The Genealogical Association of Nova Scotia is planning a bus trip to the New England Regional Genealogical Conference in April 2015. The theme of the 2015 conference is Navigating the Past: Sailing into the Future. 

The bus will leave Halifax and will make several stops in NS and NB to pick up participants. The cost of the trip will be approximately $975.00. This will include accommodation, breakfast and transportation. What is not included is the fee to register for the conference and meals.

Those who wish to register send an email to info@novascotiaancestors.ca to let them know that they are interested and ready to commit to a $200.00 deposit so that they can estimate the interest and begin planning. 

Trip Itinerary

56 passenger bus would leave Halifax, and possible pick-up spots, Dartmouth, Airport, Truro, , Amherst in Nova Scotia, Aulac, Moncton, St John , Fredericton in New Brunswick

April 13: Travel to Bangor, Maine. Over-night at the Fireside Inn & Suites in downtown Bangor. It is next to the Casino and across the street from the new Bangor Civic Center. Dinner on their own.

April 14: Following an included hot breakfast, we travel to Boston and visit the NEHGS at 99-101 Newbury Street - a research visit. We over-night at Woburn dinner on their own.

April 15: Following our included breakfast, we travel to Providence, Rhode Island. Register at the Conference. On to our hotel ( Comfort Inn @ Atlantic Beach, Middleton RI -- 45 minutes from conference site - we stay here four nights: April 15, 16, 17, 18 -- Breakfast daily

Conference: travel back and forth from hotel daily as required - other meals as per your conference package and/or on your own.

April 19: Following breakfast and conference wind-up activities, we depart for Bangor. We'll have time for a side trip to Freeport Maine ( LL Bean et all ). Bangor hotel will be the Fireside Inn & Suites

April 20: Following breakfast and check out ( maybe a quickie shopping stop ) we head for home - Halifax

To make this trip possible, please let us know if you are interested in this exciting opportunity.

The website of GANS is http://www.novascotiaancestors.ca

The website of the NERGC is http://www.nergc.org/Conference-Home-Page.html

Theatre to present Canadian plays

  

The 4th Line Theatre, an outdoor located at Winslow Farm at Millbrook, Ontario is presenting two plays this summer - Doctor Barnardo’s Children from July 1-26, and Wounded Soldiers, August 5-30, 2014. 

4th Line Theatre is committed to “the development and presentation of original Canadian theatre at the Winslow Farm, the family farm of Founding Artistic Director Robert Winslow, in Millbrook, Ontario. Idyllic, rural, and quintessentially Canadian, 4th Line Theatre presents Canadian plays, written by and about Canadians, from small town stories to broad national sagas.” 

For more information, go to http://4thlinetheatre.on.ca. Phone the Box Office at 705. 932.4445 for tickets.

Alberta Quilt Project

The Alberta Quilt Project will be coming to Pincher Creek’s Kootenai Brown Pioneer Village at the end of May and the start of June. 

The project will index all the quilts either made in Alberta or brought there by the immigration process from the 1800s to the 1960s. On Saturday (May 31st), the first local day of the event, the quilts held by the Kootenai Brown Pioneer Village will be indexed for the project. 

The following day, Sunday 01st June, quilts owned by individuals can be brought into the museum and be inventoried – please phone ahead to book your spot. They will also are looking for four to six volunteers to help with the quilt inventory, volunteers who would be available for days. 

Histories of the quilts will be researched and written in addition to the items being photographed. The data will be compiled in a province wide index accessed at www.quiltindex.com.

If you would like to participate, contact Trisha Carleton at 403. 627.3684 or email her at mail.kbpv@gmail.com

Building Personal Archives

The Quinte Branch of the OGS will hold their monthly meeting on Saturday May 17, 2014 at 1 pm at the Quinte West Library, 7 Creswell Dr, Trenton.

Entitled Building Personal Archives, the presentation will be given by guest Stephanie Wright. She will show what can be done with the ephemera left behind, why it’s important to keep these things from both a research and a emotional perspective, and why it’s important to consider how to preserve these items. Stephanie will explain in detail what might be necessary to create a step-by-step plan for building our personal archives, including our unique items.

To find out more information, go to ww.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~canqbogs

Their email is quinebranch@ogs.on.ca

The Genetic Genealogy Standards Committee

The The Genetic Genealogy Standards Committee is looking for your comments on the setting of standards "to provide ethical and usage standards for the genealogical community".

The committee say that - 

"A group of individuals, including genealogists, genetic genealogists, and scientists, have worked for the past several months to develop a draft of genetic genealogy standards. The document is intended to provide ethical and usage standards for the genealogical community to follow when purchasing, recommending, sharing, or writing about the results of DNA testing for ancestry.

To ensure that this document accurately reflects the standards embraced by the community, we are opening this document for a period of public comment, from May 12, 2014 through June 6, 2014. By clicking the "Document" tab in the left-hand panel, you will be able to download a PDF of the current draft of the standards. Please review that document, come back to this site, and click on the "Comment" tab in the left-hand panel where you will be prompted to leave comments about the standards.

Although there may be discussion of this document in Facebook groups, on blogs, or elsewhere, only comments submitted through this website will be reviewed and considered by the standards committee".

Thank you,
The Genetic Genealogy Standards Committee

CeCe Moore
Blaine Bettinger
David Bachinsky
Traci Barela
Katherine Borges
Angie Bush
Melinde Lutz Byrne
George Cicila
Shannon Christmas
Michael Hait
Tim Janzen
James Owston
Ana Oquendo Pabón
Ugo Perego
Steven Perkins
Ann Turner
Debbie Parker Wayne
Jennifer Zinck

You can download the document, and you can send your comments to the committee on the website at https://sites.google.com/site/geneticgenealogystandard 

Voices from the Dust – Family History Conference

The Ottawa Ontario Stake Family History Centre of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will hold 7 different workshops on May 17, 2014 from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm. And these workshops are FREE.

The workshops are -

Sandra Adams – Researcher, and Family History Centre Volunteer
Workshop: A One-Name Study: What is it and why would you want to do one?

Doug Gray – Researcher, and Family History Centre Volunteer
Workshop: A Visit to WWI Military Cemetery in Northern France

Diana Hall – Genealogy Librarian, Ottawa Public Library
Workshop : Genealogy Websites and Sources for the First World War

Shirley-Ann Pyefinch – Director, Ottawa Stake Family History Centre
Workshop: Military Records and Other Resources Available at FamilySearch

Carol Reid – Collection Specialist, Canadian War Museum.
Workshop : Genealogical Resources in the Military History Research Centre

Gloria Tubman - Researcher.
Workshop : British Home Children and World War I

Glenn Wright – President of BIFHSGO, and author
Workshop: For King, Empire and Home: Documenting Service in the First World War.

For more details visit the website at www.ottawastakefhc.on.ca

Postscript: I am going to take in a workshop, but which one will I pick? I will have to study the subject of each workshop at the website, and decide from there. I will report back on Sunday.    

Canadian Week in Review 12 May 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.

Canada in History

Here are some moments in our countries history which may interest you –

May 5, 1814 - During the War of 1812 to 1814, a small British and Canadian fleet destroyed the United States naval base at Oswego, New York. The victory re-established British control of Lake Ontario for the remainder of the War of 1812.
You can read more about this battle at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Fort_Oswego_(1814)

In 1900, Pte. Richard R. Thompson of Ottawa was awarded the Queen's Scarf for gallantry during the Boer War. The scarf was knitted by Queen Victoria and was awarded only seven times. Thompson, who died in 1908, served with the 2nd Special Service Battalion. His scarf is on permanent loan to the National War Museum.
You may read about it at http://www.angloboerwar.com/other-information/16-other-information/1852-queens-scarf

In 1882, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Assiniboia and Athabaska were formed as districts of the Northwest Territories.
You may read about it at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Districts_of_the_Northwest_Territories

In 1987, Ottawa unveiled the $1 coin, nicknamed the "Loonie" because a loon was engraved on its flip side. It is made of nickel, copper and recycled tin.
You can read more about the Loonie at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loonie

And here is something we can think about as we enjoy our summer ice cream - In 2008, Irvine Robbins, a Canadian-born visionary who helped bring Rocky Road, Pralines ‘n Cream, and other exotic ice-creams to Canada and United States, died in Rancho Mirage, Calif., at age 90. He, along with his brother-in-law, helped to found the Baskin-Robbins Ice Cream parlor stores in 1945.
You can read more about him at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irv_Robbins

Websites

Cemeteries and Headstones in Canada (The ROE Family)

Some cemeteries in Canada were the Roe family is buried.
http://roefamilytree.info/headstones.php?country=CANADA&tree=roe

Social Media

Lynn Palermo
https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/114977011024441632198
Lynn has added a Google+ community site called FamilyHistory Writers along with her blog, The Armchair Genealogist.

Ruth Blair - The Passionate Genealogist
http://blog.familyhistorysearches.com

Ruth had been at the National Genealogical Society (NGS) conference in Richmond, Virginia this past week, and has been blogging about it from a Canadian point of view. 

The blog posts are -

• National Genealogical Society Conference in Richmond Virginia. Are you ready? #NGS2014gen
• NGS Conference Richmond Virginia – Day 1 – #NGS2014gen
• NGS Conference Richmond Virginia – Day 2 #NGS2014gen
• NGS Conference Richmond Virginia – Day 3 #NGS2014gen

News Articles

Québec reaches for record

http://www.cruiseandferry.net/article/News/001401/Qu%C3%A9bec-reaches-for-record
For the first time in Quebec City’s history, six cruise shipswill be docking in the city harbour on 3 October 2014.

History come alive in Shelburne
http://thechronicleherald.ca/artslife/1206484-history-comes-alive-in-shelburne
Lou Gossett Jr., who won an Emmy for his role as Fiddler in the 1977 miniseries Roots, has been in Shelburne, Nova Scotia filming Book of Negroes.

Canada Post releases stamp on Komagata Maru http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/City/Chandigarh/Canada-Post-releases-stamp-on-Komagata-Maru/articleshow/34895536.cms
It will be the 100th anniversary of Komagata Maru incident on May 23rd. Canada Post has issued a special stamp in memory of the ship that carried 376 Indians to Canada, and although it embarked at Vancouver they were not allowed to leave the ship. It returned to India and British troops had gunned down several of the occupants at Baj Baj, near Calcutta 

Manitoba Museum to honour vets 

http://www.portagedailygraphic.com/2014/05/08/manitoba-museum-to-honour-vets
In order to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the First World War and the 75th anniversary of the Second World War, the Manitoba Agricultural Museum will exhibit the country’s military heritage at this year’s Threshermen’s Reunion and Stampede.

1947-1980 history of oil

http://www.calgaryherald.com/business/1947+1980+history/9819438/story.html
This article gives a timeline of oil discoveries in Alberta.

Kingston Region
http://www.kingstonregion.com/news-story/4508361-there-really-is-something-about-a-lighthouse
Prince Edward County's Marc Seguin, a founding member of the Organization "Save our Lighthouses," has had a life long interest in Canadian history and has a passion for Canada's built heritage – lighthouses.

Nova Scotia students submit dozens of possible names for February holiday http://www.timescolonist.com/nova-scotia-students-submit-dozens-of-possible-names-for-february-holiday-1.1025747#sthash.Dlbeo0AC.dpuf
Students from across Nova Scotia have submitted 75 suggestions on what to name the province's new holiday in February.

Change Street Naming policy http://www.thestarphoenix.com/news/Change+street+naming+policy/9817995/story.html
Saskatoon city council was told that they should establish a blue-ribbon committee of historical, cultural, social and demographic experts public before a public street is named, or the street name is changed.

South Asian Heritage Month features the big three: colour, culture and contribution
http://www.mississauga.com/community-story/4502760-south-asian-heritage-month-features-the-big-three-colour-culture-and-contribution/
May provides an opportunity to learn about the history of people from Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka during South Asian Heritage Month.

School trip to Quebec aims to inspire
http://www.cloverdalereporter.com/community/258151851.html
Students in Grades 6 and 7 at the George Greenaway Elementary School in Cloverdale, Surrey, British Columbia will be visiting the province Quebec next week to take part in the culture and language of the area. 

Historic milestones usher new release of Royal Canadian Mint collector coins http://www.menafn.com/7191df7c-e082-4cdd-8253-5d6cb9a9dc70/Historic-milestones-usher-new-release-of-Royal-Canadian-Mint-collector-coins?src=main
The 75th anniversary of the first Royal visit to Canada and the centennial of the sinking of R.M.S. Empress of Ireland among latest national story-telling themes of the Royal Canadian Mint.

Holocaust education in Canada uneven at best

http://www.cjnews.com/index.php?q=node/124759
Now that the Holocaust Remembrance Day has passed for another year, Naomi Azrieli says that we needs to take stock of the state of Holocaust education in Canada and ensure that the lessons of the Holocaust go beyond commemoration one day a year. 

Tour the province this summer 

http://www.sherwoodparknews.com/2014/05/05/tour-the-province-this-summer
An annual Experience Alberta History Pass offers unlimited access to Alberta’s provincial historic sites, interpretive centres and museums. 

Manitoba Book Awards handed out on April 27

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/aboriginal-lawyer-takes-home-book-award-1.2624484
Aboriginal issues were front and centre at the 2013 Manitoba Book Awards. Thirteen awards were given out at an event at the West End Cultural Centre on April 27

At stunning memorial near Ypres, 'sentinel' looms over Canadians killed in gas attacks http://www.thestar.com/news/walking_the_western_front/2014/04/at_stunning_memorial_near_ypres__looms_a__sentinel__over_canadians_killed_in_gas_attacks.html 

Long-form census: Internal survey blasts feds for missing database 

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/long-form-census-internal-survey-blasts-feds-for-missing-database-1.2638569 

Some of the databases are missing!

Story of the Week

Social Media

Two conferences in two weeks – the OGS in Canada and the NGS in the States - means that there was a lot of social media going on - Tweets, Blogs, Facebook, and now Dear Myrt’s AmbushCAM https://plus.google.com/communities/104382659430904043232 interviews with everyone from the latest news on software, to the people in the know like Dick Eastman, and ordinary people at the NGS. It was something like the “Man in the Street” interviews of the Steve Allen days on TV.

It was really neat. She would have 2-3 minute interviews with the Conference participants by using her camera and putting them on Goggle+ Hangouts On Air, and it worked very well. There didn’t seem to be any glitches, the picture qualify was god, and the audio was excellent.

Just like at the OGS last week, there was an ambitious Live Streaming programme that certain speakers took apart in and gave special lectures. And it worked for the people who could not go to the Conference and people who actually went, because now they will be able to view the Live Streaming after they get home.

So where does this leave Canadian genealogy?

Is Canada keeping up-to-date with Social Media? We are great Facebook users, but are we taking advantage of Live Streaming and Google+ Hangout On Air as much as we should?

For example, Australia has a number of Hangouts On Air now on a regular basis, and also there are a number of Genealogy Podcasts being produced ‘down under’, so if they can do it - why can’t we?

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 May 17, 2014.