Wellington County Museum and Archives

What a museum and archives! What a fantastic website!

Wellington County Museum and Archives is located in Fergus, Ontario, and is housed in the former House of Industry in Canada, otherwise known as the Poor House, or as a place of refuge for the poor, homeless, and destitute people in Wellington County.

It operated as a Poor House and Industrial Farm until 1947, when it became a County Home for the Aged. Later, it was transformed into the Wellington County Museum and Archives. A new Archives wing opened in 2010.

They have records of interest to those people who have ancestors who came to Wellington County to settle, such as the Women's Institute Tweedsmuir Histories, the Wellington County Historical Society Essay and Journal Collection, and the Wellington County Local History Articles. These records are at http://www.wellington.ca/en/discover/searchthemuseumandarchivesonlinecollections.asp

They also have a monthly newsletter, and every issue for 2014 is on the website at http://www.wellington.ca/en/discover/newsletter.asp

Right now, until May 10, 2015, they have an exhibit called No One Goes 2 Palmerston ON: The Collection of Chad Martin, which, at one time, was a bustling town in Wellington County. The link is http://www.wellington.ca/en/discover/exhibitsandevents.asp

Their website is at http://www.wellington.ca/Museum.

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

If you missed this week’s edition, it is at http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2015/01/canadian-week-in-review-26-january-2015.html

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

It has been a regular post every Monday morning since April 23, 2012.

Ancestry.ca updates Canadian Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current

Ancestry has upgraded the Find A Grave Index on its website, and now there are over 3-million records on Ancestry.com.

Find A Grave provides users with a virtual cemetery experience, with images of grave markers from around the world, as well as photos, biographies, and other details uploaded by volunteers. You may find obituaries and links to other family members included, as well.

But I must sound a note of caution. This is an INDEX, and it is not a SOURCE. These are simply pictures of gravestones, and there can be errors in the data that is put on the stone - even the date of death can be wrong. You will need the death certificate to go along with the burial record in your genealogy.

And another important thing – the gravestone may or may not be a true record of whom is buried under it. The husband or wife may have been remarried after the death of a spouse, and is actually buried with the subsequent spouse, not with the original spouse.

So these indexes must be treated with a dose of caution, and care.

Otherwise, have fun researching, as more and more graves come online.

The website is at http://search.ancestry.ca/search/db.aspx?dbid=60527

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

If you missed this week’s edition, it is at http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2015/01/canadian-week-in-review-26-january-2015.html

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

It has been a regular post every Monday morning since April 23, 2012.

The conference lowers its price – sort of ...

The inaugural National Genealogy Conference—to be held in Halifax this summer from the 17th to the 19th of July—has lowered its price from $895.00 to $210.00 for the conference.

But I think if you look at the programme, they have removed the included tours, accommodations, and some extras like the Ceilidh-style reception (with entertainment) to be held Friday evening. However, these things will still be available at an extra cost.

However, it should be quite a conference. Halifax is especially lovely that time of the year.

The website is at https://www.visiontravel.ca/heidiwilker/en/national-genealogy-conference

If you want to check out my original blog post dated 09 January 2015, go to http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2015/01/national-genealogy-conference-in-canada.html

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

If you missed this week’s edition, it is at http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2015/01/canadian-week-in-review-26-january-2015.html

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

It has been a regular post every Monday morning since April 23, 2012.

Canadian Week in Review - 26 January 2015

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.

History


January 20, 2014 - The Sands of Time
   Someone from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts sent a bottle with a message in it to test the currents of the ocean, along with a reward of 50 cents. It found found on Sable Island nearly sixty years later.
   Read the story on http://www.pc.gc.ca/apps/cseh-twih/index_e.asp

On the 7 of April 1634, the city of Trois-Rivières (Three Rivers) was founded in Quebec, and on 18 of May 1642, Montreal, Quebec was founded.
   To read about Trois-Rivières, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trois-Rivi%C3%A8res, and for Montreal, visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montreal

Social Media

(Blog) My Moynahan Genealogy Blog
http://moynahangenealogy.blogspot.ca
   Cindi, from Ottawa, has a blog to ‘honour my ancestors: Moynahan, Coughlin, Broderick, Annal, Brennan, Hussey, Hess and Duffy. (Essex & Kent County Ontario, Michigan, Pennsylvania, New York, Ireland, Scotland); and Creighton, Moreland, (Nova Scotia, England and Scotland); and Foreman (Ireland, Scotland and Norway)’.

(Video)Two canal boats from mid-1800s found in Lake Ontario
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2015/01/21/two-canal-boats-from-mid-1800s-found-in-lake-ontario.html
   A team of shipwreck explorers found the canal boat and canal scow over 200 feet below the surface, using side scan sonar.

(Photos) Canadian golf pioneer’s family donates historical pieces to Hall of Fame
http://www.golfcanada.ca/news/article/amateur/canadian-golf-pioneers-family-donates-historical-pieces-hall-fame
   At the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and Museum in Oakville (outside of Toronto), the lasting legacy of Albert H. Murray has taken its rightful place alongside a number of the nation’s most prized and treasured items celebrating Canada’s storied history with golf.

(Video) New Brunswick Museum's park expansion bid meets opposition
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/new-brunswick-museum-s-park-expansion-bid-meets-opposition-1.2919389
   The New Brunswick Museum wants to expand to the park next door, but that park has a monument, including trees planted in honour of soldiers who died in the Boer War.

Articles

Nova Scotia

ED COLEMAN'S HISTORY: Which is correct – Scots Bay or Scott’s Bay?
http://www.kingscountynews.ca/Opinion/Columnists/2015-01-22/article-4014063/ED-COLEMANS-HISTORY%3A-Which-is-correct-%26ndash%3B-Scots-Bay-or-Scott%26rsquo%3Bs-Bay%3F/1
   “From these temporary residents, the place got its name,” writes Arthur W. H. Eaton in The History of Kings County.

Black Loyalist Heritage Society to attend gala Book of Negroes screening
http://www.novanewsnow.com/News/Local/2015-01-23/article-4018167/Black-Loyalist-Heritage-Society-to-attend-gala-Book-of-Negroes-screening/1
   Black Loyalist Heritage Society members are picking out their wardrobe for the red carpet Nova Scotia screening of The Book of Negroes on January 28 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

New Heritage project announced in Yarmouth
http://www.thevanguard.ca/News/2015-01-20/article-4014309/New-heritage-project-announced-in-Yarmouth/1
   The Town of Yarmouth will develop Heritage in Your Hand, a self-guided activity app to promote the community's culture and heritage.

'Inspiring' month planned, African Nova Scotian affairs minister says
http://www.thevanguard.ca/News/Local/2015-01-21/article-4015786/Inspiring-month-planned,-African-Nova-Scotian-affairs-minister-says/1
   As Tony Ince, African Nova Scotian Affairs Minister, said in Yarmouth he wanted the program to be a "prelude to African Heritage Month”. He said that "African heritage should be celebrated all year long”.

Prince Edward Island

Prince Edward Island commemorates Samuel Holland survey
http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/News/Local/2015-01-21/article-4014766/Prince-Edward-Island-commemorates-Samuel-Holland-survey/1
   A commemorations committee has been established to recognize the 250th anniversary of Samuel Holland’s map of the province. A series of promotional and educational activities this year will pay tribute to Holland’s role in the Island’s history.

New Brunswick

Saint John art exhibit focuses on industrial heritage
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/saint-john-art-exhibit-focuses-on-industrial-heritage-1.2917640
   A new art exhibit at the Saint John Arts Centre features 13 young artists who have looked to New Brunswick's industrial heritage for inspiration.

Quebec

European Flavor, Closer to Home
http://www.417mag.com/417-Magazine/February-2015/European-Flavor-Closer-to-Home
  Consider a long weekend to Quebec City. Leave Springfield mid-morning on a Friday, change planes in Chicago, and be in Quebec City late Friday afternoon, with plenty of time to check into your room and enjoy a memorable dinner chosen from a rich list of restaurant options.

Anne Fortin invites you into the kitchen of Quebec's past
http://montrealgazette.com/life/food/anne-fortin-invites-you-into-the-kitchen-of-quebecs-past
   Anne Fortin is the owner of Librairie Gourmande in downtown Montreal at the Jean Talon Market that recently celebrated its 10th anniversary, and it’s her job to know what’s out there.

Ontario

NDP MPs Want To See More Women On Canadian Money
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2015/01/17/women-canadian-money-ndp_n_6482954.html
   Thousands of people have demanded that more Canadian women be shown on the country's bank notes, and at least two opposition MPs are listening.

Diving deep into history
http://www.recorder.ca/2015/01/17/diving-deep-into-history
   Read this interesting interview with Jonathan Moore, one of the divers on the Victoria Strait Expedition that discovered the HMS Erebus last summer in the Arctic.

1812 bicentennial a 'gift' to Niagara, Canada
http://www.niagarafallsreview.ca/2015/01/17/1812-bicentennial-a-gift-to-niagara-canada
   Was the more than $15 million that went towards infrastructure and programming support money well spent?
   The Niagara 1812 Legacy Council—the superintendent of heritage for the Niagara Parks Commission, and a senior member of the federal government that forked over a good chunk of that cash—says an unequivocal "Yes!"

ZAVITZ: The history of a newspaper
http://www.niagarafallsreview.ca/2015/01/16/zavitz-the-history-of-a-newspaper
   Founded by two brothers, James and William Anger, who were originally from the Fort Erie area, the paper had its office on the second floor of a small building on the west side of Erie Avenue. Printed on a Washington hand press, the first edition of the weekly paper appeared on Oct. 10, 1879.

CCAH and Town of Oakville present Black History Month
http://www.insidehalton.com/news-story/5261613-ccah-and-town-of-oakville-present-black-history-month
   The Canadian Caribbean Association of Halton (CCAH) is partnering with the Oakville Museum to host the kickoff to Black History Month.

Where is the federal support for historical church?
http://www.thebarrieexaminer.com/2015/01/16/where-is-the-federal-support-for-historical-church
   The Oro African Methodist Episcopal Church stands— for now—at the corner of Old Barrie Road and Line 3 in Oro-Medonte Township. The township is still looking for funding to help save the church, which was built in the 1840s and is one of the oldest African log churches still standing in North America.

Niagara Falls man thinks he has oldest hockey stick
http://www.insidehalton.com/news-story/5265713-niagara-falls-man-thinks-he-has-oldest-hockey-stick
   Art Federow suspects his stick could be just as antique as the one heralded as the world's oldest by the Canadian Museum of History.

Manitoba

South Main Street buildings are among city's oldest
http://www.thecarillon.com/provincial/building--block-288955611.html
   South Main Street, between Graham and Assiniboine Avenues, is a "key opportunity for intensification and redevelopment," and is creating a redevelopment strategy that will soon be released to the public.

Saskatchewan

Demolition likely for Lydia's building in Saskatoon
http://cjme.com/story/demolition-likely-lydias-building-saskatoon/518986 
   If the economics don’t make sense, the Farnam Block Building on the corner of 11th Street and Broadway could be demolished, according to its property owners.

British Columbia

Chinese historical sites in B.C. call for nominations
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/chinese-historical-sites-in-b-c-call-for-nominations-1.2928706
   The provincial government is seeking nominations from the public of locations with significance to B.C.'s Chinese community that would be added to a registry of historic places.

Stories of the Week

How many newsletters do you receive every week?

One of the newsletters I receive is American Ancestors from the New England Historic and Genealogy Society whose website is now as American Ancestors.

Each week in their newsletter The Weekly Genealogist, and they have The Weekly Genealogists Survey.

The survey for the Vol 18 No 2 January 18 2015, issue, they asked us about our relationship to New England. Of the 5,172 people who answered, 54% of them noted that they had “One or more of my ancestors lived in New England but was born in New England”.

That is definitely true of my family. We lived in two worlds when I was growing up – partly in Nova Scotia, and partly in the New England States. Relatives would either come to Nova Scotia in the summer time, or we would go there – there was a constant stream of Barclay’s and Blades’ across the border. There was such a strong bind that my grandfather, Lester John Blades, joined the American Army in 1917 in Boston instead of the Canadian army! *

So I understand why 54% would say that they had ancestors who were born in New England, although not all of them came from Nova Scotia.

Which brings me to one of my favorite subjects of migration, which will be the topic of my new e-book, to be published this spring. In the book, I examine the topics of migration between Canada and the Unites States, and its effect on both countries. I will discuss the history of migration, actual groups who migrated, and where they migrated to the countries. So watch for that. 

And have you heard of the National Bird Project of the Welcome to Canadian Geographic’s National Bird Project?

The goal of which is to help designate an official bird for Canada by 2017, the country’s sesquicentennial. And they want your help finding a species that can represent this nation of forest, prairie grassland, Arctic and sub-Arctic, maritime and wetland, agricultural and urban, and many other habitats, so vote for your favourite species, or contribute your own short essay today!

Right now the Loon is in the lead, but you can still vote your choice for the official bird for Canada at http://www.canadiangeographic.ca/nationalbird/#Shorebirds

* "United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/KZNL-N8R : accessed 24 January 2015), Lester Blades, 1917-1918; citing Boston City no 5, Massachusetts, United States, NARA microfilm publication M1509 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 1,684,776

Need help in finding your Canadian Ancestors?

If you do, go to Elizabeth Lapointe Research Services and see how I can help you find that elusive Canadian ancestor. Great service. Reasonably priced.

Website: www.elrs.biz

Email: genealogyresearech@aol.com 

 The next post will be published on Groundhog Day - 02 February 2015.

 

News from the Alberta Family History Society

The Alberta Family Histories Society (AFHS) is having a busy pre-spring month of February.

The Society will be offering a course on Sunday, February 1, at 2:00 p.m. at the AFHS Library (712 - 16 Avenue NW) in Calgary, Alberta.

You will learn how to find records, and what they can tell you about your ancestors. You will have time to search on AFHS computers, with individual assistance from the presenters.

There is also a DNA SIG ,which is becoming very popular.

Their newly-formed DNA Special Interest Group (SIG) has already held two meetings, which were very well-attended.

To help spread the word, the first issue of Thermometer is onsite at http://www.afhs.ab.ca/docs/thermometer-jan-2015.pdf

Their website is http://www.afhs.ab.ca

Their Facebook page is https://www.facebook.com/AlbertaFHS

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

If you missed this week’s edition, it is at http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2015/01/canadian-week-in-review-19-january-2015.html

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

It has been a regular post every Monday morning since April 23, 2012.

I love reading genealogy travel articles

To my mind, there is nothing so interesting and educational as genealogy travel articles. Don’t you agree?

My imagination tends to wander through the settlements where the writer’s ancestors once lived, and I'm hard-pressed to find anyone better in writing these types of articles in Canada than Elizabeth Kipp, and her husband, Ed.

I think I have read every one of their travel pieces, and I wasn’t disappointed when I received the January-March 2015 edition of The Ottawa Genealogist (the journal of the Ottawa Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society, of which Ed is the editor), and there was an article entitled, Visiting Some WW II and WW I Sites & etc.: French Elegance Tour of France 2014 by Elizabeth Kipp (with the assistance of Edward Kipp).

They went on a tour of France in May and June of 2014, and they were interested in finding more information about Elizabeth’s Richard le Blak (Blake) of Rouen, and Edward was interested in going to Île de Ré and Saint-Martin-de-Ré on the Île de Ré, where his Huguenot ancestors were from. And they were both interested in the First and Second World War battlefields and cemeteries.

She takes us through the tour of what they saw on a daily basis, starting and ending in Paris. They saw the Bayeux Tapestry, the beaches of Normandy, the Chateux of Chenonecu, and Saint-Martin-de-Ré, toward the end of their trip.

It was truly breathtaking, the places that they were able to see. Do you write your travel stories up so that you can share them with people at your local society?

I can hardly wait until their next article. I wonder where they will travel this year?

The website for the Ottawa Genealogical Society is at http://ogsottawa.on.ca/

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

If you missed this week’s edition, it is at http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2015/01/canadian-week-in-review-19-january-2015.html

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

It has been a regular post every Monday morning since April 23, 2012.

Half-year memberships is becoming popular in Canada

There are a number of societies in Canada now that offer half-year memberships. I believe that the thinking behind this is that people will want to try a half-year membership, and if they find it useful, then maybe they will try a full-year membership next time. Remember, this special deal is usually open to new members only.

So now, the Quebec Family History Society (QFHS) has offered a half-year membership for the period from January 1, 2015 to July 31, 2015 for only $40.00.*

This membership will provide you with a copy of the Summer 2015 issue of their newsletter, Connections, and full member's access to their website. Also, they invite members and non-members alike (free for members) to go to their research library in Montreal to access their many books, and use special genealogy searching programs.

To join, click on the membership form below. After printing and completing the form, you can mail it to them, along with your cheque or money order for $40.00.

The membership form is at http://www.qfhs.ca/upload/files/Special_Membership_Form_2015(1).pdf

The website is at http://www.qfhs.ca

*Their membership year runs from August 1 to July 31. Payment received after May 31 will apply to the next membership year, beginning August 1st. For an individual, the membership costs $75.00 per year for one person, or for two people living at the same address.

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

If you missed this week’s edition, it is at http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2015/01/canadian-week-in-review-19-january-2015.html

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

There has been a regular post every Monday morning since April 23, 2012.