Canadian Genealogy News 21 August 2015

Here are some news items which have come across my desk this morning - 

Remembering the Acadian expulsion from Remsheg, Nova Scotia 

The removal of Acadians from the present-day village of Wallace, Nova Scotia (formerly called Remsheg) took place 260 years ago last week. 

On July 28, 1755, close to a hundred Acadian delegates appeared before the British council, and when asked again to swear an unconditional oath of allegiance to the British Crown, they refused and were all imprisoned. 

The first action in the British plan to expel the French from North America took place in Remsheg, a small Acadian village found at the mouth of the Remsheg River in Nova Scotia. 

You can read the rest of the story at http://www.cumberlandnewsnow.com/News/Local/2015-08-19/article-4250950/Remembering-the-Acadian-expulsion-from-Remsheg/1 

You can also visit the Wallace and Area Museum at http://www.wallaceandareamuseum.com/

“Bicycle Face!” Women and Cycling in the Victorian Age

Interested in learning about the heyday of cycling in Toronto? 

Be sure to visit the current exhibit at the Toronto Sporting Past in the gallery located on the main floor of the Toronto Reference Library. Catch the exhibit before it closes on September 5! And you can also check out the virtual exhibit to learn more.

The 1890s in Europe and America saw a new design in bicycles with the invention in the 1880s, - the “safety” bicycle. It features two wheels of equal size, and replaced the famous penny-farthing bicycle.

And is brought about a change in women's clothing. Split skirts and bloomers started to appear, and these new garments and undergarments provided freedom of use from the restrictions of the traditional clothing of the time.

To learn more, go to http://torontopubliclibrary.typepad.com/trl/2015/08/bicycle-face-women-and-cycling-in-the-victorian-age-.html

Meanwhile, happy researching!

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Check the Canadian Week in Review (CWR) 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/2015/08/canadian-week-in-review-cwr-17-august.html

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

Canadian Genealogy News 20 August 2015

Here are some news items which have come across my desk this morning - 

Canada remember the Dieppe Raid 

Seventy-three years ago, on August 19, 1942, one of the most tragic days for Canada during the Second World War and in all of Canadian military history took place on the beaches of Dieppe, France. 

The numbers are astounding! Nearly 5,000 of the 6,100 Allied troops who fought in the Dieppe Raid were Canadian. The sacrifices made were tremendous as only 2,210 returned to England, and many of them were terribly wounded. Casualties totaled 3,367, including 916 men who lost their lives and almost 1,950 who were taken as prisoners of war and forced to endure harsh treatment. 

You can read the full articles, you can go to http://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/history/second-world-war/dieppe-raid

A Day in the Life of Oakville (Ontario) 

On Tuesday, July 28th, 2015, residents and visitors of Oakville took photos for Oakville Public Library's inaugural A Day in the Life of Oakville project. The library wanted to capture a moment in Oakville's history to preserve for future generations and they received over 100 submissions. 

All the photos have been assembled in a digital gallery here, which will remain online indefinitely. They would like to thank everyone who took the time to take a photo of their day for this digital heritage project. 

If you didn't get a chance to participate this year, the library plans on making this an annual event. 

You can follow the Oakville Public Library at http://images.oakville.halinet.on.ca/369/Exhibit  to keep posted on A Day in the Life of Oakville 2016. 

Meanwhile, happy researching!

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Check the Canadian Week in Review (CWR) 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/2015/08/canadian-week-in-review-cwr-17-august.html

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

Canadian Genealogy News 19 August 2015

 

 Here are some news items which have come across my desk this morning - 

Worldwide Indexing Event has ended 

FamilySearch has said that a total of 82,039 volunteers helped to “Fuel the Find” during FamilySearch’s Worldwide Indexing Event, held August 7-14, 2015.

Though short of the goal of 100,000 participants, the effort produced a number of remarkable achievements, among them an 89% increase in non-English language indexing activity, Volunteers produced more than 12.2 million indexed (transcribed) and 2.3 million arbitrated (reviewed) records during the weekly event. As with all records indexed by FamilySearch indexing volunteers, those indexed during the global event will be made freely searchable at FamilySearch.

For the Worldwide Indexing Event, FamilySearch sought volunteers who could decipher records recorded in a variety of languages, with a focus on French, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish. Volunteers from all over the world exceeded expectations by processing over 2,183,212 non-English records including 1,380,684 in Spanish, 147,568 in Portuguese, 226,734 in French, and116,835 in Italian.

FamilySearch heartily thanks all of the volunteers for their contributions and dedication and encourages anyone interested in participating to join the ongoing indexing initiative at www.FamilySearch.org/indexing 

Digitization of the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) update 

And digitization of the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) service files is underway and a substantial number of digitized files have been added to their website as part of the Government of Canada First World War commemoration activities at the Library and Archives Canada. 

They will add new files every two weeks, as the CEF digitization initiative is a priority for them. LAC will ensure that Canadians have access to the files throughout the digitization process, scheduled to be completed by the end of 2018.

As of today, 181,338 of 640,000 files are available in the database. Latest box digitized box: #2490, name: Devos. 

For more information on this initiative, please consult the Fact Sheet: Digitization of Canadian Expeditionary Force Service Files

Meanwhile, happy researching!

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

Check the Canadian Week in Review (CWR) 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/2015/08/canadian-week-in-review-cwr-17-august.html

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

Canadian Genealogy News (CGN) 18 August 2015

Here are some news items which have come across my desk this morning - 

New Park Officially Opens 

The Friends of Upper Fort Garry, the group which supports the Upper Fort Garry, the headquarters of the Hudson Bay Company from the 1830s to the 1880s, opened a park last week at the provincial heritage site. 

Upper Fort Garry was the administrative and economic centre for Rupert's Land and was the location of the Louis Riel provisional government that eventually led to the admission of Manitoba as a province to the Dominion of Canada in 1870. The fort was the cultural, social, judicial and economic centre of the northwest for more than 35 years.

The original Upper Fort Garry was torn down between 1881 and 1889. 

For more information, go to the Friends of Fort Garry at http://www.upperfortgarry.com/

Upcoming events at Saskatchewan Genealogical Society

Interested in … Starting Your Genealogy? Improving Your Research Techniques?

The Saskatchewan Genealogical Society (SGS) is sponsoring a two day Beginner Workshop on September 12 and 19, 2015.

The first day will focus on Getting Started and the focus of the second day will be Finding Sources.

Certified Instructors: Chris Krismer and Celeste Rider

It will be held at SGS Library at 110 – 1514 11th Avenue, Regina, from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm each day.

The cost will be $40 per person, and you can call 306.780.9207 to register.

Register early as space is limited. Pre-registration and payment required by September 4, 2015.

The Saskatoon Branch will be hosting a workshop with Pat Ryan on September 25 & 26, 2015. 

It’s being held at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints at 1429 – 10th Street East in Saskatoon.

The topics for the workshop include: Who’s Your Momma – paying attention to details, beginner and advanced; The Hidden Records of Library and Archives Canada; and The Importance of Finding and Using Maps in Your Genealogical Research

Contact Bonnie Lymer at bonnie.lymer@shaw.ca or call (306) 384-1567; Cindy Paradis at cindysfamilyhistory@gmail.com or (306) 384-9475; Rene Stock at rene.stock@sasktel.net or (306) 229-2378. 

Watch for workshop website and registration forms at http://genealogysaskatoon.org

The Moose Jaw Branch, in celebration of their 45th Anniversary, will be holding a One Day Conference on Saturday, October 3, 2015 at the Moose Jaw Museum and Art Gallery.

Speakers include: Ken Dalgarno (M.J. Library Archives), Carol Karza (Family History Centre), Chris Krismer (Evaluating Sources), Pat Ryan (The Value of Maps, Who’s Your Momma and Take a Second Look).

Register by September 11, 2015 to Moose Jaw Genealogical Society, Box 861, Moose Jaw, SK. S6H 4P5. Cost is $45. All sessions, snacks and lunch included. Questions? Phone: Diane at 306.692.1967.

Meanwhile, happy researching!

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

Check the Canadian Week in Review (CWR) 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/2015/08/canadian-week-in-review-cwr-17-august.html

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

Canadian Week in Review (CWR) 17 August 2015

I have come across the following Canadian genealogy, history and heritage websites, social media, and newspaper articles this past week that were of interest to me, and I thought you might be interested in them, too.

This Week in Canadian History

The Canadian Women’s Army Corps, 1941-1946

The formation of the Canadian Women’s Army Corps during the Second World War is a milestone in the history of women’s participation in the Canadian military

To read more, you can go to the story at http://www.warmuseum.ca/education/online-educational-resources/dispatches/the-canadian-womens-army-corps-1941-1946/

Social Media 

(Photos) HANTS HISTORY (Aug. 6, 2015 edition)

http://www.hantsjournal.ca/Opinion/Columnists/2015-08-06/article-4237149/HANTS-HISTORY-(Aug.-6,-2015-edition)/1

Here's a look at what was making the news 25 and 50 years ago in the Hants Journal.
(Blog) Blythe Family Ancestry

http://www.emptynestancestry.com/blythegenealogy/index.php

(Photos) Rail history tracked to Merritton

The Niagara, St. Catharines and Toronto Railway — one of the first electric interurban railways in Canada — was commemorated with a plaque in Merritton where one of its stations once stood.

http://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/2015/08/11/rail-history-tracked-to-merritton

Newspaper Articles

Newfoundland

Built to last 

http://www.thetelegram.com/section/2015-08-10/article-4239031/Built-to-last/1

Members of YW today have gone back in the provincial archives looking in daily newspapers for references to the organization, searching for any pieces of news that could be added to the chronological story. But you have to enjoy looking for that proverbial needle in a haystack.

Quebec

Quebec considering removing N-word from 11 place names

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/quebec-considering-removing-n-word-from-11-place-names-1.3184317

A stretch of the Gatineau River that has officially been called Nigger Rapids for decades could be renamed— along with 10 other sites in Quebec whose names include the racial slur.

And the latest new is that Quebec is considering changing the name of a local rapids, and you can read about it at http://www.ottawasun.com/2015/08/11/quebec-locales-using

If you want to read how Quebec chooses the names for places, you ca go to http://www.toponymie.gouv.qc.ca/ct/english.aspx

Ontario 

LEE DICKSON GENEALOGY: Follows the lives of Thomas Mathews and his son John through the Upper Canada land records

http://www.insidetoronto.com/news-story/5798175-lee-dickson-genealogy-follows-the-lives-of-thomas-mathews-and-his-son-john-through-the-upper-canada/

Continued from the previous June and July columns, the lives of Thomas Mathews and his son John are traced forward through the Upper Canada land records. This next part of their story involves the settlement of the Town of York, established 1793. 

GENEALOGY WITH JANICE: Small town newspapers are a boon for family historian

http://www.insidetoronto.com/news-story/5797160-genealogy-with-janice-small-town-newspapers-are-a-boon-for-family-historian/

If you have family or relatives who lived in a small town - check out the local newspapers! So many are now online, it’s easy. And lots of fun. 

Living History Day gives Lost Villages a blast from the past

http://www.cornwallseawaynews.com/News/2015-08-11/article-4242207/Living-History-Day-gives-Lost-Villages-a-blast-from-the-past/1

The valuable role of Canadians in the American Civil War of 1861 to 1865 came to life at the Lost Villages Museum in Long Sault.

Alberta 

Hanna roundhouse reunion celebrates railroad history

http://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/hanna-roundhouse-reunion-celebrates-railroad-history

Roundhouses once dotted the prairies, spaced along the railroad where workers needed a chance to rest and locomotives would be resupplied and inspected.

Now, very few remain. Many have simply crumbled away and the physical legacy of Canadian railroad history is disappearing. One of the few examples of these buildings left is the roundhouse outside of Hanna, Alta.

British Columbia

Dreamers and Dissidents' profiles legends of the Kootenays

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/dreamers-and-dissidents-profiles-legends-of-the-kootenays-1.3180664

The Knowledge Network debuted a new documentary series this week produced by Nelson's Amy Bohigian that tells the stories of some of the most interesting and inspiring characters the Kootenays has ever produced. 

Kaplan heritage sign removed for illegal replacement

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/kaplan-heritage-sign-removed-for-illegal-replacement-1.3187726

The neon blue Kaplan sign that has hung for decades on a Vancouver heritage building at the corner of Granville and Broadway has been replaced with an illegal red sign, raising the ire of heritage activists and citizens alike.

The Stories This Week

Gold is discovered in the Yukon Territory in 1896

On 16 August 1896, gold was discovered near Dawson City, Yukon Territory, Canada.

It was discovered by Aborginals from the Skookum tribe - Jim Mason and Tagish Charlie. George Carmack, from Seattle, was also with them when they made the discovery. They found the gold in Rabbit Creek, near Dawson, in the Yukon, and the creek was renamed Bonanza Creek – the site of the Klondike Gold Rush. 

After word reaches the United States in June of 1897, thousands of Americans headed to the Klondike to seek their fortunes.

Within six months, approximately 100,000 gold-seekers set off for the Yukon. Because it was so arduous to get to the site (they had to use pack animals or sleds to carry hundreds of pounds of supplies), only about 30,000 completed the trip.

Dawson City located on the way to the Klondike, and it temporarily became the largest city north of San Francisco! What had stated out as a tent city, soon boasted fire hydrants on the streets, and was the first city in western Canada to have electric lights. And the growth of Dawson was largely responsible for the creation of the Yukon Territory as a new Canadian Province on June 13, 1898. 

And other Canadian cities out west also had dramatic growth due to the Klondike Gold Rush. Vancouver, British Columbia saw its population double, and in Alberta, Edmonton's population tripled. 

So there is a nutshell is the story of the Klondike Gold Rush.

There are many places that you can look for information. For instance,

The Klondike Gold Rush 1890s

http://www.canadahistoryproject.ca/1890s/

Klondike Gold Rush

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klondike_Gold_Rush

Gold Rush History 

http://travelyukon.com/media/Discover%20Yukon/Fascinating%20Yukon%20Trivia/Gold%20Rush%20History

Gives a time line of the gold rush, and what is going on this summer in the Klondike.

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Check the Canadian Week in Review (CWR) 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/2015/08/canadian-news-in-review-cwr-03-august.html

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

Canadian Genealogy News (GCN) 16 August 2015

 Here are some news items which have come across my desk this morning -

The Annual Phillips Memorial Heritage Forum

One-day event of presentations, walking tours and practical information focusing on Ottawa's Rich Rural and Suburban Heritage. It will take place on Saturday, September 26, 2015 at St. John's Anglican Church, South March, located at 325 Sandhill Road in Kanata (Ottawa).

Bruce Elliott, Professor of History at Carleton University, will deliver the keynote address on the topic of South March as an exemplar of the successes and failures of rural heritage conservation.

You will also hear from other speakers on topics including current heritage conservation practices, how heritage properties are designated, local archaeology, adaptive reuse of heritage structures, and the challenges of maintaining heritage character in older rural neighborhoods.

There will also be site visits to local heritage properties and an optional bus tour of Beaverbrook - soon to be studied for consideration as Ottawa's next heritage district. 

The event runs from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm. Parking at St. John’s Anglican is free for the entire day. The church can also be reached by public transit on OC Transpo Route # 93. 

Event space is limited so pre-registration is required.The registration fee is $20.00 per person, which includes a catered lunch and refreshments during the day. 

You can pre-register for the Heritage Forum online using our website’s donate page to make a $20 payment to Heritage Ottawa via Paypal. Please enter “Heritage Forum” in the donation details area. ( Please note that charitable receipts will not be issued for the $20 Heritage Forum Registration fee. 

One can also mail a cheque with “Heritage Forum” in the subject line, along with your name, address, email and/or telephone number to our office at: Heritage Ottawa, 2 Daly Avenue, Ottawa, ON K1N 6E1 

For more information, please contact info@heritageottawa.org, or call 613-230-8841.

Their website is at http://heritageottawa.org/annual-heritage-forum

The Facebook page is at https://www.facebook.com/HeritageOttawa 

Did you index?

During the week long indexing project called Fund the Find, I just checked this morning, and at 7:00 o'clock ET, they have over 80,000 indexers. FamilySearch had been hoping for 100,000 people, and they are close to their goal, but the final number will be announced on Monday. 

You can go to https://familysearch.org/indexing/projects/country/ca to see what Canadian projects are available. 

If you are interested in indexing, they fully explain the process at https://familysearch.org/indexing/

Meanwhile, happy researching!

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

Check the Canadian Week in Review (CWR) 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/2015/08/canadian-week-in-review-cwr-10-august.html

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

Saskatchewan Archives video exhibit

There is an video exhibit at the Saskatchewan Archives called From the Prairies to the Trenches – From Salisbury Plain to Flanders Fields, November 1914 – December 1915. It explores the events of 1915 at the front and at home in Saskatchewan.

The video exhibit highlights the training of Saskatchewan volunteers of the First Canadian Contingent in Great Britain, their deployment to the Front in the spring of 1915 and their involvement in the battles of that year, including The Second Battle of Ypres. 

The exhibit also describes the pressures of the war on the home front, in particular, the growing demand for women’s suffrage which was intertwined with the province’s temperance movement. 

Two video installation locations are available, in the main foyer at the Legislative Building and on the second floor of Government House.

Or you can view it at archives' YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iaylaT5EZAM

The website of the Saskatchewan Archives is at http://www.saskarchives.com/

Meanwhile, happy researching!

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

Check the Canadian Week in Review (CWR) 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/2015/08/canadian-week-in-review-cwr-10-august.html

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