Tuesday, June 16, 2015

LAC Update: Digitization of First World War Service Files



Library and Archives Canada has busy digitizing the service files of the First World War veterans. 

They sent out this press release -

As of today, 162,570 of 640,000 files are available online via our database at http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/military-heritage/first-world-war/first-world-war-1914-1918-cef/Pages/search.aspx. Library and Archives Canada is digitizing the service files systematically, from box 1 to box 10686, which roughly corresponds to alphabetical order.

Please note that over the years, the content of some boxes has had to be moved and, you might find that the file you want, with a surname that is supposed to have been digitized, is now located in another box that has not yet been digitized.

The latest digitized box is #3655, which corresponds to the surname Gore.

Please check the database regularly for new additions and if you still have questions after checking the database, you may contact us directly at 1-866-578-7777 for more assistance.

Their website is at http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/military-heritage/first-world-war/first-world-war-1914-1918-cef/Pages/canadian-expeditionary-force.aspx



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/2015/06/canadian-week-in-review-15-june-2015.html

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

Monday, June 15, 2015

Canadian Week in Review - 15 June 2015


I have come across the following Canadian genealogy, history and heritage websites, social media, 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 1866, the first meeting of the Canadian Parliament was held in Ottawa, in the Parliament buildings, which were still unfinished. Construction on the building had begun in 1857, but was not finished until 1877.








In 1846, a fire ravaged St. John's, Newfoundland, leaving nearly 12,000 people homeless.
(Metropolitan Toronto Reference Library)
 
Social Media

(Photos) Canada Science and Technology museum asks for public feedback on redesign
The Canada Museum of Science and Technology wants to hear from Canadians on its proposed redesign to bring the museum back to life.
You can take an online survey at http://cstmc-smstc.fluidsurveys.com/s/CSTM_MSTC_2017/

Articles

Nova Scotia

Canada’s history told through immigrants’ voices
If you came from another country to live in Canada, do you remember what happened on your first day here? How did you feel? What surprised you?As the days went by, turning into weeks and then years, how did you adjust to your new life?

William Davis, Lost Miners Honoured With Route Name
The road leading from Dominion to New Waterford, Cape Breton Regional Municipality, Trunk 28, has been ceremonially renamed William Davis Memorial Trail, in honour of the Cape Breton miner, and all those lost in Nova Scotia's coal mines.

Spirits not dampened by rain at Black Loyalist Heritage Centre celebration
The rain caused some problems but didn’t dampen the celebration in Birchtown as hundreds of people arrived in the small community for the grand opening of the Black Loyalist Heritage Centre on June 6.

At the Historeum – By Jordan LeBlanc: Valuable piece of history recently donated to Colchester Historeum
A great piece of history was donated to us recently - an 1827 land grant and seal, Earltown, Colchester County. It came by way of Mary MacCara Reid of Halifax, who is the niece of Michelle Roads of California, who was the keeper of the grant.

Prince Edward Island

Province House restoration set to begin next year
The restoration work on Province House is not expected to begin until next year.

Acadian heritage signs to be showcased in Evangeline
Bilingual road signs saying 'Village musicaux/Musical Villages' are being posted at the entrance of each of the 14 small villages and municipalities in the Evangeline region.
New Brunswick

Traditional birch bark canoe built by arts students
College students have spent weeks scouring the woods for bark, roots, and special wood in order to build a traditional birch bark canoe.

Waterloo Row subdivision gets Fredericton council approval
The controversial subdivision of a property on historic Waterloo Row was approved by Fredericton council at its Monday meeting.
   City council voted 4-2 to allow homeowners Ayten and Marc Kranat to subdivide their lot at 58 Waterloo Row, choosing to take eight per cent of the value of the land in cash in lieu of public land.
Ontario

Congratulations to the 2015 AAO Award Recipients!
Two of the 2015 recipients of Archives Association of Ontario Awards were the Institutional Award Winner – City of Thunder Bay Archives, and the Corporate Award Winner – County of Perth and City of Stratford.

Dickinson Days kick off Manotick's summer
The Village of Manotick had its summer fair this weekend. Dickinson Days. First weekend in June.

Morris Saxe and the Canadian Jewish Farm School
Georgetown and Acton, two former towns in the picturesque Halton Hills region west of Toronto, were once home to the Canadian Jewish Farm School, an ambitious plan by an entrepreneurial farmer-humanitarian named Morris Saxe to give young Jewish orphans from Poland a better life in Canada.

Saskatchewan

Trail linking Saskatoon to Wanuskewin Heritage Park opens
http://ckom.com/story/trail-linking-saskatoon-wanuskewin-heritage-park-opens/559557
Trans-Canada Trail stretch 24,000 kilometres, linking 16,000 communities and 82 percent of Canadians.

Heritage rebates unlikely for Spadina Crescent home
http://www.thestarphoenix.com/Heritage+rebates+unlikely+Spadina+Crescent+home/11130384/story.html
Richard Maj, who owns a house on Spadina Crescent East that was once home to author Farley Mowat and other prominent Saskatoon residents, requested heritage designation for his house late last year before embarking on renovations approved by the city.

British Columbia

Walking tours in B.C.'s urban crush best way to see the sights
http://www.theprovince.com/travel/Sights+Walking+Tours+Urban/11112686/story.html
For shutterbugs, Vancouver Photowalks offers outdoor pursuits that expertly blend walking tours with tutored photography classes. These two-hour, small-group excursions are guaranteed to take in well-tread scenic spots, with cameras or phones in hand: enthusiasts can choose their skill level (Basic, Technical or Creative) or fine-tune their genre (Stanley Park walks mix natural and urban settings, while Night Photowalks document either Granville Island or Gastown’s expansive waterfronts).

Stories in the News
What’s in a name?

For years, genealogists have been concerned about name changes – usually in spelling. But what do you think about changing the names of places and streets in Canada because the original name were no longer in favor – no matter what the city or street was originally named?

We do have a history of doing this in the past. Perhaps the most famous one is the name of the city of Berlin that was changed to Kitchener in 1916 because the name was too closely aligned to Germany in the First World War.

The name-change did not come without controversy, for the majority of people wanted it to stay the same, but anti-German sentiment ruled the day, and the name was changed.

By the way, the name Kitchener was chosen because it was the name of Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener, who died that year while serving as the Secretary of State for War of the United Kingdom!

Now, in Alberta, there is a argument that some people want the name of a Langevin Bridge and school names changed because Hector-Louis Langevin, a father of Confederation, was one of the architects of the residential schools.

But the writer asks what about Father Lacombe High School, Father Lacombe Care Centre, and the town of Lacombe, along with Calgary’s Bishop Pinkham Junior High, and Regina’s Dewdney Avenue – they are just a few that would have to be changed.

Some people are saying that is change the names would delete Canadian history. Agree or disagree?

If you agree with this position, there is a petition that has just come online at https://www.change.org/p/the-city-of-calgary-mayor-nahed-nenshi-rename-the-langevin-bridge-to-honor-aboriginal-residential-school-victims-now?recruiter=8251136&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=share_email_responsive  
But Quebec beat every one to the punch, when last week, it changed the name of two streets in Gatineau, Quebec (across the Ottawa River from Ottawa) because the former names had had links to the Nazis of the Second World War. It should be said that these two streets are in an area where the streets were named after Nobel Prize winners.

The streets have been changed from Alexis-Carrel and Philipp Lenard to Marie Curie and Albert Einstein Streets.

The reasoning for the change was that Quebec’s Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs began a campaign to get the city to change the street names. They argued that Carrel was a supporter of eugenics and that he had an active role with the Vichy France government. They also argued that Lenard was a supporter of Nazi thought who had apparently served as an advisor to Adolph Hitler in the early years.

Of course, it was done over the disinterest of the people who live on the streets involved, and Gilles Carpentier, the councillor for the district, took up the cause anyway and put a motion before the city council to rename the streets. The city council passed the motion by a vote of 14 to 5.

So does this all sound familiar? And what do you think? Will the genealogists of the future realized what has happened here?

Place name and street name changes in Canada are relatively common in Canadian history, which means that we should always check the name of the village, town, or city, and the streets within those villages, towns and cities because they not be the name they were once know as – they might have changed!

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


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/2015/06/canadian-week-in-review-cwr-08-june-2014.html

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

Saturday, June 13, 2015

The Royal Canadian Mint issues coin celebrating 400th anniversary of Champlain's discovery of Huronia


The Royal Canadian Mint issued this press release this week -
Four hundred years after French explorers led by Samuel de Champlain explored the territory that would become present-day Ontario, the Royal Canadian Mint has issued a silver collector coin celebrating the 400th anniversary of Champlain’s historic journey to Huronia. The coin was unveiled on June 11 in Ottawa, Ontario, during the official launch of the 2015 Festival Franco-Ontarien.
The reverse image of this 99.99% pure silver coin is designed by Canadian artist Laurie McGaw and is engraved to emulate the famed 17th-century astrolabe—long attributed to Champlain—found in Cobden, Ontario. Against this navigational tool is set a full-body portrait of Samuel de Champlain. Visible through the spaces between the astrolabe’s latitude and longitude crosshairs are engravings of scenes from Champlain’s journeys in Huronia, which also depict the Huron guides who were indispensable to his expedition. The unique reverse is engraved with the word “CANADA”, the date “2015” and the face value of “3 DOLLARS”. The obverse features the effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II by Susanna Blunt.
This coin has a limited mintage of 10,000 and retails for $29.95.
The coin can be ordered directly from the Mint as of June 11 at 1-800-267-1871 in Canada, 1-800-268-6468 in the U.S., or on the Internet at http://www.mint.ca. The coin will also be available at the Royal Canadian Mint’s boutiques in Ottawa, Winnipeg and Vancouver, as well as through the Mint’s global network of dealers and distributors, including participating Canada Post outlets.

 
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/2015/06/canadian-week-in-review-cwr-08-june-2014.html

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

Lambton County Archives wants to hear your First World War stories


If you have First World War stories, then Lambton County Archives in Ontario wants to talk to you! You stories can still be incorporated into their exhibit Lambton At War.
 
As early as 1865, a volunteer company was formed to protect the Canadian border and Lambton County that it shares with Michigan and are separated by the St. Clair River.
 
In 1872, this Lambton regiment was given the name the St. Clair Borderers.
 
During the First World War, the Borderers supplied troops to the fighting fronts through the 70th and 149th Battalions. Men from towns such as Watford, Petrolia and Sarnia boarded troop transport trains and made their way to England were they went onto fight in the Somme, at Vimy and Ypres.
 
And many Americans who had Canadian parents who had migrated to Michigan enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force in the First World War.
 
And do you know a story of someone who sewed bandages, scavenged war materials, or put together Red Cross kits? Or perhaps you know stories of men and women who stayed behind and contributed to the war efforts by working on farms or in factories and who have interesting stories to tell.
 
They have an online submission form at http://www.lambtonmuseums.ca/exhibit/lambton-war/986-2/
 
The website of the archives is http://www.lambtonmuseums.ca/heritage/
 
 
 
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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
 

Friday, June 12, 2015

70th Anniversary, the Saskatchewan Archives


 
In celebration of their 70th Anniversary, the Saskatchewan Archives has prepared a new online exhibit which outlines the creation and development of their institution.

The exhibit includes many original photographs and documents that highlight the fascinating story of the Saskatchewan Archives.

You can visit their on site exhibit at http://www.saskarchives.com/Timeline

There is just tons of pictures to see, and documents to pursue.

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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!



 

Thursday, June 11, 2015

Extra news items




 Here are some news items which have come across the desk this week -

There will be a 1-day conference in Peterborough Saturday 03 October 2015 called Military Settlers.

It will be held by the Kawartha Branch, Ontario Genealogical Society.

Speakers will discuss the political and military situation in the UK and Canada, useful records, and several military settlement schemes.

Cost $35, includes snacks and lunch. Registration is essential. Watch for announcements.

The website address is www.ogs.on.ca/kawartha

This sounds like a meeting that I would like to attend if I lived closer to Trenton, Ontario.

June 20, 2015 is the 35th Anniversary Celebration for Quinte Branch of Ontario Genealogical Society will feature Reflections on 35 Years of Genealogical Endeavour.

It will be at the Quinte West Public Library, 7 Creswell Drive, Trenton, ON K8V 6X5
from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm. Everyone Welcome, bring a friend.

For more information visit www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~canqbogs/

Meanwhile, you can Celebrate National Aboriginal History Month at the Canadian Museum of History by attending the following events -

Aboriginal Storytelling with Daniel Richer
Saturday, June 13
10 a.m. (English) and 11 a.m. (French)

Aborginial Storytelling with Jo Maple
Sunday, June 14
11 a.m. (English) and 1 p.m. (French)

Aborginal Music Celebrations
Tuesday, June 16
10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The website is at http://www.historymuseum.ca/home

Until next time, this is what crossed my desk this week.

http://ogsottawa.on.ca/
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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!

Wednesday, June 10, 2015

The OGS Blog is one you should read


Do you ever read the Ontario Genealogical Society blog?

Over the past month, someone has posted blogs such as Family Stories - Truth or Fiction?, Connection between Official Records, “Men of the Cloth”-Tracking Records for Preachers, Pastors and Priests”, and Researching Your Canadian World War 1 Soldier Ancestor- Part 1 and 2.

These posts provide a good overview of the subjects, although they do not give the nitty-gritty of the records available. You will have to go to the sites mentioned to get this, but if you want a good understanding of the basics of the record, you can get that here.

So if you have Ontario answers, be sure to keep the blog page in your research toolkit so you can access it anytime you wish.

The blog site is http://www.ogs.on.ca/ogs_blog.php

The website is https://www.ogs.on.ca/

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Last Day to take advantage of this offer!!!
Need help finding your ELUSIVE Canadian ancestors???
 
As a nod of the hat to the Ontario Genealogical Conference being held in Barrie, Ontario from May 29 to May 31, may we offer a month-long discount on our research and consultation services of 15% (ends 11 June at midnight).
 
Just go to Elizabeth Lapointe Research Services website at www.elrs.biz, or send an email with the subject "special" to genealogyresearch@aol.com to see how I can help you find that elusive Canadian ancestor!
 
Research Tip! While you are in Ottawa, if you have ancestors who lived here, a good place to check is the Ottawa Branch, Ontario Genealogical Society at http://ogsottawa.on.ca/
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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!