The Saskatchewan Minister of Justice has appointed Al Dwyer, the former Registrar of Cemeteries, to look into the matter of there are any cemeteries not being recorded, or left abandoned.
In a recent interview, Linda Dunsmore-Porter, President of the Saskatchewan Genealogical Society, said that “We were approached by the Minister of Justice, Consumer Protection Branch, Registrar of Cemeteries, and were asked if a program could be developed, would SGS be willing to take on the administration of it. We agreed”.
In 1975, the SGS started to record the cemeteries in the province and, so far, has located 3,428 cemeteries and burial grounds, and have recorded 2,439 of them.
Linda says that they have already spent about two hours with Dwyer when he made his first stop.
“Al’s first stop was SGS, where we spent approximately two hours discussing the issue, how SGS could help, and various ideas about the process”.
Dwyer says that groups, individuals, and organizations interested in the working group can leave their contact information for him at 1.877.880.5550.
You can check out the SGS cemetery website at <www.saskgenealogy.com/general/Cemetery_Webpage.htm>.
A daily blog about Canadian genealogy, heritage, and history
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Thursday, December 3, 2009
FamilySearch.org Releases Indexing Update
FamilySearch.org has been actively indexing Canadian records for a number of years. They have currently completed two projects, and have recently started another three projects.
The ones they have just completed are the British Columbia Deaths (1872-1986) and Marriages (1859-1932).
The new ones that they have just taken on is the Deaths (1872-1986) Part 2 of British Columbia, and the Indexing of the Trust Cemeteries (1826-1935) of Toronto.
There was a piece about the Toronto Trust Cemeteries in the November 2009 issue of the OGS' newsletter, NewsLeaf, on page 70 under "News Briefs" in which the project was described, and the cemeteries named which are included in the project. It is 1% complete.
Another project which they have recently started is Registres Paroissaux of Montreal (1800-1900) which is 8% complete. It is in French.
You can help by volunteering to help at FamilySearchIndexing.org and the completed projects and digital image collections can be searched for free at Pilot.FamilySearch.org.
The ones they have just completed are the British Columbia Deaths (1872-1986) and Marriages (1859-1932).
The new ones that they have just taken on is the Deaths (1872-1986) Part 2 of British Columbia, and the Indexing of the Trust Cemeteries (1826-1935) of Toronto.
There was a piece about the Toronto Trust Cemeteries in the November 2009 issue of the OGS' newsletter, NewsLeaf, on page 70 under "News Briefs" in which the project was described, and the cemeteries named which are included in the project. It is 1% complete.
Another project which they have recently started is Registres Paroissaux of Montreal (1800-1900) which is 8% complete. It is in French.
You can help by volunteering to help at FamilySearchIndexing.org and the completed projects and digital image collections can be searched for free at Pilot.FamilySearch.org.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Ontario Marriage Registers by Clergy (1896-1948)
This fall, Ancestry.ca released the Ontario Marriage Registers by the Clergy database. It houses information on 12,000 marriages listed under the Registration Act of 1896.
Most of the marriages are by Baptist, Methodist, and Presbyterian ministers.
The ministers had to report the marriages within 30 days of when they took place.
There were pre-printed forms that the ministers had to fill out, and the spaces covered such items as name, age, residence, whether bachelor/spinster or widow/widower, occupation for the groom only, religious denomination, and names of parents.
The record also contained both signatures of the people being married, and the names and addresses of the witnesses.
The database can be found at Ancestry.ca.
Most of the marriages are by Baptist, Methodist, and Presbyterian ministers.
The ministers had to report the marriages within 30 days of when they took place.
There were pre-printed forms that the ministers had to fill out, and the spaces covered such items as name, age, residence, whether bachelor/spinster or widow/widower, occupation for the groom only, religious denomination, and names of parents.
The record also contained both signatures of the people being married, and the names and addresses of the witnesses.
The database can be found at Ancestry.ca.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Online Access to Tweedsmuir Histories
Since 1920, the Federated Women's Institutes of Ontario has been gathering local history and has been preserving the histories in book form. *
On Nov 19th — in conjunction with the Ontario Genealogical Society — they issued a press release to say that they are partnering with the OGS to digitize 989 local histories and put them in OGS' e-Library.
About a half-million pages of history will be digitized.
"The books include a history of the local settlers in the area, the agricultural practices and industries that formed the basis of the local economy, the social institutions such as churches, schools and community centres, and local personalities," says the press release.
The project will take at least three years, and the project will "identify, conserve, preserve, and digitize all available Ontario Tweedsmuir Histories."
* Background information on the Treedsmuir Histories can be read in its entirely at the OGS website by clicking on "News" on the left-hand side of the webpage.
On Nov 19th — in conjunction with the Ontario Genealogical Society — they issued a press release to say that they are partnering with the OGS to digitize 989 local histories and put them in OGS' e-Library.
About a half-million pages of history will be digitized.
"The books include a history of the local settlers in the area, the agricultural practices and industries that formed the basis of the local economy, the social institutions such as churches, schools and community centres, and local personalities," says the press release.
The project will take at least three years, and the project will "identify, conserve, preserve, and digitize all available Ontario Tweedsmuir Histories."
* Background information on the Treedsmuir Histories can be read in its entirely at the OGS website by clicking on "News" on the left-hand side of the webpage.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Publications This Fall
I have been quite successful in having a number of articles published this fall -
1. Canadian Funeral News - "Canadian Cemeteries are being saved by the Internet". November 2009. Pages 14-17.
This was an interesting piece to write. I sort of went "outside the box", so to speak, and had fun contacting everyone for the article, which was delivered on a very short timeline - but I'm used to deadlines!
It contains interviews with Sherri Pettit, the Director of the OntGenWeb Project, about the Canadian GenWeb Cemetery Project, and she led me to Debra Mann, who singlehandedly is saving cemeteries (Sherri calls her a "cemetery hopper") in Western Ontario, to Graveyard Rabbits in Canada, to Jim McKane, who has started CanadianHeadstones.com - where you can transcribe tombstones on to his site.
If, by chance, you do take a look at the article, the first picture is one of the headstone of my great-great-great uncle, James BARCLAY, and his wife, Catharine BINGAY, from Shelburne, Shelburne County, Nova Scotia, Canada.
2. Discovering Family History - "Discovering Your Family History Center!". November/December 2009.
This article looked at the Family History Centres around the world to see why they have been so successful.
There are over 4,500 in the world now, and I took a look at the one in Ottawa on Prince of Wales Drive, and interviewed Shirley-Ann Pyefinch, its Director.
I asked her what she liked about working for the FHC, and how it has changed since she became its director three years ago.
3. Family Tree Magazine - "Follow your ancestors to Canada", November 2009. Pages 66-68.
This article focusses mainly on the Canadian Genealogy Center of the Library and Archives Canada.
I put the article out there for people to read because I don't think enough has been written about it yet, and what a great resource it is to the world.
I talk about the many databases that have been put online, and how the centre has coped with putting these databases online since its inception in 2003.
4. e-NewsLeaf - If you belong to the Ontario Genealogical Society, you already know about it.
But if you don't know about it, e-NewsLeaf it is an electronic newsletter that is issued in January, March, April, June, July, September, October, and December, and it contains short articles about what the different branches have been doing, bringing members up-to-date on the latest OGS news.
It's headed toward its second year as an added bonus to the members of the OGS, and I quite enjoy doing it.
I have a number of articles coming in the winter - an interview with Glenn Wright, a genealogist from Ottawa and an expert in Canadian military matters; one about Youth Genealogy, which is really taking off in the United States, and a few other pokers in the fire—so to speak—which I hope to have confirmed shortly.
I would say that I have a busy winter to look forward to - and come to think of it - a busy spring, too!
1. Canadian Funeral News - "Canadian Cemeteries are being saved by the Internet". November 2009. Pages 14-17.
This was an interesting piece to write. I sort of went "outside the box", so to speak, and had fun contacting everyone for the article, which was delivered on a very short timeline - but I'm used to deadlines!
It contains interviews with Sherri Pettit, the Director of the OntGenWeb Project, about the Canadian GenWeb Cemetery Project, and she led me to Debra Mann, who singlehandedly is saving cemeteries (Sherri calls her a "cemetery hopper") in Western Ontario, to Graveyard Rabbits in Canada, to Jim McKane, who has started CanadianHeadstones.com - where you can transcribe tombstones on to his site.
If, by chance, you do take a look at the article, the first picture is one of the headstone of my great-great-great uncle, James BARCLAY, and his wife, Catharine BINGAY, from Shelburne, Shelburne County, Nova Scotia, Canada.
2. Discovering Family History - "Discovering Your Family History Center!". November/December 2009.
This article looked at the Family History Centres around the world to see why they have been so successful.
There are over 4,500 in the world now, and I took a look at the one in Ottawa on Prince of Wales Drive, and interviewed Shirley-Ann Pyefinch, its Director.
I asked her what she liked about working for the FHC, and how it has changed since she became its director three years ago.
3. Family Tree Magazine - "Follow your ancestors to Canada", November 2009. Pages 66-68.
This article focusses mainly on the Canadian Genealogy Center of the Library and Archives Canada.
I put the article out there for people to read because I don't think enough has been written about it yet, and what a great resource it is to the world.
I talk about the many databases that have been put online, and how the centre has coped with putting these databases online since its inception in 2003.
4. e-NewsLeaf - If you belong to the Ontario Genealogical Society, you already know about it.
But if you don't know about it, e-NewsLeaf it is an electronic newsletter that is issued in January, March, April, June, July, September, October, and December, and it contains short articles about what the different branches have been doing, bringing members up-to-date on the latest OGS news.
It's headed toward its second year as an added bonus to the members of the OGS, and I quite enjoy doing it.
I have a number of articles coming in the winter - an interview with Glenn Wright, a genealogist from Ottawa and an expert in Canadian military matters; one about Youth Genealogy, which is really taking off in the United States, and a few other pokers in the fire—so to speak—which I hope to have confirmed shortly.
I would say that I have a busy winter to look forward to - and come to think of it - a busy spring, too!
Friday, November 13, 2009
Nov-Dec 2009 "Ottawa Branch News"
A profile of 102-year old Elizabeth Stevens SMART is the lead story in the November-December 2009 issue of Ottawa Branch News. She is the oldest living member of the Ottawa Branch, and she goes right back to when it was formed in 1972. She has membership number 18!
Written by George NEVILLE, an Ottawa member, the article is based on a four-hour interview with Elizabeth taken in 2002, and covers her school history from Grade Primary right up to her Teacher Training.
The story will be continued in the next edition of the newsletter.
Elizabeth and Edward KIPP went on another research trip, and this time, they visited the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, Indiana. They also attended the RATHUN reunion.
Overall, they gave good marks to the library, explaining the available resources and points to note. I would recommend reading this material before going there to do research.
In this issue, Robert SERRE talks about William CROSS, Hugh DAVIS, and Thomas FORAN in his ongoing series, "Early Residents of Ottawa's Sandy Hill Neighbourhood", and Mike MORE talks about the things he has found on the Internet under the title of "Electronic Notebook".
The "Historic Plaques and Monuments" in this issue showcases the Canadian Heritage Rivers System - The Rideau Waterway. Included in the article is a lovely picture of the plaque, and a brief history of the waterway.
Written by George NEVILLE, an Ottawa member, the article is based on a four-hour interview with Elizabeth taken in 2002, and covers her school history from Grade Primary right up to her Teacher Training.
The story will be continued in the next edition of the newsletter.
Elizabeth and Edward KIPP went on another research trip, and this time, they visited the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, Indiana. They also attended the RATHUN reunion.
Overall, they gave good marks to the library, explaining the available resources and points to note. I would recommend reading this material before going there to do research.
In this issue, Robert SERRE talks about William CROSS, Hugh DAVIS, and Thomas FORAN in his ongoing series, "Early Residents of Ottawa's Sandy Hill Neighbourhood", and Mike MORE talks about the things he has found on the Internet under the title of "Electronic Notebook".
The "Historic Plaques and Monuments" in this issue showcases the Canadian Heritage Rivers System - The Rideau Waterway. Included in the article is a lovely picture of the plaque, and a brief history of the waterway.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
2 Minutes to Remember
The Historica-Dominion Institute <www.historica-dominion.ca> combined forces in the fall of this year, and their new website is now up-and-running, so I decided to take a look.
I found, basically, the same site as before (they have just combined the content), but they have added a new wrinkle this Remembrance Day - and that is "2 Minutes To Remember" on November 11 at 11 o'clock.
You can sign up on the site (so far, relatively few Canadians have done so). It is a good thing to do if you cannot go out to Remembrance Day ceremonies, and wish to pay respects at home, work, or school.
They still have "The Memory Project: Stories of the Second World War", where you can browse the stories or submit a story. They walk you through the process.
And in the "Ontario Veteran Community Archive", I see where they have plans to visit towns and cities in Ontario this winter in order to hold digitization workshops for the stories.
I found, basically, the same site as before (they have just combined the content), but they have added a new wrinkle this Remembrance Day - and that is "2 Minutes To Remember" on November 11 at 11 o'clock.
You can sign up on the site (so far, relatively few Canadians have done so). It is a good thing to do if you cannot go out to Remembrance Day ceremonies, and wish to pay respects at home, work, or school.
They still have "The Memory Project: Stories of the Second World War", where you can browse the stories or submit a story. They walk you through the process.
And in the "Ontario Veteran Community Archive", I see where they have plans to visit towns and cities in Ontario this winter in order to hold digitization workshops for the stories.
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