Canadian Week in Review - 05 January 2015

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

History

In 1727, James Wolfe, commander of the British expedition that captured Quebec in 1759, died of his wounds during the battle of the Plains of Abraham at Quebec.
To read more about James Wolfe, go to http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/646548/James-Wolfe

In 1872, Canada and the U.S. exchanged telegraphic weather reports for the first time.
For more on the history of telegraphy, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telegraphy

In 1884, a railway collision at the Humber River, just west of Toronto, took 31 lives.
To read more about the Toronto streetcar system, go to
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toronto_streetcar_system#Early_history_.281861.E2.80.931945.29

Social Media

(Video) Quebec man on a mission to save barns
http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/quebec-man-on-a-mission-to-save-barns-1.2167507#ixzz3NZhBY5Cq
   Roger Brabant of Rigaud, Que, a town on the road from Ottawa to Montreal, has started to take apart barns which have been slated for demolition, and uses the wood for his products – like cupboards.

Articles

Nova Scotia

Memory Lane Heritage Village goes high tech to boost tourism
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/memory-lane-heritage-village-goes-high-tech-to-boost-tourism-1.2882752

   The Heritage Village includes a dozen buildings set in the style of the 1940s and 1950s, and depicts the typical life of a coastal Nova Scotia community.

 

Nova Scotia music contest honours Viola Desmond’s legacy
http://thechronicleherald.ca/artslife/1259921-nova-scotia-music-contest-honours-viola-desmond%E2%80%99s-legacy
   The contest pays tribute to Viola Desmond and her contributions to Canada’s civil rights movement, and raises awareness of Nova Scotia’s Heritage Day
holiday honouring her on February 16th.

New Brunswick

Last official event held at Royal Canadian Legion Branch 28
http://www.chathamdailynews.ca/2015/01/01/last-official-event-held-at-royal-canadian-legion-branch-28
   A long-time military tradition capped off the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 28's history on New Year's Day.
   The branch hosted its stand-to levee, with more than 250 people in attendance. It was the last official event before it will merge with Branch 628 to create a new organization in February.

Ontario

Ross rifle maligned due to misinformation
http://www.mykawartha.com/opinion-story/5234631-ross-rifle-maligned-due-to-misinformation
   Terry Wieland, from St. Louis, Missouri (formerly of Peterborough, Ontario), a professional gun writer, writes a letter to the editor, in which he defends Lt. Ross Ackerman, by saying that he did not die from rifle malfunction.

Remembering the dead at Huronia Regional Centre
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2014/12/29/remembering_the_dead_at_huronia_regional_centre.html
­   Remember Every Name, a committee of survivors and community members, is working on a plan to mark some 1,440 unmarked graves of former patients at the notorious centre for people with developmental disabilities.

Canada's history not always so 'strong, proud, free'

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/canada-s-history-not-always-so-strong-proud-free-1.2884928

   The federal government's recent ad campaign distorts history, say some critics of the process.

Saskatchewan

What will Saskatoon look like in the future?

http://www.thestarphoenix.com/entertainment/What+will+Saskatoon+look+like+future/10695207/story.html

   Saskatoon could be on the precipice of getting a new look, say city officials, architects, and designers. But what that look will be is still open for debate.

Stories of the Year

 

 

One of the biggest stories of the year was the news that the Library and Archives Canada was going to digitize the service files of the First World War men and women, and put them online.

One suggestion that I would like to see as a researcher, in addition to being kept up-to-date, is that the LAC tells us where they are - up to which letter have the files been digitized? It would be easier to judge the rate at which they are doing the scans.

 

Another story has been the realignment of the Ontario Genealogical Society. They declared two branches “inactive” - Haldimand and Norfolk - and there were financial concerns for the organization, both due to lower levels of membership. It seems that they have stabilized themselves as a society, but time will tell.

  

The OGS has also transformed the publication of their journal, Families, from one that is a high-quality, paper-based magazine, into an electronic format, starting with the February 2015 issue.

 

A bit of good news for the Genealogical Association of Nova Scotia, as it moved to its new headquarters in the wider Halifax area. See their website, http://www.novascotiaancestors.ca.

They will be starting a new eight-week course in February 2015 for beginners.

 

And the third news story of the year was the Canadian societies that are going online with Webinars, Live Streaming, and putting genealogy topics on YouTube.

 

And sites like Ancestry.ca who have put on 24 new databases and have updated 5 more this past year, and FamilySearch.org, who has put on or updated their databases covering Canada (thanks to the indexers).

 

So, it has been a good year.

 

And we just got word that Louis Kessler, a genealogist from Winnipeg, Manitoba, has just released his GenSoftReviews for 2014.

 

To read who won the best reviews of 2014, go to http://www.gensoftreviews.com.

 

In 2015, the big news, as Thomas MacEntee says, is doing the Genealogy Do-Over.

  

It involves a 13-week exercise where you look at your genealogy and decide if you need to go back and do parts or all of it over again, because the first time, you may missed putting in sound citations, or do exhaustive research, and now you have a chance to correct it.

  

You can follow the progress at a Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/groups/genealogydoover or add a comment at http://www.geneabloggers.com/tag/genealogy-do-over

So, we wish everyone a Happy New Year, and let’s make 2015 the best ever year we have had for genealogy!

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 12 January 2015.
 

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/2014/12/canadian-week-in-review-29-december-2014.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 Canada!

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


 
 

Centenary Club

While reading George G. Morgan’s Facebook entry today at

https://www.facebook.com/george.g.morgan?fref=tl_fr_box&pnref=lhc.friends on the going to a meeting of the Florida Genealogical Society - Tampa—where a plaque and pin would be presented to the first recipient of the Hillsborough County Century Families program—reminded me of a similar program that the Ontario Genealogical Society (OGS) has called the Centenary Club.

If you have ancestors who lived in the province of Ontario, you can apply for the Centenary Club and receive a certificate.

There are three levels to the Centenary Club –

• Bronze – Over 100 years
• Silver – Over 150 years
• Gold – Over 200 years

You can read about this certificate and application form at http://www.ogs.on.ca/pdfs/Centenary-Club-Application-2014.pdf

Congratulations to Gayle Guyardo, co-anchor of News Channel 8 Today (WFLA) and her family for this honour!

Top Seven Free Canadian Genealogy Sites

In keeping with the number 7, as in my 7th blogiversary I celebrated yesterday at http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2015/01/genealogycanada-is-now-seven-years-old.html, the sevens continue on today ...

... so (and not in any particular order) here are my Top Seven FREE Canadian Genealogy Sites:

Library and Archives Canada – In addition to having the census online, they are publishing the service files of the Soldiers of the First World War: 1914-1918 at http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/military-heritage/first-world-war/first-world-war-1914-1918-cef/Pages/canadian-expeditionary-force.aspx.

They also have Facebook, Twitter, as well as announcements on their website about their collections, upcoming events, and news on the release of digital material.
 

Héritage – You can also go to the Héritage Site at http://heritage.canadiana.ca/?usrlang=en to see many digitized images of records and other fonds that have been published online over the past year. The one big drawback is that they aren’t currently indexed, but if you have plenty of time, it may be well-worth your effort to browse the site. I've been lucky enough to find some interesting material here.

Nova Scotia Archives – This site has come a long way since it first appeared online, and they keep adding to it.

They are most famously known for the Nova Scotia Historical Vital Statistics at https://www.novascotiagenealogy.com/.

To see what they have in the Virtual Archives site, go to http://novascotia.ca/archives/virtual/

The Alberta Family Histories Society and the Alberta Genealogical Society – Both societies have free databases that you can search.

The AFHS at http://www.afhs.ab.ca/ has a cemetery and BMD databases, and the AGS http://www.abgenealogy.ca/ has the 1885‒1897 Applications for Alberta Land Patents, 1870‒1930 Alberta Homestead Records, and the Post‒1930 Alberta Homestead Records.
 

FamilySearch – Canada and the provinces and territories have resources that you might find helpful and they are free at https://familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Canada.

Be sure to check the catalogue, as they are starting to put scanned books onsite.

The Prince Edward Island Public Archives and Records Office – They have a free database of such records as vital statistics records (including the former P.E.I. Baptismal Index), census records, and material from their archival collections, including photographs, maps, architectural plans, and textual records.

The database is at http://www.gov.pe.ca/archives/parosearch/index/index

And, of course, if you haven’t been following my weekly Canadian Week in Review (CWR) blog posts published every Monday morning http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2014/12/canadian-week-in-review-29-december-2014.html over the past three years, maybe you should. It provides a weekly review of the news stories on Canadian genealogy, heritage, and history.

You can sign up to receive it your mailbox, FREE of charge, and it’s a good way to keep up-to-date with what’s happening in Canada.

GenealogyCanada is now seven years old!

It has been seven years now that I have been doing this blog, and although there have been days this past year that I have been super busy, I have always managed to post my Canadian Week in Review (CWR) every Monday morning. 

 

This past year, the most popular post was Ancestry.ca is offering FREE access at http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2014/12/ancestryca-is-offering-free-access.html, and the next popular posts were the CWRs.

 

The people who are accessing the blog through their iPads, iPhones and other mobile devices are increasing, and I am proud to say that I have people from all over the world who come for a visit. So thank you for dropping by!

If you missed any of the other 1,865 posts published since 2008, drop by the archive (to the right-side of the page) to pick any ones you may have missed. Or, just use the search box.

 

As we, and the country, head into 2015, I will once again be offering my Canada Day Brick Wall Contest on July 1^st, and I have some other surprises planned throughout the coming year. 

 

So 'Thank you!' once again for your support, and we'll see you throughout 2015!

Elizabeth

Accentuate the Positive!

Once again, Jill Ball, Australian genealogist, in her blog, http://geniaus.blogspot.com, has invited genealogists around the world to write about their highlights in 2014.

There are two things I remember which were fundamental in helping me sharpen  my research technique.

The first one was a genealogy workshop I attended in April this past year in Toronto with fellow APGers from the Ontario Chapter of the Association of Professional Genealogists (OCAPG), for a full-day workshop with Dr. Thomas Jones, the author of Mastering Genealogical Proof.

The scheduled four presentations turned into a day full of discussions, questions, and socializing, ending with a supper at a nearby restaurant for about 30 of us.

If you ever want to learn from the best on how to do ‘proper’ research, write concise citations and reports, and learn how to do genealogy research correctly, then his presentations should not be missed.

As the editor of Families, the journal of the Ontario Genealogical Society (the largest society in Canada), I often receive books to review, and one such book was Advanced Genealogy Research Techniques by George G. Morgan and Drew Smith (The Genealogy Guys). I consider this book to be rightfully placed up there with works from Dr. Jones and Elizabeth Shown Mills as a resource which teaches, as well as informs.

Their book, filled with case studies, fully examines the FAN Club principle, as explained by Elizabeth Shown Mills in her various writings. I consider the FAN (Friends, Associates, and Neighbours) method as an essential part of genealogical research – especially when it comes to dealing with ‘brick walls’.

There were lots of other “little” highs this year, including the continued publication of my Canadian Week in Review (CWR) postings at my blog www.GenealogyCanada.blogspot.com every Monday morning, and my Canada Day contest on July 1st, asking readers to send in their ‘brick walls’, and then provide them with free research tips and detailed Consultation Reports through my website, http://www.elrs.biz.

There are plans in the works for the release of e-books on Canadian genealogy in 2015, and with the continuation of my courses through the National Institute for Genealogical Studies so that I can get my Professional Development Certificate in 2016, and onwards towards my certification as a CG.

So my husband, Mario, and myself wish everyone a Happy New Year, and good hunting for your ancestors in 2015!

Canadian Week in Review - 29 December 2014

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

History

Portrait photographer Yousuf Karsh was born in Turkey in 1908. He came to Canada in 1924, choosing Ottawa as his home. Who can forget his iconic portraits of Winston Churchill, Albert Einstein, and Ernest Hemingway? He died July 13, 2002.
   Read about his dramatic life on Wikipedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yousuf_Karsh.

In 1936, a Canadian medical doctor, Norman Bethune, began administering blood transfusions to injured people in the Spanish Civil War out of a station wagon. This was the first mobile blood unit of its kind in medical history.
   Read about Dr. Bethune at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_Bethune.

In 1966, the Royal Canadian Mint announced that dimes, quarters, and 50-cent pieces would be struck from nickel instead of silver.
   Read about the history of silver coinage in Canada at http://coinsite.com/canadian-silver-coins-1858-1968/.

In 1795, plans for building Toronto's Yonge Street were first proposed. The 48-kilometre road, from York (now Toronto), and north to Lake Simcoe, was one of the earliest highways in Canada, and is still one of the most important roads in Ontario. It was named for Sir George Yonge, and was completed in April, 1796.
   Is going on the full length of Yonge Street on your bucket list? Read about it at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yonge_Street.

In 1841, street lights in Toronto were lit by gas for the first time.
   Read about the history of street lighting in Toronto at http://thevarsity.ca/2012/10/28/a-brief-history-of-toronto-street-lamps/.

Social Media

(VIDEO) Newfoundland Railway model displayed in St. John's home
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/newfoundland-railway-model-displayed-in-st-john-s-home-1.2883592
   There is a little piece of Newfoundland next to a Christmas tree in one St. John's home this year, and it's modelled after a piece of history of the province - the Newfoundland Railway.

Articles

Nova Scotia

Voyage of the Araguaya: A hospital ship sails from Halifax
http://thechronicleherald.ca/thenovascotian/1259583-voyage-of-the-araguaya-a-hospital-ship-sails-from-Halifax
   Read this stirring story of the Araguaya - one of five hospital ships used to repatriate injured soldiers of the Canadian Expeditionary Force from the First World War in Europe back to Canada.

Simply the Best: Our Arts & Life honour roll for 2014
http://thechronicleherald.ca/artslife/1259514-simply-the-best-our-arts-life-honour-roll-for-2014
   The Chronicle Herald's Arts & Life department offers up their picks for 2014 Honour Roll.

Parishioners celebrate Christmas, mourn loss of historic church
http://www.capebretonpost.com/News/Local/2014-12-25/article-3988343/Parishioners-celebrate-Christmas,-mourn-loss-of-historic-church/1
   Members of St. Mary's Polish Church attend Christmas mass at nearby church after their church is closed.

Ontario

Canada Science and Technology Museum asked for roof funding in 2010
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/canada-science-and-technology-museum-asked-for-roof-funding-in-2010-1.2884250
   The museum is currently closed after leaks in the roof led to mould within the museum.
   On November 17th, the Canada Science and Technology Museums Corporation received $80.5 million to modernize and refurbish the Canada Science and Technology Museum building and upgrade the exhibit space.

WW I soldiers' files being digitized by Library and Archives Canada
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/ww-i-soldiers-files-being-digitized-by-library-and-archives-canada-1.2879590
   The LAC, earlier this year, began the painstaking process of getting its most-requested items online by digitizing its First World War files.
   I noted that Guy Berthiaume, the new Librarian and Archivist of Canada, says that he expects to see fifteen per cent of the total collection digitized and put online.

Canada's Peace Tower carillon bells mark 1914 Christmas truce
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canada-s-peace-tower-carillon-bells-mark-1914-christmas-truce-1.2882856
   Did you know that there had been a Christmas truce in 1914 during the First World War? It was perhaps fitting then that on Christmas Eve this year, the carillon was among 99 instruments in 11 countries that commemorated the 1914 Christmas truce.
   The truce was a spontaneous laying down of arms in various places along the western front by German, Belgian, and British soldiers that first year of the war, although Canadians had not yet joined them in combat.

Piece of Ontario history donated to LaSalle
http://blogs.windsorstar.com/news/piece-of-ontario-history-donated-to-lasalle
   Known as the Speaker’s Chair, this piece of Canadian history has travelled from Toronto’s Queen’s Park to Windsor and now take its place in LaSalle City Council.

Canadian chef celebrates local food with his own stories
http://www.digitaljournal.com/life/food/canadian-chef-celebrates-local-food-with-his-own-stories/article/421614#ixzz3MpVIOqaC
   Canadian chef Jamie Kennedy made a name for himself in Canada's culinary world through his poetically simple approach to cuisine. Now, a new cookbook finds the chef reflecting on four decades of cooking, and the re-birth of local food culture.

Saskatchewan

Strange ideas that never came to be: Five 'big ideas' never completed
http://www.thestarphoenix.com/Strange+ideas+that+never+came/10683912/story.html
   Read about the 'big ideas' that have come across the desks of Saskatoon city council.

British Columbia

BC Province: Looking forward to another successful tourism year
http://www.vancouverobserver.com/travel/bc-province-looking-forward-another-successful-tourism-year
   British Columbia's tourism sector had a very successful year in 2014 as they prepare to welcome visitors from around the globe in 2015.

Stories of the Week

The country of Canada will celebrate it's first prime minister—Sir John Alexander Macdonald—in 2015.
   Sir John A. Macdonald came to Kingston, Ontario with his parents in 1820, and studied law with a lawyer in the city, before he himself became a lawyer.
   He seemed bound for greatness.
   As a militia private in the Rebellion of 1837, he took part in the attack on the rebels at Montgomery's Tavern in Toronto. As a lawyer, he later defended accused rebels, including Nils von Schoultz, leader of an attack on Prescott.
   Later, he took part in municipal politics in Kingston, and from 1843 to 1846, was an alderman. In 1844, at the of 29, he would be the elected to the Legislative Assembly of the province of Canada as the member from Kingston.
   His first cabinet post was as Receiver General in 1847, and he received numerous posts afterwards.
   During this time, he developed hid 'political sense' in which he preferred a country as a highly-structured one, based on a central, unitary form of government.
   Canada was formed on 01 July 1867, and Sir John A. Macdonald became its first prime minister.
   To see what is planned for his birthday, go to http://www.sirjohna2015.ca/ and download the pamphlet of events.
   There is also a Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/sirjohna2015.

The Toronto Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society (OGS) will be presenting a full-day workshop on DNA testing in June.
   The workshop will deal with the main types of DNA testing used by genealogists as well as how the results from genetic testing are used in conducting or supporting genealogical research.
   They are also looking for speakers who would like to be take part.
   You’ll find their detailed call for presentations at http://torontofamilyhistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Call-for-Speakers-Genetic-Genealogy-Workshop-June-2015.pdf.
   The deadline to submit a proposal for the workshop is Saturday, 17 January 2015.

A number of new monuments will be unveiled in Canada.
   On May 12 this year, the federal government announced the design team for the new National Holocaust Monument, and on December 11, the design team for the National Memorial to Victims of Communism was announced
http://www.pch.gc.ca/eng/1396266083257

So both Mario and myself wish your and your family the best for 2015! We are looking forward to more developments in our genealogy world next year, and hope that you will be able to join us in the wonderful venture. Stay tuned!

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 05 January 2015.