Canadian Week in Review 09 December 2013

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

Websites

No new websites this week.

Social Media

South Peace Regional Archives http://southpeacearchives.org/ It was founded in 2000 and is the first regional archives in Alberta. It covers the district of Alberta - the City of Grande Prairie, the County of Grande Prairie, the Municipal District of Greenview, and the Municipal District of Spirit River.

Who’s Your Grandaddy http://whosyourgrandaddy.ca/A genealogical research service specializing in the acquisition of documents relating to Canadian research for the following provinces - British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec.

News Articles

Poster contest draws on military history http://lethbridgeherald.com/news/local-news/2013/12/poster-contest-draws-on-military-history/ Read about how the entrants are down this year in the student poster contest for Remembrance Day at the Lethbridge Legion, Alberta.

St. Louis: Ship of Fate exhibit at Museum of Industry http://www.ngnews.ca/News/Local/2013-12-06/article-3532713/St.-Louis%3A-Ship-of-Fate-exhibit-at-Museum-of-Industry/1This exhibit tells of the St. Louis, a ship of Jewish refugees from the Second World War who were not allowed to enter into Canada.

Local’s search for family history leads to university degree at age 76 http://www.lucknowsentinel.com/2013/12/04/locals-search-for-family-history-leads-to-university-degree-at-age-76 This article is about Carolyn Helfenstein, the editor of The Teeswater News from Bruce County, Ontario who went to university to earn her diploma at age 76. Her thesis was called “In Search of an Identity,” which she intends to turn into a book called “Rock Solid: The people of Newfoundland.”

Rose Murray updates classic Christmas cookbook with more history, new recipes http://www.brandonsun.com/lifestyles/breaking-news/rose-murray-updates-classic-christmas-cookbook-with-more-history-new-recipes-234464131.html?thx=y With so many cookbooks out at Christmas, it’s often hard to choose which one to buy, but here is one that combines Canadian history and cooking.

Harrietsfield man helps re-create history http://globalnews.ca/news/1005211/harrietsfield-man-helps-re-create-history/ Global News reports that Blair Higgins is the president of Loyalist Arms and Repair, a company in Harrietsfield (outside of Halifax) that specializes in recreating historical props inspired by the 17th or 18th century.

More bones found during Queen Street road work. Workers stumbles on old Methodist cemetery, an early 19th century burial ground http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/more-bones-found-during-queen-street-road-work-1.2455001This is the third finding on human bones under Queen Street since September. People think they are connected to the 19th century Methodist Cemetery that once was on the site.

Story of the Week

Christmas Lights Across Canada

For the past 29 years, Ottawa has led to country in the Christmas Lights Across Canada.

As in past years the official illumination ceremony took place on Thursday, December 5, 2013 at 6 p.m. on Parliament Hill and was hosted by Benoit Huot, Paralympic gold medalist, and Jean-Luc Brassard, Olympic gold medalist and Assistant Chef de Mission of the Canadian Olympic Team for Sochi 2014

They were joined The Honourable Shelly Glover, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, and a representative of Manulife Financial.

Adding to the festive mood of the evening, the celebration included performances by the Dunlop Public School Choir and Big Soul Project, a community gospel and groove choir.

The ceremony was broadcasted live on Rogers TV, Cable 22, in Ottawa, and an edited version will be re-broadcast throughout the holiday season on community cable stations across Canada.

Those in attendance were invited to indulge in some favourite winter treats: BeaverTails® pastries, hot chocolate and roasted marshmallows (free while supplies last).

For more information on the Christmas Lights Across Canada program, members of the public can contact 613-239-5000, 1-800-465-1867 or visit www.canadascapital.gc.ca. TTY (text telephone for the hearing impaired) is available at: 613-239-5090 or toll-free 1-866-661-3530.

You can also go to http://www.pch.gc.ca/eng/1379447340362

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 16 December 2013.

Connections Journal Autumn 2013 Issue

The fall issue of the Connections journal has been sent out by the Quebec Family History Society located in Montreal.

There are many short articles in this issue, and they are –

The Farnsworth/Phaneuf Connections by Rene E. Peron in which the author writes about the connections between the two families going back 300 years.

Captives Carried to Canada During the French and Indian Wars by Dawn Miller Quellette in which she talks about the Farnsworth family as it is related in the book New England Captives Carried to Canada – 1677 – 1760 by author Emma Lewis Coleman.

Pilgrimage for Bert: Remembering the 1^st Anti-Tank Regiment, 1^st Canadian Divison by Shelia Snow Wilkins in which Wilkins writes about the trip she and her husband took to Sicily this past summer to visit the places where her father fought in the Second World War.

Filles du Roi: Brides of New France by Dawn Miller Ouellette writes about the young women who came to New France looking for a husband. One thing new I learned that if they did not find a suitable suitor in Quebec City, they would travel on to Three Rivers, and then to Montreal, if they did not find a man to marry.

Ouellette also has written an article on The Battle of Chateauguay (the cover has the photo of the painting of the battle) as it has been 200 years since the Canadians fought the Americans on the shores of the Chateauguay River in October 1813.

 If you want to see what else the QFHS offers, you can go to http://www.qfhs.ca/ http://www.qfhs.ca/          

IMPORTANT: Ontario Genealogy Society Open Forum

This notice has just come into the office –

The Ontario Genealogical Society invites members and non-members to join in an online discussion with President, Shirley Sturdevant. Ask questions and make comments about the changing face of OGS and volunteer opportunities with the Society.

Date: Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2014

Time: 7:00 p.m.

More information will follow.

This forum is open to anyone who is interested but you may express your interest and receive a reminder and your own copy of the login information by contacting the OGS provincial office at provoffice@ogs.on.ca.

Please use the subject line “GS Open Forum.”

I will be there. Will you?

The website is http://www.ogs.on.ca/index.php

The Nova Scotia Genealogist

The Spring 2013 edition of The Nova Scotia Genealogist with the lovely photo of the painting of the West Hants Historical Society Museum in Windsor, Nova Scotia is on the cover.

An article entitled Visit to West Hants Historical Society by J. Fralic-Brown on page 19 of the edition tells you all that you want to know what the museum holds on its shelves and in filing cabinets.

The main article is The Putman Family of Massachusetts and Nova Scotia by D. Armauda. 

The author says that the complete Putman family history has never been written to his knowledge, and we just get a glimpse of his work in this article.

He has everything sourced, and a very good genealogy explained in very easy to understand terms as he traces them from England, to Massachusetts to Nova Scotia.

They have included the latest books in the Reference Department of the Spring Garden Road Memorial Library, at the GANS Office Library, and the Scotiabank Family History, Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 in Halifax.

To see more about GANS, visit http://www.novascotiaancestors.ca/ and their Facebook page at

https://www.facebook.com/NovaScotiaAncestors

Halifax Regional Municipality Archives

One of our readers recently sent me information about the Conversion List from the old street numbering system to the new street numbering system on the Halifax Regional Archives.  

Already the reader says that he has found it very useful and have already looked at several ancestors' houses on Google Street View using the modern address.

He continues on to say that “A lot of my family research focuses on Halifax. Whether using City directories, deed indexes, or death certificates, the civic address of my research subject is often listed and can be used for many helpful purposes. Between 1958-1965 however, the City of Halifax renumbered all civic addresses from a 2-digit to a 4-digit number, so if you're interested in locating the current site of a pre-1958 ancestor's residence you were out of luck”. 

So take a look at the site and the list.  

I had fun this afternoon looking at their Virtual Exhibit which featured photographs, maps, and anniversary events that have taken place in Halifax-Dartmouth over the years.

Thanks to Neal for sending me information on this site.

The website is at 

http://www.halifax.ca/archives/CivicAddressHistory.html

Global Genealogy Bookstore has put out their Holiday newsletter full of new products for you to check out.

To subscribe to their FREE newsletter, go to http://globalgenealogy.us6.list-manage1.com/subscribe?u=559c438b50304777bf726446b&id=1b3ab7d22a

Kingston Penitentiary: Home to Canada’s most notorious criminals

The four men are Albert McKeowan, James McDonald, Philip Benoit, and George Marles. These photos were taken in 1915.  Credit: Library and Archives Canada, RG73-C-6 

The Library and Archives Canada has just released the ledgers from the Kingston Penitentiary for you to research if your ancestor spent time there when it opened in 1835.   

Located in Portsmouth, now part of Kingston, this institution was designated for the incarceration of prisoners from both Upper Canada and Lower Canada.

Kingston Pen, as it is commonly known, closed its doors on September 30, 2013.

These ledgers, which have been digitized and can be viewed on the Library and Archives Canada (LAC) website at http://collectionscanada.gc.ca/pam_archives/index.php?fuseaction=genitem.displayItem&lang=eng&rec_nbr=4292048

You will have to know the name of the person you are looking for in this instant.    

The ledgers provide photographs (mug shots) of inmates and information such as name; alias; age; place of birth; physical description; occupation; crime committed; and date, place and length of sentence.

Special Holiday Season Membership Gift

The Museum of Civilization and the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa are offering a special Holiday Season Membership Gift to you.

If you sign up for a standard membership, you will receive an extended Membership Level Membership, and your membership will be extended by one extra month. If you purchase a Plus Level Membership, your membership will be extended by two extra months.

Put in the promotional code AC138 in the printed copy of the sign-up form, and bring it to the box office, or you can call the box office at 819.776.7100.

To see the levels of membership, you can go to http://www.civilization.ca/about-us/get-involved/membership-program

Get savings from Ancestry.ca

Have you ever subscribed to Ancestry.ca monthly newsletter? If you haven’t subscribed yet, maybe you should consider doing so now, because they are offering savings on products for the month of December.

If you subscribe to the December Holiday Issue: 'Tis the season! you can get exclusive savings on Family Tree Maker 2014, Blurb and more!

Sign up for the newsletter at http://home.ancestry.ca/myancestry/SubscribeNews

OGS Conference - Hank Jones Jr interview

Steve Fulton, the Chair of the 2014 Ontario Genealogical Society Conference that will be held. May 1 to May 4, 2014 at Brock University in the Niagara region of Ontario, has posted an interview he had had with the keynote speaker – Hank Jones Jr.

His speech which is entitled How "Psychic Roots" became an "Unsolved Mystery" will be presented on Saturday evening at conference banquet.

The interview is about 8 minutes long, and is interesting to listen to at http://www.ogs.on.ca/conference2014/hank_jones_interview.mp3

Two things which struck me was that he said “Genealogists are story tellers”, and “Document everything”. Family history is a series of family stories and we must document everything we write - that should be our mantra as genealogists.

You can go to their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/NiagaraPeninsulaBranchOgsConference2014, and their website http://www.ogs.on.ca/conference2014/index.php.

Postscript: Conferences are held every year in Ontario, and as a member of the OGS you are entitled to special discounts for the conference. December is membership month at the OGS. For the yearly rate of $61.20, you can join the provincial society.

Canadian Week in Review 02 December 2013

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

Websites

Souvenir of Toronto: Announcing the Robert MacIntosh Collection on the History of Toronto http://library.ryerson.ca/asc/2013/11/souvenir-of-toronto-announcing-the-robert-macintosh-historical-toronto-collection/ Ryerson Polytechnic University Archives has just acquired the personal collection of 141 books of long time Toronto resident, Robert M. MacIntosh.

They rang from the date 1807 to 1988 and the topics include  “historical accounts, biographies of notable Torontonians (including John Toronto himself, Bishop Strachan), tourist keepsakes through the years, maps, centennial publications, and TTC brochures”.

FamilySearch Wiki - Category:Charts and Forms FamilySearch has forms of the following -

1851 Canada Census https://familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/images/5/51/Canadian_Census_Form_1851.pdf

1861 Canada Census

https://familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/images/f/fe/Canadian_Census_Form_1861.pdf

1871 Canada Census

https://familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/images/d/da/Canadian_Census_Form_1871.pdf

1881 Canada Census

https://familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/images/a/a8/Canadian_Census_Form_1891.pdf

1891 Canada Census

https://familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/images/d/d0/Canadian_Census_Form_1901.pdf

Social Media

Membership Renewal

http://saskgenealogy.blogspot.com/2013/11/membership-renewal_23.html Membership fees will be increasing for all membership renewals in 2014

News Articles

Oil-industry money won’t influence exhibits, museum of civilization  CEO vows http://www.ottawacitizen.com/travel/Canadian+Museum+Civilization+gets+sponsorship+deal+from+Canadian+Association+Petroleum/9210141/story.html Because of this investment, the Museum of History will be able to mount a special exhibit called 1867 which will show how  the new country called the Dominion of Canada evolved from the colonies of British North America. The exhibit will be on from November 2014 to September 2015, and then it will tour the country.

Record $15-million donation to Calgary Stampede Foundation http://www.calgaryherald.com/business/Stampede+Foundation+create+heritage+centre+with+record+donation/9214611/story.html A new western heritage centre will be built with the donation by Don Taylor and it will be the future home of the Stampede Archives.

Discover the Humanity in History with New Novel http://www.choosecornwall.ca/eng/news/743/57/Discover-the-Humanity-in-History-with-New-Novel/The novel Shadows in the Tree,  tells the story of Maria Catrina Eamer who came with her children over the Adirondack Mountains as they fled to Canada to escape the American Revolution.

737 takes off from City Centre Airport, lands safely at new home http://globalnews.ca/news/999859/737-takes-off-from-city-centre-airport-lands-safely-at-new-home/The Alberta Aviation Museum will be the new home for the Boeing 737. It was with the Pacific Western Airlines, and was retired from Air Canada’s service in 2005.

Story of the Week

There are many website staring to appear celebrating Canada 150^th anniversary in 2017.

If you want background information on Canada’s 150 Birthday, you can read about it at the PARLIAMENT of CANADA site at  http://www.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?DocId=5614610&File=84

2017 starts now The CBC has started the celebrating Canada’s 150 birthday already on their website http://www.2017startsnow.ca/

Local app celebrates Canadian heritage

http://www.castanet.net/news/Kelowna/103621/Local-app-celebrates-Canadian-heritage Well a Kelowna company has developed a new app that is all about having fun and learning about our amazing country at the same time.

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 09 December 2013.

November 2013 Families Part II

The Ontario Genealogy Society journal Families has issued its November issue, and here are the papers included in Part II.

The first paper More Than Dates: Lives Revealed Through Ecclesiastical Records by Ellen Paul, the 2^nd place Keffer Writing Contest winner.

In addition to the story she tells of Jean Baptiste Cotton, she demonstrates how to use the Drouin Collection when proving genealogy.

The surname keywords are Archambault, Beaudry, Cotton, DeGuay, Débussat, Dussault, Gauthier, Gauthier dit Landreville

“Up to Rawdon” Explained is a paper by Daniel B. Parkinson in which he explains how he came to write his 2-volume set of genealogies about the people from Rawdon, Quebec and their migration to such Ontario counties as Wellington, Huron, Grey, Bruce and Simcoe Counties.

The surname keywords are Burton, Bourne, Copping, Corcoran, Dugas, Eveleigh, Gray, Hamilton, Holiday, Holtby, Jefferies, Johnston, Keo, Mason, Norrish, Parkinson, Pearson, Scroggie, Rourke, Sadler, Smiley, Tiffin, Turner, Wade

“Feathers in the Family”: The Story of Magdeleine Pewadjiwonokwe by Lynne Duigou is the story of a ‘county marriage’ between Charles Denys de Laronde Thibaudiere and Magdeleine.   

The surname keywords are  Croteau, Pewadjiwonokwe, Laronde, Gaucher, piot, Langevin, Missosikwe, Tessepatikokwe, Gradmotagne, Okajagaw, MacFie, Douglas, Robinson

I Am a GOON: The Willox Search by Cathie Blackburn is the influence that the Guild of One-Name Studies has had on her study of her family name – the Willox.  

The surname keywords are Willox, Cole, Harper, Legge

  

Postscrpt:  December is the yearly membership drive by the OGS. This year the basic membership is $61.20 which is a deal for all the benefits that you can receive from the Members Only pages at http://www.ogs.on.ca/index.php                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

November 2013 Families Part I

 The Ontario Genealogy Society issued its journal Families for November, and here are the papers included in Part I this issue. Part II will continue tomorrow.   

With 2014 being the 100^th anniversary of the First World War, the papers about the people who fought in that war are starting to come into Families to be published.

The two papers are

Hart Leech: “A dog-gone good soldier … doing hid blooming job” by Catherine Whiteley tells the story of Hart Leech from Winnipeg, who, like so many others, went off to war as a young man, and like so many others died because of the war.  

But while he was fighting in the war, he earned the praise of his superiors, and when he died helping his fellow soldiers, he was given a burial in the Oville British Cemetery in France.

His mother received the Memorial Cross.

The keywords in the paper is Leech.

The ship on the front cover of Families and is the SS Olympic. It is shown in Halifax as it disembarked Canadian soldiers coming back from the First World War.

Blacks in the Great War by Jerry Hind is a paper which recounts the role that Blacks played in the First World War.

The men from the Chatham-Kent area who entered the 1^st Contingent of the Canadian Expeditionary Force and the discrimination that they faced.

To go with the Families paper, there is a website called    

Gathering our Heroes at http://www.gatheringourheroes.ca/ at which there are bios of many of the Blacks who were in the No. 2 Construction Battalion.

The keywords are Jones, Hosey, Lucas, and Mills.   

Postscrpt:  December is the yearly membership drive by the OGS. This year the basic membership is $61.20 which is a deal for all the benefits that you can receive from the Members Only pages at http://www.ogs.on.ca/index.php

Niagara Branch of the OGS is host this year to the 2014 Conference whose theme is Genealogy Without Borders . It will be held May 1 to May 4, 2014 at Brock University, St. Catharines, Ontario.

They have just released who they will have as speakers and the schedule, and it is quite an impressive group, such as - 

Chris Paton, the Scottish Genealogist will conduct workshops, and will give the Houston Lecture Genealogy Without Borders-Technology on Friday evening.

Hank Jones will be the keynote speaker on Saturday evening  when he gives the talk

How "Psychic Roots" became an "Unsolved Mystery".

To see the rest of the speakers, go to http://www.ogs.on.ca/conference2014/speakers_info/Conference%202014%20Schedule.pdf

You can also go to the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/NiagaraPeninsulaBranchOgsConference2014

Like the organizers say "Genealogy Without Borders" is genealogy research that does not require a passport!

Location! Location! Location!

Have you been involved in doing Ontario research lately, and have come across a town, and you are having a hard time to find what county it is in - where it is located?

Now, you can go to the Ontario location website at http://www.ogs.on.ca/branches/ontariolocator.php.  It lists every municipality in Ontario (city, town, village, township, regional municipality) and all of the geographic townships which have belonged to a municipality.

You can find the township, and there are two types of townships –

1.     A geographic township (G Twp) is a piece of land. You need to know this to find land records and to find where people lived.

2.     An administrative township (A Twp) is a form of government, often administering several geographic townships. You need this to find local records.

And you can find out what county you are in, and the Ontario Genealogical Society Branch the municipality is in.

Snow!

We are in the middle of the first major snowstorm of the season here in Ottawa today, and the Museum of Civilization will soon open its exhibit about snow which will run from December 6, 2013 to September the 28th 2014.

The exhibit will feature some 300 articles, and more than 400 photos that Canadians have taken of snow.

To find out more about the exhibit, go to http://www.civilization.ca/event/snow/

Share a Memory Contest

Thinking that you would like to go to RootsTech 2014 but don’t know quite how to do it?

Dear Myrt, America’s “Your Friend in Genealogy”, otherwise known as Pat Richley-Erickson, has a solution.

She and her daughter are offering a Share a Memory Contest and the grand prize is a fully paid registration fee to Rootstech 2014, and two other separate prizes from Amazon.

The deadline is November 30^th , so don’t delay!

It’s all on her blog of Nov 18^th at http://blog.dearmyrtle.com/2013/11/2nd-annual-share-memory-contest.html

Canadian Immigration Records

I see where FamilySearch has added Canada Immigration Records from (1881-1930) to their holdings.

It contains records for the parts of Quebec City (1900-1921), Halifax (1881-1922), Saint John (1900-1912), North Sydney (1906-1912), Vancouver (1905-1912), and Victoria (1905-1912).

There are also records from New York City (1906-1912), and Eastern US parts from 1905 to 1912.  These are records of those names of passengers who had the intention of going directly to Canada.

To go to FamilySearch Canada Immigration Records , go to https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1823240?ET_CID=45833734&ET_RID=genealogycanada@aol.com

Canadian Week in Review 25 November 2013

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

Websites

No new websites this week.

Social Media

A number of Canadian provinces have been updates on the FamilySearch Wiki website -

Alberta Wiki https://familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Alberta

British Columbia Wiki https://familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/British_Columbia

Canada Wiki https://familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Canada

New Brunswick Wiki https://familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/New_Brunswick

Newfoundland and Labrador Wiki
https://familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Newfoundland_and_Labrador

Nova Scotia Wiki https://familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Nova_Scotia

Ontario Wiki https://familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Ontario

Prince Edward Island Wiki
https://familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Prince_Edward_Island

Quebec https://familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Quebec

Saskatchewan Wiki https://familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Saskatchewan

News Articles

Dalnavert Museum's glimmer of hope: Historic site would be kept open to public http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/dalnavert-museums-glimmer-of-hope-232304961.html I did not know that Dalnavert Museum was once the home of Hugh John Macdonald, the son of Sir John A. Macdonald. He was twice elected as a Conservative MP and was briefly the minister of the interior in 1896. And the members of the board want to keep the museum open to the public.

Q & A: Heritage Minister Tony Ince on Bluenose II http://thechronicleherald.ca/novascotia/1168125-q-a-heritage-minister-tony-ince-on-bluenose-ii-restoration A staff reporter of the online Herald News asked some questions about the Bluenose II to the Nova Scotia Heritage Minister.

Bank of Canada: Add women from Canadian history to Canadian bank notes http://www.change.org/en-CA/petitions/bank-of-canada-add-women-from-canadian-history-to-canadian-bank-notes In 2011, the government put The Famous Five women on our 50-dollar bill, but nothing has been done since then. Why?

History comes alive in street names http://thechronicleherald.ca/thenovascotian/1169063-history-comes-alive-in-street-names Liverpool, Nova Scotia is visited to see the history of two of its streets.

Story of the Week

Macdonald & Laurier Days


Macdonald & Laurier Days, the first two prime ministers of Canada, is a website brought to us by The Historica-Dominion Institute.

The ‘days’ referred to are the days of the birthdays – February 11 for Sir John A. Macdonald and November 20 for Sir Wilfrid Laurier.

It is quite a delightful site to read some of their speeches on the site, a quiz, and to see some political cartoons.

In addition to this page, you can also read about Sir Wilfrid Laurier at

Prime Minister Sir Wilfrid Laurier http://canadaonline.about.com/cs/primeminister/p/pmlaurier.htm

Sir Wilfrid Laurier http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilfrid_Laurier

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 02 December 2013.

The Ottawa Genealogical Oct-Dec 2013

The Ottawa Branch of the OGS has released its issue of The Ottawa Genealogist, and this issue contains an article on a local settlement, and an article on a re-enactment that took place this summer at a local destination. 

In the Glen Falloch – Glengarry County, Ontario article, there is a history of the settlement, plus two maps of the Glengarry County, a family tree of Donald MacAruthur, and there is also the Ancestors of John Gould (who left the area in 1912 to farm in Alberta).

There is an article called Gleanings from Gouldbourn and Nepean Township Papers in which there are hundreds of names, and land which they owned!

And there are pictures and article of the Battle of Crysler’s Farm Re-enactment July 13^th at which Edward Kipp, the editor of The Ottawa Genealogist covered.

The next meeting of the Ottawa Branch will be held on Saturday, December 14, 2013 at 1:00 p.m. at the City of Ottawa Archives, 100 Tallwood Drive, Ottawa,

At their meeting they will hear Andrew Jeanes talk about Freiman’s Santa Claus Train.

And don’t forget if you are a member, you can listen to the meeting at home by listening to the simulcast.

For more information, go to http://ogsottawa.on.ca/

Postscript: December is membership month at the OGS. For the yearly rate of $61.20 plus 15.00, you can join the provincial society plus the Ottawa Branch.        

York Region Ancestors Newsletter

The York Region Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society (OGS) has just issued its November newsletter, and in this issue they have an article A View of Markham Township in 1799 in which Surveyor Augustus Jones lists the people in the township and the land they held.

There is also an article on the Early Lutheran Deaths in the Twp of Markham (1834 – 1841), and Confirmations in the Lutheran Church 1834 and 1836.

There is the family tree of John Stiver and Mary Ann Shutz, and a list of
Tavern Licenses Granted from 1855 to 1860, and a list of innkeepers for Whitchurch Township from 1803 to 1841.

Please be reminded that they have all the back issues of Ancestors from 1996 to 2006 which includes a subject index for sale, in addition to over 150 cemetery transcripts on their publications page at http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~onyrbogs/pub_001.htm

You can visit their webpage at www.rootsweb.com/onyrbogs

Postscript: December is the yearly membership drive by the OGS. This year the basic membership is $61.20 which is a deal for all the benefits that you can receive from the Members Only pages at http://www.ogs.on.ca/index.php

PEI Genealogical Society upcoming event

The PEI Genealogical Society will hold its next general meeting on Saturday November 23 at 2:00 pm at Beaconsfield's Carriage House, located at the corner of Kent and West Streets in Charlottetown.

Guest speaker Dr. Ed MacDonald will present a talk on Our Fathers: A Brief Introduction to PEI's Fathers of Confederation. He will answer the question - Who were the PEI Fathers of Confederation? The public is invited to attend and find out more than just a name.

Admission is free.

If you would like more information, go to http://www.peigs.ca/

101st Grey Cup Football Game this Sunday

Library and Archives Canada / C-017372

The Grey Cup Game is this weekend in Regina, Saskatchewan, but do you know that the Library and Archives Canada has the papers of Albert Henry George Grey, 4th Earl Grey. He was the Governor General of Canada from 1904 to 1911 and he actually wanted to donate the cup to the champion hocked team – not the football team!

They hold many resources relating to the history of the Governor General and the Grey Cup.

To learn more about the life and activities of Lord Grey himself, you can consult the Albert Henry George Grey, 4th Earl Grey fonds at http://collectionscanada.gc.ca/pam_archives/index.php?fuseaction=genitem.displayItem&lang=eng&rec_nbr=105479

WWI Memorial Wall at OGS

Have you checked the WWI War Memorial Wall at OGS lately? It is starting to get populated with photos from the First World War, but the Ontario Genealogical Society is looking for more photos.

So they are asking “Do you have family members who served with the Canadian Expeditionary Force during WWI? As we approach the 100th Anniversary of the Great War, the Ontario Genealogical Society invites you to share their stories and photos on our newly created WWI Memorial Wall on the OGS Soldphotos flickr page at http://www.flickr.com/photos/ogsphotos/sets/

If you would like to share your scanned photos, letters, diaries, or require more information, please contact our Digitization Manager at scanning@ogs.on.ca

We also welcome photos and stories from all of our Canadian War Veterans, and as always, those popular Mystery Photos”.

The Chinese Labourers

There is an article on the Manitoba CBC site this morning that a Winnipeg student - Kelsey Omaga has received a Governor General's History Award.

She is a Grade 7 student at Holy Ghost School, and she wrote and illustrated The Chinese Labourers, a story told through the eyes of a Chinese worker in the 1880s.

You can read about her and the book at http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/winnipeg-student-wins-governor-general-s-history-award-1.2431554

One Day Symposium on Scottish Genealogy Research

Plans are starting to come together for a one day symposium on Scottish Genealogy Research to be held Friday August 22, 2014 at the Spring Hill Suites by Marriott in Vaughn, Toronto. They have four speakers confirmed, and each one will speak on a different aspect of Scottish Genealogy Research.

In addition, plans are being made to have a marketplace with a combination of genealogy vendors, clan representatives and hopefully a couple of Scottish vendors. More on this as this part of the day gets confirmed.

The topics will be Basic Scottish Research by John Thomson, DNA by Linda Reid, Scot Irish by Ruth Blair, and Tracking our Scots Emigrant Ancestors by Christine Woodcock.

Registration will open in February for the Scottish SIG Symposium. Hotel reservations are on a first come, first serve basis and are open now. More information will be sent to the SIG members on the market place and pricing details have been confirmed. The Symposium will be open to the public, with a reduced registration fee for OGS members.

For more information, please contact Christine Woodcock at genealogytoursofscotland@gmail.com

Canadian Week in Review 18 November 2013

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

Websites

Social Media

Writing Up the Ancestors http://www.writinguptheancestors.blogspot.ca/

Genealogist and Montreal writer Janice Hamilton recently started a genealogy blog about her family who lived in Canada, the US, England, Scotland, and Ireland. What sets this blog apart from many are the research remarks Janice adds at the end of each story. Not only can blog followers learn about Janice’s ancestors, they learn how she pieced together their story.

The Most Controversial Figure In Canadian History Is… http://rickpaulettervjournal.blogspot.com/2013/11/the-most-controversial-figure-in.html Rick Doyle is an RVer, but this time he writes about Louis Riel who was hanged on November 16, 1885 at the Northwest Mounted Police(RCMP) barracks in Regina, SK.for treason.

6th Annual Canadian History Forum http://canadashistory.ca/HistoryForum On Monday, November 18th at the Canadian War Museum (1 Vimy Place) in Ottawa from 1 pm - 5:30 pm, Canada's History will present the sixth annual Canada's History Forum. This year's topic is - Is Technology Altering Our History?

There are still a few seats remaining to attend the event on site but Canadians can also watch a live broadcast of the presentations.

News Articles

Nova Scotia's tree for Boston begins journey http://www.ngnews.ca/News/Local/2013-11-12/article-3478263/Nova-Scotias-tree-for-Boston-begins-journey/1 Mary Lou Milligan donated this year's tree from her property in Mill Cove to Boston. For forty-two years Halifax has been sending a Christmas Tree to Boston, Mass in appreciation for the medical personnel and supplies Bostonians provided after the explosion of Dec. 6, 1917.

Piece of Saskatoon history becoming target for vandals http://metronews.ca/news/saskatoon/852333/piece-of-saskatoon-history-becoming-target-for-vandals/ The Farnam Block, former home of Lydia’s Pub, was constructed in 1912 and has seen two World Wars alongside its share of interesting and unusual tenants.

Yarmouth council defers decision on Zion de-registration http://www.novanewsnow.com/News/2013-11-14/article-3481869/Yarmouth-council-defers-decision-on-Zion-de-registration/1 The council defers the decision on the Zion Baptist Church in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia to remove the church from its municipal heritage registry to give the province's Heritage Trust time to decide whether to make a formal offer of assistance to the church's trustees, and it is considered to be a last ditch effort to save the church from demolition.

Story of the Week

Father of Confederation (c) Collections Canada  

PEI gets ready for 2014

Over the past year, I have been reading about how the Prince Edward Island government has been getting ready for the 2014 events as PEI celebrates 150 years since the Fathers of Confederation meeting in Charlottetown.

Canada's smallest province on the east coast of the county, wants everyone to know that's where the idea of forming a country began 150 years ago.

The premiers of P.E.I., New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and what are now Ontario and Quebec all sat down at a table in the government house in Charlottetown and held talks for eight days in September of 1864. And they eventually came up with the idea of a confederation of provinces which would lead to the country of Canada.

Present-day premier Robert Ghiz says there will be 150 events that will take place all across the province. There will be concerts, theatre festivals, ecotours, culinary events, sailing regattas, to the Celebration Zone in Charlottetown where there will be free entertainment for the whole family every day over the summer.

If you want to see what PEI has planned, go to http://pei2014.ca/

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 24 November 2013.

Alight at Night Festival

Upper Canada Village will hold its 13th annual Alight at Night Festival from December 6th to January 4th at the Upper Canada Village in Morrisburg, Ontario.

You will see close to one million lights adorn the heritage buildings, trees and fences of Upper Canada Village creating a one-of-a-kind magical backdrop for its annual Alight at Night Festival…a true winter wonderland!

You will experience the enchantment of horse-drawn wagons and romantic carriage rides for two, or enjoy a festive dining, shopping and other seasonal surprises all add to the event.

It sounds like lots of fun.

You can go to http://www.uppercanadavillage.com/index.cfm/en/activities/alight-at-night/ to find out all the details.