Dear Myrt’s Beginning Genealogy Study Group: What did I learn?

As I promised in my blog on 06 January 2015 at http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2015/01/beginning-genealogy-study-group.html, I watched Dear Myrt’s Beginning Genealogy Study Group to its conclusion, and this will be my last post in this series.

So what did I learn?

Contrary to what I said in the last post I made that it was starting to get confusing, the confusion was cleared up in the last two sessions/ I was able to review the sessions of the study group, and here is what I learned -

that I should add to my Canadian Research Toolkit. Just like Cousin Russ, who built the American Research Toolkit at https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1CXE1JFJ9HJaaGsbUPe7y0iPUX6_xnakSVL7S9XBIqUo/edit?usp=sharing we should build one of our own. There is also a Scottish Research Toolkit at https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1WctuJalvphJk9mQWVzbJuRcnrgT01EQjusfvrCDkBd0/edit#gid=1716377541, since Dear Myrt and Claire V. Brisson-Banks are presenting the Scottish Study Group.

The second thing I leaned was that, as Cousin Russ said, you should research one record group at a time. I usually start with the census records, and then the vital statistics records, and so forth. I was sort of doing this anyway, before it was mentioned in the study group by Cousin Russ, but it helped to hear someone else say it, and to put it into words that everyone could understand.

I extend a big thank you to Dear Myrt, Cousin Russ, the panelists, and the community for bringing this to us over 20 sessions. It is well worth it to take some time out of my busy day to listed to all of the sessions. Very well done!

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
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Canada Day Contest

This year, for the annual Canada Day Contest sponsored by the Canadian Week in Review, the skill-testing question is -

This year, Canadians celebrate the birthday of Canada's first prime minister, Sir John A. Macdonald. The question is - When was his birthday, and where was he born? Hint: Like a true immigrant, he wasn't born in Canada!

One winner will be drawn from the correct entries.

The lucky contestant will get a free consultation with me in which they will be told of some of the places they can look to hopefully discover the year in which their Canadian ancestor immigrated to Canada, or some other detail.

The contest will close at the end of Canada History Week at midnight on Wednesday, 07 July 2015.

Place 'Canada Day Contest" in the subject of the email to genealogyreserch@aol.com

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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 last week’s edition, it is at http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2015/06/canadian-week-in-review-cwr-29-june-2015.html
 
It’s the ONLY news blog of its kind in Canada! 

Family History Conference in Ottawa

Marianne Rasmus, in charge of publicity at the British Isles Family History Society of Greater Ottawa's (BIFHSGO) Conference Planning Committee, has just informed me that registration is now open.

Marianne tells us that this year's conference will take place from September 18 to 20, 2015 in Ottawa.

The conference themes will be -

Scottish Family History

Photographs in Genealogy

Technology for Genealogists

They will also have a fantastic slate of speakers, including Maureen Taylor, Chris Paton and Thomas MacEntee.

Pre-conference workshops are also offered.

The program and registration information are available on the BIFHSGO website at http://www.bifhsgo.ca.

Early Bird Registration Deadline is August 14, 2015.

Please note the new conference venue: Ben Franklin Place, 101 Centrepointe Drive, Ottawa, Ontario.

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Canada Day Contest

This year, for the annual Canada Day Contest sponsored by the Canadian Week in Review, the skill-testing question is -

This year, Canadians celebrate the birthday of Canada's first prime minister, Sir John A. Macdonald. The question is - When was his birthday, and where was he born? Hint: Like a true immigrant, he wasn't born in Canada!

One winner will be drawn from the correct entries.

The lucky contestant will get a free consultation with me in which they will be told of some of the places they can look to hopefully discover the year in which their Canadian ancestor immigrated to Canada, or some other detail.

The contest will close at the end of Canada History Week at midnight on Wednesday, 07 July 2015.

Place 'Canada Day Contest" in the subject of the email to genealogyreserch@aol.com

=====================================================================

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

If you missed last week’s edition, it is at http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2015/06/canadian-week-in-review-cwr-29-june-2015.html
 
It’s the ONLY news blog of its kind in Canada! 

Extra news items

Here are some news items which have come across the desk this week -


News has come to me that the Memorial to the Victims of Communism in Ottawa—first reported to our readers here in http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2015/02/canadian-week-in-review-09-february-2015.html (the story appears under Stories of the Week)—has turned out to be an ever-changing saga.

I understand from the latest news is that the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada, Heritage Ottawa, and two architects are taking the National Capital Commission’s decision to begin decontamination of the site for the Memorial to the Victims of Communism to court.

Hmmm, this could changes things a bit, doesn't it?

This is right behind last week's meeting that the National Capital Commission had with interested parties to show them some of the changes that had been suggested to the design of the memorial, such as -

 - that the five folded sheets of steel called “Memory Folds,” will reach up eight metres, not 14.3 meters high

 - that the foot bridge (Bridge of Hope) will be five metres high, down from 11, and there will not be a proposed elevator inside

 - that the whole project will be farther back from Wellington Street, and it will be settled or “nestled” behind a natural earth berm. Apparently, this would reduce its visibility on the street view

But it will still be located in front of the Supreme Court, next to the Library and Archives Canada, and won't be moved to the Gardens of the Provinces park across the street from the Library and Archives Canada that was its original site.

The Library and Archives Canada has released studies of photographs that you may interesting -

These photographs of Oscar Peterson and his family which were taken in 1944 is at http://thediscoverblog.com/2015/06/26/oscar-peterson/.

Also, there is Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Tour of Western Canada – Visit to Jasper National Park, which was commissioned as a trip across the country.

His trip can be viewed at http://thediscoverblog.com/2015/06/25/sir-arthur-conan-doyle-tour-of-western-canada-visit-to-jasper-national-park/

It has been suggested by Fin Armsworthy, the Municipality of the District of Guysborough councillor, that the town of Canso, Cape Breton, may be interested in hosting The Never Forgotten National Memorial, which was first reported to our readers in the June post under the title of Is the Never Forgotten National Momument going to be built?

You can read  the post at http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2015/06/is-never-forgotten-national-momument.html

When a meeting is held July 8, Armsworthy intends to bring it forward to the rest of the members, and ask for public consultations to have it construed at Canso.

Stay tuned for future developments.

Until next time, this is what crossed my desk this week.

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Canada Day Contest

This year, for the annual Canada Day Contest sponsored by the Canadian Week in Review, the skill-testing question is -

This year, Canadians celebrate the birthday of Canada's first prime minister, Sir John A. Macdonald. The question is - When was his birthday, and where was he born? Hint: Like a true immigrant, he wasn't born in Canada!

One winner will be drawn from the correct entries.

The lucky contestant will get a free consultation with me in which they will be told of some of the places they can look to hopefully discover the year in which their Canadian ancestor immigrated to Canada, or some other detail.

The contest will close at the end of Canada History Week at midnight on Wednesday, 07 July 2015.

Place 'Canada Day Contest" in the subject of the email to genealogyreserch@aol.com

=====================================================================

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

If you missed last week’s edition, it is at http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2015/06/canadian-week-in-review-cwr-29-june-2015.html
 
It’s the ONLY news blog of its kind in Canada!

Canada Day at the Museum

Today is Canada's 148th birthday!

If you want to do something different this year to celebrate Canada's birthday, how about going to the events being held at the Canadian Museum of History today, located right across the river from Parliament Hill in Ottawa?

They are planning a whole day of FREE activities from 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Family Fun with Music
At 1 p.m., 3:30 p.m., and 6 p.m. in the Grand Hall

Family Fun with Crafts
From 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. in the Canadian Children’s Museum

Adventures with Odysseus
From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., in the exhibition, The Greeks – Agamemnon to Alexander the Great

The website is http://www.historymuseum.ca/event/canada-day-at-the-museum/

And right cross from the museum is Jacques Cartier Park, where you can also take part in Canada Day activities http://canadaday.gc.ca/eng/1399923093900/1399923177644

Enjoy yourself, and above all – Have fun!

Canada Day Contest

This year, for the annual Canada Day Contest sponsored by the Canadian Week in Review, the skill-testing question is -

This year, Canadians celebrate the birthday of Canada's first prime minister, Sir John A. Macdonald. The question is - When was his birthday, and where was he born? Hint: Like a true immigrant, he wasn't born in Canada!

One winner will be drawn from the correct entries.

The lucky contestant will get a free consultation with me in which they will be told of some of the places they can look to hopefully discover the year in which their Canadian ancestor immigrated to Canada, or some other detail.

The contest will close at the end of Canada History Week at midnight on Wednesday, 07 July 2015.

Place 'Canada Day Contest" in the subject of the email to genealogyreserch@aol.com

Good luck to all, and Happy Canada Day!

Annual Seminar 2015 in Victoria, British Columbia

Merv Scott, the Project Director of the Victoria Genealogical Society (the one in British Columbia, Canada) writes to tell me that they have finalized their program for their Annual Seminar, and registration is now open at http://www.victoriags.org/seminar.php

The date of the seminar is October 24, 2015 from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm and it will be held at St. Aidan’s Church Hall, 3703 St Aidan's Street, Victoria, BC.

They will have an impressive lineup of speakers to address this year's theme - Creating Connections Through DNA: Genetic Genealogy in the Digital Age.

Some of the speakers will be -

Barbara Johnson has a degree in Medical Microbiology, and has taught science both at elementary school and with Pacific Science Center

Wedlidi Speck, a hereditary chief of the Namgis First Nation, is Director of Aboriginal Service Change with the Ministry of Children and Family Development.

Stuart Rennie is a Lawyer, Records and Information Management and Information Governance consultant as well as an Adjunct Professor at UBC in the School of Library, Archival and Information Studies.

Merv says that “Some of your followers might like the idea of enjoying our beautiful fall weather. Combining a trip to Victoria and all it has to offer with a day of genealogy with like minded people - what could be better"?

The website is www.victoriags.org

The Seminar website is http://www.victoriags.org/seminar.php

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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 last week’s edition, it is at http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2015/06/canadian-week-in-review-cwr-22-june-2015.html

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

More Vital Statistics added to Nova Scotia Archives database

 An additional 26,625 historical vital statistics have been added at www.novascotiagenealogy.com! 

These records were released on 31 December 2014 and they have been digitized, fully indexed and checked for quality control.

This year's posting include 15,123 births (1914), 5,086 marriages (1939) and 6,416 deaths (1964).

As usual, the birth records include some 'delayed' entries for individuals born in 1914 (or earlier) but not registered until a later date.

Meanwhile, FamilySearch has added more Nova Scotia indexed records, such as -

Nova Scotia Deaths, 1864-1871

27,717 images organized by county (Annapolis, Antigonish, Cape Breton, Colchester, Cumberland, Digby, Guysborough, Halifax, Hants, Inverness, Kings, Lunenburg, Pictou, Queens, Richmond, Shelburne, Victoria, Yarmouth) and year range.

The site is at https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2242825

Nova Scotia Marriage, 1864-1918

21,950 images organized in the same way as above.

The site is at https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2242886

Nova Scotia Births, 1864-1877

35,025 images organized in the same way.

The site is at https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2243378

If you are looking for an Nova Scotian ancestor, I would advise you to look through the entire section, because I have found births, marriages and deaths on each roll of microfilm, regardless if it says, for instance, Nova Scotia Deaths. Although, through FamilySearch, you do have direct access to the records, that may not be available elsewhere.

 Happy Researching!

===================================================================

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/2015/06/canadian-week-in-review-cwr-29-june-2015.html

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

Ancestry.ca is FREE!

 

It is Canada's birthday on July 1st, and Ancestry.ca will be FREE until Midnight July 1st ET. 

And that is FREE access to all Canadian records.

You will need to register for free with Ancestry.ca with your name and email address.

Once registered a user name and password will be sent by email.

After July 1, 2015, you will only be able to view these records using an Ancestry.ca paid membership.

Go to http://home.ancestry.ca/

Happy Researching!

===================================================================

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/2015/06/canadian-week-in-review-cwr-29-june-2015.html

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