Canadian Genealogy News (CGN) 18 August 2015

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

New Park Officially Opens 

The Friends of Upper Fort Garry, the group which supports the Upper Fort Garry, the headquarters of the Hudson Bay Company from the 1830s to the 1880s, opened a park last week at the provincial heritage site. 

Upper Fort Garry was the administrative and economic centre for Rupert's Land and was the location of the Louis Riel provisional government that eventually led to the admission of Manitoba as a province to the Dominion of Canada in 1870. The fort was the cultural, social, judicial and economic centre of the northwest for more than 35 years.

The original Upper Fort Garry was torn down between 1881 and 1889. 

For more information, go to the Friends of Fort Garry at http://www.upperfortgarry.com/

Upcoming events at Saskatchewan Genealogical Society

Interested in … Starting Your Genealogy? Improving Your Research Techniques?

The Saskatchewan Genealogical Society (SGS) is sponsoring a two day Beginner Workshop on September 12 and 19, 2015.

The first day will focus on Getting Started and the focus of the second day will be Finding Sources.

Certified Instructors: Chris Krismer and Celeste Rider

It will be held at SGS Library at 110 – 1514 11th Avenue, Regina, from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm each day.

The cost will be $40 per person, and you can call 306.780.9207 to register.

Register early as space is limited. Pre-registration and payment required by September 4, 2015.

The Saskatoon Branch will be hosting a workshop with Pat Ryan on September 25 & 26, 2015. 

It’s being held at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints at 1429 – 10th Street East in Saskatoon.

The topics for the workshop include: Who’s Your Momma – paying attention to details, beginner and advanced; The Hidden Records of Library and Archives Canada; and The Importance of Finding and Using Maps in Your Genealogical Research

Contact Bonnie Lymer at bonnie.lymer@shaw.ca or call (306) 384-1567; Cindy Paradis at cindysfamilyhistory@gmail.com or (306) 384-9475; Rene Stock at rene.stock@sasktel.net or (306) 229-2378. 

Watch for workshop website and registration forms at http://genealogysaskatoon.org

The Moose Jaw Branch, in celebration of their 45th Anniversary, will be holding a One Day Conference on Saturday, October 3, 2015 at the Moose Jaw Museum and Art Gallery.

Speakers include: Ken Dalgarno (M.J. Library Archives), Carol Karza (Family History Centre), Chris Krismer (Evaluating Sources), Pat Ryan (The Value of Maps, Who’s Your Momma and Take a Second Look).

Register by September 11, 2015 to Moose Jaw Genealogical Society, Box 861, Moose Jaw, SK. S6H 4P5. Cost is $45. All sessions, snacks and lunch included. Questions? Phone: Diane at 306.692.1967.

Meanwhile, happy researching!

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Check the Canadian Week in Review (CWR) 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/2015/08/canadian-week-in-review-cwr-17-august.html

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

Canadian Week in Review (CWR) 17 August 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 Canadian Women’s Army Corps, 1941-1946

The formation of the Canadian Women’s Army Corps during the Second World War is a milestone in the history of women’s participation in the Canadian military

To read more, you can go to the story at http://www.warmuseum.ca/education/online-educational-resources/dispatches/the-canadian-womens-army-corps-1941-1946/

Social Media 

(Photos) HANTS HISTORY (Aug. 6, 2015 edition)

http://www.hantsjournal.ca/Opinion/Columnists/2015-08-06/article-4237149/HANTS-HISTORY-(Aug.-6,-2015-edition)/1

Here's a look at what was making the news 25 and 50 years ago in the Hants Journal.
(Blog) Blythe Family Ancestry

http://www.emptynestancestry.com/blythegenealogy/index.php

(Photos) Rail history tracked to Merritton

The Niagara, St. Catharines and Toronto Railway — one of the first electric interurban railways in Canada — was commemorated with a plaque in Merritton where one of its stations once stood.

http://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/2015/08/11/rail-history-tracked-to-merritton

Newspaper Articles

Newfoundland

Built to last 

http://www.thetelegram.com/section/2015-08-10/article-4239031/Built-to-last/1

Members of YW today have gone back in the provincial archives looking in daily newspapers for references to the organization, searching for any pieces of news that could be added to the chronological story. But you have to enjoy looking for that proverbial needle in a haystack.

Quebec

Quebec considering removing N-word from 11 place names

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/quebec-considering-removing-n-word-from-11-place-names-1.3184317

A stretch of the Gatineau River that has officially been called Nigger Rapids for decades could be renamed— along with 10 other sites in Quebec whose names include the racial slur.

And the latest new is that Quebec is considering changing the name of a local rapids, and you can read about it at http://www.ottawasun.com/2015/08/11/quebec-locales-using

If you want to read how Quebec chooses the names for places, you ca go to http://www.toponymie.gouv.qc.ca/ct/english.aspx

Ontario 

LEE DICKSON GENEALOGY: Follows the lives of Thomas Mathews and his son John through the Upper Canada land records

http://www.insidetoronto.com/news-story/5798175-lee-dickson-genealogy-follows-the-lives-of-thomas-mathews-and-his-son-john-through-the-upper-canada/

Continued from the previous June and July columns, the lives of Thomas Mathews and his son John are traced forward through the Upper Canada land records. This next part of their story involves the settlement of the Town of York, established 1793. 

GENEALOGY WITH JANICE: Small town newspapers are a boon for family historian

http://www.insidetoronto.com/news-story/5797160-genealogy-with-janice-small-town-newspapers-are-a-boon-for-family-historian/

If you have family or relatives who lived in a small town - check out the local newspapers! So many are now online, it’s easy. And lots of fun. 

Living History Day gives Lost Villages a blast from the past

http://www.cornwallseawaynews.com/News/2015-08-11/article-4242207/Living-History-Day-gives-Lost-Villages-a-blast-from-the-past/1

The valuable role of Canadians in the American Civil War of 1861 to 1865 came to life at the Lost Villages Museum in Long Sault.

Alberta 

Hanna roundhouse reunion celebrates railroad history

http://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/hanna-roundhouse-reunion-celebrates-railroad-history

Roundhouses once dotted the prairies, spaced along the railroad where workers needed a chance to rest and locomotives would be resupplied and inspected.

Now, very few remain. Many have simply crumbled away and the physical legacy of Canadian railroad history is disappearing. One of the few examples of these buildings left is the roundhouse outside of Hanna, Alta.

British Columbia

Dreamers and Dissidents' profiles legends of the Kootenays

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/dreamers-and-dissidents-profiles-legends-of-the-kootenays-1.3180664

The Knowledge Network debuted a new documentary series this week produced by Nelson's Amy Bohigian that tells the stories of some of the most interesting and inspiring characters the Kootenays has ever produced. 

Kaplan heritage sign removed for illegal replacement

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/kaplan-heritage-sign-removed-for-illegal-replacement-1.3187726

The neon blue Kaplan sign that has hung for decades on a Vancouver heritage building at the corner of Granville and Broadway has been replaced with an illegal red sign, raising the ire of heritage activists and citizens alike.

The Stories This Week

Gold is discovered in the Yukon Territory in 1896

On 16 August 1896, gold was discovered near Dawson City, Yukon Territory, Canada.

It was discovered by Aborginals from the Skookum tribe - Jim Mason and Tagish Charlie. George Carmack, from Seattle, was also with them when they made the discovery. They found the gold in Rabbit Creek, near Dawson, in the Yukon, and the creek was renamed Bonanza Creek – the site of the Klondike Gold Rush. 

After word reaches the United States in June of 1897, thousands of Americans headed to the Klondike to seek their fortunes.

Within six months, approximately 100,000 gold-seekers set off for the Yukon. Because it was so arduous to get to the site (they had to use pack animals or sleds to carry hundreds of pounds of supplies), only about 30,000 completed the trip.

Dawson City located on the way to the Klondike, and it temporarily became the largest city north of San Francisco! What had stated out as a tent city, soon boasted fire hydrants on the streets, and was the first city in western Canada to have electric lights. And the growth of Dawson was largely responsible for the creation of the Yukon Territory as a new Canadian Province on June 13, 1898. 

And other Canadian cities out west also had dramatic growth due to the Klondike Gold Rush. Vancouver, British Columbia saw its population double, and in Alberta, Edmonton's population tripled. 

So there is a nutshell is the story of the Klondike Gold Rush.

There are many places that you can look for information. For instance,

The Klondike Gold Rush 1890s

http://www.canadahistoryproject.ca/1890s/

Klondike Gold Rush

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klondike_Gold_Rush

Gold Rush History 

http://travelyukon.com/media/Discover%20Yukon/Fascinating%20Yukon%20Trivia/Gold%20Rush%20History

Gives a time line of the gold rush, and what is going on this summer in the Klondike.

===========================================================================

Check the Canadian Week in Review (CWR) 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/2015/08/canadian-news-in-review-cwr-03-august.html

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

Canadian Genealogy News (GCN) 16 August 2015

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

The Annual Phillips Memorial Heritage Forum

One-day event of presentations, walking tours and practical information focusing on Ottawa's Rich Rural and Suburban Heritage. It will take place on Saturday, September 26, 2015 at St. John's Anglican Church, South March, located at 325 Sandhill Road in Kanata (Ottawa).

Bruce Elliott, Professor of History at Carleton University, will deliver the keynote address on the topic of South March as an exemplar of the successes and failures of rural heritage conservation.

You will also hear from other speakers on topics including current heritage conservation practices, how heritage properties are designated, local archaeology, adaptive reuse of heritage structures, and the challenges of maintaining heritage character in older rural neighborhoods.

There will also be site visits to local heritage properties and an optional bus tour of Beaverbrook - soon to be studied for consideration as Ottawa's next heritage district. 

The event runs from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm. Parking at St. John’s Anglican is free for the entire day. The church can also be reached by public transit on OC Transpo Route # 93. 

Event space is limited so pre-registration is required.The registration fee is $20.00 per person, which includes a catered lunch and refreshments during the day. 

You can pre-register for the Heritage Forum online using our website’s donate page to make a $20 payment to Heritage Ottawa via Paypal. Please enter “Heritage Forum” in the donation details area. ( Please note that charitable receipts will not be issued for the $20 Heritage Forum Registration fee. 

One can also mail a cheque with “Heritage Forum” in the subject line, along with your name, address, email and/or telephone number to our office at: Heritage Ottawa, 2 Daly Avenue, Ottawa, ON K1N 6E1 

For more information, please contact info@heritageottawa.org, or call 613-230-8841.

Their website is at http://heritageottawa.org/annual-heritage-forum

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

Did you index?

During the week long indexing project called Fund the Find, I just checked this morning, and at 7:00 o'clock ET, they have over 80,000 indexers. FamilySearch had been hoping for 100,000 people, and they are close to their goal, but the final number will be announced on Monday. 

You can go to https://familysearch.org/indexing/projects/country/ca to see what Canadian projects are available. 

If you are interested in indexing, they fully explain the process at https://familysearch.org/indexing/

Meanwhile, happy researching!

===========================================================================

Check the Canadian Week in Review (CWR) 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/2015/08/canadian-week-in-review-cwr-10-august.html

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

Saskatchewan Archives video exhibit

There is an video exhibit at the Saskatchewan Archives called From the Prairies to the Trenches – From Salisbury Plain to Flanders Fields, November 1914 – December 1915. It explores the events of 1915 at the front and at home in Saskatchewan.

The video exhibit highlights the training of Saskatchewan volunteers of the First Canadian Contingent in Great Britain, their deployment to the Front in the spring of 1915 and their involvement in the battles of that year, including The Second Battle of Ypres. 

The exhibit also describes the pressures of the war on the home front, in particular, the growing demand for women’s suffrage which was intertwined with the province’s temperance movement. 

Two video installation locations are available, in the main foyer at the Legislative Building and on the second floor of Government House.

Or you can view it at archives' YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iaylaT5EZAM

The website of the Saskatchewan Archives is at http://www.saskarchives.com/

Meanwhile, happy researching!

===========================================================================

Check the Canadian Week in Review (CWR) 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/2015/08/canadian-week-in-review-cwr-10-august.html

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

Canadian Genealogy News 14 August 2015

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

Prince Edward Island Genealogical Society (PEIGS) will be presenting a special talk on Were your ancestors from Devon, England? 

The meeting will take place on Saturday September 26 at 2:00 p.m. At Beaconsfield's Carriage House at the corner of Kent and West Streets in Charlottetown. 

The guest speaker will be Dr. Janet Few speaking on the 19th century emigration from Devon, England to Prince Edward Island. "Faith, Fish, Farm or Family " is the title of her talk. Dr. Few is an experienced family, social and community historian based in Devon who lectures regularly on these topics throughout England and overseas. 

She will reference such well known PEI families as the Mallett and Tanton families who moved to PEI from North Devon as well as the Sillifants, Chanters, Burnards, Yeos and Cudmores. 

 The website of the PEIGS is http://peigs.ca/

You are asked to place your nominations for the Mississauga Heritage Awards called The Credits 2015 at their website at http://thecredits.strikingly.com/#about-us 

The deadline for the nominations is 30 September 2015. 

For example, they have a category of Heritage Lifetime Achievement Award which will be presented to an individual who has contributed 20+ years to preserving and promoting Mississauga’s heritage and whose leadership, initiative and commitment has resulted in an increased awareness of community heritage and an inspiration to others. 

The nomination is at http://www.heritagemississauga.com/assets/Nominations%20Package%20July%202015.pdf

The evening awards gala will be held on 05 November 2015.

Meanwhile, happy researching!

===========================================================================

Check the Canadian Week in Review (CWR) 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/2015/08/canadian-week-in-review-cwr-10-august.html

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

Canadian Genealogy News (CGN) 13 August 2015

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

New festival celebrated city's Irish roots 

Peterborough celebrated it's first Peter Robinson Festival, which was held July 31 and August the 1st at Morrow Park in the city. It was a great success, and now the organizers have their eyes on 2025 when Peterborough will celebrate it's 200th birthday.

Peter Robinson, the founder of the city, brought 2, 000 Irish settlers to the   area around Peterborough and to the Ottawa Valley in 1824-1825.  

The local newspaper has published a series of six articles on the Peter Robinson Settlers and they are in the Peterborough Examiner at http://www.thepeterboroughexaminer.com/ Just put Peter Robinson Settlers in the search box to access the articles. 

The best place that I found which tells the complete story of the Peter Robinson Settlers is at http://www.geni.com/projects/Irish-Peter-Robinson-Settlers-Canada/2553

Early Bird prices at conference closes August 14th 

The early bird registration deadline for the British Isles Family History Society of Greater Ottawa's (BIFHSGO) annual Family History Conference is tomorrow – Friday August the 14th. 

This year's conference will take place from September 18-20 in Ottawa. The conference themes are: 

· Scottish Family History

· Photographs in Genealogy

· Technology for Genealogists.

Speakers include: Maureen Taylor, Chris Paton and Thomas MacEntee. Pre-conference workshops are also offered. 

Program and registration information are available on the BIFHSGO website at http://www.bifhsgo.ca. 

Please note the new conference venue: Ben Franklin Place, 101 Centrepointe Drive, Ottawa, Ontario 

Meanwhile, happy researching!

===========================================================================

Check the Canadian Week in Review (CWR) 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/2015/08/canadian-week-in-review-cwr-10-august.html

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

Canadian Genealogy News (CGN) 12 August 2015

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

For the month of August, the Kelowna Museum in Kelowna, British Columbia has a new display called Duty, Honour & Izzat – The Call to Flanders Fields for the month of August.

The press release says that “it uses displays that showcase, in fascinating detail and vivid visuals, the sacrifices made by Punjabis serving in the British Indian Army during the First World War. It examines their motivations for going to war and highlights the vital role they played fighting alongside their Canadian brothers-in-arms and other allied powers in the pursuit of victory in what came to be known as the Great War for Civilization.” 

The webpage is at http://www.kelownamuseums.ca/

The Facebook page is at https://www.facebook.com/kelowna.museums.society

Genealogy Back to Basics is being offered again in 2016 by the Ottawa Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society. 

It is a genealogical education session prior to the monthly presentation. It includes a short (30-45 minute) lecture on a genealogical topic, followed by a Question and Answer session with Ottawa Branch members. 

If you are new to family history research or need a refresher, come out and join us. The sessions are held on a Saturday at 10:30 am in Room 115 of the City of Ottawa Central Archives. Coffee and tea will be available throughout the morning. There is no charge for the session and all are invited to return at 1:00 pm for the monthly presentation. 

Check our website at http://ogsottawa.on.ca/ for details on the morning and afternoon presentations. 

For the first half of 2015, we covered Getting Started, Are You a Trust Me Genealogist?, Genetic Genealogy, Lineage Societies and Ottawa Resources. The fall schedule includes Genealogical Resources in Eastern Ontario, the Genealogical Proof Standard and Seven Common Genealogy Research Mistakes to Avoid. 

They are looking for volunteers! 

We are looking for local genealogists who are willing to give a Genealogy Back to Basics presentation in 2016. There is no reimbursement other than all the tea and coffee that you can drink as well as the appreciation of your fellow hobbyists. 

If you are interested in participating, contact Mike More at ottawaprogram@ogs.on.ca 

Their Facebook page is at https://www.facebook.com/groups/237267743111732/

Meanwhile, happy researching!

===========================================================================

Check the Canadian Week in Review (CWR) 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/2015/08/canadian-week-in-review-cwr-10-august.html

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