Friday, August 5, 2011

Ottawa Genealogical Society Changes It's Meeting Place

As a result of the opening of the new City of Ottawa Central Archives, the Ottawa Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society will now hold their meetings at the new location starting this fall.

The meeting will take place at 7:00 pm, 3rd Tuesday monthly except July and August at the City of Ottawa Central Archives, 100 Tallwood Drive, Ottawa.

The library of the OGS can be accessed at the Resource Centre, City of Ottawa Central Archives, 100 Tallwood Drive, Ottawa. The hours are 9:00 to 4:00 Tues to Fri, 10:00 to 5:00 Sat (Sep to May, closed holiday weekends)

There has also been an expansion to the coverage of the Region. It now includes Prescott & Russell Counties.

The first meeting will be Tuesday, 20 September 2011 at 7:00 p.m. The topic will be "The Eyes That Shone: From Ireland to Canada" and the speaker will be Phil Donnelly, an author who will speak about his book, and a program titled Heritage Tierworker which encourages, and helps people write their stories

The website is http://ogsottawa.on.ca/

The Canadian Genealogical Survey Update

The New Glasgow News reports this morning that Del Muise, professor of history, and Leighann Neilson, professor of marketing, will be at the Hector Exhibit Centre on Monday at 11:30 a.m. in Pictou.

They will be talking about the The Canadian Genealogical Survey which is a national project with the pilot being launched in Nova Scotia.

According to Muise, 25 million North Americans are able to trace their families back to Nova Scotia, and the professors are touring the province to promote the survey.

I wrote about the survey in a blog on July 27th. Their site is online at http://www.genealogyincanada.blogspot.com/.

Canadian Vital Records Databases - Updated

FamilySearch Records has just released a summary of updates since they started to report the program in April, 2010. Two of the records have been updated since July,2011, and they are -

British Columbia Birth Registrations, 1854-1903 https://www.familysearch.org/search/collection/show#uri=http://hr-search-api:8080/searchapi/search/collection/1307731 – These are birth registrations, delayed birth registrations, and delayed registrations of Indian births. 38,340 Records as of 23 July 2010

New Brunswick, Death Certificates, 1920-1934 https://www.familysearch.org/search/collection/show#uri=http://hr-search-api:8080/searchapi/search/collection/1840145 Browsable Images of death certificates from the Provincial Archives of New Brunswick, Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada. 76,812 images as of 29 July 2010

Thursday, August 4, 2011

New version - Canadian Naturalization Database Online

Just received this press release -

(Ottawa, August 4, 2011) Library and Archives Canada (LAC) is pleased to announce the release of a new version of the online database Canadian Naturalization 1915–1951.

The nominal index has been extended with the addition of more than 91,000 names and now covers the years from 1915 to 1936, inclusively. Work is ongoing to extend the nominal index to 1951, and volunteers are welcome to help. Those interested should write to Cdn-Nat-Coord@jgs-montreal.org.

This database is one of the few Canadian genealogical resources specifically designed to benefit researchers having roots other than British. The reference numbers indicated in the database can be used to request copies of the original naturalization records, which are held by Citizenship and Immigration Canada.

The database is available at the following address:
www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/naturalization-1915-1932/index-e.html

Library and Archives Canada would like to thank the Jewish Genealogical Society of Montreal [http://jgs-montreal.org/] and its volunteers, especially Mrs. Ruth Diamond, without whom this project would not have happened.

For more information, please contact webservices@bac-lac.gc.ca.

Resources for Discovering First Nations Heritage

Back in May, the British Columbia Genealogy Society http://www.bcgs.ca/Index.htm had a special speaker Laura Cooke, and she spoke about "Resources for Discovering First Nations Heritage".

In her talk she noted that "First Nations ancestors is not something covered in most genealogy books. Whether you are exploring your heritage, you need to prove your genealogy for First Nations status, or you are following up on an aboriginal ancestor in your family story, finding out about specialized resources can be a good first step".

I just checked the BCGS "What's New" http://www.bcgs.ca/news.htm website, and found that on July 19th, they put the handout of Laura's talk on the Internet at http://www.bcgs.ca/Documents/Metis%20Research.pdf

It is a 5-page handout with websites, books, and other information available to you if you have First Nations ancestors.

Stirling-Rawdon Genealogical Fair

Lewis Zandbergen, President of the Stirling-Rawdon Historical Society of Stirling, Ontario told me yesterday that the Genealogy Fair which is usually held towards the end of August has been cancelled this year.

Scheduling conflict of both the vendors, and speakers necessitated the cancellation. But Lewis tells me that we can check the local newspapers in Stirling-Rawdon next year for the 2012 Genealogy Fair.

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Puslinch Historical Society Newsletter

The Puslinch Historical Society (PHS) of Guelph, Ontario issued it's newsletter the other day, and the lead article is on the Vimy Ridge Farm. It is a property that is now going under renovations to restore it to it's former self as Vimy Ridge Farms – a place which was a rehab centre for injured veterans of the First World War.

News comes from the PHS that an "exquisite old quilt. by Elizabeth McTague Fleming -- a descendant of the Lehman family, innkeepers of Aberfoyle Hotel in the last century. The quilt, made by Elizabeth's grandmother and dated 1890, is a piece of family history and a work of art with family names embroidered on the patchwork. The quilt will hang in a place of honour in our new quarters in the library now under construction".

There are upcoming events, and information on membership in the PHS. They have a number of books for sale, and the Archives are located at the Township Office. They are open Wednesday afternoons. For book orders or enquiries, e-mail puslinch 1898@aol.com or Smye85@aol.com. Call 519-658-9923 (b.andersen@sympatico.ca) for general information.

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

One World - One Family Conference

Press Release -

"The Toronto Ontario Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is putting on a conference that will assist new and seasoned researchers in conducting research both in Canada and across the globe at the world.

For research in Canada, we are offering workshops addressing...

Aboriginal, Canada/USA relatives, Quebec, and Ontario Municipal Records.

For global research, we are pleased to address your interests in...

Britain, British West Indies, China, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Jewish, Philippines, Poland, and Spanish family history research.

In addition, be sure to consider the offerings on...

How to Begin, Finding Research Done by Others, Learning more about maximizing the use of FamilySearch.org, Preserving Family Memories, Involving Children and Youth in Family History, Indexing, Genetic Genealogy, Interactive Family History Blogs, and Scrapbooking.

We warmly welcome you to our Second Annual Conference and know you will have an enlightening and uplifting experience"!

It will be held September 17, 2011 from 09:00 am to 05:00 pm. The Toronto Ontario Stake is located at 24 Ferrand Drive, Toronto ON M3C 3V4".

Registration is $20 Includes Box Lunch. Registration is at http://www.oneworldonefamily-theevent.com/Registration

Scottish Immigrants to Canada

I have just received permission to repost this notice by Caitlin McNally of PBS in New York -

"My name is Caitlin McNally, and I'm doing research for an American public
television genealogical program. I'm trying to learn about Scottish
immigrants to Canada, particularly the McLauchlen and Murray families. I
have a few names and dates, and was wondering if someone could help me fill
out these family trees a bit. Most importantly, I'm trying to discover if
and when these families came to Canada from Scotland, what their livelihoods
were in Canada, and why they left Scotland.

Also, any larger context about Scottish immigration to Canada during the
generations when these families immigrated would be much appreciated!

Here are the individuals and the little information I have:

John Robert McLauchlen
born 1851 (?) in Nova Scotia or New Brunswick
married June 18 1875 in Boston, MA

and
James McLauchlen
born in Scotland??
and Sarah McLauchlen
born in New Brunswick?

wife of John Robert McLauchlen: Jesse Murray
born January 1854 in Pictou (?), Nova Scotia
--daughter of--
John and Mary Murray
born in Nova Scotia?

If you know of anyone I could speak with about these families as well as
Scottish immigration to Nova Scotia, I'd appreciate it greatly. Many thanks
in advance and I look forward to hearing from you -- I can be reached at
this email caitlinarkmedia@gmail.com, or at my office in New York: (718) 935-9745".

All the best,

Caitlin
--
Caitlin McNally | Producer/Director | Ark Media for PBS-WNET
office 718.935.9745 | mobile 917.981.5541

Monday, August 1, 2011

Lambton Lifeline



In the June 2011 edition of Lambton Lifeline are a number of interesting articles -

Alan Campbell writes about "Loyal Orange Lodges of Lambton County" in Part II. He is still "seeking an explanation of some of the information found in following chart of the Loyal Orange Lodges of Lambton".

He has put in a two-page chart covering Lambton County East and West, showing the place where the lodge originated, and the date of the warrant.

So if anyone can be of help, please contact Alan at campbeal@sympatico.ca.

Ann Hentschel give a good summary of the meetings held by the Lambton County Genealogical Society.

At the February meeting, Eliza Grueing gave a talk about growing up in Germany during WWII, wile Alan Campbell gave a talk on researching newspapers in the March meeting, and Gail Benjafield — although she did not give a talk to the society — wrote an article on how family lore can "often be misleading and difficult to unravel".

You can go to their Lambton County Branch website at http://www.ogs.on.ca/lambton/index.html.

Sunday, July 31, 2011

Roots, Branches & Twigs



The summer issue of the Kent Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society is out, and there are two major articles in the newsletter.

The first article, entitled “My Great-Grandfather – Jean-Baptiste LANOUE”, is about a French-Canadian who moved to the town of Tillbury. In 1835, the family moved from Lacadie, Quebec to Hamilton, and then moved up to Chatham.

The second article is about “The RICHARDSON family of Tilbury” traces a family who moved from Roxbury, Scotland to Tilbury in the middle 1850s.

They list the books that nave been added to the Kent Branch OGS Library, Queries, Member's Surname Interests, and an short article on the Ridge House Museum.

If you wish to contact the Kent County OGS, go to http://ogs.on.ca/kent/.

Saturday, July 30, 2011

BRANTches Newsletter

I read the newsletter of the Brant County Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society (August 2011 issue) with great interest because it is packed full of news about the Branch.

On the front page is an article by Joan Johnson. She was a War Bride, and writes about her first few years in Brantford in "Arrival in Canada". In “A New Look at an Old Online Resource” is a review of the Archives Database, and Al Adams writes about the “Niagara District Map of Upper Canada”.

On page 4 is a short article on “Additional records found in Dumfries Street Presbyterian Church, Paris ON: Baptism for 1858”, in which there were names listed that were not part of the previous published article, “Brant Branch OGS #229 Dunfries Street Presbyterian Church, Paris ON Baptisms 1823-1857”. Al Adams has another article on the May 2011 meeting in which he talks about Wayne Messecar, who has done research on the Messecar surnane.

If you wish to contact the Brant County, they may be reached at brantogs2bellnet.ca or you can go to http://brantcountybranchogs.ca/.

Friday, July 29, 2011

Got an Old Work Uniform? Call the Museum of Civilization!

Just received this press release from the Museum of Civilization today -

"The Canadian Museum of Civilization and the Canadian War Museum are developing a collection of material related to industrial production work in the 1940s and would like to acquire period civilian uniforms.

The new material will enrich the collection of objects connected with the social history of war and will fill gaps related to 20th-century women-and-labour history. The items will be added to the Canadian Car and Foundry (CCF) collection, which is currently being developed.

The Museums are interested in everything people may have kept from that period, such as items from Canadian Car (uniform smock, hat, photographs, books, awards, commemorative ashtrays, pay stubs, lunch box, ID badge) and items that were used during the war (clothing, keepsakes, hair ornaments, household items, kitchen or gardening tools, children’s items, etc.)”.

They would have been employed at airplane plants which would have produced airplane parts such as the Canadian Car and Foundry (CCF) during the Second World War. CCF had numerous plants in the Montreal area—Turcot, Longue Pointe, Saint-Laurent, Pointe-Saint-Charles, Propeller, Dominion—as well as a few in Ontario

For more information about the project or to donate an item, please contact Krista Cooke, Archaeology and History Division, at 819-776-8366 or krista.cooke@civilization.ca.

Emancipation Day

August 1st, 1834 slavery was abolished throughout the British Empire. The government of Upper Canada (Ontario) thereby formally enacted the Emancipation Proclamation. Today, it is known as Emancipation Day. It is, as the website says, http://www.emancipation.ca/a day which is “promoted as a great celebration in Upper Canada. It encouraged thousands to escape slavery in America, and follow the North Star to freedom in Canada”.

There will be picnics held throughout the province, and one of them will be at Harrison Park which is in Owen Sound.

The Bruce and Grey Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society http://tiffanyweb.bmts.com/~bgogs/will hold a picnic on July 30, 2011 from 1:00 p.m. to 10 p.m.. It will mark the 144th Emancipation Festival. There will be a Celebration of Family History, Fellowship, Oral History, Documented History, Community Culture and Roots.

Thursday, July 28, 2011

The Top Five for Canadian Family History Research

Ruth Blair of The Passionate Genealogist posted 'The Top Five for Canadian Family History Research” in her blog on July 22nd.

She gave the nod to five books, blogs and websites that as she put it “can assist you with your family history research in Canada”.

If you have any that you would like to add, she asks that you leave a comment on her blog at http://blog.familyhistorysearches.com/?p=1169

The Memory Project Speakers' Bureau

The following press release came from the Veterans Affairs Canada yesterday -

"The Honourable Steven Blaney, Minister of Veterans Affairs, announced today that the Government of Canada will provide up to $675,000 over the next three years to the Historica-Dominion Institute to support an initiative allowing Canadian Veterans to share their stories of service and sacrifice with young people across the country.

"Hearing stories first-hand from Canada's Veterans—whether they are about peacekeeping operations and other important missions of today, or stories going back to Korea or the Second World War—makes a tremendous impact that will help inspire Canada's youth to take an even greater interest in remembrance," said Minister Blaney.

The Memory Project Speakers' Bureau is composed of Veterans who visit classrooms and community groups to share their stories with youth. This bilingual educational program connects Veterans and students on-line and in classrooms across the country.

A total of $600,000 in funding to the Memory Project Speakers' Bureau is provided jointly through Veterans Affairs Canada's Community Engagement Partnership Fund and the Canadian Studies Program of the Department of Canadian Heritage. An additional $75,000 is being provided this year by Canadian Heritage for the production of an educational DVD.

"For 10 years, Memory Project Veteran speakers have been sharing a legacy of service and their powerful perspective on Canadian history with students from coast to coast," says Jeremy Diamond, Director of Development and Programs with the Historica-Dominion Institute. "We hope that these stories can continue to humanize our history and teach Canada's youth about what it was like for someone, not much older than themselves, to serve their country."

Visit the website at http://www.thememoryproject.com/

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Genealogy in Canada Survey

There is a new survey online http://www.genealogyincanada.blogspot.com/ lead by Professor Leighann Neilson of the Sprott School of Business, and Emeritus Professor Del Muise of the History Department, both at Carleton University, Ottawa.

I was made aware of the survey by John D. Reid's blog "Anglo-Celtic Connections" http://anglo-celtic-connections.blogspot.com/ this morning, and I took the survey this afternoon. They said it would take about half an hour, and it did.

They say “The objective is to secure accurate information concerning the resources engaged with by family historians/genealogists".

It is a wide ranging survey, and they have put in their opening remarks that it will be “the first stage of a broad national project“ What does this mean? I will be interested to see what their next “project” will be...

Park to be Renamed Africville

The Chronicle Herald's website, http://thechronicleherald.ca/Metro/1255237.html has a notice today that “A historic north-end Halifax park will officially be renamed Africville on Friday (July 29th).

In a ceremony to take place during the Africville Annual Festival / Reunion, Seaview Park will be no more after Mayor Peter Kelly and other dignitaries unveil a new sign. The event will take place at 1 pm.

The renaming is part of a deal reached between the city and the Africville Genealogy Society in 2010.

Future plans for Africville include a church museum, expected to open in the fall, and an interpretative centre”.

The Africville Genealogy Society http://www.africville.ca/index.html Read about the history of the genealogical society, view a gallery, and read the stories of former residents.

Africville (on Wikipedia) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Africville It gives a short history, and the resources that are available to the researcher.

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Dave Obee - Canada's Genealogist

I first met Dave Obee of Victoria in 2007 at a genealogy/library conference at the Library and Archives Canada in Ottawa. His website is at http://www.daveobee.com/

Since then, we had the occasion to meet each other in various events, and at the 2011 conference of the Ontario Genealogical Society held in Hamilton, I asked him to write a piece on Social Media for the August issue of Families.

As a lead-up to reading the paper in the fall issue of Families, there is a good article called "Database search strategies” at http://www.daveobee.com/columns/09search.htm in which he gives us ten reasons why a search may not be as straightforward as we may think they would be - as Dave says “There are dozens of reasons why a search might fail”.

Some of the reasons he gives are -

Original records were poorly written,

Places were confused, and

People lied - Some people do not want to be found.

But he gives eight ways to search to increase your chances of success, including the use of wildcards, and how to be flexible in searching.

Dave will be speaking at the 2012 Ontario Genealogical Society Conference to be held at Kingston, June 1-3, 2012. The website is http://www.ogs.on.ca/seminar/conference2012.php

Monday, July 25, 2011

Cemetery Transcriptions Updating

In July, and August, the Lambton County Ontario Genealogical Society has been, and will be involved with Cemetery Transcriptions Updating.

If you can help, please e-mail lambtonogs@ebtech.net, and ask for either Robert or Karen.

The website is http://www.lambton.ogs.on.ca

Sunday, July 24, 2011

The Talbot Times



The June 2011 issue of The Talbot Times of the Elgin County Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society arrived last month, and it is full of news about Elgin County!

The editor brings you up-to-date on the renovations at the St. Thomas Public Library, and says that the group has made contact with another genealogical group in the area that meets at the Family History Centre, and has decided to coordinate some meeting with them.

A 13-page index to the St. Thomas Times Journal of August 1, 1952 (Section A through to Section L) including an index to photos, funerals, articles, births, marriages, reunions – all with tons of names!!

If you wish to contact the editor, please email them at info@elginogs.ca, or go to their website at www.elginogs.ca.

The Ontario Genealogical Society is offering a half-year membership for $35.00, you can go to http://www.ogs.on.ca/membership/types.php

Saturday, July 23, 2011

British Home Children Talk

The first Fall meeting of the Ottawa Media Club http://www.mediaclubofottawa.ca/index.html will be Monday, September 19, 2011. at 6 pm at the Library and Archives Canada, 395 Wellington Street, Ottawa.

There will be a talk on the British Home Children called Great Expectations – The Middlemore Experience.

Between 1873-1932, more than 5,000 Birmingham children were settled in Ontario and the Maritimes, by John T. Middlemore of Birmingham. This startling event will be explained, following exhaustive research for her book, by author Dr. Patricia Roberts-Pichette and research assistant Caroline Herbert.

Dr. Patricia Roberts-Pichette and Caroline Herbert are both members of the British Isles Family History Society of Greater Ottawa, and the organization has the Home Children database on the website http://www.bifhsgo.ca/cpage.php?pt=4">

CousinsConnect – Canadian

As the opening webpage says "The place to post your genealogy questions"

It has 18, 461 queries so far, and they range from a person looking for their birth mother to a person looking for their four brothers.

The website, which has been on since 2001, says that "If you are looking to contact other genealogists, discover distant relatives, or find a missing person, CousinConnect offers you the best chance for success".

They have a "Frequently Asked Questions" that can tell you how to start using the website, how to post a query for best results, or how to change a query. It is located at http://www.cousinconnect.com/faqs.htm

On the main pages, at the bottom of the right column, you can check for new queries on a daily, weekly or a monthly basis. And the queries can be from Canada, or any country you chose.

The website is at http://www.cousinconnect.com/p/a/3/. If you want to contact them, email them at
info@cousinconnect.com

Friday, July 22, 2011

CLANS AND SCOTTISH SOCIETIES OF CANADA

The CASSC is an organization that is "the link between various Clans and Scottish Societies. We encourage the celebration of our Scottish Cultural Heritage and the promotion of this Scottish Culture in all its aspects. We seek to be the assembly of all groups who are pursuing Scottish interests".

There are over 50 Scottish Festivals taking place in Canada this year, and if you haven't gone to one of them, you should go. They are great fun, and educational too.

The organization supports the National Tartan Day in Canada. There is also a "Photo Galley", and a genealogical section in the "Notice" part of the website.

If you wish further information, please see their website at http://www.cassoc.ca/frameset.htm

Bruce & Grey OGS

On July 26, 2011 at 5:30 p.m., at the Harrison Park Community Centre in Owen Sound, there will be a pot luck supper.

The special speaker will be Shirley Sturdevant, the Ontario Genealogical Society's Vice-President. Her topic is "What's happening at OGS & Provincial Office".

Come and find out how these initiates can be a benefit to members & branches.

Please bring your own plates, cutlery, beverage, and dish to share with everyone.

If you want more information, please go to http://tiffanyweb.bmts.com/~bgogs/calofevent.html

Thursday, July 21, 2011

The Archives of Ontario Releases BMDs

Back in May, 2011, The Archives of Ontario released the Ontario Vital Statistics records (the BMDs) - the 1914 births, the 1929 marriages, and the 1939 deaths..

This release involves the following records:

Indexes to Births and Stillbirths, 1914 (Archives of Ontario Series RG 80-4, MS 931, Reels 28)

Indexes to Marriages, 1929 (Archives of Ontario Series RG 80-7, MS 934, Reel 27)

Indexes to Deaths, 1939 (Archives of Ontario Series RG 80-10, MS 937, Reel 28)

Registrations of Births and Stillbirths, 1914 (Archives of Ontario Series RG 80-2, MS 929, Reels 246-255)

Delayed Registrations of Births and Stillbirths, "50" Series, 1914 (Archives of Ontario Series RG 80-3-1, MS 930, Reels 75-76)

Delayed Registrations of Births and Stillbirths, "90" Series, 1914 (Archives of Ontario Series RG 80-3-2, MS 933, Reels 69-70)

Registrations of Marriages, 1929 (Archives of Ontario Series RG 80-5, MS 932, Reels 881-908)

Registrations of Deaths, 1939 (Archives of Ontario Series RG 80-8, MS 935, Reels 616-635)

They say that "This most recent release is all on 16mm microfilm stock, resulting in a total issue of 74 reels. These records are available for consultation in the Archives Reading Room at 134 Ian Macdonald Boulevard, Toronto, Ontario. They may also be borrowed through the Archives of Ontario's Microfilm Interloan Service".

For more information see their website at http://www.archives.gov.on.ca/english/archival-records/interloan/vsmain.aspx

Paul McGrath Memorial Lecture

Last week, the Toronto Family History Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society released information on an upcoming evening event in memory of the late Paul McGrath, a remarkable, accomplished and greatly-missed local and family historian. The inaugural Toronto History Lecture in Paul’s memory will feature a colourful and controversial figure from the city’s past.

The speaker will be local writer and historian Chris Raible, as he presents “Rebel Remembered: The Legacy of William Lyon Mackenzie, 150 Years After His Death”. Chris is an expert in Upper Canadian history with a particular focus on the career of Toronto’s first mayor. He is the author of four books – two on Mackenzie – and has spoken and conducted seminars for many heritage organizations.

Before the lecture, be sure to find out more about the Archives and its spectacular collection of records – including 12 million photographs, more than 3000 maps, and records from the townships, villages and boroughs that form Toronto today.

Free admission but reservations required

Thursday, 4 August 2011

7:30 pm sharp (refreshments 6:30–7:30)

City of Toronto Archives, 255 Spadina Road, Toronto

For more information about this special event and to reserve a seat, visit http://tinyurl.com/6hshhsx

The Toronto History Lecture is organized and supported by an informal group of friends and associates of Paul McGrath and the following organizations:

City of Toronto Archives http://www.toronto.ca/archives/

Ontario Genealogical Society http://www.ogs.on.ca/

Ancestry.ca http://www.ancestry.ca/

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Library and Archives Canada - New Digitized Reels

The latest attempt by the Library and Archives Canada (LAC) to bring their records to the general public was sent out in press release last week which said they had digitized more records on their site for viewing.

It said that the " Library and Archives Canada (LAC) is pleased to announce the addition of 484 digitized microfilm reels representing 1,125,141 new images regarding British military and naval records (RG 8, "C" Series) to its website. These records include a wide range of documents related to the British army in Canada, Loyalist regiments, the War of 1812, the Canadian militia, and more. Both microfilm reels for the nominal card index and the archival documents have been digitized and are now accessible online. Through the research tool "microform digitization," you can browse the microfilm reels page by page".

It isn't as easy as it sounds, because you have to have the record number before you start, or else you will be hunting every record, and if you have not done this before by microfilm, it can be very tiring, and frustrating.

They have put a "Search Help" feature on http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/microform-digitization/006003-130-0005-e.html?PHPSESSID=bmihtd5h6irlfrkn8ihv61apj0, and I had to look at it because I wanted to check an immigrant who came to Saint John, New Brunswick in April, 1927. At least it gave me the the right place to search, although once again, it was a long process, and many pages were turned before I got to the right spot.

They have placed a "Brouse by Title", and have included 17 titles from Form 30, Border Entry Records, 1919-1924, to Passenger Lists: Saint John (1925 – 1935) to British Military and Naval Records (RG 8, C Series) - INDEX ONLY.

You can contact them at webservices@bac-lac.gc.ca.

They have given you a place to send your comments. They say "It is our hope to expand the selection of microform records available online. Please use the "Comments" form to provide feedback on this type of access".

Start a Facebook Research Community

FamilySearch.com is asking you to start a Facebook Research Community!

They say that "We are excited to announce the creation of several online research communities powered by FamilySearch, and would like to take this opportunity to invite you to join! These communities are being created to help you and others researching in the same area to:

collaborate on your research,

ask questions of each other, and

share knowledge you have gained as you've done your own research in that area".

There isn't any for Canada right at the moment.

If you would like to start one for a region of Canada, the instructions are at https://wiki.familysearch.org/en/Join_a_Facebook_Research_Community#Questions.3F

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

GeneaBloggers Radio - Family Reunions and Genealogy

"Until We Meet Again! – Family Reunions and Genealogy" will be the topic on GeneaBloggers Radio http://www.geneabloggers.com/ on July 22. One of the guests will be Canadian blogger Lorine McGinnis Schulze of the Olive Tree Genealogy Website at http://olivetreegenealogy.blogspot.com/.

Thomas MacEntee says that the show will be a discussion about "how to plan your next family reunion, how to include fun activities for all ages, and how to include your genealogy research to share with family reunion participants".

The show will start at at 10pm EDT, 9pm CDT, 8pm MDT, and 7pm PDT.

Toronto Public Library

Just had an email from Brenda Dougall Merriman on the OCAPG mailing list saying that Marian Press just forwarded the following notice to the Toronto Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society.

The message reads -

"If you love the Toronto Public Library, you need to come to her defense right now!

The cost cutting agenda of Toronto City Council could target the TPL within weeks. Local branches could be closed and some or all of the Library’s operation could be privatized, unless we act now.

I have just signed a petition at http://ourpubliclibrary.to/. I hope you will sign the petition too and forward it to your friends".