Monday, February 8, 2016

Canadian Week in Review 08 February 2016




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 

Gold was discovered along British Columbia's Fraser River 

On 04 February 1858, gold was discovered along British Columbia's Fraser River, attracting thousands to Canada's West Coast. Hundreds of ships, jammed with gold-seekers, worked their way across the Strait of Georgia to the Fraser, then made the dangerous trip up the swift-running river. 




Winnipeg was incorporated as a city 

In 1873, Winnipeg, Manitoba was incorporated as a city. It had become the capital on Manitoba in 
1870, and he city is known as the "Gateway to the West". 

Lord Selkirk was involved with the first permanent settlement (known as the Red River Colony, the purchase of land from the Hudson's Bay Company, and a survey of river lots in the early 19th century. 

For more information, go to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winnipeg  

Social Media  

Black Vancouverites respond to question 'Where are you from?' 


This piece kicks off On The Coast's Black History Month series, "Race, Roots and Relocation: Delving into B.C.'s Black History. 

Upcoming Canadian Events 

Conferences 

New! 2018 Ontario Genealogical Society Conference 

Word has reached us that the OGS has accepted a bid to host the 2018 OGS Conference in Guelph, Ontario put forward by the Scottish Special Interest Group [SIG]. Christine Woodcock will be conference chair. 

So stay tuned for further developments. 

NEW! 32nd Gene-O-Rama of the Ottawa Genealogical Society 

The conference will be held from April 1 – 2, 2016 at the Confederation Education Centre, 1645 Woodroffe Avenue, Ottawa, Ontario which is at the corner of Hunt Club & Woodroffe Streets. 



If you need further information, go to http://ogsottawa.on.ca/Gene-O-Rama/ 

UNLOCKING THE PAST 2016 





International Genealogy Conference UNLOCKING THE PAST 2016 will be held on Saturday, April 23, 2016 at the The Beach Club Resort, Parksville, British Columbia of the Qualicum Beach Family History Society in British Columbia. 

The featured speakers will be Colleen Fitzpatrick and Chris Paton, and registration is now open at http://www.eventbrite.ca/e/international-genealogy-conference-unlocking-the-past-2016-tickets-18765135024. It includes an early bird price. 

The website is located at http://www.qbfhs.ca/ 

Genealogy on the Cutting Edge 2016 

The Ontario Genealogical Society will be holding its annual conference from June 3rd to 5th at the Toronto’s International Plaza Hotel, Toronto.  

Speakers and agenda has been announced this past week. Registration will open in January. Registration is now open at http://www.ogs.on.ca/conference/registration/, Keep up-to-date with the latest news by following their website at http://www.ogs.on.ca/conference/, or their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/events/171812826485725/ 

Our Canada – Your Family: Building a Nation 2017 

The Ottawa Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society will host the 2017 annual conference, and they have a call out for presentations. 

The conference will be held in Ottawa on June 16-18, 2017 at Algonquin College. The theme of the conference is Our Canada – Your Family: Building a Nation. 

DEADLINE FOR PROPOSALS IS FEBRUARY 15, 2016 

To submit proposals or ask questions, please contact the Conference 2017 Program Committee at: program.conference2017@ogs.on.ca. For more information about OGS or Ottawa Branch respectively, please visit: www.ogs.on.ca or www.ogsottawa.on.ca

Great Canadian Genealogy Summit 

The summit will be held in Brampton, Ontario from October 21 to the 23, 2016 at the 
Courtyard Marriott. 



Newspaper Articles 

Newfoundland 


You got to love Webster’s. A copy of their huge “encyclopedic” dictionary from just over 70 years ago is lying in front of me, sprawled on the desk with a broken spine. It contains well over 1,000 pages but it is dusty, shelf-worn and every time you pick it up (all four pounds of it — OK, OK, 800 grams) it leaves a little of itself behind.  

Nova Scotia 

More history unearthed at Fort Lawrence 


The ground at the border with New Brunswick continues to reveal significant archeological finds. 

Black History Month in 60 seconds: Canada’s Rosa Parks gets her due in new Heritage Minute 


Decades before we’d debate the absence of black Oscar nominees, Viola Desmond had a much more painful experience of racism at the movies. 

Amherst remembers No. 2 Battalion, launches African Heritage Month 


African Heritage Month was officially launched in the region Feb. 1, and with the focus of this year’s celebration being a World War I military unity, it was only fitting the kick-off took place at the armories in Amherst.

Black Battalion stamp celebrates heroic contributions 


Members of the African Nova Scotian community gathered at the Black Cultural Centre in Cherry Brook Tuesday for a stamp unveiling, and to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the No. 2 Construction Battalion 

Hockey heritage centre 


The Nova Scotia government has announced up to $3 million for the construction of a hockey heritage centre in Windsor N.S., which has long claimed to be the birthplace of hockey. 

Greg Kelley, president of the Long Pond Hockey Arena Society, said the Windsor Hockey Heritage Centre will celebrate Canadian hockey and bring the world to the small Nova Scotia town where the sport was born more than 200 years ago. 

Heritage Trust of Nova Scotia wants to turn Amherst building into a museum 


The Heritage Trust of Nova Scotia has stepped up to try to save an abandoned building in downtown Amherst from the wrecking ball by transforming it into a museum. 

Quebec 

Archaeology in Quebec Pointe-a-Calliere Museum 


About 350 pieces will be on display to mark fifty years of archaeological discoveries in the province 

Ontario 

County looks at options, including demolishing former archives building 



Perth County is looking into demolishing the former archives building on St. Andrew St. in Stratford as one possible answer to overcrowded office space at the courthouse next door. 

Government seeks feedback on memorial to victims of communism 


Heritage Minister Mélanie Joly is inviting Canadians to offer feedback online in the next two weeks about the design of the controversial victims of communism memorial 


Manitoba 

Cairn dedicated for gift of land 


Family, friends and neighbours of Frank Crew, along with representatives of the Manitoba Habitat Heritage Corporation (MHHC), came together last fall to recognize and thank the Birtle citizen and retired farmer for his contribution and donation of land that had been part of his family’s farm for half a century. 

Saskatchewan 

History Matters: Engineering Dean Mackenzie involved in bizarre war project 


Canada and the United States might have thrown their industrial muscle behind the European campaign, but supply ships were regularly knocked out by German torpedoes. Hundreds of seamen lost their lives to U-boats lurking below the ocean surface in “wolf packs.” 

Enter British inventor Geoffrey Pyke. 

British Columbia 

Northwestern B.C. cannery locations named for historical significance 


The former Arrandale, Mill Bay and Nass Harbour cannery locations in the area of the mouth of the Nass River on the north coast have been named by the B.C. government as among 21 pla north coast have been named by the B.C. government as among 21 places of historical significance to the Chinese Canadian community 

Chinese head tax reparations called for by surviving families 


One member of a Canadian family that was forced to pay the Chinese head tax says the hurt from this history cannot be undone without a meaningful gesture from the federal government, in the form of a letter and financial settlement. 

Piece of Burnaby history up for sale 


A rare piece of history with Burnaby connections is up for auction this weekend. In 1862, Robert Burnaby, the city’s namesake, penned a note to transfer his shares in a company to another person. That scrap of paper, dated June 3, 1862, is up for auction this weekend.  

Canadian Stories this Week 

RootsTech 2016 

RootsTech is over for another year, and expect for a mixup in the Saturday evening streaming videos of the classes, everything apparently went well. 

I especially enjoyed the Innovative Summit, and the classes this year. It seemed especially nice to see the companies who won prizes in the Innovative Summit, and they seemed to have something for everyone. 

There were Canadians there who blogged - 

Scottish Genealogy Tips And Tidbits blog by Christine Woodcock at http://scottishgenealogytipsntricks.blogspot.com/

and

Louis Kessler on the Behold Genealogy blog at http://www.beholdgenealogy.com/blog/

So watch the videos when you have time, and tell them that you want to receive the latest news by email at info@rootstech.org 

As you know, the newest hit of RootsTech is the stories about your family, and Western University graduate students is collecting stories from Americans who came to Canada. 

The Americans who came to Canada vary from the New England Planters of the 1760s and 1770s to the black migrants following the Underground Railroad between 1640 and 1860, and even Vietnam War draft dodgers in the 1960s and 1970s and liberal Americans leaving since 2000 because of right-wing politics. 

To read the whole “story", go to http://www.lfpress.com/2016/02/04/western-university-graduate-tudents-conduct-oral-history-interviews-with-americans-who-have-come-to-canada-since-the-1960s

And lastly, Dwayne Meisner tells us that the 1921 census for Richmond County, Nova Scotia is now fully transcribed on his site at http://www.dwaynemeisner.com/census/novascotia/richmond1921/index.php 

With this county completed, the entire province is now transcribed!

The 1921 pages have a special toolbar at the top so you can easily submit corrections, or volunteer to proofread the transcriptions.

As usual, if you are not already a member of my site, you will have to complete a free registration form.

And that was the week in Canadian news! 

This e-newspaper has been published since April 2012! 

Be sure to tell your friends about us. 

If you would like to subscribe, please send your email to genealogycanada@aol.com 

Publishers Elizabeth and Mario Lapointe 

Sponsored by Elizabeth Lapointe Research Services. To learn more about the research services offered by ELRS, go to www.elrs.biz 

(c)2016 All rights reserved.

Monday, February 1, 2016

Canadian Week in Review 01 February 2016


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

Canadian Red Ensign

In 1924, the Canadian Red Ensign was given official recognition. It remained Canada's official flag until the Maple Leaf was adopted in 1965. 

To read about the confuted history of the Red Ensign in Canada, go to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Red_Ensign


Canada's first female governor general  

In 1993, former governor-general Jeanne Sauve died in a Montreal. Not only was she Canada's first female governor general, she was also the first female Speaker of the Commons and the first French-Canadian woman to serve in the federal cabinet.




Social Media 

(Photos) Ottawa facing biggest urban overhaul in a half century 


Canadian cities are no strangers to boneheaded urban planning decisions -- the Gardiner Expressway blocking access to Toronto's waterfront, Montreal's crumbling Turcot interchange, space-sucking viaducts in Vancouver. 

But imagine hiding a magnificent waterfall in your downtown core. Take a bow, Ottawa. 

(Photo) Hants History: Jan. 28, 2016 


Here's a look at what was making the news 25 and 50 years ago in the Hants Journal

(Photos) Council designates 1975 Calgary home as historical 


Calgary City Council approved the bid for a 41-year-old Mount Royal home to become the youngest building recognized as a municipal historic resource on Monday. 

(Video) Veteran calls out Canadian War Museum for using wrong ‘American-style’ salute on promotional poster 


Details matter to army veteran and history buff Terry Hunter. 

So when he noticed a Canadian War Museum poster of Second World War-era women using a wrong “American-style” salute, he decided to say something, calling out the error on the museum’s Facebook page. 

(Webcam) Parliament Hill webcam still keeping watch after 20 years 


Twenty years ago, what is likely one of Ottawa's oldest and longest-running webcams was set up across the street from Parliament Hill, and the man who helped install says he's surprised to see it's still operating after all these years. 

Upcoming Canadian Events 

Conferences 

New! 2018 Ontario Genealogical Society Conference 

Word has reached us that the OGS has accepted a bid to host the 2018 OGS Conference in Guelph, Ontario put forward by the Scottish Special Interest Group [SIG]. Christine Woodcock will be conference chair. 

So stay tuned for further developments. 

NEW! 32nd Gene-O-Rama of the Ottawa Genealogical Society 

The conference will be held from April 1-2, 2016 at the Confederation Education Centre, 1645 Woodroffe Avenue, Ottawa, Ontario, which is at the corner of Hunt Club Road & Woodroffe Avenue. 



If you need further information, go to http://ogsottawa.on.ca/Gene-O-Rama/  

UNLOCKING THE PAST 2016 

International Genealogy Conference UNLOCKING THE PAST 2016 will be held on Saturday, April 23, 2016 at the The Beach Club Resort, Parksville, British Columbia of the Qualicum Beach Family History Society in British Columbia. 

The featured speakers will be Colleen Fitzpatrick and Chris Paton, and registration is now open at http://www.eventbrite.ca/e/international-genealogy-conference-unlocking-the-past-2016-tickets-18765135024. It includes an early bird price. 

The website is located at http://www.qbfhs.ca/ 

Genealogy on the Cutting Edge 2016 

The Ontario Genealogical Society will be holding its annual conference from June 3rd to 5th at the Toronto’s International Plaza Hotel, Toronto. 

Speakers and agenda has been announced this past week. Registration will open in January. Registration is now open at http://www.ogs.on.ca/conference/registration/, Keep up-to-date with the latest news by following their website at http://www.ogs.on.ca/conference/, or their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/events/171812826485725/ 


Our Canada – Your Family: Building a Nation 2017 

The Ottawa Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society will host the 2017 annual conference, and they have a call out for presentations. 

The conference will be held in Ottawa on June 16-18, 2017 at Algonquin College. The theme of the conference is Our Canada – Your Family: Building a Nation. 

DEADLINE FOR PROPOSALS IS FEBRUARY 15, 2016 

To submit proposals or ask questions, please contact the Conference 2017 Program Committee at: program.conference2017@ogs.on.ca. For more information about OGS or Ottawa Branch respectively, please visit: www.ogs.on.ca or www.ogsottawa.on.ca

Great Canadian Genealogical Summit 

The summit will be held in Brampton, Ontario from October 21 to the 23, 2016 at the Courtyard Marriott. 


Newspaper Articles 

Newfoundland 

Twin Towns History with Clayton Billard 


In Channel the news was all about the new Lodge Hall opened in February by Channel Jubilee Lodge 551 of the Brotherhood of Railway and Steamship Clerks, Freight Handlers, Express Station Employees, in conjunction with the Ladies Auxillary Royal Visit Lodge No.2 . 

Nova Scotia 

African Heritage Month local launch Monday 


The No. 2 Construction Battalion will receive some special attention Monday at a local launch for African Heritage Month Monday at Glasgow Square Theatre. 

African Heritgage Month opens in southwestern NS 


African Heritage Month in southwestern Nova Scotia officially opened today, Thursday, in a ceremony that looked back to the First World War and ahead to children just starting grade school. 

Black Loyalist graveyard rediscovery may shed light on early settlers 


A rediscovered Black Loyalist graveyard outside a church in a Halifax-area community is shrouded in moss and mystery.

About a decade ago, membership at the Emmanuel Baptist Church in Upper Hammonds Plains was steadily rising, so a decision was made to expand. Excavation began beside the existing structure, built in 1845. 

That's when workers stumbled upon a surprising find — scores of gravestones, in perfect rows.  

New Brunswick 

Sand Cove Road report shows history of slope failures 


The slope along a section of Sand Cove Road shows signs of previous slides, according to an engineering report prepared for the City of Saint John. 

Ontario 

Seven deadly decisions: Who died when Parliament burned 100 years ago 


On the evening of Feb. 3, 1916, as politicians debated the merits of an inquiry into the high price of fish in central Canada, Yarmouth MP Bowman Brown Law stood up and surveyed the empty seats that surrounded him in the House of Commons. 

The Day Canada's Parliament Went Up In Flames 


On Feb. 3, 1916, a fire started in the House of Commons' reading room (perhaps by an errant cigar) and quickly took hold. 

First of its kind in Canada: Windsor Library's Auto Archives open

It’s autoutopia. It’s motor mania. And it’s in Windsor. 

Windsor Public Library on Saturday (Jan. 30) will launch what it calls a first for Canada — its Automotive Archives. 

Ontario to officially recognize Black History Month 


Ontario’s Liberal government says it will introduce legislation to officially proclaim February as Black History Month

The month was first proclaimed in 1993, but the government says it will introduce legislation “in the near future” to formally recognize the month each year. 

Canadians return historic bell to Gouldsboro 


Despite concerns some local residents had that their town’s famous bell never would be returned, it was hand-delivered amid minor fanfare Wednesday to the town by Canadian officials. 

Ottawa woman's immigration mix-up solved 50 years later 


An Ottawa woman who had to put her honeymoon on hold because of a 50-year-old immigration mix-up finally has an updated file and the proper documents to travel. 

Local News: Town Of Port Hope Papers Returned To Archives 


Port Hope Archives is excited to announce the return of the "Town of Port Hope" papers from the Archives of Ontario. 

The "Town of Port Hope fonds" is a collection of papers created by the former Town of Port Hope, and serve to document a large block of time in the history of our community. 

Manitoba 

Nellie McClung's granddaughter feels pride as Manitoba marks women's vote 


This week Marcia McClung, one of Nellie McClung's granddaughters, will be in Winnipeg to celebrate the 100th anniversary of most women getting the right to vote in Manitoba. 

Nellie McClung's leadership in the women's suffrage movement helped some women win the vote in Manitoba elections in 1916. 

Saskatchewan

History: Light Horses in Saskatchewan 


March 1947 issue of Canadian Cattlemen

Canadian Stories this Week 

Winterlude in Ottawa

It has been raining in Ottawa, and generally, it has been a warm winter. This has dealt a blow to the winter time activities – especially Winterlude. 

This year, Winterlude in on until 15th of February, and one of the exhibits is marking the 100th anniversary of women’s suffrage in Canada. This exhibit was created by Library and Archives Canada www.bac-lac.gc.ca and the Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR) in Winnipeg.

It features reproductions of portraits that celebrate the struggle for women’s rights in Canada. 

Let Them Howl features portraits of Nellie McClung, Agnes Macphail, Thérèse Casgrain, Cairine Wilson, Doris Anderson, and Rosemary Brown.

A parallel exhibition is also being presented by the CMHR at the Festival du Voyageur in Winnipeg during February 16.

The title of the exhibit is taken from the quote “Never retreat, never explain, never apologize. Get the thing done and let them howl.” — Nellie McClung 

The exhibit is located on the Rideau Canal, under the Bank Street Bridge. So if you are in Ottawa, take some time to go and visit it. 

International Holocaust Remembrance Day

Wednesday was International Holocaust Remembrance Day, the date the United Nations chose to commemorate victims of the Holocaust during the Second World War. Six million Jews were murdered by Germany's Nazi regime, along with another 5 million non-Jews who were also killed. 

The anniversary, marked each year since 2005, falls on the anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp in Poland by the Russian army in 1945. One million people died there.

You may visit the Canadian Jewish Archives at http://www.cjarchives.ca/en/

Here you can go through their data on Canadian Jewish casualties in the Canadian Armed Forces include servicemen who died while serving in First World War, Second World War, and the Korean War. In addition to the date of death and place of burial, these records often include additional biographical details such as war stories and photographs.

The website is at http://www.cjhn.ca/en/explore/advanced-search.aspx

You can also go to the The Montreal Holocaust Memorial Centre (MHMC) at http://www.mhmc.ca/en

If you are not Jewish, you can learn about the customs, holidays, and the cultural diversity of Jewish communities in Europe and North Africa. you can learn about the rise of Nazism and escalating discriminatory policies imposed against Jews in Germany up until the attacks on the Night of Broken Glass, Kristallnacht

Celebrating the 20th Anniversary of Black History Month 


2016 marks the 20th anniversary since Black History Month was first officially celebrated by the Government of Canada. 

The month-long celebration was formally recognized following a mention introduced in the House of Commons by the first black Canadian woman elected to Parliament, the Honourable Jean Augustine. 

They recognize contributions and moments from early settlers, to the abolition of slavery, and back Canadians from all fields who have played defining roles in Canada’s history.

You can learn more about Canadian Black History Month by going to http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/multiculturalism/black/history.asp and this newspaper tells you about the events going on across the country during the month of February. 

And that was the week in Canadian news!

This e-newspaper has been published since April 2012! 

Be sure to tell your friends about us. 

If you would like to subscribe, please send your email to genealogycanada@aol.com

Publishers Elizabeth and Mario Lapointe

Sponsored by Elizabeth Lapointe Research Services. To learn more about the research services offered by ELRS, go to www.elrs.biz                                                  
(c)2016 All rights reserved.

Monday, January 25, 2016

Canadian Week in Review 25 January 2016


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 

First Canadian parachute jump in 1912

In May 1912, promoters of an “Aviation Meet” at Hastings Park announced plans for the first parachute jump out of a plane in Canada. 

The “birdmen” were pilots Phil Parmelee and J. Clifford Turpin, and a parachutist named Professor Morton. 

If you wish more about the parachute jump, go to 

Rationing during the Second World War 

According to new sugar rationing controls in the Second World War in 1942, sugar bowls were to be removed from tables in all restaurants, hotels, boarding houses, and institutions across the country. Sugar was to be served only by request and in reasonable quantities, generally understood to mean two lumps. 

If you wish to read about rationing, go to http://wartimecanada.ca/archive-categories/rationing 

Social Media 

(Video) Royal Alberta Museum prepares for the move downtown 


Behind the closed doors of the old Royal Alberta Museum, staff is culling exhibits from the 2.1 million artifacts in the museum's storage rooms that will be displayed at the new location downtown. 

Upcoming Canadian Events 

Conferences

NEW! 32nd Gene-O-Rama of the Ottawa Genealogical Society 

The conference will be held from April 1 – 2, 2016 at the Confederation Education Centre, 1645 Woodroffe Avenue, Ottawa, Ontario which is at the corner of Hunt Club & Woodroffe Streets. 



If you need further information, go to http://ogsottawa.on.ca/Gene-O-Rama/  

UNLOCKING THE PAST 2016 

International Genealogy Conference UNLOCKING THE PAST 2016 will be held on Saturday, April 23, 2016 at the The Beach Club Resort, Parksville, British Columbia of the Qualicum Beach Family History Society in British Columbia. 

The featured speakers will be Colleen Fitzpatrick and Chris Paton, and registration is now open at http://www.eventbrite.ca/e/international-genealogy-conference-unlocking-the-past-2016-tickets-18765135024. It includes an early bird price. 

The website is located at http://www.qbfhs.ca/ 

Genealogy on the Cutting Edge 2016 

The Ontario Genealogical Society will be holding its annual conference from June 3rd to 5th at the Toronto’s International Plaza Hotel, Toronto. 

Speakers and agenda has been announced this past week. Registration will open in January. Registration is now open at http://www.ogs.on.ca/conference/registration/, Keep up-to-date with the latest news by following their website at http://www.ogs.on.ca/conference/, or their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/events/171812826485725/ 

Our Canada – Your Family: Building a Nation 2017 

The Ottawa Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society will host the 2017 annual conference, and they have a call out for presentations. 

The conference will be held in Ottawa on June 16-18, 2017 at Algonquin College. The theme of the conference is Our Canada – Your Family: Building a Nation. 

DEADLINE FOR PROPOSALS IS FEBRUARY 15, 2016 

To submit proposals or ask questions, please contact the Conference 2017 Program Committee at: program.conference2017@ogs.on.ca. For more information about OGS or Ottawa Branch respectively, please visit: www.ogs.on.ca or www.ogsottawa.on.ca

Great Canadian Genealogy Summit 

The summit will be held in Brampton, Ontario from October 21 to the 23, 2016 at the 
Courtyard Marriott. 

On January 30, 2016, the Great Canadian Genealogy Summit will be holding a draw of all registrations and one lucky winner will have their registration fees reimbursed. 

In order to qualify you MUST have paid for your registration before January 29th, 2016 - at midnight http://ogsottawa.on.ca/Gene-O-Rama/ 


Newspaper Articles 

Nova Scotia 

Acadia Lifelong Learning class finds pieces of local history in Starr's Point 


Participants in an Acadia Lifelong Learning (ALL) class got to explore local history through a hands-on archaeological excavation in Starr’s Point. 

Prince Edward Island 

Historic Charlottetown showcased in outdoor heritage exhibit 


The exhibit will be unveiled on Heritage Day and run until Feb. 29 in some storefront windows.  

Ontario 

Early Guelph neighbourhood gets heritage designation 


Guelph now has its first heritage conservation district. 

Nearly a decade after it was first suggested, the Brooklyn and College Hill area has been designated under the Ontario Heritage Act, city staff announced Thursday.

Canada salutes Black History Month with WWI batallion issue 


The latest stamp in Canada Post’s Black History Month series, which began in 2009, salutes the No. 2 Construction Battalion, formed 100 years ago in 1916.  

Turner & Townsend to restore Canada’s historic concert hall 


UK consultant Turner & Townsend has been chosen to project manage the multi-million dollar restoration of Canada’s historic concert venue, Toronto’s Massey Hall, over the next seven years.  

Behind the scenes: What you’ll find in the archives at the Peterborough Museum & Archives 

http://www.mykawartha.com/shopping-story/6237452-behind-the-scenes-what-you-ll-find-in-the-archives-at-the-peterborough-museum-archives/

The museum stores and exhibits important collections that include the key stories, images and artifacts of both the land and the people of Peterborough, 

Continued Neglect of Gore Heritage Buildings an Embarrassment

https://raisethehammer.org/article/2828/continued_neglect_of_gore_heritage_buildings_an_embarrassment

The danger at 18-28 King Street East was that the proposed demolition would merely make long-term property speculation easier by levelling the site and removing any heritage "complications". The fact that the owners did not present clear plans of what they would do with the site of the Gore buildings made it obvious that we would be looking at a huge vacant lot facing Gore Park for years to come.

Royal Canadian Mint plans circulating dollar for suffrage centennial

http://www.coinworld.com/news/world-coins/2016/01/rcm-plans-circulating-dollar-for-suffrage-centennial.html 

Canada is planning to celebrate the 100 anniversary of suffrage with a circulating commemorative dollar coin in 2016. 

During World War I, some women in Canada were finally allowed to vote, and in 1919 all women over the age of 21 gained the right to vote in a federal election. 

Alberta 

A brief history of Calgary newspapers: A front page history of our city's papers 


Calgary has a long newspaper history, with the earliest printing press arriving in our city by rail, addressed to "The end of the line."


One of the great myths of Saskatchewan history is that the two-century-old fur trade ended when Canada acquired the region from the Hudson’s Bay Company in 1870. 

British Columbia 

Vancouver prompted WWII sell-off of Japanese-Canadian-owned property 


The city of Vancouver played a far more significant role in the federal government’s decision to sell Japanese-Canadian-owned property during the Second World War than previously thought, says a Victoria professor 

Haggis a treat for new director of Centre for Scottish Studies

Professor Katie McCullough, the new director of Simon Fraser University’s Centre for Scottish Studies, admits to a secret liking for Scotland’s national dish, haggis. 

Canadian Stories this Week 

Mocavo and Findmypast are coming together 

Did you read this notice last week? I was particularly upbeat by this because I do have subscriptions to both companies, and now they are together. 

This means that Findmypast will inherit Mocavo's digistied newspaper collection, which I find is very good, especially since I found the marriage of my great-great-aunt in New York, which I had been researching for many years. All information had pointed toward Yarmouth, Nova Scotia as the place of marriage, but while she was in New York visiting her brother in Brooklyn, she met a fellow from Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, and they got married in Queens. He took her on an American cross-county trip to San Francisco where his family had migrated, and it was there that she settled, and lived the rest of her very long life.


The Voyageur Database 

Have you heard of this before - The Voyageur Database - which is made from the microfilms of the Protonotaire Montréal Greffes de notaires fonds of the Bibliothèque et Archives nationale du Québec?

It is a project headed by Nicole St-Onge at the University of Ottawa that has digitized over 35,000 fur-trade contracts of indentured servants who were hired in Montreal between the 1730s and 1830s. It is the largest collection of its kind for the fur trade. 

The Saint-Boniface Historical Society migrated the core data to an online platform on its website so that researchers, genealogists, and other interested parties could use this resource. 


And that was the week in Canadian news!

This e-newspaper has been published since April 2012! 

Be sure to tell your friends about us. 

If you would like to subscribe, please send your email to genealogycanada@aol.com

Publishers Elizabeth and Mario Lapointe

(c)2016 All rights reserved.