they will be told of some of the places they can look to hopefully discover the year in which their Canadian ancestor immigrated to Canada, or some other detail.

The contest will close at the end of Canada History Week at midnight on Wednesday, 07 July 2015.

Place 'Canada Day Contest" in the subject of the email to genealogyreserch@aol.com

Good luck to all, and Happy Canada Day!

Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Annual Seminar 2015 in Victoria, British Columbia


Merv Scott, the Project Director of the Victoria Genealogical Society (the one in British Columbia, Canada) writes to tell me that they have finalized their program for their Annual Seminar, and registration is now open at http://www.victoriags.org/seminar.php

The date of the seminar is October 24, 2015 from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm and it will be held at St. Aidan’s Church Hall, 3703 St Aidan's Street, Victoria, BC.

They will have an impressive lineup of speakers to address this year's theme - Creating Connections Through DNA: Genetic Genealogy in the Digital Age.

Some of the speakers will be -

Barbara Johnson has a degree in Medical Microbiology, and has taught science both at elementary school and with Pacific Science Center

Wedlidi Speck, a hereditary chief of the Namgis First Nation, is Director of Aboriginal Service Change with the Ministry of Children and Family Development.

Stuart Rennie is a Lawyer, Records and Information Management and Information Governance consultant as well as an Adjunct Professor at UBC in the School of Library, Archival and Information Studies.

Merv says that “Some of your followers might like the idea of enjoying our beautiful fall weather. Combining a trip to Victoria and all it has to offer with a day of genealogy with like minded people - what could be better"?

The website is www.victoriags.org

The Seminar website is http://www.victoriags.org/seminar.php

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

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/2015/06/canadian-week-in-review-cwr-22-june-2015.html

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

More Vital Statistics added to Nova Scotia Archives database



 An additional 26,625 historical vital statistics have been added at www.novascotiagenealogy.com

These records were released on 31 December 2014 and they have been digitized, fully indexed and checked for quality control.

This year's posting include 15,123 births (1914), 5,086 marriages (1939) and 6,416 deaths (1964).

As usual, the birth records include some 'delayed' entries for individuals born in 1914 (or earlier) but not registered until a later date.

Meanwhile, FamilySearch has added more Nova Scotia indexed records, such as -

Nova Scotia Deaths, 1864-1871

27,717 images organized by county (Annapolis, Antigonish, Cape Breton, Colchester, Cumberland, Digby, Guysborough, Halifax, Hants, Inverness, Kings, Lunenburg, Pictou, Queens, Richmond, Shelburne, Victoria, Yarmouth) and year range.

The site is at https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2242825

Nova Scotia Marriage, 1864-1918

21,950 images organized in the same way as above.

The site is at https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2242886

Nova Scotia Births, 1864-1877

35,025 images organized in the same way.

The site is at https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2243378

If you are looking for an Nova Scotian ancestor, I would advise you to look through the entire section, because I have found births, marriages and deaths on each roll of microfilm, regardless if it says, for instance, Nova Scotia Deaths. Although, through FamilySearch, you do have direct access to the records, that may not be available elsewhere.

 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/2015/06/canadian-week-in-review-cwr-29-june-2015.html

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

Monday, June 29, 2015

Ancestry.ca is FREE!

 

It is Canada's birthday on July 1st, and Ancestry.ca will be FREE until Midnight July 1st ET. 

And that is FREE access to all Canadian records.

You will need to register for free with Ancestry.ca with your name and email address.

Once registered a user name and password will be sent by email.

After July 1, 2015, you will only be able to view these records using an Ancestry.ca paid membership.

Go to http://home.ancestry.ca/

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/2015/06/canadian-week-in-review-cwr-29-june-2015.html

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