War of 1812 Celebration at Winterlude

This year at the annual winter festival called Winterlude in Ottawa will be held on the weekends from February 3 to 20, 2012. There will be a number of events which will celebrate the War of 1812.  

“Portraits on the Ice” presented by Library and Archives returns again this to mark the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812 featuring portraits of British officers, First Nations allies, and French-and English-speaking militia and colonists.

As part of a longstanding relationship with Veterans Affairs Canada, a majestic ice sculpture will commemorate the 20th anniversary of Canadian military service in the Balkans and to pay tribute to the brave Canadians who lost their lives during the mission.

At Snowflake Kingdom in Jacques-Cartier Park on the Gatineau, Quebec side of things Parks Canada will re-create the way of life of our ancestors in 1812. Maison Charron will be transformed into barracks from the war of 1812;

Also, celebrating their 50th anniversary, the Canadian Coast Guard will be at Snowflake Kingdom to demonstrate a day in the life of a Coast Guard employee through exciting activities and a unique display of water safety equipment.

For more information about Winterlude and the Rideau Canal Skateway, the public can contact the NCC at 613-239-5000, 613-239-5090 (TTY), 1-800-465-1867 (toll-free) or 1-866-661-3530 (toll-free TTY), or visit the website at http://www.Winterlude.gc.ca.

Age of Sail Heritage Museum

The federal government has just announced a $130,000 contribution toward the Cumberland County project the Age of Sail Heritage Museum at Port Greville, Nova Scotia. It will allow for the completion of the Wind, Waves and Tides exhibit building.

The press release says that "The completed facility, which will resemble a ship’s hull, will provide room for additional exhibit displays, storage of artifacts and genealogy research, as well as more space for workshops and community meetings".

The museum first opened in 1994, and it highlights the history of Parrsboro Shore communities along the Minas Channel of the Bay of Fundy with an emphasis on the area's shipbuilding and lumbering heritage.

It hosts a museum in an 1854 church, local blacksmith shop from the Wagstaff and Hatfield shipyard, as well as the Port Greville Lighthouse circa 1908, and a boathouse. Local genealogy and research material are also available.

The website is http://www.ageofsailmuseum.ca/default.htm

Toronto Branch of OGS – Winter Program

Toronto Branch of the OGS has now announced its winter 2012 lineup of family history courses. The Branch will be presenting four courses in February and March 2012, with a view to providing practical information for researchers with a variety of interests and a range of experience:

Family History Writing

This course is designed for individuals who want to make progress with organizing and writing up their research for personal or public use. Instructor: Gayle Dzis

Sharing Networks for Genealogists

This new half-day workshop will offer new ideas and approaches to help researchers share genealogical data on-line safely and effectively. Instructor: Marian Press

Creating a Family History Blog – for Genealogists

This new course will be taught in a computer lab. It will provide all the information necessary to find and read blogs, but will concentrate on how to build one’s own blog to share family research. Instructor: Marian Press

Exploring the Baldwin Room’s Manuscript Collection

This advanced course will explore the important Canadian manuscript collection housed in the Baldwin Room at the Toronto Reference Library, with hands-on examination of several manuscript fonds. Instructor: Jane E. MacNamara

For program details, course dates, speaker biographies and information on how to register for Toronto Branch courses, visit www.torontofamilyhistory.org/courses.html.

Jewish Heritage Month

On November 30th, 2011, M.P.P. Mike Colle, the member from Eglinton-Lawrence, introduced a Private Members’ Bill (Bill 17) in the Ontario Legislature. If it is passed, it will proclaim the month of May as Jewish Heritage Month in Ontario.

As the website says "Jewish Heritage Month is an opportunity to remember, celebrate and educate future generations about the inspirational role that Jewish Canadians have played, and continue to play, in communities across Ontario".

“This bill would create an opportunity for Ontarians of all backgrounds to share and celebrate the long and vibrant history of the Jewish community in Ontario.” says M.P.P. Colle.

The Jewish Heritage Month Act, 2011 is co-sponsored by MPP Peter Shurman (Thornhill) and MPP Cheri DiNovo (Parkdale-High Park). The bill will come up for debate early in 2012.

If you would like to support Bill 17, please contact your local Member of the Provincial Parliament, or contact Mike Colle, M.P.P. Eglinton-Lawrence, Whitney Block, 99 Wellesley Street West, Room 6521,  

Tel: 416-314-6467. His email is mcolle.mpp@liberal.ola.org

For further information contact: Dustin Cohen, Office of MPP Mike Colle Tel: 416-314-6467. His email ia  dcohen@liberal.ola.org

Gene-O-Rama 2012 Cancelled

Word has reached me that the Ottawa Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society will not host the 2012 Gene-O-Rama this year. The reason – they will be helping Region VIII to host the Ontario Genealogical Society Conference this year at Kingston, Ontario.

But they will be holding the AGM, and Genealogy Day on Saturday, April 21, 2012 at City of Ottawa Central Archives at 100 Tallwood Drive, Ottawa, Ontario.

It starts at 9:30-10:00 when you arrive, and speakers include Robert Serré, Rick Roberts and one of the staff from the City Archives. The City Archives will be open 10 am to 5 pm for research as well.

Marketplace will feature Global Genealogy as well as the member organizations of Region VIII, and some of the local heritage organizations.

Cost is $25, and it including lunch.

Check the details at   http://ogsottawa.on.ca/?p=1989

New/Improved Canadian Websites and Blogs Week 15

Here are some of the websites and blogs that I have come across the week ending December 12, 2011

Leger Genealogy/Généalogie des Léger http://leger.genacadie.ca/index.htm (French/English) It includes an index of the names of the Leger family, and the index of where they were/are located.

Acadian and Maritimes Obituaries "The Acadian Genealogy Corner" http://obit.genacadie.ca/index.php?lang=EN As the website says, "This site is dedicated to collect, share and preserve obituaries from Maritime newspapers and others that contain Acadian obituaries".

OntarioGenealogist http://ontariogenealogist.blogspot.com The author of AlmostDunnGenealogy, she is updatimng the wiki of Halton County, Ontario https://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Halton_County,_Ontario, and she is a volunteer with the Automated Geneaolgy website at http://www.automatedgenealogy.com

Ottawa Valley Irish: A family history weblog and genealogy database http://www.ottawavalleyirish.com Irish and French Canadian families in the Ottawa Valley area, including the Morans of Huntley township; the Laheys and Killeens of March township; the McGlades of Perth; the McCarthys of Kitley township; and the Derouins of Otter Lake.

Canada Germany Migration http://www.museevirtuel-virtualmuseum.ca/sgc-cms/expositions-exhibitions/migrations/english/index.html A very interesting webpage, beginning with the first wave of 1750 to 1752.

An American Adventure - Gray Family http://www.phillipsplace.net/genealogy/surnames/gray.html Family history of John Edward Gray and family, 1908 from England to Victoria.

Cornelius John Soule: Architect/Photographer http://souleweb.ca The site says that "This site is mainly about Cornelius .. his life, projects, travels and family".

Sessional Papers/Parliamentary Papers:Canadian Pacific Railway http://jubilation.uwaterloo.ca/~marj/genealogy/Sessional/cpr1884.html From Government of Canada Sessional Papers 48 Victoria 1885 (25), p.11 which shows the employee's monthly pay, term of service, and the cause of removal.

Local History and Genealogy http://torontopubliclibrary.typepad.com/local-history-genealogy This is a blog which is posted on a regular basis to by the staff of Toronto Public Library staff. The latest blog is on James Esson, Photographer – 1853 -1933.

The MIERAU Family Home Page http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/m/i/e/Alvin-H-Mierau The author says that their ancestry goes back to "My ancestry ties back to a Peter Mierau, born 1810. Some of his siblings moved to Nebraska. Some of those Nebraska descendants eventually landed up in Langham, Saskatchewan".

Next Monday: I will give my Book Picks for 2011!

Simcoe County Ancestor Newsletter

The November issue of SCAN, the newsletter of the Simcoe County Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society, writes about celebrating, in 2012, the 175th anniversary of the founding of the community of Bond Head, Simcoe County.

Bond Head was originally named Wragg Corners, but in 1837 it was renamed to its present name after Sir Frances BOND HEAD.

The article, "Half-Way Stopping Place: A pioneer Ontario Community", gives a very good history lesson about Bond Head, and the article ends with "Bond Head Presbyterian Church – Communion Roll", which gives the names on the communicants, their residence, their profession or occupation, how and when they were admitted, and how and when they removed from the roll.

There are 202 names on these pages of Presbyterians who were living in West Gwillimbury in 1822.

In the previous meeting in September, Melissa Ellis gave a talk about the "Web Sites to further your Family History Project" in which she used Margaret Rudy (ROUTCLIFFE) EDMUND as a case study.

You can go to their website at http://www.simcoebogs.com

If you are interested in joining Ontario Genealogical Society, and the Simcoe County Branch, go to http://www.ogs.on.ca/membership.php.

Tomorrow's Post: New/Improved Canadian Websites and Blogs Week 15