Thursday, October 16, 2014

Two “brick walls” meetings in Canada in November



Two genealogical societies at opposite ends of the county are going to tackle Brick Walls - the British Columbia Genealogical Society (BCGS)  in Vancouver and the Genealogical Association of Nova Scotia (GANS) in Halifax in the month of November! 

The first meeting Brick Walls Seminar 2 – Sharing Strategies on Tough Genealogy Problems by the British Columbia Genealogical Society (BCGS) will be Saturday, November 1, 1:00 – 5:00 pm.  

The panel members - M. Diane Rogers, Brenda L. Smith, and Peter Whitlock will then meet with attendees who have submitted questions in advance for 1-on-1 fifteen minute consultations. While this is happening special guest speaker Eunice Robinson will give a talk on planning a trip to Salt Lake City.

A delicious light meal and refreshments will be provided. And there are great door prizes for lucky participants, including a year’s subscription to FindMyPast.com and a year’s membership in the BC Genealogical Society!

There will be an end-of-the-day wrap-up plus lots of opportunities to ask questions and share experiences!

The fee will be $20.00 (includes food), and an additional charge of $10 for 1-on-1 meeting with an Expert.

Contact the BCGS for details and tickets: bcgs@bcgs.ca or call Susan Snalam at 604 273 8209. Pay at a meeting in person or through PayPal. We will ask for your phone number and an e-mail address, if applicable. These will only be used in case we need to contact you about this Seminar.

The website is at http://www.bcgs.ca/

The Genealogical Association of Novaa Scotia (GANS) will hold the second brick wall meeting on Tuesday, November 25, and it will be the 5th Annual Brick Wall Busters (Monthly Meeting) from .7:00 pm to 9:00 pm. It will be held at the Nova Scotia Archives, Akins Room, 6016 University Avenue, Halifax, Nova Scotia. 

Ginny Clark, CG(C), Dr. Allan Marble, CG(C) and Doug Cochrane CG(C) will provide information found on submitted brick wall questions. The deadline for receiving questions will be midnight October 25th, 2014.

Please include all pertinent available information such as surname and given name, approximate dates, area of Nova Scotia, the piece of information you would like to find, sources you have already checked, and your contact information. You should a present a specific question in which you require an answer or are most interested. We must receive adequate information in order to properly assist you with your query otherwise it may not be accepted.

Eight queries will be selected to be addressed at our lecture on November 25, 2014: four from local members who will be attending the meeting and four from members outside of the Halifax Regional Municipality who are not able to attend the meeting.

At the event, the local members will read their queries for the benefit of other attendees. A member of the GANS Executive will read the queries from the members from “away”.

To get details of the meeting, go to http://www.novascotiaancestors.ca/

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Goenovium Conference updates


Last month, we first heard about the Goenovium Conference which was to take place on October 7 in Leiden, Netherlands. Their blog is at http://www.gaenovium.com/

The conference took place, and one of the participants was Winnipeg’s and Canada’s own Louis Kessler, and his talk was on Reading wrong GEDCOM right.

He has posted his thought of the conference on his Behold Genealogy blog at http://www.beholdgenealogy.com/blog/, and the slides of his talk is at http://www.gaenovium.com/presentations/2014/Gaenovium%202014%20-%20Louis%20Kessler%20-%20Reading%20Wrong%20GEDCOM%20Right.pdf

He also has Tweets from the conference, plus lots of pictures.
You can also hear about the conference from Sue Adams, a British genealogist, on Dear Myrt’s My Tube channel called Mondays with Myrt at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDtuSF9sZVo&list=UUZlX5znu6d7CCz6xobwMXOA.
She was on the panel discussion at the end of the day which was called Panel Discussion: Current & Future Genealogical Exchange Standards. 
They had an interesting discussion on the role of GEDCOM, GEDCOM X, FHISO, FamilySearch, Genealogy APIs, Sync and Market Forces. 
This is of particular interest to me because of the role that FHISO can play in this. I think it goes beyond GEDCOM and GEDCOM X to the heart of having a standard by which information is synced between the different platforms.

Monday, October 13, 2014

Canadian Week in Review - 13 October 2014


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.

History Week in Canada (October 7 – October 13, 2014) 


In 1668, Canada's first institution of higher education, The Quebec Seminary, later called Laval University, was founded by Bishop François de Laval. 

François de Laval was made a Saint by Pope Francis in April 2014.

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In 1811, Sir Isaac Brock became president and administrator of the government of Upper Canada. 

For the biography of Sir Isaac Brock, go to http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/brock_isaac_5E.html 
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In 1877, the first steam locomotive on the Prairies, the "Countess of Dufferin," arrived in Winnipeg by barge down the Red River.

The history of the “Countess of Dufferin” is at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Countess_of_Dufferin.  

Social Media


(Video) Editorial: Naming bridge worth effort 
Read about the effort to name a bridge in Saskatoon
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(Video) Moncton's Castle Manor to be converted into high-end condos 
The new owners of Moncton's Castle Manor plan to convert the historic landmark into high-end condos.

Newfoundland

Locals included in oral history collection project
Some Grand Falls-Windsor residents got to share their reflections of home today as part of a national project.

Nova Scotia

Home for Colored Children apology: N.S. says sorry to ex-residents 
The province has formally apologized to former residents who faced years of abuse at the Nova Scotia Home for Colored Children, a former Halifax orphanage.

Digby municipality accepts Bear River, Point Prim and Boars Head lighthouses
The Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) formally and officially offered the Bear River lighthouse, the Point Prim lighthouse, and the Boar’s Head lighthouse properties to the Municipality of the District of Digby in September.

Prince Edward Island

Winners of the 2014 National Heritage Awards announced
The recipients of the Prince of Wales Prize, the Leadership Awards, and the Ecclesiastical Insurance Cornerstone Awards were formally nominated by Canadians from across the country.

A man who left his mark on our Island
Capt. Holland was ordered by the Crown to survey British North America, including P.E.I. He and his determined crew, who arrived on the survey ship Canceaux, spent a year surveying what was then called St. John’s Island.

Ontario

A group pressing to have images of famous women included in the next set of banknotes learned that their petitions and letters have apparently fallen on deaf ears.

The First World War: Excerpts from the diary of Woodman Leonard
http://www.ottawasun.com/2014/10/08/the-first-world-war-excerpts-from-the-diary-of-woodman-leonard
The excerpts from Lt. Col. Woodman Leonard's diary of November 1916.

Canadian War Museum launches national Supply Line program for schools
Supply Line, an educational program, is commemorating the 100th anniversary of the First World War.

Canadian War Museum earns TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Award
The Canadian War Museum has just won a 2014 Travelers’ Choice Award from TripAdvisor in the category of Top Museums.

A Queen And Her Country
The 60-year reign of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has paralleled Canada’s development as a modern, diverse country. Through her numerous visits, she has kept our British heritage and traditions alive.

Editorial of the Week



Is it time we have a Family History Month in Canada? 

Australia had their very successful Family History Month in September, and the United States is now celebrating their Family History Month this month (October), but where is Canada’s Family History Month?

The closest we come to this designation is having Family Day in February in some of the provinces (which may or may not feature genealogy), but what about a month-long celebration of this country’s family history? 

Are there enough people who would be interested in doing this? Could we keep it interesting year after year? Do you think we need a Family History Month in Canada?

All the genealogical societies would have to come together year after year to make this a success, and are we capable of making this happen? With social media so prevalent these days, it should be easier now than it was even a few years ago.

Leave a comment (below), and let me know what you think. Do you think we should start a conversation about this, or is it too much for Canadian genealogists to take seriously?

Now, word has filtered up to Ottawa that there are some people who are thinking of having a national genealogy conference in Halifax next year. Notice the proposed word ‘national’ in the title of the convention. Will this be the beginning of a new convention in Canada?

They have national Canadian speakers who are interested in attending, and maybe this could become a viable thing to start in Canada. Maybe it could be the crowning glory to a month-long genealogy Family History Month.

There are lots of ways this could be approached, but I think it’s time that we start a national conversation about this. If not, we are being left behind again. We complain when other people seem to overlook us because we don’t celebrate our own genealogists and websites, but what do we do to promote our own people?

What do you think of this idea?

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 20 October 2014.

Sunday, October 12, 2014

Reminder: Canadian Week in Review

Check the Canadian Week in Review tomorrow morning for the latest in Genealogy, Heritage, and History news in Canada. 


It has the most up-to-date news items covered in New/Updated Websites, History, Social Media, and Newspaper Articles. 

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

It has been a regular post every Monday morning since April 23, 2012.

Trent Valley Archives

“Without archives, there is no history” is the tagline used by the Trent Valley Archives located in Peterborough, Ontario. I like this tagline, because it defines archives in one easy sentence. 

This archives is very active in its programming, has a great site, and a local history library. 

The research library has books on emigration, and ‘everyday life’. If you’re looking to learn about the history, people, sources and events that are linked to the area, this is a great place to start.

The website says that “This group offers many fascinating tours throughout the year, mostly in the summer and fall. From ghost walks, to pub crawls, to tours that focus on specific people or neighbourhoods, their tours are sure to delight any history or culture buff. You can stop by the Peterborough & the Kawarthas Visitor Centre to pick up a list of their upcoming events or go to their website to see which tours are available.”

In September, they had an open house, where they displayed, for example,  their holding of the First World War.

To read about the open house, you can go to http://www.thepeterboroughexaminer.com/2014/09/14/about-75-people-attend--trent-valley-archives-open-house

And next weekend, on October the 18th, they will present the Little Lake Twilight Cemetery Tour and Pageant, and the tours and pageant will begin at 6:00 pm. Reservation are required.

And on November the 6th, they will celebrate their 25th year anniversary. They will have a special dinner that night.

So it is clear that they are a very dynamic, engaged archives in the city of Peterborough, and if you have ancestors who are from there, this is one place that you should check for background information.

Their website is at http://trentvalleyarchives.com/

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

Saturday, October 11, 2014

Happy Thanksgiving!


Well, it must be the fall season! The leave are finally turning colour, and that lets us know that fall is here. It is Thanksgiving weekend is Canada, so it’s time to take a break away from genealogy, and rest and relax with our families.

In the meantime, Ancestry.ca has just notified me that they are offering 40% off their Canada Deluxe Memberships for the Thanksgiving weekend.

Go to Ancestry.ca if you wish to take advantage of this offer!

Friday, October 10, 2014

Canada GenWeb is ten years old!

This completely skipped my mind – the Canada GenWeb was 10 years old October the 1st. Congratulations to Sherri Pettit and to all of those who contributed and still contribute to the website today!

Sherri says “Initially our plan was to offer a cemetery directory and list of available cemetery resources for genealogists. It quickly became a repository for photos, indexes and transcripts. 

Over the past ten years hundreds of volunteers have offered their time, expertise, and passion to help this project grow. Because of their efforts CanadaGenWeb's Cemetery Project now offers a directory of 20,000 known Canadian cemeteries, over 1,000,000 indexed names, and more than 600,000 photographs.” 

I am at the site nearly every day to look at their maps, their cemeteries, their pioneer's profiles and I have never been disappointed. It’s one of my “go-to” sites when I am doing research.