Monday, February 9, 2015

Canadian Week in Review - 09 February 2015

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.

This Week in Canadian History

In 1858, gold was discovered along British Columbia's Fraser River, attracting 30,000 people to Canada's West Coast.
   Read about the Fraser River Gold Rush at http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/fraser-river-gold-rush

In 1873, Winnipeg was incorporated as a city.
   Read about the history of Winnipeg at http://www.winnipeg.ca/services/CityLife/HistoryOfWinnipeg/HistoricalProfile.stm

In 1880, a party of armed men murdered James Donnelly―as well as his wife, Johannah; his sons, Thomas and John; and his niece, Bridget Donnelly―in their farmhouse near the southwestern Ontario village of Lucan, near London, Ontario. Some say that the killings in Ontario were the result of a factional feud originating in County Tipperary, Ireland.
   To read further about the Donnelly murders, read http://www.donnellys.com

And while we've had our share of cold temperatures in Ottawa this winter, the lowest recorded temperature in Canadian history occurred on 3 February, 1947 at Snag, Yukon, when it went down to -62.8º Celsius (-81.04º Farenheit).
   See 10 Coldest Places In Canada at http://www.readersdigest.ca/holiday/christmas/travel/10-coldest-places-canada

Social Media

The Olive Tree Genealogy
Congralutions to Lorine McGinnis Schulze on the 12th blogiversary of her The Olive Tree Genealogy blog at http://olivetreegenealogy.blogspot.com/2015/02/happy-12th-birthday-to-olive-tree.html.
   I think she was the first Canadian to start a blog, and has kept at it now for the past 12 years.
Good job, Lorine! And now it’s on to your 13th birthday!

(Video) The Massey Murder: 100 years later, the tabloid tale still fascinates
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/the-massey-murder-100-years-later-the-tabloid-tale-still-fascinates-1.2944925
   It was the trail of the century, and it took place in Toronto. It involved the shooting of Charles Bert Massey (of the Massey Ferguson farm equipment family) by Carrie Davies, the family maid.

Articles

Nova Scotia

African Heritage Month steeped in history – our history
http://www.cumberlandnewsnow.com/News/Local/2015-02-02/article-4029166/African-Heritage-Month-steeped-in-history-%26ndash%3B-our-history/1
   African Heritage Month this year is themed “Social Justice, Roots of Progress,” and with it the province will turn to its own history, to the 1700s during an era of slavery within the province, as well as the Black Loyalists.

Halifax’s unsung wartime heroes: the Home Guard
http://thechronicleherald.ca/artslife/1266783-halifax%E2%80%99s-unsung-wartime-heroes-the-home-guard
  They are the dozens of black men and women responsible for protecting a big chunk of Halifax’s core during the Second World War, when attacks from Canada’s enemies were not only feared but expected – it was called the Home Guard.

Prince Edward Island

Big rock with 1880s etchings made official heritage
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/big-rock-with-1880s-etchings-made-official-heritage-site-1.2940969
   Sandstone petroglyphs hidden in woods of Bonshaw, Prince Edward Island.

New Brunswick

UNB's Toll of War project is 'propaganda,' historian says
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/unb-s-toll-of-war-project-is-propaganda-historian-says-1.2940076
   The Milton F. Gregg Centre received $488,155 in federal funding for a project to promote Victoria Cross recipients. Some say that the project, Toll of War, has a propaganda tone to it.

Moncton firefighters seek space to display memorabilia
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/moncton-firefighters-seek-space-to-display-memorabilia-1.2946025
   Moncton firefighters are looking for a place to display some artifacts from the department's 140-year history. One of the items is a 1926 fire truck, complete with wooden spokes in its wheels.

Ontario

Getting to the 'root' of family history
http://www.mykawartha.com/opinion-story/5320277-getting-to-the-root-of-family-history
   This is the first of a monthly series of articles on genealogy, written by members of the Kawartha Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society. And the first columnist is the former Executive Director of the OGS – Dr. Fraser Dunford.

John Boyko: The best faces for Canadian banknotes
http://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/john-boyko-the-best-faces-for-canadian-banknotes
   In support of an effort begun a year ago by Victoria’s Merna Forster to have more women, such as the Famous Five, on Canadian money, another person gives his opinion.

City of Toronto to proclaim February as Black History Month
http://voiceoftoronto.com/wp/2015/02/city-of-toronto-to-proclaim-february-as-black-history-month
   The Toronto Public Library will recognize Black History Month with song, film, and literature that celebrate African-Canadian culture.
   On Friday, February 20, from 2 to 4 p.m., the Toronto Reference Library, 789 Yonge Street, will host Toronto’s Poet Laureate, George Elliott Clarke―along with Toronto poets Lillian Allen, Clifton Joseph, and Andrea Thompson―in a discussion called Malcolm X: 50 Years After – Pertinent or Passé?

Black History Month celebrates local talent
http://www.lfpress.com/2015/02/01/black-history-month-celebrates-local-talent
   Shaun Boothe―London native, renowned hip-hop artist, and motivational speaker―often stops by to see his mom, Dorothy Bingham, who still lives in London.

Alberta

Quick lesson in Canadian black history
http://www.mjtimes.sk.ca/News/Local/2015-02-02/article-4029022/A-quick-lesson-in-Canadian-black-history/1
   Black history in Canada dates back to 1605, when the first black person set foot on Canadian soil. His name was Mathiew Da Costa, a free man who was hired as a translator.

90-year-old Lake Louise photo explores Canadian history
http://ottawacitizen.com/life/homes/antiques-90-year-old-lake-louise-photo-explores-canadian-history
   There is a photograph from 1924, taken at Lake Louise, Alberta, which shows Thomas Edmonds Wilson, right, and Walter Dwight Wilcox, and man in traditional garb - Stoney Nation chief, John Hunter.

Stories of the Week

Ottawa is about to alter the physical and cultural landscape of the city by erecting two new moments within the downtown area this year.

One of them, the Memorial to Victims of Communism, has raised concern about the design of the memorial, which is to be placed between the Supreme Court of Canada building and the Library and Archives Canada.
There is an editorial entitled, Move the memorial, which has appeared in the Ottawa Citizen this week at http://ottawacitizen.com/news/politics/editorial-move-the-memorial. It says, “Some quibble with the design, suggesting it’s little more than a boring, aesthetically displeasing pile of concrete flaps”.

Supporters say that Canada is a Land of Refuge, and that the monument will stand as a landmark in recognizing the role Canada has played in offering refuge to the millions that left behind torment and oppression for a new beginning in a free and democratic country.

So what do you think? This site was chosen because of its close proximity to the Supreme Court of Canada, the Peace Tower, Parliament Hill, and Library and Archives Canada.

The other monument is the National Holocaust Monument, called Landscape of Loss, Memory and Survival, to be built across from the Canadian War Museum, down the hill from the Library and Archives Canada.

Roughly 40,000 Holocaust survivors came to Canada from war-torn Europe during the late 1940s and early 1950s. That is a significant number of people, and Canada, it has been noted, is the last of the developed countries to put a such a monument in its capital city.

The website, http://holocaustmonument.ca, notes that the official inauguration of the main elements of the monument is scheduled for the fall of 2015.



To break up the winter in Canada, various committees are hard at work year-round to make sure that we have festivals to attend in February.
So, in addition to the renowned Carnaval de Québec in Quebec City http://carnaval.qc.ca (home of the famous toque- and sash-clad mascot, Bonhomme Carnaval), there is Ottawa's very own Winterlude http://www.ottawafestivals.ca/events/winterlude-2, another world-class winter festival, this one centered around the Rideau Canal, and taking place in both cities of Ottawa and Gatineau (across the Ottawa River, in the border province of Quebec, where it is known as Bal de Neige http://www.canada.pch.gc.ca/fra/1416239267950/1416239373076), which is quite fitting for one of the world's coldest capital cities.
Winterlude is known for its own mascots, the Ice Hog Family (for the Bal de Neige, it's « Les Glamottes », in French)

In St-Isidore, Alberta, their Comité culturel de St-Isidore will present the 33rd Carnaval St-Isidore, which is modeled after Québec City's own famous Carnaval. This year, it will take place from February 13 to 15, 2015. Their mascot is an owl.
For more, visit http://www.carnavaldestisidore.ab.ca/home.php?en

And to wrap it all up this week, the Royal Canada Mounted Police is looking for Canadian young people to name 10 puppies in their Name the Puppy 2015 Contest, To read the rules, visit http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/name-the-puppy-2015-contest-launched-by-rcmp-1.294460


Contestants can enter online or send a letter—with the child’s name, age, address, telephone number, and suggested name—to:

Attn: “Name the Puppy Contest”
Police Dog Service Training Centre
Box 6120
Innisfail, AB T4G 1S8

The 10 children whose names are chosen by the centre’s staff will each receive an 8×10-inch photo of the pup they named, a plush dog named Justice, and an RCMP cap.

The contest is open until March 3rd, and winners will be announced on April 8th.

And that was the week that was in Canadian genealogy, history, and heritage news!


Need help in finding your Canadian ancestors?

Michael D. from Florida says “Ms. Elizabeth Lapointe is an experienced professional with a broad-based detailed knowledge of the available genealogical documentary resources, together with an understanding of the colonial and modern history, economy, and sociology of the French and English aspects of Canada. For a client, she is both a teacher and a guide into the field of genealogy."

If you do need assistance, visit my website, Elizabeth Lapointe Research Services, and see how I can help you find that elusive Canadian ancestor.

Great service. Reasonably priced.

Website: www.ELRS.biz

Email: genealogyresearch@aol.com


And that was the week that was in Canadian genealogy, history, and heritage news!

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!

If you missed last week's post on 02 February 2015, visit http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2015/02/canadian-week-in-review-02-february-2015.html

The next Canadian Week in Review will be posted 16 February 2015.

Sunday, February 8, 2015

Nova Scotia Heritage Day Honours Viola Irene Desmond

Nova Scotia will be celebrating its first Heritage Day public holiday this month, and on 16 February 2015, it will recognize Viola Irene Desmond (née Davis, 1914-1965), an African Nova Scotian woman from New Glasgow who challenged the province's systemic racial discrimination.

This incident, in which she refused to sit in the balcony of a movie theatre, was 9 years previous to the Rosa Parks bus incident in the United States. She was convicted of a minor tax violation on her movie ticket, which was used to enforce segregation in the movie theatres of Nova Scotia.

She fought the violation all the way to the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia the following year, and she won.

In the Nova Scotia Archives, they have the court case documents, newspaper coverage, and also background reading at the following sites -

Court Case Documentshttp://novascotia.ca/archives/virtual/desmond/court.asp

Newspaper Coveragehttp://novascotia.ca/archives/virtual/desmond/results.asp?Search=&Start=21

Background Readinghttp://novascotia.ca/archives/virtual/desmond/background.asp




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

If you missed this week’s edition, it is at http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2015/02/canadian-week-in-review-02-february-2015.html

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

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

Peterborough Archives to re-open soon

Did you know that the Peterborough Archives―located in Peterborough, Ontario―has been closed over the past two years in order to build a new onsite storage facility? The collections have now been returned from temporary storage, and the grand re-opening will take place on February 12, 2015.

For details on the Museum Renewal Project, go to http://www.peterboroughmuseumandarchives.ca/What_s_On/Museum_Renewal.htm

Plans are underway for a large public open house to be held on May 24, 2015.

The following records are held in the archival facilities of the museum and archives -
  • Personal letters, correspondence, journals, and diaries of individuals.
  • Maps, civil plans, records, and surveys
  • Photographs and albums
  • Early business records of notable Peterborough companies
  • Early catalogues and promotional material
  • Clubs and associations records and minute books
  • Early Peterborough Examiner newspapers Records of Peterborough County Court, 1830-1900
The website is http://www.peterboroughmuseumandarchives.ca

Their Facebook page is at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Peterborough-Museum-Archives/112608310308



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

If you missed this week’s edition, it is at http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2015/02/canadian-week-in-review-02-february-2015.html

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

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

Saturday, February 7, 2015

Kent County Branch live streams meetings

The Kent County Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society www.ogs.on.ca/kent is continuing with live streaming of their monthly meetings.

The meetings take place at St. Andrew's Residence on Park Street in Chatham, Ontario, and there are usually between 40 and 60 people who come out to hear a different speaker each meeting. In the past few months, the meetings have been recorded and shown on You Tube, both live, as well as for later viewing. And lots of people are using this venue. Some of the meetings have more than 150 views, so the branch members know the message is getting out into the public.

The next branch monthly meeting will take place on Friday, February 13th at 7 p.m. at St. Andrew's Residence. The guest speaker will be Brenda Travis, in a presentation entitled Dabbling in DNA. As she is also the president of the board of directors of the Chatham-Kent Black Historical Society, the evening will also coincide with February as Black History Month.

Their second annual open house will be held on Saturday, February 14th from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the second floor of the public library, 120 Queen Street. This will be a free open house to learn more about the resources of the OGS.



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

If you missed this week’s edition, it is at http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2015/02/canadian-week-in-review-02-february-2015.html

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

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

UPDATE: OGS Conference - Interviews

During this week's meeting of the Ontario Chapter of the Associated Professional Genealogists (OCAPG), Shirley Sturdevant—the immediate past-president of the Ontario Genealogical Society (OGS)—brought us up-to-date with happenings at the 2015 OGS conference to be held this year in Barrie, Ontario.

One thing that she said was new this year are the interviews with the presenters at the conference, and so far, they have interviewed Thomas MacEntee and Dr. Janet Few.

Thomas MacEntee will be the moderator on the Panel Discussion: Tracks through Time on Saturday morning, and on Sunday will present Tracing Your New York Ancestors.

The interview with him is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uax98ie2LxQ

I also listened to the interview with Dr. Janet Few from England, who will give a lecture on Saturday entitled Uproar and Disorder: the Bible Christians of North Devon and their impact upon nineteenth century Canada, and another lecture on Sunday entitled Putting Your Ancestors in their Place: an introduction to one-place studies.

The interview is at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JN16jlIqxqs&feature=youtu.be, and her lectures will be live streamed to the Conference from England.

The Conference website is online at http://www.ogs.on.ca/conference

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



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

If you missed this week’s edition, it is at http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2015/02/canadian-week-in-review-02-february-2015.html

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

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

Friday, February 6, 2015

FREE Valentine's Day Genealogy Workshop


The Alberta Genealogical Day is presenting the Grand Prairie Family Day on Saturday, 14 February 2015 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Montrose Cultural Centre (the library) at 9839 - 103 Avene, Grand Prairie. It will be a fun-packed Family Day featuring workshops, research help, a trade show, and displays.

It will be hosted by Grande Prairie and District Branch of the Alberta Genealogical Society, the Grande Prairie Public Library, and the South Peace Regional Archives.

There will be talks on the archives, researching in Western Canada, scrapbooking, and storytelling.

For more information, go to http://www.abgenealogy.ca/grande-prairie-family-day?id=778.

For more information, please contact the Grand Prairie and District Branch of the Alberta Genealogical Society at gp@abgenealogy.ca.

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

If you missed this week’s edition, it is at http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2015/02/canadian-week-in-review-02-february-2015.html

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

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

Manitoba Adoption Records

There is great news coming from Manitoba. They will be opening birth records related to adoption.

The changes to The Adoption Act and The Vital Statistics Act will allow for more openness with respect to birth records related to adoption. Adult adoptees and birth parents can access birth record information and protect their information.

The new legislation is expected to come into effect in June 2015. Manitoba’s new legislation will allow adoptees and birth parents to access available identifying information. It will also allow them to keep their information confidential if they wish.

You can read the press release at http://news.gov.mb.ca/news/index.html?item=30552


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

If you missed this week’s edition, it is at http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2015/02/canadian-week-in-review-02-february-2015.html

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

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

Thursday, February 5, 2015

Victoria (VGS) offers half-year memberships

Steele Family Picnic, 1942 - submitted by VGS member Lauren Pinkerton of Peterborough, Ontario

The Victoria Genealogical Society of British Columbia has now joined the Ontario Genealogical Society and the Quebec Family History Society in offering half-year membership fees for 2015.

For a limited time (Feb 1 to Apr 30), regular and family memberships are being offered at half-price for a six-month membership. Regular (adult and senior) members will only pay $25 instead of the usual $50. Family memberships will only cost $37.50 instead of the usual $75.

Check out their membership page to learn all about the benefits of joining, and how easy it is to sign up. Benefits include free access to their Resource Centre and their monthly Speaker Series events. And the networking opportunities with other talented researchers are phenomenal! They also offer online options for joining and paying your membership fees from the comfort of your home.

Spread the word about this wonderful opportunity. They hope you, your friends, and family will give them a try.

The website is at http://www.victoriags.org, and their Facebook page is at https://www.facebook.com/vicgs.


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

If you missed this week’s edition, it is at http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2015/02/canadian-week-in-review-02-february-2015.html

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

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

Dear Myrt’s Beginning Genealogy - Session 5

As previously promised in my blog on 06 January 2015 at http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2015/01/beginning-genealogy-study-group.html, I am reporting on Dear Myrt’s Beginning Genealogy study group as it proceeds. I watched Session 5 yesterday, and the two top things that were discussed were -

1. Software – We need some sort of tree to keep the information that we find, and Dear Myrt asked us take a Google or an Excel sheet and make four columns – 1) Online trees 2) Software 3) Analysis 4) Family Search Certified.

Then fill in the spaces with the different trees that are available.

For example, there are Ancestry Trees, MyHeritage trees available for column #1; there is Family Tree Maker and RootsMagic for column #2; Evidenta and GenSmarts for column #3; and then find out which is FamilySearch Certified for column #4.

She emphasized that no matter which one of ones you chose, go with the one that your nearest genealogical group uses so that if you run into problems, or you have questions to ask, there is somebody in your group that you can go to. Very sage advice.

2. The second part of the class was devoted to the Research Records, and she briefly touched on Country of Origin, and how they would affect your method of research. The website is at https://familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/United_States_Naturalization_and_Citizenship

Please remember that there will not be a class next week (11 February 2015) because Dear Myrt will be at RootsTech 2015 in Salt Lake City. Class will return on 18 February 2015 with Lesson 6.

Session 1 - http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2015/01/dear-myrts-beginning-genealogy-session-1.html

Session 2 - http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2015/01/dear-myrts-beginning-genealogy-session-2.html

Session 3 - http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2015/01/dear-myrts-beginning-genealogy-session-3.html

Session 4 - http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2015/01/dear-myrts-beginning-genealogy-session-4.html

Remember to make yourself a member of Dear Myrt’s Genealogy Community before watching the YouTube Google+ Hangout on Air by going to https://plus.google.com/communities/104382659430904043232


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

If you missed this week’s edition, it is at http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2015/02/canadian-week-in-review-02-february-2015.html

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

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

Wednesday, February 4, 2015

The Home Front, 1917 exhibit

Library and Archives Canada Photographer: W.J. Topley Studio PA-042857

The Canadian War Museum will open an exhibit to the public on February 19, 2015 called The Home Front, 1917. It will how the war changed Canadian society by delving into the themes of politics, economy, industry, and family life.
 
The press release says, “Among other things, The Home Front, 1917 examines the conscription crisis, explaining how Prime Minister Sir Robert Borden initially promised not to introduce the draft, but changed his mind in 1917, when the number of Canadian soldiers killed in Europe vastly outstripped the number of voluntary recruits. It outlines the bitter debate that led to riots in Quebec, pockets of resistance elsewhere in the country and Borden’s decision to grant the vote to women whose next of kin were serving in the war in the hope they would bolster his electoral fortunes”. 
 
Two lasting legacies of the war at home were the women’s suffrage (extended in 1918 to all adult women British subjects), and income tax!!! 
 
The Canadian War Museum website is at http://www.warmuseum.ca/home
 
 

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

If you missed this week’s edition, it is at http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2015/02/canadian-week-in-review-02-february-2015.html

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

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

"Tracks through Time" - OGS Conference 2015

Online registration is now open for this year's Ontario Genealogical Society annual conference Tracks through Time from 29-31 May 2015 at Georgian College Campus, Barrie, Ontario, Canada.

The conference theme originates from the 130th anniversary of the completion of the Canadian Pacific Railway across Canada. Many family historians have their roots in the immigrant labourers who built this railway across our vast country. Other ancestors were tempted by the transportation routes and migration opportunities allowed by its completion. Still others worked for the railway company itself, over the years to follow.

Shirley Sturdevant, past-president of the OGS, says “As researchers, we 'track' our family history through time in many ways, always attempting to ensure we are 'tracking' the right people from the right line. The variations on 'Tracks through Time' are endless”.

View program and registration details at http://www.ogs.on.ca/conference and join hundreds of other family historians seeking new methods and record groups for tracking their families though time.

Follow updates on the OGS website, http://www.ogs.on.ca, as well as Facebook and Twitter, and watch for video interviews with some of the conference speakers on the OGS YouTube channel.


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

If you missed this week’s edition, it is at http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2015/02/canadian-week-in-review-02-february-2015.html

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

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

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Update: FamilySearch.org Newfoundland Census


 
FamilySearch has made the following update to Newfoundland records as follows -
 
 
 
 
Newfoundland is different from the rest of Canada because it did not become a province until 1949. Before that time, it was a colony of Great Britain, and the normal rules for the releasing of census records did not apply until they became a province. 
 
Also, if you want to learn more about Newfoundland and Labador, you can read up on the records at the FamilySearch Wiki page at https://familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Newfoundland_and_Labrador_Genealogy 
 
The two genealogy websites for Newfoundland and Labador are Newfoundland's Grand Banks Genealogy Site at http://ngb.chebucto.org/index.html, and the Family History Society of Newfoundland and Labrador at http://www.fhsnl.ca/
 
 
 
 
Check the Canadian Week in Review every Monday morning for the latest in Genealogy, Heritage, and History news in Canada.
 
 
It’s the ONLY news blog of its kind in Canada!
 
It has been a regular post every Monday morning since April 23,  2012. 

FREE Conference to be held in Toronto


Mike Wilcox, of the Dictionary of Canadian Biography, has sent this news along about the one-day conference to be held in Toronto on 07 February 2015.

The Dictionary of Canadian Biography and the Department of History, University of Toronto, are pleased to invite you to our upcoming
Biography and Fiction Conference.

This one-day conference will be taking place at Alumni Hall, Victoria College, at the University of Toronto on Saturday, February 7th, from 9:30-4:00.

There are four esteemed and engaging speakers, including:

Margaret Atwood - “Whose Life Is It Anyway?”

Natalie Zemon Davis - “Marguerite de Roberval: Biographies of a Legend”

Renée Hulan - “Biography, Fiction, and the Historian’s Craft”

Mark McGowan - “When Biography Meets Clio’s Imagination: Michael Power and a Cast of Characters”

Please visit the website http://biographi.ca/en/article/biography_and_fiction.html for conference details. This is a FREE event, and there is no need to register.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact Michael Wilcox at michael.wilcox@mail.utoronto.ca


Check the Canadian Week in Review every Monday morning for the latest in Genealogy, Heritage, and History news in Canada.
It’s the ONLY news blog of its kind in Canada!

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

Monday, February 2, 2015

Canadian Week in Review - 02 February 2015

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.

This Week in Canadian History

February 1, 1799 - Royal Assent is given by the British government to change the name of Île St- Jean to Prince Edward Island. It was named after George III’s son – Prince Edward Augustus.
   To read more, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Prince_Edward_Island

February 1, 1854 - Fire destroys Parliament Buildings at Montreal, Québec. The government is transferred to Toronto, and from there, it will be transferred to Ottawa in 1867.
   For more, visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burning_of_the_Parliament_Buildings_in_Montreal

February 2, 1800 - Massachusetts farmer Philemon Wright—attracted by offers of free land in Canada—leaves Woburn with 25 men, their wives, and 15 children to travel by sleigh to the Chaudière Falls on the Ottawa River. They founded Wrightstown, later known as Hull, and today, it is known as Gatineau, Quebec.
   To read the full story of Gatineau, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gatineau

Social Media

Toronto Custom House Records
http://wherethestorytakesme.ca/toronto-customs-house
   Jane MacNamara writes about the records of the Toronto Custom House Archives (fond 214) that are found in the Archives of Ontario.

Articles

Ontario

Fiona McKean and Shopify CEO Tobi Lütke buy Opinicon Resort
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/fiona-mckean-and-shopify-ceo-tobi-l%C3%BCtke-buy-opinicon-resort-1.2933662
   Short-term plans include reopening the Opinicon restaurant and ice cream shop for this summer.

Second bid launched to dub Manitoba-Ontario area world heritage site
http://www.sunnewsnetwork.ca/sunnews/politics/archives/2015/01/20150126-192214.html
   Ontario, Manitoba, five First Nations, and the federal government have teamed up again to have land on the east side of Lake Winnipeg declared a world heritage site.

The man who pointed the way to the Erebus: Louie Kamookak on searching for the Franklin expedition
http://news.nationalpost.com/2015/01/23/the-man-who-pointed-the-way-to-the-erebus-louie-kamookak-on-searching-for-the-franklin-expedition
   Louie Kamookak, an amateur historian from the hamlet of Gjoa Haven, spent 30 years collecting oral histories from Inuit elders and comparing them to the journals of subsequent expeditions. He came up with a theory of where the ships might be found, one that gave the Parks Canada explorers a much better idea of where to start looking.

Portrait of Simcoe County's first judge ready to be unveiled after months of restoration work
http://www.orilliapacket.com/2015/01/25/portrait-of-simcoe-countys-first-judge-ready-to-be-unveiled-after-months-of-restoration-work
   Sir James Robert Gowan's portrait is primed for its grand unveiling. Restoring the oil painting, which measures four feet by five feet, has been a costly venture for the Barrie Historical Association (BHA) – at nearly $18,500, including tax.

On Vimy Ridge, mighty oaks will grow again — thanks to a Canadian soldier
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2015/01/24/on-vimy-ridge-mighty-oaks-will-grow-again-thanks-to-a-canadian-soldier.html
   No trees were left standing in the aftermath of a bloody battle that defined the Canadian effort in the First World War. Thanks to a Canadian soldier and his passionate friend, that’s about to change.

Saskatchewan

Canadian History Ehx: A look back at St. Andrews Ceylon
http://www.grenfellsun.sk.ca/Community/2015-01-25/article-4019979/Canadian-History-Ehx%3A-A-look-back-at-St.-Andrews-Ceylon/1
   The church was officially built in 1889, and was consecrated by Bishop Anson. Donations to build the church came from across the area, and as far away as England.

British Columbia

Chinese historical sights sought in Richmond
http://www.richmond-news.com/news/chinese-historical-sights-sought-in-richmond-1.1740876
   Do you know of a historically significant place in Richmond connected to the Chinese community? If the answer is "yes", the B.C. government wants to know so it can be formally recognized for its heritage value.

Stories of the Week

Black History Month

Canada joins other countries celebrating Black History Month in February every year.

This year, the Governor General has declared 2015 as the Year of Sport in Canada, and Black History Month has taken the opportunity to spotlight Canada’s black athletes as they have performed on the international stage.

I have a bit of common history with one of the people that Heritage Canada highlights at
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/multiculturalism/black/photo-sports.asp#a10, and that is Marjorie Turner-Bailey, who won two bronze medals at the 1975 Pan American Games in Mexico City (100 metres, 4x100-metre relay) in track and field, and went on to represent Canada at the 1976 Olympic Summer Games in Montreal.

How many people know that she used to train in the summer by running on the mile-long Crescent Beach that is part of the causeway that leads to her hometown of Lockeport, Nova Scotia? I grew up in the area, and it was always a proud thing to know Marjorie, and follow her career.

You can read all about Black History Month at http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/multiculturalism/black/index.asp



And for something completely different, I would like to wish everyone a Happy Groundhog Day!

Did you know that the tradition of our Groundhog Day comes to us from Germany? The Germans believed that the badger (their version of our groundhog) had the power to predict the coming of spring. They even watched the badger to know when to plant their crops.

February 2 is Groundhog Day in Canada, and although we don’t use it to predict when to plant our crops, we use it to “indicate’ if there will be six more weeks of winter (if he sees his shadow), or six week to spring (if he does not see his shadow).

Groundhog Day became popular in Canada, as it is today, when, in 1956, Wiarton Willie, from Wiarton, Ontario, became a household name. A festival grew up around him, and today, it is one of the largest winter festivals in Bruce County, Ontario.

Since then, other celebrity groundhogs have popped out and joined Willie from other parts of Canada, including Schubenacadie Sam from Nova Scotia, Gary the Groundhog in Ontario, Brandon Bob in Manitoba, Fred la Marmotte in Quebec, and Balzac Billy in Alberta.

And I forgot to mention last week that on 25 January 1791, the British Parliament approved the Constitutional Act which separated the old province of Quebec into Upper and Lower Canada. Before 1791, Quebec was a colony from Labrador down to the present-day border with the United States at Detroit. After 1840, Lower Canada became Quebec, and Upper Canada became Ontario.


Need help in finding your Canadian ancestors?

If you do, please go to my website, Elizabeth Lapointe Research Services, and see how I can help you find that elusive Canadian ancestor.

Great service. Reasonably priced.

Website: www.elrs.biz

Email: genealogyresearch@aol.com


And that was the week that was in Canadian genealogy, history, and heritage news!

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!

If you missed last week's post on 26 January 2015, visit http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2015/01/canadian-week-in-review-26-january-2015.html

The next Canadian Week in Review will be posted 08 February 2015.

Sunday, February 1, 2015

OGS class handouts now online



The Ottawa Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society has started offering classes called Genealogy: Back to Basics. The handouts that will be used for each class has been put online at http://ogsottawa.on.ca/genealogy-back-to-basics

There is no charge for the sessions, and all are invited to return at 1:00 p.m. for the monthly presentation.

This is the current schedule for Genealogy B2B. For updates on the classes (with instructor), check back regularly.

28 February 2015 - Are You a Trust Me Genealogist? (Heather Oakley)

15 March 2015 - No meeting due to conflict with Gene-O-Rama 2015

25-April 2015 - Genetic Genealogy (Richard McGregor)

06 June 2015 - Lineage Societies (Dorothy Meyerhof)

27 June 2015 - Ottawa Resources (Mike More)

12 September 2015 - Getting Started (Mike More)

24 October 2015 - Genealogical Resources in Eastern Ontario (John Patton)

28 Nov 2015 - TBA

19 Dec 2015 - TBA

For more information, visit the announcement page at http://ogsottawa.on.ca/home/announcements

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If you haven’t done so already, remember to check the Canadian Week in Review every Monday morning for the latest in Genealogy, Heritage, and History news in Canada.

If you missed this week’s edition, it is at http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2015/01/canadian-week-in-review-26-january-2015.html

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

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

FamilySearch.org offers FREE classes


The classes are -

07 February 2015 Registros civiles y censos. This class provides instructions on how to use Spanish civil registers and census records. It is for Spanish-speaking guests and is taught in Spanish. Class starts at 1:00 p.m.

21 February 2015 * Boy Scout Genealogy Merit Badge Workshop. This workshop begins at 10:00 a.m. Register for this 90-minute class at least one week prior to the workshop to find out which requirements should be completed before attending. For registration information, call 1-801-240-4673.

21 February 2015 Qué dice? Cόmo leer la escritura antigua. This class provides tips and guidelines for reading old Spanish handwriting. It is for Spanish-speaking guests and is taught in Spanish. Class starts at 1:00 p.m.

26 February 2015 FamilySearch Historical Records Collection Webinar. This class begins at 6:00 p.m. It provides an overview of what the FamilySearch Historical Records Collection has to offer researchers and some tips on how to get the most from your searches.

28 February 2015 * British Research Series. These classes include “British Resources on FamilySearch.org,” and “British Resources on Ancestry.com.” Classes run from 9:15 a.m. to noon.

28 February 2015 * German Research Series. These classes include “Learning to Read Old German Script” (2 hours) and “Extracting Information from German Church and Civil Records.” Classes run from 9:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.

28 February 2015 African-American Research Series. The topics include “Keynote Speaker,” “Beginning African-American Research: Post 1865,” and “Southern Plantation Records.” Classes run from 9:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

These classes and workshops are designed to help individuals and families find their ancestors and teach others family history techniques. I have already put into my calendar FamilySearch Historical Records Collection Webinar.

How about you?

* Registration is required for classes with an asterisk. Register by 9:00 p.m. the Thursday before the class date by sending an email to FHLClassReg@familysearch.org or calling 1-801-240-4950. Go to https://familysearch.org/locations/saltlakecity-library for additional information.

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If you haven’t done so already, remember to check the Canadian Week in Review every Monday morning for the latest in Genealogy, Heritage, and History news in Canada.

If you missed this week’s edition, it is at http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2015/01/canadian-week-in-review-26-january-2015.html

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

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