Call for Speakers - The Toronto Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society and the Canadiana Department of the North York Central Library

                                                                                                                                                         

 Gwyneth Pearce, Secretary of the Toronto Branch, Ontario Genealogical Society, has sent me the following notice -

“The Toronto Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society and the Canadiana Department of the North York Central Library will be co-hosting a one-day workshop on the above theme of Industrial England. The time period we are particularly interested in is 1750 to 1870 although later times could also be relevant. 

We are looking for speakers who would like to be part of this workshop. We want to receive proposals from professional genealogists, historians, family historians, librarians and archivists. 

You are invited to submit proposals for lectures on topics such as migration to the cities, changes in occupations, effects of industrialization on rural communities, and changes in social organizations, cultural life, religion and education. Lectures can be about a family, an industry or about a place in England (e.g., Manchester), a county (e.g., Cornwall), a region (e.g., the Midlands) or relevant to the whole country. 

Workshop attendees will be most interested in lectures emphasizing sources and research techniques that might be useful in their own family history research. We need lectures suitable for all levels of experience. 

Each lecture session will be an hour or half-hour long, including 10 or 5 minutes for questions. Presentations should be illustrated; we will provide a computer projector or an overhead projector. Speakers will be expected to provide a handout of supporting material (up to four pages), which we will photocopy for all registrants. 

Speakers will be paid an honorarium of $100 per lecture hour ($50 for a half-hour lecture). Speakers living in the Greater Metropolitan Area of Toronto will receive an allowance of $35 for travel and incidental expenses. For speakers living further away, modest travel expenses, accommodation and incidental expenses will be reimbursed on an individual basis. 

Please submit your lecture proposals by e-mail. Please keep them brief and informal at this time. Be sure to include your mailing address, phone number and a brief biography”. 

DEADLINE FOR PROPOSALS: FRIDAY, MAY 30, 2014. 

The workshop will be held NOVEMBER 1, 2014 at the NORTH YORK CENTRAL LIBRARY AUDITORIUM, 5120 Yonge Street, Toronto

Proposals must be sent to: courses@torontofamilyhistory.org 

For more information about the Toronto Branch of the OGS, please go tohttp://torontofamilyhistory.org                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

GANS to hold their Annual General Meeting & Lecture

  

The Genealogical Association of Nova Scotia will hold its Annual General Meeting & Lecture on Saturday, May 10 from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm at the Akins A/V Room, Nova Scotia Archives, University and Robie Strrets, Halifax, Nova Scotia. 

The lecture will be given by Terrence M. Punch, and Terry will be talking about his latest publication, Montbeliard Immigration to Nova Scotia, 1749-1752. Do you have the surnames Bailley, Burgoyne, Boutilier, Dorey, Jodrey, Patriquin, Dauphinee, Jollimore, Langille, or Tattrie somewhere in your family background? 

Come hear about where they, and other Montbeliardais, came from. You may learn some surprising facts; for example, at the time of the immigration to Nova Scotia from 1749 to 1752, Montbeliard was an independent Lutheran state. 

Light refreshments to follow. 

2nd Annual Book Sale 

We will be selling back issues of the Nova Scotia Genealogist, duplicates from our library, surplus Royal Nova Scotia Historical Society publications, and much more. Bring along your cash and pick up some great bargains! 

You can check their website at http://www.NovaScotiaAncestors.ca, and their Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/NovaScotiaAncestors. Twitter is available @NSAncestors

RootsTech 2015 Call for Papers

RootsTech 2015 will be held in Salt Lake City from February 11–14, 2015, and the RootsTech Content Committee is calling for dynamic presentations that inform and educate both those seeking to begin and those continuing to discovering their family story through technology.

They say that presentation submissions will be accepted June 2 to June 27, 2014, through the Call for Presentations portal on RootsTech.org

They are looking for presentations such as -

· Finding and Organizing: search tactics, resources, specialized tools, methodologies, solutions, metadata, apps and software

· Preserving Your Work And Legacy: family trees, digital migration, audio and video solutions

· Sharing: social media, and tools for collaboration, wikis, crowd sourcing, community building, blogs

· Stories and Photos: storytelling and interviewing, capturing stories, preserving stories, enhancing stories with photos, photo restoration, movies and presentations, photo editing, oral histories

· Tools: technology introductions, gadgets, genetic research, DNA, breaking down barriers,

· General: family history topics in general including geographic research, time-period research, inspirations, market trends, research trends, adjacent industries, record types. (Please note, there is still an expectation in this category that technology is a part of the presented topic.)

· Family Traditions And Lifestyle: cultural arts, handicrafts, food, influential historical events, everyday living standards, social customs, pastimes, artifacts. (Please note there is still an expectation in this category that this knowledge assists the learner in family history and that technology is a part of the presented topic.)

And at the Innovator Summit, they would like the following presentations -

· Developer: standards and API’s, mobile app development, social applications, record imaging and visualizations, apps for youth, software and tools that enable the work of family history.

· Business: funding and investment, startups- success stories and tips, opportunities and market trends, networking and partnerships, insights and entertainment

The complete Call for Presentations document is present at https://familysearch.org/blog/en/files/2014/04/RT15-CFP-041614v.2.pdf. It includes presentation and evaluation criteria, the submission timeline, and process details.

Questions regarding the RootsTech 2015 call for presentations can be emailed to the Content Committee at info@rootstech.org.

Good Luck!

Canadian Week in Review 21 April 2014

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. 

Social Media

Elgin County Ontario Canada and Talbot Times Genealogy Blog http://elgincountyogs.blogspot.com/2014_04_01_archive.html
If you have ancestors in Elgin County, this is a blog that you should put in your reader to keep abreast of the historical documents that are online.

The CRA and LAC

http://www.cha-shc.ca/english/news/the-cha-and-lac.htm#sthash.JtyLWN2N.dpbs

The Canadian Historical Association / La Société historique du Canada is pleased with the appointment of Dr. Guy Berthiaume as the new head of Library and Archives Canada.

News Articles 

St. James church building in Gatineau damaged by fire. Century-old building, being turned into furniture store, suffers only smoke damage.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/st-james-church-building-in-gatineau-damaged-by-fire-1.2608674
The 113-year-old building St. James Anglican Church in Gatineau was engulfed in flames, but the fire was contained to the church lobby.

The Story of Indian Immigration to Canada

http://www.cicnews.com/2014/04/story-indian-immigration-canada-043365.html

This article gives a brief history of Indo-Canadian immigration to Canada which started in 1904 with a few immigrants landing ashore at Vancouver, British Columbia. 

Potato Month sales provides boost to Potato Museum

http://www.atlanticfarmfocus.ca/NB-NL-NS-PEI/2014-04-16/article-3691925/Potato-Month-sales-provides-boost-to-Potato-Museum/1

In February, Sobeys grocery stores in Atlantic Canada made a 25-cent contribution to the Potato Museum in Prince Edward Island for every specially marked 10-pound bag of Heritage Russet potatoes sold in Sobeys stores.

Visit the Canadian Potato Museum at http://www.peipotatomuseum.com

Talk about the early African Nova Scotia experience planned in Wolfville
http://www.kingscountynews.ca/Living/2014-04-10/article-3681450/Talk-about-the-early-African-Nova-Scotia-experience-planned-in-Wolfville/1

Karolyn Smardz Frost gave a talk to the Wolfville and Area Historical Society entitled Black Loyalists: the Early African Nova Scotia Experience in King's County. Between the founding of Halifax and the end of the American Revolutionary War, at least 600 people of African descent were brought to Nova Scotia.

Wolfville Historical Society
Their website is at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolfville_Historical_Society 

From Paris auction block to B.C. First Nation's museum, rare artifact comes home http://www.vancouversun.com/technology/From+Paris+auction+block+First+Nations+museum+rare+artifact/9719573/story.html

The Chilkat ceremonial blanket was recently discovered on the auction block in Paris and was purchased by the U'mista Cultural Society with a $27,368 grant from Canadian Heritage. Made some time between 1865 and 1871, the blanket is now on display at the U'mista Museum in Alert Bay, on the northern tip of Vancouver Island.

Canadian Sikh Billionaire Acquires Maharaja Ranjit’s Sword

http://www.sikh24.com/2014/04/indo-canadian-acquires-maharaja-ranjits-sword 

In addition to the sword, Bob Dhillon, reportedly the first Sikh billionaire in Canada, has acquired a number of manuscripts, and miniature paintings.

Western Development Museum celebrates 65 years of living history. WDM uses modern methods to keep history alive.

http://cjme.com/story/western-development-museum-celebrates-65-years-living-history/306125 

What started off as a museum in a airport hanger has since grown to four locations in North Battleford, Saskatoon, Yorkton, and Moose Jaw.

Ukrainian Catholic Church in Canada Burnt to Ashes, No Injury Reported 
http://au.ibtimes.com/articles/546844/20140407/ukraine-catholic-church-burnt-ontario-canada-toronto.htm
A Ukrainian church was burned to ashes due to a two-alarm fire in Ontario, Canada. The Catholic Church, which was completely destroyed due to the fire, was situated on Heritage Road north of Bovaird Drive West in Brampton, outside Toronto.

Historic building in Halifax being torn down for new condos
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/historic-building-in-halifax-being-torn-down-for-new-condos/article17840515/?cmpid=rss1

Everyone who has lived in Halifax has at one time or another has been in the Roy Building on Barrington Street, and now the 120-year old building is being town down to make way for a new condo.

What really happened to the Bell of Batoche 

http://www.cbc.ca/news/aboriginal/what-really-happened-to-the-bell-of-batoche-1.2605937 

Researchers at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) have uncovered the story of the real Bell of Batoche.

Visit Quebec City, Canada, on e of North America’s oldest cities http://www.perthnow.com.au/travel/world/visit-quebec-city-canada-one-of-north-americas-oldest-cities/story-fnjjva7e-1226881044655 

It is the only North American fortified city north of Mexico whose walls still exist.

Montrealer wants national day for Terry Fox on April 12. Eddy Nolan wants federal recognition for the day Fox launched his historic Marathon of Hope in 1980 http://www.cbc.ca/m/touch/canada/montreal/story/1.2608744

Do you realize that Terry Fox ran the equivalent of a full marathon every day for 143 days. He completed this before his cross-Canada trek was cut short by the return of his cancer near Thunder Bay, Ont. He died nine months later on June 28, 1981, at the age of 22. 

Story of the Week

World Book and Copyright Day

World Book and Copyright Day is an annual event, celebrated all around the world to promote reading and the cultural aspects of books. It is celebrated on April 23rd.

You would be well-advised to read Dr. Margaret Ann Wilkinson's (Canada’s answer to genealogy and the law) article, Recent Developments in Canadian Law Affecting Genealogists, in the May 2014 issue of Families, the journal of the Ontario Genealogical Society (OGS).

She gives a full explanation of Canadian law as it pertains to privacy and copyright for other people’s work, and for your own work, as you put family trees in software and on the Internet. 

If you are not a member of the OGS, you may be able to access this article at your local genealogical society library, or you can contact the OGS at https://www.ogs.on.ca/membership.php to see if a half-year membership could include this issue of Families.

Writers' Trust of Canada

http://www.writerstrust.com 

Formed in 1976 by Margaret Atwood, Pierre Berton, Graeme Gibson, Margaret Laurence, and David Young. its mission is to “advance, nurture, and celebrate Canadian writers and writing”. 

The International Edible Book Festival

http://www.books2eat.com

Here is an interesting idea to try. Make a book and then eat it! You make a “book cake”, decorate it as you wish, and then celebrate Canada’s Book and Copyright day by toasting your accomplishment, and then eating a piece of cake. And, of course, read a good Canadian genealogy book that day!

Reminder: Check the Canadian Week in Review next Monday for the latest in Genealogy, Heritage, and History news in Canada. It’s the ONLY news blog of its kind in country! The next post will be on April 28, 2014.

Canadian Week in Review

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

It has the latest news covered in New/Updated Websites, Social Media, and Newspaper Articles. 

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

Next week, the Canadian Week in Review will start its third year in bringing you the Canadian take on genealogy, heritage and history news. It has been a regular post every Monday morning since April 23, 2012.

Happy Canadian Easter!

It is a beautiful Sunday morning here in the Ottawa area, with sunshine and pleasantly warm temperatures. We give thanks that we made it through a terrible winter - where we had a plenty of snow, very cold temperatures (one of coldest in Canadian history), and power outages.

But today, we are “hopping” with joy. Buds are appearing on trees, and tulips are starting to come up through the ground. There is a lightness in the air, genealogical societies are getting their spring/summer activities on the go, and our thoughts are turning toward what looks to be an exciting and rewarding summer.

So Happy Easter everyone!

Enjoy this wonderful day, and "Happy Hunting!" in your genealogy (and eggs)!

Ancestry.ca releases Lower Canada and Canada East Census Records

  

Ancestry.ca has announced the release of more than 120,000 Canadian Census records from Lower Canada (now Quebec). These records document the lives of Canadians living in Lower Canada in 1825 and 1842 – before Canada was officially a country. 

As they say in their press release “The first national Canadian census was taken in 1871; however, many local and colonial censuses were taken before this date. The 1825 Census of Lower Canada and the 1842 Census of Canada East highlight the names of heads of the family, occupation, the number of people living in the house and other information that can help people discover more about their Canadian roots. 

Lower Canada and Canada East were vibrant and rapidly growing areas during the mid-1800s. Wheat and timber had replaced the fur trade as the main industries for export, creating a booming local economy and leading to a population that expanded by approximately 300,000 between 1784 and 1825. 

“These records shed new light on the lives of people who helped build Quebec and can help countless Canadians discover more stories about their ancestors living in Pre-Confederation Canada,” says Lesley Anderson, genealogist and Content Specialist for Ancestry.ca. “We’re excited to be offering Canadians the chance to explore these new records and adding to what is the largest online collection of historical Canadian records available anywhere in the world.””

The website for the 1825 Census of Lower Canada is at http://search.ancestry.ca/search/db.aspx?dbid=9807

The website for the 1842 Census of Canada East is at
http://search.ancestry.ca/search/db.aspx?dbid=9808