Call for Speakers – Pre-1867 Ontario

Toronto Branch is planning a day-long workshop on 11 April 2015 on Upper Canada and Canada West Research, and has just called for speakers who would like to take part.

They are asking if you have expertise in pre-Confederation Ontario family history or local history research that you would like to share?

If so, they would like to know about it.

Potential speakers are invited to submit proposals for lectures on sources, research techniques or historical background that may be helpful to researchers.

Sessions may be targeted at beginners or at more seasoned family historians.

You’ll find a link to their detailed call for presentations on their Speakers and Instructors Wanted page at http://torontofamilyhistory.org/? s=Speakers+and+Instructors+Wanted&submit.x=10&submit.y=5&submit=Search
Please note that the deadline to submit a proposal for this workshop is Saturday 15 November.

And the latest news has come out about the 2016 Conference to be held in Toronto. It will be based at the International Plaza Hotel and conference centre, close to Pearson International Airport, Highway 401, and with good connections by local and regional public transit.

Watch for announcements coming summer of 2015.

The website is http://torontofamilyhistory.org/

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

First World War soldiers from Township of St. Clair, Lambton County, Ontario

The Township of St. Clair has compiled the names of all of the 400 men who, from a population of 5000 at the time, joined the Canadian Expeditionary Forces during the First World War. Many of these men joined the Lambton 149th Battalion and 36 made the ultimate sacrifice in service to their country. 

If you have ancestors from the former townships of Moore and Sombra in Lambton County, they may have made this list. 

For more information, visit their website at http://www.twp.stclair.on.ca/world_war_i.htm 

Take a side trip to view the Moore museum at http://www.mooremuseum.ca/

Sombra also has a museum, and their website is http://www.twp.stclair.on.ca/sombra_museum.htm

Mississauga at War –New Online Exhibit

This is part 1 of an exhibit that will introduce historic Mississauga’s experience of the First World War. The site will grow until it covers 1914-1918 as seen through the pages of The Streetsville Review, photographs, and personal stories. 

The direct link is http://www.mississauga.ca/mississaugaatwar 

The site is a beginning look at these years. To learn more about local consequences of the conflict, the public is invited to contact the Canadiana Reading Room, Mississauga Central Library, at 905-615-3200 ext. 3660 or history.library@mississauga.ca. 

Their Facebook page is at https://www.facebook.com/citymississauga

Canadian Week in Review - 22 September 2014

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

History Week in Canada

In 1890, the Hamilton Public Library opened.

Read more about the Hamilton Public library at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamilton_Public_Library_(Ontario)

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In 1893, Calgary was incorporated as a city.

To read more about Calgary, go to http://www.calgary.ca/CA/city-clerks/Pages/Corporate-records/Archives/Historical-information/Historical-Information.aspx
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In 1792, Upper Canada's first legislature convened at Newark – now Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario.

To read more about Niagara-on-the-Lake , go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niagara-on-the-Lake

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In 1844, Canada's first suspension bridge, a 74-metre span over the Ottawa River, was opened for traffic.

To read more about the Chaudière Bridge, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaudi%C3%A8re_Bridge
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In 1859, the Victoria Bridge at Montreal was completed. It was the first bridge over the St. Lawrence and was opened in 1860.

To read more, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victoria_Bridge_(Montreal)

Social Media

(Photos) Fire at Quebec City’s Museum of Civilization now under control
http://news.nationalpost.com/2014/09/15/fire-breaks-out-at-quebec-citys-museum-of-civilization/
Although the fire was brought under control, here are some photos that were taken while the fire was fought this past week.

New Brunswick

Fire destroys St. John the Baptist church in Edmundston
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/fire-destroys-st-john-the-baptist-church-in-edmundston-1.2772801
Crews battled blaze for about 2 hours, but there was no hope of saving the Anglican church.

Tidal bore unveiling pieces of Moncton’s shipbuilding history
http://globalnews.ca/news/1564668/tidal-bore-unveiling-pieces-of-monctons-shipbuilding-history/
The Petitcodiac’s tidal bore is revealing relics from the city of Moncton’s shipbuilding in the 1800s.

Prince Edward Island

New heritage status celebrates 150-year-old family farms
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/new-heritage-status-celebrates-150-year-old-family-farms-1.2765387
Ninety-one farms on Prince Edward Island run by the same family for 150 years have received special heritage distinction recognizing their deep roots. The award was given to them by the P.E.I. Agriculture Sector Council at a special party in their honour on Friday night as part of the 2014 celebrations.

Ontario

Excerpt # 5 – The First World War: Excerpts from the diary of Woodman Leonard
http://www.ottawasun.com/2014/09/18/the-first-world-war-excerpts-from-the-diary-of-woodman-leonard
For links to the other installments, visit last week's CWR post at -
http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2014/09/canadian-week-in-review-15-september.html

RMS Seqwun, a historic Muskoka ship, needs tender-loving care
http://www.ottawasun.com/2014/09/16/rms-segwun-a-historic-muskoka-ship-needs-tender-loving-care
According toJohn Miller of the Muskaka Steamship & Historical Society, the immediate need is to replace the decking under the wheelhouse.

5 things Ottawa owes to Scotland
http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/5-things-ottawa-owes-to-scotland
In Ottawa, about 16 per cent of the population is of Scottish origin, and Scottish heritage is an important part of Canadian history, with our first prime minister—Sir John A. Macdonald—being from Scotland.

Ship stats: Details about Canadian warships being decommissioned

http://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/ship-stats-details-about-canadian-warships-being-decommissioned-1.2015581#ixzz3DsPp3zOF

The four ships being decommissioned by the Royal Canadian Navy are HMCS Algonquin, HMCS Iroquois, HMCS Preserver, and HMCS Protecteur.

Remembering British Home Children 

http://www.standard-freeholder.com/2014/09/12/remembering-british-home-children

The museum, housed at Upper Canada Village, opened last year as a joint effort between the Ontario East British Home Child Family and the Parks of the St. Lawrence. 

Sandy Hill heritage church sale raises concerns in community

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/sandy-hill-heritage-church-sale-raises-concerns-in-community-1.2766711

The former All Saints Anglican Church on Chapel Street in Ottawa's Sandy Hill neighbourhood is in doubt, and it may be sold. It was completed in 1900 and designated a heritage property in 1998.

Manitoba

Documents a vital part of our history
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/Documents-a-vital-part-of-our-history-275580041.html?cx_navSource=d-tiles-4
Nearly a dozen documents, including the proclamation of Canada’s 1982 Constitution and the first treaty with Cree and Chippewa people that helped settle Manitoba, was on display at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights when parts of the museum was opened for preview tours Saturday.

Alberta

An almost forgotten village – predicted to be the 'Pittsburgh of the Prairies' – turned 100 in July
http://www.vulcanadvocate.com/2014/09/14/an-almost-forgotten-village--predicted-to-be-the-pittsburgh-of-the-prairies--turned-100-in-july
July 13th marked the 100th anniversary of the incorporation of Bow City, which was located east of Lomond, on the edge of Vulcan County. The Alberta Historical Resources Foundation recently approved the placing of a permanent marker at the site of the former village.

Buzzing bees force Kemp roof repairs
http://www.innisfailprovince.ca/article/20140916/INN0801/309169974/-1/inn0801/buzzing-bees-force-kemp-roof-repairs
An investigation into an early spring buzzing bee problem at the historic Kemp House has forced town council to approve spending of more than $21,000 to fix the problem.

British Columbia 

Explore B.C. in Burnaby library reading series
http://www.burnabynow.com/community/explore-b-c-in-burnaby-library-reading-series-1.1354929
British Columbia is a land of adventure - and you can experience that adventure in an upcoming reading series at the Burnaby Public Library's McGill Branch.

Overseas ‘Angel’ to Canadian soldiers arrives in Vancouver
http://www.vancouversun.com/life/This+week+history+1938/10199056/story.html
Jenny Morris, a London boarding housekeeper who befriended thousands of Canadian servicemen during the First World War, visited Vancouver on this day 76 years ago to be feted by former soldiers who had never forgotten her kindness.

Chilliwack Poppy project will create interactive map of WWI soldiers
http://www.theprogress.com/news/275810341.html
It's historical research in the form of an interactive map, plotting the addresses of Chilliwack's war dead from 100 years ago.

Story of the Week

The newest Canadian museum opens in Winnipeg.

The Canadian Museum for Human Rights opened this past weekend in Winnipeg, and there are lots to see and experience in the museum.

For instance, the internment of Japanese Canadians during the Second World War was featured at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights when it officially opened this past weekend.

Among those attending the museum's opening ceremony on Friday was Art Miki, who was interviewed by museum staff about his experience in an internment farm during the war.

To read more, you can go to http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/internment-of-japanese-canadians-to-be-featured-at-human-rights-museum-1.2769708

There is a space where you can carry out research, and an oral history section at https://humanrights.ca/research-and-collections

Reminder: Check the Canadian Week in Review next Monday for the latest in Genealogy, Heritage, and History news in Canada. It’s the ONLY news blog of its kind in country!

The next post will be on 29 September 2014.

Reminder: Canadian Week in Review

Check the Canadian Week in Review tomorrow 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/2014/09/canadian-week-in-review-15-september.html 

It has the most up-to-date news items covered in New/Updated Websites, History, Social Media, and Newspaper Articles. 

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

It has been a regular post every Monday morning since April 23, 2012.

Missisquoi County Canada Genealogy Research Volunteer group announces 10,000 record transcription milestone

This is a notice I received this afternoon from Nancy Cunningham, concerning her group, the Missisquoi County Canada Genealogy Research Volunteer Group. They are doing great work!

‘We at the Missisquoi Rootsweb group ( * Missiquoi was an historical county located in Quebec / Lower Canada / Eastern Townships along the US border) have been for the last 10 years quietly transcribing and publishing records much needed for research in our area. The Missisquoi historic county area, although located in Quebec was heavily Protestant & English speaking with many immigrants from Great Britain and US. ( Vermont) .

This week we reached the 10,000 image milestone on our transcription project of Quebec, Non-Catholic Parish Registers, 1763-1967 from Family Search.org . The 10k mark is for the number of images transcribed, the number of actual individual parish records of births, marriages and burials is closer to 15,000.

We make them all freely available and searchable on our blogs.

We haven’t limited our projects to Family Search digital records- we have also transcribed Library and Archives Canada microfilm Notary records, Google newspapers, Internet Archive eBooks of local directories and posted images and burials to Find-A-Grave.

We use an innovated volunteer sign-up sheet system through Sign up genius, this enables volunteers to work together on projects even though they actually live all over the world.

We believe strongly in paying it forward in genealogy and think this is a little way we can give back for all the help we’ve been given by others in the past.

If anyone has folks that once lived in our area, we’d love for them to search our records and maybe get involved with our group on Rootsweb.

Don’t forget how great Rootsweb ( mailing lists and message boards) is and it’s FREE – check the groups in your areas of research- they may be doing great stuff too!'

Blog http://missisquoigenealogy.blogspot.com/

Rootsweb group http://lists.rootsweb.ancestry.com/index/intl/CAN/CAN-QC-MISSISQUOI.html

If you want to write to Nancy Cunningham, coordinator, her email address is missisquoigenealogy@gmail.com

LAC Podcast - Sign Me Up: CEF Files, 1914-1918

The Library and Archives Canada has issued a another podcast, and this one concerns the First World War Service Papers in Sign Me Up: CEF Files, 1914-1918. These papers are being digitized and are being put online.

I listened to the podcasts, and although nothing new was mentioned in the podcasts, I feel that there will be questions that will still be asked about the papers. The researcher will have to study the various papers in detail in order to reconstruct the life of the soldier. For example, if the soldier was in the Canadian militia before signing the Attestation Paper, what militia unit was it, where were they located, what was his service, or if he served in different regiments while overseas (which many did), why was this so? Who did he serve with, his time of service, in what battles was he involved, and so forth.

I had the occasion to download a complete service record a couple of weeks ago, and depending on the length of the records, it can be a rather long process from start to finish. Some of the records were difficult to read because of the use of abbreviations, and the faded ink, but some of the papers were very clear.

I think the best thing to do before one starts to read the service papers is to read the book, Canadians at War 1914-1919: A Research Guide to World War One Service Records, by retired Library and Archives Canada archivist, Glenn Wright.

This book, although it was written in 2010, is still THE book to read when researching CEF papers. If you read and study this book, you will have a good understanding of the records that you are viewing.

The book is for sale through Global Genealogy at http://globalgenealogy.com/countries/canada/military/resources/101160.htm

Don't forget to scroll down this page and see the book review I wrote for Families, the journal of the Ontario Genealogical Society (OGS) http://www.ogs.on.ca, of which I am its editor.

Although the review was published four years ago, my opinion of his book has not wavered, and, in fact, the more I use it for research, the more invaluable I find it as a resource.

A table of contents of the book is available as a PDF file here - http://globalgenealogy.com/countries/canada/military/resources/images/101160-contents.pdf

For more on this blog, go to http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2011/12/my-list-of-books-for-holidays.html

To listen to the podcast, go to http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/news/podcasts/Pages/cef-files-1914-1918.aspx