Canadian Genealogy News 28 July 2015

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

Ontario genealogist takes top billing

The Toronto Time Capsule (TTC) has been in existence since this spring, and they have just released their seven top articles. The most read article is by Janice Nickerson. Congratulations, Janice!

Her article GENEALOGY WITH JANICE: 7 fun genealogy games for kids aims to get younger generations interested in family history with a list of games to try at home.

To read who the other six people are, go to http://www.insidetoronto.com/news-story/5750390-7-most-read-history-articles-in-the-toronto-time-capsule/ 

Vote now for Canadian genealogy websites

The best Canadian website 

John D. Reid, the blogger at Anglo-Celtic Connections asks “Which genealogy websites do you most value for Canadian content? Rather than trust the judgement of self-proclaimed experts in other countries let's follow the model used for Rockstar Genealogist and conduct a survey”.

So who do you think is the best website as far as Canadian Content is concerned.

Let you views be known at http://anglo-celtic-connections.blogspot.com/2015/07/best-canadian-genealogy-websites.html

Toronto Branch Workshops

Gwyneth Pearce, the secretary of the Toronto Branch, Ontario Genealogical Society (OGS) writes to tell us of two special events that will take place this fall. Registration is now open for:

Atlantic Canada Genealogy – a full-day workshop on Saturday 17 October to explore the resources available to help you find your Atlantic ancestors. Led by keynote speaker Terrence M. Punch of Halifax, with additional lectures by Roberta Clark and Terri Raymond, this workshop will focus on understanding the patterns and sources of immigration into the four Atlantic provinces over the past four hundred years as well as subsequent migrations from Atlantic Canada to other parts of Canada and to the United States. Early-bird rates apply until September 22 and OGS members enjoy additional discounts.

For full program and speaker details and to register online, visit http://torontofamilyhistory.org/learn/workshops/atlantic-canada-genealogy-workshop/.

Basic Genealogy and Family History – two eight-week courses led by instructor Jane E. MacNamara designed for those who are just setting out on their family history journeys or who wish to upgrade their basic research skills. One course will be held at Riverdale Public Library on Tuesday evenings from 6 October to 24 November, and the other at North York Central Library on Wednesday afternoons from 7 October to 25 November. Learn how to "think like a genealogist"! 

For details and to register online, visit http://torontofamilyhistory.org/event/basic-genealogy-and-family-history-evening/

Until tomorrow, have a nice day researching!

Canadian Week in Review (CWR) 27 July 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 Overlanders of 1862: Journeying West for Gold

Their journey had begun in southern Ontario (Niagara) and would end in the gold fields of the Cariboo Mountains, within what later became the province of British Columbia.

For more information, go to http://www.pc.gc.ca/apps/cseh-twih/index_e.asp

In 1915, Canada's foremost railway surveyor and construction engineer, Sir Sandford Fleming, died in Halifax at age 86. He helped devise a route for the Canadian Pacific Railway through the Rockies. Fleming also helped develop a way to divide the world into time zones and also designed Canada's first postage stamp.

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

Social Media

(Blog) Ezard – The Name and its History

https://ezardthenameanditshistory.wordpress.com/

The EZARD One-Name Study is registered with the Guild of One-Name Studies by blogger Jill Ezard. There are some names in Canada.

(Photos) Special find

http://www.trurodaily.com/News/Local/2015-07-17/article-4217944/Special-find/1

Alex Yeadon knows of the importance a military medal holds, so when his mother came across one
by chance, he took it upon himself to try and find the family. 

Newspaper Articles

Prince Edward Island 

More churches are popping up on P.E.I.'s real estate market but the buildings are proving a tough sell.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/vacant-churches-a-tough-sell-for-realtors-1.3152572

Realtor Jeff Newson has never sold a church before, but now he's trying to sell two — the United Churches in Kingston and in New Dominion. 

Nova Scotia

Amherst heritage building likely faces the wrecking ball

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/amherst-heritage-building-likely-faces-the-wrecking-ball-1.3162216

A provincially registered heritage property that's been a landmark in downtown Amherst for more than a century could soon be history.

Amherst town councillors have voted to demolish the red sandstone former Bank of Montreal building at the corner of Victoria and LaPlanche streets.

Ontario

Artist Jimi McKee wants facelift for totem pole

http://www.orilliapacket.com/2015/07/14/artist-jimi-mckee-wants-facelift-for-totem-pole

As Jimi McKee works to restore a piece of Canadian history sitting on a trailer in his yard, his thoughts also turn to a fixture in Couchiching Beach Park.

Plaque honouring William F. Sharpe unveiled in Prescott 

http://www.insidebrockville.com/news-story/5746052-plaque-honouring-william-f-sharpe-unveiled-in-prescott/

The Grenville County Historical Society held a special unveiling and dedication on Saturday for a historical plaque commemorating Lt. William F. Sharpe.

One of Canada's first military airmen during the Great War (1914-1918) 

British Columbia

McVittie House, Land Surveying Office open at Fort Steele

http://www.dailytownsman.com/ourtown/315872261.html

Dignitaries and guests gathered on Saturday July 11 at Fort Steele Heritage Town to celebrate the grand opening of McVittie House and Land Surveying Office.

The Stories This Week

Summer in Canada is our time to hold special conference, and to those who like picnic, there is that too!

On Tuesday 28 July 2015 at 6 p.m., there will be a Picnic Potluck and Cemetery Walk - Bruce and Grey Branch Ontario Genealogical Society, Owen Sound, ON at the Place: Family History Centre, 490 2nd Ave S.E. Owen Sound. 

The Picnic Potluck will start at 6 p.m. and then a Cemetery walk with Terri Jackson at Greenwood Cemetery, Owen Sound Please bring along a favorite potluck dish to share and a plate & cutlery for your dinner. After dinner join us for a cemetery walk through Greenwood Cemetery, located at 290 1st Street S.W. Owen Sound, with our own Terri Jackson as our tour guide. We invite you to join us! All are welcome!

Call 519-534-1875 for further information

Thursday 06 August to Sunday 09 August 2015, there will be the Convention: The Society for German Genealogy in Eastern Europe (SGGEE), Gatineau, Quebec and the theme will be Researching Our German Roots in Poland and the Russian Empire.

It will be located in Gatineau, Quebec just across the river from Ottawa, Ontario, and my husband and myself will be going to this convention in hopes of learning lots of information about German Roots in Poland and Russia.

To find out further information, go to https://www.sggee.org/

Friday 21 August and Saturday 22 August 2015, there will be One World, One Family Conference in Brampton Ontario. The organizers and host Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Family History Center, 10062 Bramalea Rd., Brampton, Ontario. 

Lesley Anderson - Connecting with our Ancestors is an Incredible Journey will be the keynote speaker.

To see the rest of the speakers, go to http://www.oneworldonefamily-theevent.com/

The Sir Andrew Macphail Homestead is delighted to invite guests to join in its inaugural 'Eilean an Àigh: Celebration of Island Gaelic Language and Culture' Festival, taking place on site in Orwell, Prince Edward Island at 271 Macphail Park Road, the evening of Friday, 31 July, and throughout the day Prince Edward Island on Saturday, 1 August 2015. 

This year they are delighted to host Dr. John Shaw of the School of Scottish Studies, University of Edinburgh and James Watson of the Nova Scotia Highland Village Museum, who worked together recording surviving Island Scottish Gaelic traditions in 1987 under the auspices of the Institute of Island Studies, University of Prince Edward Island. 

James Watson will be leading a workshop focusing on the regional repertoire of Scottish Gaelic songs as well as a hands-on 'thickening frolic' (luathadh) that will allow participants to join in around the table with choruses they learned in the workshop. The festival will conclude with Taigh Cèilidh 'ic Phàil (Macphail Cèilidh House) grand finale concert with special guests, including many of our talented Island musicians and singers for an evening of song, story, and foot-tapping tunes.

Spaces are limited and pre-booking is highly recommended. Full two-day festival passes, including special lunch, evening lecture and finale cèilidh concert, are available at a discounted $50. There will also be limited passes available for these events individually. 

Thigibh air chèilidh! Bidh fàilte chridheil romhaibh! (Come for a visit! A hearty welcome awaits you!)

For more information, go to http://macphailhomestead.ca/

And that was the Canadian genealogy, history, and heritage news in Canada this past week!

Canadian Genealogy News (CGN) 26 July 2015

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

There's always something new to see at Brantford's Canadian Military Heritage Museum.

There is going to be a rare German minenwerfer, or "mine launcher" that will be the centre of the open house that will be held Sunday, 02 August 2015 from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. The mine launcher was one of two captured by allied forces at Vimy Ridge in the First World War.

As well as free admission to the museum, the open house will include a performance by Brantford Pipes and Drums, historical re-enactors, 1812 cannon displays and machine gun firing. 

To see what is available go to http://www.cmhmhq.ca/

On Monday August 3, 2015 at the Ottawa Locks, Rideau Canal, 1 Canal Lane, Ottawa, come and enjoy the events that will take place by the Ottawa River. The Ottawa Genealogical Society will be there.

In honour of 400 years of Francophone presence in Ontario, the celebrations will feature Voyages 400! programming highlighting the shared traditions of Francophone and Aboriginal cultures in the region.

Bytown Days wraps up August 3rd, with the 20th Annual Colonel By Day, featuring costumed characters and free interactive activities: processions, demonstrators, exhibitors & entertainment. Bytown Days is your PASTport to Ottawa’s By-gone days!

For further information, go to http://www.ottawafestivals.ca/event/bytown-days/

Ever wondered how basketball got it's start in Almont, Canada? 

It was a Canadian Dr. James Naismith who invented basketball. Born in the Ottawa valley town of Almonte, province of Canada on November 6, 1861, James Naismith was orphaned at a very young age and was raised along with his older sister Annie and younger brother Robbie by his uncle and aunt.

He eventfully moved to Springfield, Massachusetts, but you can read about his early life in Canada at the Library and Archives Canada at their blog at http://thediscoverblog.com/2015/07/24/james-naismith-his-early-formative-years-in-canada-leading-to-the-invention-of-basketball/. 

The title of the blog is James Naismith: his early formative years in Canada leading to the invention of basketball.

Are you a living descendant to these founding families of Ottawa, Canada?

City of Ottawa, Canada West. View of Parliament Hill and Chaudière_Falls. ca. 1859, by Stent and Laver 

Mike More of the Ottawa Branch, Ontario Genealogical Society has put this notice on the society's Facebook page - 

Bruce Deachman at the Ottawa Citizen is trying to find living descendants in the area of Ottawa’s founding families:

THOMAS AHEARN (1855-1938): Inventor, businessman, co-founder of the Ottawa Car Company, founder and president of Ottawa Electric Railway Company, brought electric streetlight to Ottawa, first chairman of the Federal District Commission. Partner with Warren Soper. 

BRADDISH BILLINGS (1783-1864): First settler in Gloucester (Billings Bridge). 

JOHN RUDOLPHUS BOOTH (1827-1925): Lumber and railway baron.

HENRY FRANKLIN BRONSON (1817-1889): Lumber baron. 

LOUIS-THEODORE BESSERER (1785-1861): Businessman, lawyer. Owned a large estate that became Sandy Hill.

CHARLES CUMMINGS (1801-1848): Businessman, founder of Vanier. Built the first Cummings Bridge, joining Ottawa with Janesville (Vanier). 

EZRA BUTLER EDDY (1827-1906): Lumber baron, politician. 

IRA HONEYWELL (1785-1852): First settler in Nepean.

WILLIAM PITTMAN LETT (1819-1892): Editor, poet and Ottawa’s first city clerk, a position he held for 36 years. Chronicled Ottawa’s development in poetry and journalism, including pamphlets on local history such as “The City of Ottawa and its Surroundings” and “The Transition of Bytown to Ottawa 1827-1877,” and poetry, such as the oft-cited “Recollections of Bytown and its Old Inhabitants.” 

THOMAS MacKAY (1792-1855): Architect, stonemason, politician. A Montrealer, he came to Ottawa to build the lower locks on the Rideau Canal, then stayed in Bytown, buying land where the Rideau and Ottawa Rivers meet and founding New Edinburgh. Built the stone house that is now the Bytown Museum. Also built Rideau Hall, where he lived, and Earnscliffe, for his daughter and son-in-law. 

JAMES MacLAREN (1818-1892): Early settler and entrepreneur in Western Quebec. Sawmills mostly. Helped found the Hull Iron Company in 1880, the North Pacific Lumber Company of British Columbia in 1889 and the Bank of Ottawa, later merged with Scotiabank, in 1894. 

FRANK HENRY PLANT (1883-1952): Ottawa mayor and businessman (carriage maker). Was heavily involved in Ottawa sports, as president of the Ottawa City Hockey League and the City Baseball League during the 1920s. Plant served as a member of the Ottawa Hydro Commission from 1936 until 1951. Plant also served as a director of the Ottawa Senators hockey team, a director of the Ottawa Nationals baseball team, vice-president of the Ottawa Amateur Athletic Association, president of the Ottawa Kennel Club and a long-time (over 20 years) director of the Central Canada Exhibition Association. The Plant Bath is named for him. 

WARREN YOUNG SOPER (1854-1924): Partner to Thomas Ahearn. His cottage is now residence to the U.S. Ambassador to Canada. 

NICHOLAS SPARKS (1794-1862): Labourer on Philemon Wright’s farm, he saved his earnings for years and eventually bought 200 acres of land where now is located the Parliament Buildings and downtown Ottawa. Also a financier and politician. 

PHILEMON WRIGHT (1760-1839): Farmer and entrepreneur, he founded Wrightsville (later known as Hull), the first permanent settlement in the area. 

He would appreciate hearing from any descendants in the world and he can be reached at bdeachman@ottawacitizen.com or 613-726-5834.

Thank you, Mike, for bringing this to our attention. 

Canadian Genealogy News (CGN) 24 July 2015

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

Family Tree Magazine (FTM) has released their Family Tree Magazine's 101 Best Websites this year, and the four Canadian website are - 

Canadiana.ca at http://www.canadiana.ca/en/home

La programme de recherche en démographie historique (The Research Program in Historical Demography) at http://www.genealogy.umontreal.ca/

Library and Archives Canada at http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/Pages/home.aspx

Nova Scotia Historical Vital Records at https://www.novascotiagenealogy.com/

As long as we understand that this is definitely US centered, with an small after thought to Canadian websites,  I guess the five chosen isn't that bad. But to say they are the best Canadian sites is a bit of an overstatement, I believe. 

To read the complete list, go to http://familytreemagazine.com/article/best-canadian-genealogy-websites-2015

Do you have ancestors in your family tree or did you used to live in Ottawa, Canada, then this may be a place that you should look at, because the city is decommissioned street name signs and they are available for purchase from the city. 

The City of Ottawa sells signs that have been replaced for maintenance, or removed from in order to avoid duplication of names in the wake of amalgamation, and they are available for $10 apiece.

A list of other available signs can be found on the http://ottawa.ca/en/residents/transportation-and-parking/traffic/decommissioned-street-name-signs

Artist John Horton has designed the silver coin which shows HMS Terror and HMS Erebus on the Arctic Ocean, and Nova Scotian Michael Little helped draw two  new stamps to commemorate Sir John Franklin's doomed Arctic expedition. One depicts HMS Erebus, the other shows a mapThe stamps were unveiled at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic on Wednesday, alongside a new silver coin from the Royal Canadian Mint.

Franklin's crew became locked in the ice during a doomed search for the Northwest Passage to the Pacific Ocean in 1845. All 128 crew members eventually died, though there's evidence to suggest some may have survived for several years.

Many searches throughout the 19th century attempted to find the lost ships, but the mystery of what happened to John Franklin and his men has never been solved.

HMS Erebus was discovered last summer, and you can read about it at http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/franklin-expedition-ship-found-in-arctic-id-d-as-hms-erebus-1.2784268

Until tomorrow, have a nice day researching!

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Check the Canadian Week in Review 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/2015/07/canadian-week-in-review-13-july-2015.html

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

Canadian Genealogy News (CGN) 23 July 2015

 There is so much news lately, that instead of creating individuals posts for them, I have decided to issue them in one post once a day, and it will be called Canadian Genealogy News (CGN).

The Canadian News in Review (CWR) will still be published each Monday, as it has been since April 2013.

News comes to us that The Newfoundland and Labrador government will change the Vital Statistics Act to allow transgender people to change their birth certificate and government identification to match their gender identity. 

The change comes after transgender activist Kyra Rees in St. John's took the provincial government to court, in a battle to get her birth certificate to reflect the gender she identifies with.

Changes have already been made in Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia and Manitoba. 

The Ottawa Branch will be hosting the Ontario Genealogical Society Conference 2017. 

There are tours and workshops, lectures and Marketplace, awards, a Research Room, the annual Banquet, displays and special events during the year that Canada will be celebrating its 150th birthday. 

A small committee has started to plan the event but we can always use help. Meetings are held on-line, so you can participate from anywhere in the world. If you would like to join one of the sub-committees, particularly if you have expertise in Marketing or Social Media, please contact Mike More at conference2017@ogs.on.ca. 

If you belong to another heritage or genealogical organization in Eastern Ontario, we would be pleased to have you participate with us. For more details, contact Mike at conference2017@ogs.on.ca. 

There is the last chance to see the exhibition Magna Carta – Law, Liberty and Legacy! It closes 26 July 2015. 

In celebration of the Magna Carta’s 800th anniversary, original copies of the Magna Carta and its companion document the Charter of the Forest from 1300 are featured in the exhibition Magna Carta – Law, Liberty, and Legacy at http://www.historymuseum.ca/magnacarta/ 

Don’t miss this rare chance to come face-to-face with one of the most important historical documents in the world. 

A once-in-a-lifetime-opportunity that you won’t want to miss!

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Check the Canadian Week in Review 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/2015/07/canadian-week-in-review-13-july-2015.html

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

Canadian Genealogy News 22 July 2015

News come from Ancestry that they now have over 100 years of Canadian Yearbook Records at Ancestry.ca, which means that they digitized yearbooks 1908 to 2010.

So I went on to see if my name was there. I had attended the Shelburne Regional High School, Shelburne, Nova Scotia and Acadia University, Wolfville, Nova Scotia but the books from those institutes weren't there. So I out of luck this time, but as they add more schools and universities, I am sure that I will pop up on the radar.

They do say that is it a collection which "contains 1,355,141 Canadian middle school, junior high, high school and university records from almost 800 institutions across the nation".

Th search the collection, go to http://search.ancestry.ca/search/db.aspx?dbid=60576

Global Genealogy has their annual Dog Days of Summer Sale until the end of July.

I have picked out a couple of books that I want, and I will be sure to order them.

Global Genealogy specializes in Canadian books, and you see them at Canadian genealogical conferences.

Enter the Coupon Code words Summer Sale into the 'Coupon Code' field in the shopping cart when checking out online. The shopping cart will automatically calculate your discount. The Summer sale ends on July 31 at midnight.

Their website is at http://www.globalgenealogy.com

And Salt Lake City record-setting 100,000 online volunteers are expected to participate in the second annual Worldwide Indexing Event.

Scheduled for August 7–14, the event will show how anyone with a computer and Internet connection can help you by making information from historical documents easily searchable online.

And this year they are putting International Language Emphasis in the forefront. Currently FamilySearch.org offers 20 times more searchable records in English than in all other languages combined. To balance this ratio, people with fluency in other languages, especially French, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish, are being sought as indexing volunteers.

Go to https://familysearch.org/indexing/ to get started.

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Check the Canadian Week in Review 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/2015/07/canadian-week-in-review-13-july-2015.html

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