Breaking News - 1921 Census of Canada

A reliable source from the LAC has just phoned me to ask that I inform my readers, genealogists, and others interested in their Canadian families, that the 1921 Canadian Census has already been digitized, and has been ready for release since last Wednesday, 12 June, but it is being held back by the federal government before it is released.

So if you want the census released NOW, it has been suggested that you write the Heritage Minister, The Honourable James Moore, and ask that the 1921 Canadian Census be released now.

Minister Moore’s mailing address is: The Hon. James Moore, Minister of Canadian Heritage & Official Languages, House of Commons, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A6.

His telephone number is 613-992-9650, and his fax number is 613-992-9868.

He can also be reached online at www.pch.gc.ca/pc-ch/minstr/moore/cntct/index-eng.cfm, or by direct email at james.moore@parl.gc.ca

Remember, there is no postage required for sending snail-mail to Members of Parliament in Canada from within Canada.

Canadian Week in Review for 17 June 2013

17 June 2013

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

Websites

There has been an update forwarded to me by Glenn Wright about last week’s story re the archival facility at Conrad Grebel University College. The Waterloo Region Record is reporting that the federal government has announced that they are providing “the college with $150,000 through the Canada Cultural Spaces Fund. The funding will support new specialized equipment used in preserving and exhibiting archival materials. The Mennonite Archives collects, preserves and exhibits historical records about the lives and experiences of Mennonites”.

Thank you, Glenn.

The story is in the Waterloo Region Record and is entitled Mennonite Archives receives $150,000 funding; Federal investment for new equipment and is at www.therecord.com/news-story/3832396-mennonite-archives-receives-150-000-in-federal-funding

Blogs

One Gnarled Tree http://siemsgenealogy.blogspot.com This is a new blog where the blogger is researching family members in Ontario through the Random Person of the Day.

Trials and Travails of My Forebears  www.andrewdaft.com This is also a new blog, and the blogger is trying to connect his family from Pacific Northwest back to Canada, and back to Germany.

Facebook- YouTube – Video

Eva Brook Donly Museum & Archives www.facebook.com/evabrookdonly Lynn Palermo

sent me a notice about this Facebook page, and if you are from this area, or have ancestors who were from this area, this is a very informative page. Thank you, Lynn.

The Ireland Special Interest Group  www.facebook.com/groups/535155983215111 John Noble writes that “This group provides another means for those interested in Irish Research to share their stories and challenges, and at the same time seek out those who may have the same interests as they do”.

Newspapers

Cemetery discovery brings history to life

www.ottawacitizen.com/news/ottawa/Cemetery+discovery+brings+history+life/8501835/story.html

A Pembroke, Ontario man uncovered the graves of three brothers, all veterans of the War of 1812.

Underwear exhibit stripped from the schedule of Canadian Museum of Civilization

www.vancouversun.com/travel/Underwear+exhibit+stripped+from+schedule+Canadian+Museum/8523198/story.html "Undressed," the title of an exhibition which goes through the 350 years in the history of underwear, has been taken off of the museum's schedule as it shifts its focus to Canadian history.

Manitoba Museum to begin sharing artifacts www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/story/2013/06/14/mb-manitoba-museum-sharing-artifacts.html

The Manitoba Museum and the museum in Hull, Quebec, signed a partnership agreement in Winnipeg. There is an expectation that there will be hundreds of similar agreements signed with museums across Canada.

Story of the Week

Celebrate Canada

Celebrate Canada is a ten day celebration that takes place from June 21 to July 1.

There are a number of holidays which takes place within this 10 day period, and they are -

National  Aboriginal Day on June 21

Celebrated on the date of the summer solstice, the longest day of the year, it is the National Aboriginal Day.

Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day on June 24

This is a French-Canadian holiday, where they express their cultural pride and rich heritage through colourful parades and lively parties.

Canadian Multiculturalism Day on June 27

Canadian Multiculturalism Day is a day on which Canadians celebrate our diversity and our commitment to democracy, equality, and mutual respect.

Canada Day

On October 27, 1982, through an act of Parliament, July 1st—which was known as "Dominion Day"—would now become known as "Canada Day".

Every year, we celebrate Canada Day, and for us in Ottawa, that usually means that we go to Parliament Hill to enjoy a day of music (and speeches), and we usually stay for the fireworks at night. It’s a fun day!

The next Canadian Week in Review will be issued Monday June 24, 2013.

GenealogyCanada named as one of the Top 90 Blogs

As you will see if you look to the right side of my blog, you will see that my blog has been chosen as one of THE TOP 90 GENEALOGY BLOGS of 2013 by FreePeopleSearch.org.

They say that “Fortunately, there are a great number of talented and experienced genealogists willing to share their information, advice, and expertise through their blogs. Some of these are simply records of personal family searches while others are treasure troves of research methodology, resources, technological aids, and genealogical news and events”.

My blog is number 8 in the Ethnic & Regional Orientation.

Thank you, FreePeopleSearch.org, for listing GenealogyCanada as one of blogs to follow!

To read the full article, go to http://freepeoplesearch.org/blog/the-top-90-genealogy-blogs.html

Quebec Heritage News

If you have never been to the Quebec Anglophone Heritage Network (QAHN) website, it is worth the visit.

It was founded in 2000, and it mission states that it is “to promote a greater understanding of the history of Quebec’s English-speaking communities by informing, inspiring and connecting people through its activities”.

They have a Facebook page where they have the latest Quebec Heritage News on sale, and they have the latest news on the Hometown Heritage Essay & Heritage Photo Contests on their website at http://qahn.org 

Summer issue of QFHS Connections

The summer issue of the journal of the Quebec Family History Society called Connections have just been released, and it’s full of articles, and other newsy bits of information.

In this issue, there is an article by Mark W. Gallop entitled Downton Abbey and Its Predecessors in which Mark discusses the role that the Whiteoaks of Jalna and Downton Abbey has played in convincing him to follow the life of a genealogist.

Henry’s Story by Peter Sampson tells of how he found Henry Sampson from Quebec City who has died in a shipping accident along the coast of Portugal in 1913.

The news in this issue is that the QFHS can now announce that they have signed an agreement with FamilySearch to become an affiliate with the library. You can now order microfilm and microfiche from the LDS library in Salt Lake City, and can read them at the QFHS library.

They have the latest books that have been received at the library, genealogical software, and the latest events in their public lecture series.

To go to their website, go to http://www.qfhs.ca

Q&A: What does an archive have for me?

Tony Spears, a writer with the Ottawa Citizen, asked Dr. Ian Wilson, the former Head of the Library and Archives Canada, (he retired in 2009), and University of Toronto’s Wendy Duff - what do people want from an archives.

It seems that Wilson said it was genealogy related materials (for instance, like census, immigrant records), and Duff said local history is popular with people.

Dr. Wilson, who gave the 2012 Houston Memorial Lecture at the OGS Conference in Kingston last year, entitled In Reflections on Archivists and Genealogists, in which he took us “through his early years at Queen’s University, his career as the Provincial Archivist of Saskatchewan and Ontario, and describing his tenure as the National Archivist of Canada at Library and Archives Canada in Ottawa ..." is a good read. Families Vol 52 No 1

If you would like to read the Q & A, go to  www.ottawacitizen.com/What+does+archive+have/8522832/story.html#ixzz2WBy6jLYA 

The website of the Ontario Genealogical Society is www.ogs.on.ca

Automotive Heritage Month in Nova Scotia

Did you know Nova Scotia manufactured its own car, the MacKay Touring Car, in   Kentville and later in Amherst, in 1911?

Or that the first Toyotas assembled in Canada was at Point Edward, Cape Breton?

It’s easy to see that “the automobile has had a significant impact on the Province of Nova Scotia over the last century”.

To celebrate this impact, the Provincial Government of Nova Scotia has proclaimed July as Automotive Heritage Month.

Hobby car clubs across the province will be celebrating during the month at show and shines across the area.

To see what the National Association of Automobile Clubs of Canada does, go to their website www.naacc.ca/home.html

To see a picture and short history of the McKay 7-seat touring car, go to

http://ns1758.ca/auto/automobiles.html

History of Automobiles: The Early Days in Nova Scotia: 1899-1949

http://museum.gov.ns.ca/moi/en/home/collectionresearch/automobiles/mckay.aspx