Tuesday, August 23, 2011

"Ask Granny!" Genealogy Program

The Victoria Genealogical Society's “Ask Granny!” Genealogical Program which is a free seminar in retirement homes is ready for their fall season.

They have presented four seminar so far in 2011 to a total of 29 students, and it sounds like they have been very popular.

I wonder if other societies are doing this as part of their outreach program.

For further information about “Ask Granny!' email vgsprojectdirector@gmail.com or visit the VGS Programs page on this Victoria Genealogical Society's website at http://www.victoriags.org/index.htm.

Monday, August 22, 2011

Kingston Cemetery Repaired

On 27 May 2008 a number of Kingston citizens concerned about the deterioration of the Lower Burial Ground of St. Paul's Churchyard in the heart of the city gathered and decided to establish a non-profit corporation to be known as The Lower Burial Ground Restoration Society.

Since then, they have repaired the burial ground, and was able to repair the wall which surrounds it.

You can view the work that has been done by going to http://www.uelac.org/Kingston/lower.html

Keffer Writing Contest

Every year the Ontario Genealogical Society (OGS) has a writing contest called the Keffer Writing Contest. The deadline for entering the contest is November 1st.

The entries must be Canadian or Ontario based genealogy, and they should be between 1,500 and 2,000 words in length.

There will be three judges, and lots of nifty prized -

1sr prize $100.00 plus 2 annual OGS memberships
2nd prize $75.00 plus 1 annual OGS memberships
3rd prize $50.00
4th prize $25.00

You have to be a member of the OGS in order to enter. They have a new membership offer of $35.00 for a half year membership. Details are at are at http://www.ogs.on.ca/home/essay.php

Sunday, August 21, 2011

New Blog - Beehive Genealogy

Just like a busy bee, Erin has been writing blog post, as she puts it “It is my attempt to make sense of my ancestors, their place in time, and the communities they lived in as they moved west in Canada”.

She had been on since August the 11th , and has written such blogs as “Vic and Cassie Lloyd”, and 'The Benefits of Asking Questions and Questioning Answers”. She also does blogs on such subjects as “Friday Funny”, “Saturday Surnames”, and “Tombstone Tuesday

Erin writes with an easy and informed style, and one hopes that she keeps up the blog so that we can learn more about Western families in Canada.

The blog is at http://beehivegenealogy.wordpress.com/.

Saturday, August 20, 2011

Genealogy Education




The theme of the August 2011 edition of the OGS journal, Families, was “Genealogy Education”, and it contained seven papers -

The Training of Teachers is taken from the excellent book, Education and Ontario Family History, by Toronto genealogist, Marian Press. The article and book shows us where to find the educational records in such places as The Archives of Ontario.

Childhood Forgotten: The Story of a Home Child, by Robert McCauley, the winner of the 2011 Mike Brede Genealogical Essay Prize, tells the rather tragic story of Ada Victoria Girling from London who was put in numerous homes before she came to Canada as a Home Child, and the many years it took to find her story. It's her likenesses on the cover (above), as a sad little girl, and as a striking young woman.

Genealogy for Young People: Interest, Involvement, Nurturing by OGS Vice-President, Shirley Sturdevant, is a paper by a former teacher taking us through the process of teaching children about family history.

Our Heritage … Our Past is a paper be Carol White in which she tells us about the success of Heritage Fairs in Ontario. They have gone from having one fair in 1998 to 20 in 2011!

Robert Halfyard, in his paper, Never Assume!, tells us about the people that may be related to James Miller and his wife, Jane Bradley, and how he assumed that certain people were related, but weren't.

Gwen Patterson, in Documents for the Education Sector of Ontario, recounts the history of the Ontario Educational System.

Dave Obee's Tech Tools for Genealogists is the paper you should read if you want to be brought up-to-date on Social Media. It is taken from the Conference's closing lecture that he gave in Hamilton this past May.

The upcoming themes of the November 2011 issue of Families will be "The War of 1812", and "Immigration".

The Ontario Genealogical Society now has a half-year membership available for $35.00 at www.ogs.on.ca/membership/types.php

Friday, August 19, 2011

The Dieppe Raid

The 69th Anniversary of the Dieppe Raid (also known as The Battle of Dieppe, Operation Rutter, or later on as Operation Jubilee), is today, August 19th.

It happened during the Second World War, and was an Allied (mainly Canadian), attack on the German-occupied port of Dieppe on the northern coast of France.

Over 6,000 infantrymen were involved in the attack. Of those, a total of 3,623 (almost 60%) who made it ashore were either killed, wounded, or captured.

You can check the following three webpages to view more about the Dieppe Raid -

Canada in WW II http://www.junobeach.org/main.html

Canadian Forces after 1918 (including Second World War) Military Records Held by Library and Archives Canada http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/genealogy/022-909.007

The Books of Remembrance … The Second World War http://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/sub.cfm?source=collections/books/bww2

VanKleek Hill Family History Day

Family History Day will be held at the Musée Vankleek Hill Museum, 95 Main Street East, and at VanKleek Hill Community Centre, VanKleek, Ontario.

The museum has invited four guest speakers – Harold MacMillan will introduce the local Galic language history, and teach you some words in Galic; David Abderson, a local book collector will tell you what to do with the collections that you have been left; Doroth Smith will talk about her research into the early history of the Van Kleek Hill Agricltural Aociety; Denis Sequin who is president of the VanKleek Hill & District Historical Society will explain the importance of the unique Victorian built-heritage as a tourist attraction.

Ottawa genealogists Glenn Wright, President of the British Isles Family History Society of Greater Ottawa at http://www.bifhsgo.ca/ who will be there to answer your questions on immigration, the Anglo-Saxon family roots, and military history, and genealogy.

If you wish to go to the Family History Day at Vankleek Hill on Saturday, Oct. 1 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. , please follow Highway 417 to Exit 17. It is located at the crossroads at Highways 10 and 34. It is free!

The website is http://www.vankleek.ca/index.php you can email them at info@vankleek.ca, or phone them at 613-678-2323.

Last year we went to the Family History Day, and completely enjoyed it, so much so, that we will go again this year. See you there!