Genealogy Canada

Sunday, March 29, 2015

Have you seen the latest survey?

The Weekly Genealogical Survey has been published by the New England Historic Genealogical Society (Vol. 18, No. 12, Whole #732, March 25, 2015), and it asked the question - if you use an online or desktop software program to compile your family history research, which one do you use?

The top five responses were -

50% use Ancestry.com

47% use Family Tree Maker

13% use RootsMagic

11% use Legacy Family Tree

7% use Reunion + 7% stated that ‘I use a software program not listed above’

Do you think these number are farily accurate, as far as you can tell. I think that Ancestry.com and Family Tree Maker are the two most popular desktop ptogrames, followed closely by RootsMagic from people that I talk to in Ottawa.

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/2015/03/canadian-week-in-review-23-march-2015_23.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.

Immigration Photos on Flickr

Canada is a nation made up of people from other countries. The diversity in its population distinguishes it from most other counties, and gives Canadians an unique view of genealogy – we are always looking over the seas for our ancestors.

And the Library and Archives Canada is the keeper of our papers, books, records, and if we want to learn about the different ethno-cultural groups, we can either go to their site at http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/Pages/ethno-cultural-groups.aspx and take a short history lesson of the following immigrants groups - Acadian, Blacks. British, Chinese, Danish, Doukhobors, Dutch, East Indian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Icelandic, Irish, Italian, Japanese, Jews, Mennonites, Norwegian, Polish, Russian, Scottish, Swedish, Ukranian, and Welsh.

Or you can check out the immigration photos on Flickr at https://www.flickr.com/photos/lac-bac/sets/72157650749992889/#

Saturday, March 28, 2015

Dear Myrt’s Beginning Genealogy - Session 10

As I promised my blog on 06 January 2014 at http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2015/01/beginning-genealogy-study-group.html, I watched Dear Myrt’s Beginning Genealogy Session 10 on Wednesday. I will continue to watch the rest of the study group as it proceeds.

The major topic which was discussed in Sessions 10 was a subject which can be difficult to discover and research and it is - Adoption.

I have researched and written about this topic myself, and have found it to be very difficult when trying to establish adoption in Canada before the 1920s. Informal adoption (by another family member) was common before it was taken over by the government, and you, as researchers, have to be aware of this fact.

Dear Myrt brought up the subject of two birth certificates – one when the child was born, which would show the natural parents (which was sealed by the government), and a second birth certificate which showed the adoptive parents (which was not sealed).

Although she went to the Adoption on the United States Genealogy at the Wiki site in FamilySearch at https://familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/AdoptionResearch, those of us in Canada can also check the subject under Adoption on our Wiki site at https://familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Canada_Adoption_Records.

In fact, they say that we should “Check with the local provincial archives for addresses to private associations who assist people tracing adoption records. In most provinces, prior to the middle of the 1900s there were no formal adoption proceedings, and children would be placed with family or neighbours without the necessity for any legal documentation”.

The website for Session 10 is at https://plus.google.com/communities/104382659430904043232

Session 1 - http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2015/01/dear-myrts-beginning-genealogy-session-1.html

Session 2 - http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2015/01/dear-myrts-beginning-genealogy-session-2.html

Session 3 - http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2015/01/dear-myrts-beginning-genealogy-session-3.html

Session 4 - http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2015/01/dear-myrts-beginning-genealogy-session-4.html

Session 5 - http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2015/02/dear-myrts-beginning-genealogy-session-5.htm

Session 6 & 7 - http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2015/03/dear-myrts-beginning-genealogy-sessions_5.html

Session 8 - http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2015/03/dear-myrts-beginning-genealogy-sessions_13.html

Session 9 - http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2015/03/dear-myrts-beginning-genealogy-sessions_20.html

Remember to make yourself a member of Dear Myrt’s Genealogy Community before watching the YouTube Google+ Hangout on Air at https://plus.google.com/communities/104382659430904043232

Digging Into the Past: Family History in Canada

In this podcast, genealogy consultants Sara Chatfield and Richard Lelièvre from Library and Archives Canada, discuss genealogy research.

The podcasts explore what genealogy is, what is involved, how to start, suggest resources to use and how Library and Archives Canada can help you with your genealogy research.

Subscribe to their podcast episodes using RSS or iTunes, or if you don’t want to listen to the podcasts, but prefer to read a transcript of the conversation, it is online at http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/news/podcasts/Pages/family-history-canada.aspx

Friday, March 27, 2015

Calling all Farmers: be an Open Farm Days host

Did you know (if you are not from Alberta) that Alberta Open Farm Days is a province-
wide open house, of sorts. This year, on August 22 and 23rd, farmers and ranchers across the province will be invited to open their gates and share their story!

The third annual Alberta Open Farm Days offers visitors a fun way to experience rural life. People can enjoy farm-to-table culinary events on the Saturday and free admission to farm tours across the province on the Sunday. Last year there were 61 host farms and 17 culinary events.

Registration to be a host is now easier thanks to an online registration form available at www.albertafarmdays.com. The application deadline for host farms is April 30.

Their Facebook page is on https://www.facebook.com/openfarmdays

There is a PDF guide available at
http://www.albertafarmdays.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Alberta-Open-Farm-Days-Guide-new.pdf

Thursday, March 26, 2015

Can you help Maclean’s national magazine? Here's how ...

Maclean’s is 110 years old this year, and they have put out a press release in which they are asking Canadians from all over the world to help them ‘find the faces of Canada’s past’.

The press release says that 'Maclean's is compiling an ongoing collection of iconic Canadian photos. Every week, they will be adding more archival photos to the gallery. Take part in the months-long mission by looking at the images and their captions. Are you pictured? Do you know someone who is? If not, maybe you have an idea of how to find them'?

Just tweet them at @MacleansMag using the hashtag #Macleans110, or email the assistant editor Luc Rinaldi at luc.rinaldi@macleans.rogers.com.

They have put 14 photos on the website already. Take a look at them, and if you recognize any of the people, let the editor know by email or Twitter.

The website is http://www.macleans.ca/general/macleans-110-help-find-faces-canada-past/

The Facebook page is https://www.facebook.com/MacleansMagazine

Do you have early French-Canadian ancestors?

If you have answered ‘yes’, and you would like to know if they are in the earliest census ever taken in Canada, then you should check Jean Talon’s census of 1666.

Who was Jean Talon, and why is his name attached to a census?

He was the first Intendant (a governor, of sorts), and he was a representative of the King. He was in charge of administration of justice, police and finances, for instance, and bringing immigrants from France to settle the early days of New France. He encouraged and supported large families, urged single people to marry, brought over filles du roi (approximately 800 young French women who immigrated to New France between 1663 and 1673), and, in part, he motivated soldiers to settle in the colony after their military service.

And this was where the census of 1666 came into the picture – he wanted to know how the new colony was doing.

He held the postion from 1665 to 1668.

To get you started, the 1666 census is on Quebec – AllCensusRecords.com at
http://allcensusrecords.com/canada/quebec/1666census.shtml