GenealogyToday.com, a website that I have been writing for on a monthly basis for the past six years, continues to publish my columns on Canadian genealogy. It published my latest column, "Chinese-Canadians Immigrants Now Online", on the 10th of September at <www.genealogytoday.com/roots/xweb.mv?xc=Display&xo=rescms&xn=-1&xr=1585&xw=&t_rid=25294&xz=connect.html>.
Simply go to the "Canadian Connections" section of GenealogyToday.com to see a history of the columns that have been published by Illya D'Addezio and company.
He wrote to me over the weekend to tell me of a new website he now has now called "Live Roots".
It was launched a couple weeks ago and now contains over three million names. He says that they continue to add 5 to 10 thousand new names every week!
It is a search engine for genealogists. Illya says that "the feedback has been terrific. Live Roots also includes most of the GenealogyToday.com information, creating one place to search across thousands of databases."
He says that LiveRoots was built to provide the researcher a site that "extends beyond the typical bounds of a traditional search engine or link directory by facilitating access to offline records and publications through partnerships with amateur and professional researchers who either own copies or are geographically closer to the librarians and archives that do."
I have gone on the site to see what is available for BARCLAY, and found quite a bit of stuff - both in the non-subscription and subscription areas. So it is true to its word - the site does provide lots of information that you can't find or would take too long to find.
It says on the website that each of the results has been hand transcribed and checked to make sure they are correct - the results I have checked so far are accurate as far as I know.
You just put in the surname and you will get results in the surname area and resource area - and I found results in each area.
He asks you to email him with feedback after you have had a chance to visit LiveRoots.com. The address is <owner@gentodayllc.com>.
A daily blog about Canadian genealogy, heritage, and history
Monday, November 3, 2008
Sunday, November 2, 2008
The first question out of Brian Gilchrist——the Reference Archivist of The Region of Peel Archives who was at the Library and Archives Canada yesterday to give the second annual Ryan Taylor Memorial Lecture——was the question, "How savvy a researcher do you think you are?"
And this was just the first of many questions he asked during his lecture, the purpose which was to spur everybody on to evaluate their research - what is the quality of your research?
Do you, as you are supposed to, always work from the known to the unknown? Do you always ask the correct question of fellow genealogists, librarians, and archivists?
Do you think about how many levels there may be to your question? Is there a difference between what you need to know and want to know? And when do you need to know it?
I was reminded of a question that I have had since I started my own genealogy in 1994. That is why my g-g-g-g-grandfather Andrew BARCLAY had listed as his occupation - a bookbinder, and not as a farmer as was his father's business?
He was not the first son, so he did not get the land owned by the Barclay's in Kinrossshire, Scotland ... so was else was he to do? But bookbinding seemed so off the wall at first glance. Why bookbinding?
Through research I found that his grandfather had been a bookbinder in Edinburgh! And that area of Scotland there had been a huge trade in printing, and bookbinding, a profession he would take with him to the United States in c1760.
But maybe the most important question Brian asked through the entire lecture was the one he finished with - "What legacy have we left behind?"
That is perhaps the most important question these days since so many Canadian genealogists over the past three or four years have died. (In our immediate area, there are three nationally-known genealogists—-Sandra Devlin, Ryan Taylor, and Paul McGrath——who have passed on since 2005). Where has their work gone? What has happened to it?
Have you made a provision in your will to give direction to your executive as what to do with your papers, photos, video, and anything else you may have discovered along the way? What will happen to your genealogical "stuff"?
These questions he raised yesterday have made me think. I plan to finish the BARCLAY genealogy over this winter, and post it to the Internet as well do a limited production run of it to give to the Shelburne County Genealogical and Archives in Shelburne, Nova Scotia. I also have photos, certificates, and other family memorabilia which I plan to give to them for safekeeping, and for other people to research.
So, have you done the same thing with the "stuff" you have collected?
And this was just the first of many questions he asked during his lecture, the purpose which was to spur everybody on to evaluate their research - what is the quality of your research?
Do you, as you are supposed to, always work from the known to the unknown? Do you always ask the correct question of fellow genealogists, librarians, and archivists?
Do you think about how many levels there may be to your question? Is there a difference between what you need to know and want to know? And when do you need to know it?
I was reminded of a question that I have had since I started my own genealogy in 1994. That is why my g-g-g-g-grandfather Andrew BARCLAY had listed as his occupation - a bookbinder, and not as a farmer as was his father's business?
He was not the first son, so he did not get the land owned by the Barclay's in Kinrossshire, Scotland ... so was else was he to do? But bookbinding seemed so off the wall at first glance. Why bookbinding?
Through research I found that his grandfather had been a bookbinder in Edinburgh! And that area of Scotland there had been a huge trade in printing, and bookbinding, a profession he would take with him to the United States in c1760.
But maybe the most important question Brian asked through the entire lecture was the one he finished with - "What legacy have we left behind?"
That is perhaps the most important question these days since so many Canadian genealogists over the past three or four years have died. (In our immediate area, there are three nationally-known genealogists—-Sandra Devlin, Ryan Taylor, and Paul McGrath——who have passed on since 2005). Where has their work gone? What has happened to it?
Have you made a provision in your will to give direction to your executive as what to do with your papers, photos, video, and anything else you may have discovered along the way? What will happen to your genealogical "stuff"?
These questions he raised yesterday have made me think. I plan to finish the BARCLAY genealogy over this winter, and post it to the Internet as well do a limited production run of it to give to the Shelburne County Genealogical and Archives in Shelburne, Nova Scotia. I also have photos, certificates, and other family memorabilia which I plan to give to them for safekeeping, and for other people to research.
So, have you done the same thing with the "stuff" you have collected?
Friday, October 31, 2008
New Federal Heritage Minister
The new Department of Heritage minister is James Moore from the BC riding of Port Moody-Westwood-Port Coquitlam.
He first entered Parliament in 2004 and was named Secretary of State for Officials Languages, Pacific Gateway and the Vancouver-Whistler Olympics before he was announced yesterday as the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages.
The Heritage website is going to be closed tomorrow - presumbly to put Moore in as the minister, and to change some of the script on the website to reflect the new minister.
Josee Verner has been moved from the Heritage Department to Intergovemmental Affairs and is responsible for La Francophonie.
Greg Thompson is still the Minister of Veterans Affairs.
He first entered Parliament in 2004 and was named Secretary of State for Officials Languages, Pacific Gateway and the Vancouver-Whistler Olympics before he was announced yesterday as the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages.
The Heritage website is going to be closed tomorrow - presumbly to put Moore in as the minister, and to change some of the script on the website to reflect the new minister.
Josee Verner has been moved from the Heritage Department to Intergovemmental Affairs and is responsible for La Francophonie.
Greg Thompson is still the Minister of Veterans Affairs.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Métis Nation Seeks Genealogist
I recently received (indirectly) an email from Karole Dumont-Beckett, Registrar of the Métis Nation of Ontario's head office in Ottawa, looking for a full-time genealogist/historian.
The link for the job description is located at <www.metisnation.org/voyageur/articles/job_postings/08oc_genealogist.pdf>.
Deadline for application for this interesting position is November 10, 2008.
There are other opportunities across Canada, so if Ottawa is out of your area, perhaps something a little closer to (your) home might be available.
In any event, this is an interesting site, and offers a lot of information for those looking for their Métis ancestry, and the latest in news and events. Check out their magazine, Métis Voyageur, at <www.metisnation.org/voyageur/in_print/home.html>.
As well, this big news item from a recent press release on their site -
"MNO, Ontario Government and Council of Ontario Universities announce University of Ottawa selected to host first Ontario Research Chair in Métis Studies (Often unknown history of Ontario Métis will start to be told)". The link is <www.metisnation.org/voyageur/articles/national/08_sep_Chair_Annouce.html>.
For more information, please contact Karole at:
Karole Dumont-Beckett
Registrar / Director of Registry
Métis Nation of Ontario
500 Old St-Patrick St. Unit D, Ottawa, ON, KIN 9G4
Ph: 613-798-1488 Ph: 800-263-4889
Fx: 613-722-4225
Email: karoled@metisnation.org
Website: www.metisnation.org
The link for the job description is located at <www.metisnation.org/voyageur/articles/job_postings/08oc_genealogist.pdf>.
Deadline for application for this interesting position is November 10, 2008.
There are other opportunities across Canada, so if Ottawa is out of your area, perhaps something a little closer to (your) home might be available.
In any event, this is an interesting site, and offers a lot of information for those looking for their Métis ancestry, and the latest in news and events. Check out their magazine, Métis Voyageur, at <www.metisnation.org/voyageur/in_print/home.html>.
As well, this big news item from a recent press release on their site -
"MNO, Ontario Government and Council of Ontario Universities announce University of Ottawa selected to host first Ontario Research Chair in Métis Studies (Often unknown history of Ontario Métis will start to be told)". The link is <www.metisnation.org/voyageur/articles/national/08_sep_Chair_Annouce.html>.
For more information, please contact Karole at:
Karole Dumont-Beckett
Registrar / Director of Registry
Métis Nation of Ontario
500 Old St-Patrick St. Unit D, Ottawa, ON, KIN 9G4
Ph: 613-798-1488 Ph: 800-263-4889
Fx: 613-722-4225
Email: karoled@metisnation.org
Website: www.metisnation.org
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Holocaust by Bullets
Father Patrick DesBois, author and Holocaust expert, has been in Montreal at the Montreal Holocaust Memorial Centre to speak during Education Week <www.mhmc.ca>.
He is the president of the Yahad-in-Unum Association, a group which has brought to light the percise conditions under which 1.5 million Jews who lived in the Ukraine were exterminated by mobile Nazi units during the Second World War.
He has a website called "Mass Shooting of Jews in Ukraine (1941-1944): The Holocaust by Bullets", and he travels the Ukraine finding people who lived there at the to hear the stories.
He has used the German and Soviet archives, gathering eyewitness reports of the execution and burial sites, and to gather material proof of the genocide. The sites are recorded, including its GPS readings, and personal items are recovered by the teams including victims glasses, children's games, and jewellery.
He will appear tomorrow night at 7:00 p.m at the Barney Danson Theatre in the Canadian War Museum, 1 Vimy Place, to tell the story.
The website is <www.warmuseum.ca>, and the phone number is 819.776.8600.
He is the president of the Yahad-in-Unum Association, a group which has brought to light the percise conditions under which 1.5 million Jews who lived in the Ukraine were exterminated by mobile Nazi units during the Second World War.
He has a website called "Mass Shooting of Jews in Ukraine (1941-1944): The Holocaust by Bullets", and he travels the Ukraine finding people who lived there at the to hear the stories.
He has used the German and Soviet archives, gathering eyewitness reports of the execution and burial sites, and to gather material proof of the genocide. The sites are recorded, including its GPS readings, and personal items are recovered by the teams including victims glasses, children's games, and jewellery.
He will appear tomorrow night at 7:00 p.m at the Barney Danson Theatre in the Canadian War Museum, 1 Vimy Place, to tell the story.
The website is <www.warmuseum.ca>, and the phone number is 819.776.8600.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Brian Gilchrist to Speak in Ottawa
Saturday, November 1st will be a red-letter day in Ottawa as Brian Gilchirst comes to speak at the second Ryan Taylor Memorial Lecture at the LAC.
The lecture will be entitled "Developing a Research Strategy", and he will talk about "being stuck", and how to become unstuck, and move your research on again.
The session will present a number of options based on a review of your own notes, and leaning how to ask questions of people who can help, be it from networking with other genealogists, or with archivists and librarians, or on-line resources.
As the pre-publicity says, "There is a whole world of untouched resource material out there, and Mr. Gilchrist will help you learn how to access it".
He is the Archivist at the Peel Archives near Toronto, and has been given lectures ever since I first attended the OGS' Gene-O-Rama in Ottawa in 1993.
The Ryan Taylor Memorial Lecture was started last year in Ottawa as a response to the 2006 death of Ryan, who had been a keynote genealogist in Canada and the United States.
The lecture will take place at the Library and Archives Canada Auditorium at 395 Wellington Street on Saturday, November 1st at 10:00 a.m., and is free.
See you there!
The lecture will be entitled "Developing a Research Strategy", and he will talk about "being stuck", and how to become unstuck, and move your research on again.
The session will present a number of options based on a review of your own notes, and leaning how to ask questions of people who can help, be it from networking with other genealogists, or with archivists and librarians, or on-line resources.
As the pre-publicity says, "There is a whole world of untouched resource material out there, and Mr. Gilchrist will help you learn how to access it".
He is the Archivist at the Peel Archives near Toronto, and has been given lectures ever since I first attended the OGS' Gene-O-Rama in Ottawa in 1993.
The Ryan Taylor Memorial Lecture was started last year in Ottawa as a response to the 2006 death of Ryan, who had been a keynote genealogist in Canada and the United States.
The lecture will take place at the Library and Archives Canada Auditorium at 395 Wellington Street on Saturday, November 1st at 10:00 a.m., and is free.
See you there!
A Canadian Genealogist Dies in Scotland
Yesterday afternoon (Monday, October 27th, 2008), Don Hinchley, President of the Ontario Genealogy Society (OGS), wrote to tell a number of us that Paul McGrath, the genealogist on "Ancestors in the Attic", has died in Scotland.
He was the chair of the Toronto Branch, and had given many talks around Ontario on genealogy.
He died last Wednesday of a heart attack.
People who attended Conference '09 in London, Ontario this year heard him give a couple of seminars and the talk at the supper on "Ancestors in the Attic".
This blog send its condoldances to his family for thier personal loss, and to the genealogists of Canada, for they have lost a great family historian.
He was the chair of the Toronto Branch, and had given many talks around Ontario on genealogy.
He died last Wednesday of a heart attack.
People who attended Conference '09 in London, Ontario this year heard him give a couple of seminars and the talk at the supper on "Ancestors in the Attic".
This blog send its condoldances to his family for thier personal loss, and to the genealogists of Canada, for they have lost a great family historian.
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