Monday, February 27, 2017

Canadian Week in Review 27 February 2017


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 

The Confederation Painter 

British-born painter, watercolourist and illustrator, William George Richardson Hind (1833-1889), immigrated to Canada in 1851. Although he advertised himself a sign painter in the Daily Colonist, in Victoria, British Columbia, he became the first artist to illustrate Canada’s landscapes during the 1860s-70s. 

He earned the nickname nickname of the Confederation Painter across the county. 
Social Media 

(Video) 'It's special to be a Métis' on Louis Riel Day 


For most Manitoba workers, Louis Riel Day is a holiday — a day off that breaks up the stretch of time between New Year's and Easter and allows people to spend time with family. 

At the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, though, they're working hard to make sure Riel's legacy gets its due. 

(Video) Heritage Day 2017 celebrates Nova Scotia Mi’kmaq culture, heritage  


What does it mean to be Mi’kmaq? That’s a question several Mi’kmaq Nova Scotians are hoping to explain, as they celebrate Heritage Day 2017. 

Giant mosaic project brings Canadians together through art  


A group from St. Albert, Alta. is putting together a nationwide art project that could be the largest in Canadian history. 

The Canada 150 Mosaic is a series of murals that will be displayed in communities from Vancouver Island to P.E.I. to mark Canada’s 150th birthday. When all of the murals are put together, it will become a series of train cars that are meant to tell the history of each community and those who live there. 

Newspaper Articles

Nova Scotia 

History of Snyder’s Shipyard stretches back almost 150 years 


Nova Scotia’s fishermen obviously place their trust in the folks at Snyder’s Shipyard. The Dayspring shipyard has built 225 new boats and refitted, repaired or restored hundreds more, including Bluenose II  

Celebrating Mi’kmaq culture during Heritage Day 


Spiritual leaders Emile Gautreau and Louise Goodwin led a ceremony celebrating the Seven Directions while also talking about Mi’kmaq culture, traditions and song.  

HMCS Summerside crew to see Nova Scotia history in Sierra Leone  


HMCS Moncton and HMCS Summerside are bound for training in the Gulf of Guinea in West Africa, but it's a side trip with a Nova Scotia connection that's got the crew of one of the vessels excited. 

Halifax man traces roots to the Black Loyalists of Digby  


Allister Barton's discovery that his family name does not appear in the Book of Negroes led him on a two-year journey to find out whether they had any connection to the Black Loyalists who settled in Nova Scotia in the late 1700s. 

Prince Edward Island 

Charlottetown hands out heritage awards 


The City of Charlottetown celebrated Heritage Day on Tuesday by honouring the people behind several renovations or refurbishments of historic properties in the city.  

Shoppers got an added dose of Canadian history as the annual Heritage Fair made its way to the Cornwall Square Shopping Centre this Saturday Feb. 18.  

Multicultural Association of Perth-Huron hosts event to celebrate Black History Month 


A Black History Month celebration honoured the contributions of Canadians of African descent but it was also a celebration of Canadian citizenship. 

The Multicultural Association of Perth-Huron hosted the event at the Falstaff Family Centre on Saturday. It was the third one and it was the biggest so far.  

Beaconsfield Historic Site getting spruced up 


The Beaconsfield Historic House in Charlottetown, considered P.E.I.'s flagship historic site, is getting some upgrades. 

A $115,000 project is underway to replace and restore the house's fascia boards, windows, flooring, siding, and areas in need of repair, the province said in a news release. 

'These are our roots': Heritage Week kicks off Monday  


The Archives Council of Prince Edward Island and other institutions are taking Islanders on a trip down memory lane beginning on Monday to celebrate Heritage Week. 

"Culturally, these are our roots. This is an important part of who we are," said Simon Lloyd, president of ACPEI. 

Ontario 

Heritage Fair returns to the square

http://www.cornwallseawaynews.com/community/2017/2/18/heritage-fair-returns-to-the-square.html

Shoppers got an added dose of Canadian history as the annual Heritage Fair made its way to the Cornwall Square Shopping Centre this Saturday Feb. 18.

History Corner - Steamboat on the St. Lawrence River enroute to the first Charlottetown Conference.

In the fall of 1864, representatives of the Canadas, then the Provinces of Lower Canada (Québec) and Upper Canada (Ontario) boarded the brand new steamer “QUÉBEC” on the St Lawrence River to attend a conference in Charlottetown Prince Edward Island. The topic: possible confederation with the British colonies of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland. 

Manitoba 

Salivating over history: Manitoba Museum gives artifacts the old spit shine 


How do you clean a nearly 140-year-old oil painting? Well, if you're Manitoba Museum conservator Carolyn Sirett, you roll up your sleeves, roll a cotton swab and put your muddy where your mouth is. 

Dirt doesn't stand much of a chance against the power of human saliva, apparently. 

Alberta 

Breton Museum celebrates Black History Month 


From tea time to concerts, the Breton Museum’s celebration of Black History Month has expanded over the years. Breton Museum started to organize events in conjunction with Black History Month since the mid-1990s. 

British Columbia 

Surrey celebrates Canada 150  


IN celebration of Canada’s 150th anniversary of Confederation, the City of Surrey is set to be the City of Festivals this year. 

Canada Stories this Week

Tour' Touch   

The Archives of Ontario is offering something different in 2017. It will be offering free lunchtime tours of the 31 public artworks on permanent display at the archives at Macdonald Block at 900 Bay St in Toronto. 

They say “A significant number are also located in over 30 towns and cities across the province. Broad in scope and eclectic in nature, the collection is made up of historical and contemporary paintings, works on paper, indoor and outdoor Yousculpture, official portraits and antique furnishings and decorative objects”.

You can register at https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/tour-of-public-art-in-the-macdonald-block-complex-tickets-31604063605

Transcribe!
The Nova Scotia Archived has a new project! 

They are wondering if you would like if you would like to transcribe documents that they have in-house. They are trying to start an “online workspace where the public can participate in enhancing access to our collections documenting over 300 years of Nova Scotia history, people, and culture. This is a great opportunity for participants to deeply experience our collections and transcribe hand-written historical materials”.

This is a test project for the archives and we are starting small but plan to add more documents as the archives learn more about the technology and how you are using it.

To find out more about this new project, go to https://archives.novascotia.ca/transcribe 

Be sure to tell your friends about us. 

If you would like to subscribe, please send your email to genealogycanada@aol.com 

Publishers Elizabeth and Mario Lapointe 

Sponsored by Elizabeth Lapointe Research Services. To learn more about the research services offered by ELRS, go to www.elrs.biz The email is genealogyreserch@aol.com 

(c)2017 All rights reserved.


Monday, February 20, 2017

Canadian Week in Review 20 February 2017



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

No items this week.

Social Media

(Photos) Canada 150: 15 historic dates every Canadian should know
http://www.yorkregion.com/community-story/7035842-canada-150-15-historic-dates-every-canadian-should-know/

How well do you know Canadian history?

(Video) Leduc No. 1: Seven decades ago, a single oil well changed Alberta history
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/leduc-oil-discovery-anniversary-oil-boom-history-1.3980331

The ground rumbled when grease-covered roughnecks opened creaking valves, and a mix of crude oil and gas spewed flames 15 metres into the air.

Seventy years ago Monday, on a sleepy farm near Devon, Leduc No. 1 struck a rich deposit of oil and forever changed the course of Alberta history.

(Video)'Secret Alberta': New documentary brings Amber Valley back to life
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/secret-alberta-new-documentary-brings-amber-valley-back-to-life-1.3968766

To her ancestors, it was the Promised Land.

To Myrna Wisdom, it was home.

Though few traces of Amber Valley still exist, the forgotten town about 100 km north of Edmonton was once a thriving all-black settlement of homesteaders. 

Newspaper Articles

Nova Scotia

N.S. pardons late Mi'kmaq leader: 'He was the first to stand up for us'
http://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/n-s-pardons-late-mi-kmaq-leader-he-was-the-first-to-stand-up-for-us-1.3287955

Gabriel Sylliboy died feeling like he failed his Mi'kmaq people.

The grand chief launched a fight for aboriginal rights after being charged with illegal hunting in the 1920s, but the courts of the era dismissed the notion that a 1752 treaty gave Sylliboy any rights.

It would take another six decades before those rights were recognized by the courts.
 
The Town of Stellarton will celebrate Nova Scotia Heritage Day with a sledding party, music, hot chocolate and snowshoeing. 


On March 25, 1917, the black soldiers of No. 2 Construction Battalion left Halifax for Europe to serve in a non-combat labour unit. To mark the anniversary of the unit's departure, the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 teamed up with the Black Cultural Centre for Nova Scotia to create the temporary exhibit called No. 2 Construction Battalion. It opens Thursday and runs till May 1. 

Sewer work in Amherst unearths collection of antique bottles
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/antiques-glass-bottles-history-amherst-1.3973647

Nancy Allen was struck by a wave a curiosity when she looked into a freshly dug hole in her lawn. Down near her sewer line were dozens of objects covered in years worth of muck and dirt — she wasn't sure what they were, but she wanted a closer look. 

Prince Edward Island 

Former PEI convent is born again as a luxury hotel
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/industry-news/property-report/former-pei-convent-is-born-again-as-a-luxury-hotel/article34009618/

On a recent visit to her former Notre Dame convent, Sister Elizabeth Dunn surveys the dramatic transformation that’s under way here at the cherished downtown landmark.

Sold to developers in 2014 and midway through a $9-million renovation, the 19th-century heritage building is set to open this spring as a luxury boutique inn and apartment suites in the heart of Prince Edward Island’s capital.

Quebec

The McCord Museum pays tribute to Montreal's leading families
http://www.thesuburban.com/arts_and_entertainment/arts/the-mccord-museum-pays-tribute-to-montreal-s-leading-families/article_4984e11e-efc3-11e6-ae72-6396331e642e.html

To mark Montreal's 375th anniversary, Sun Life Financial and the McCord Museum are partnering to give everyone a chance to experience "Our Amazing Families: Three Centuries of Quebec Documents and History", a textual records holding enhancement project that will spotlight the economic, social and family history of Quebec.  

Ontario

Outreach project seeks stories of First World War veterans
http://www.insidetoronto.com/community-story/7085031-outreach-project-seeks-stories-of-first-world-war-veterans/

When Private Henry Agassiz signed up to serve in The Great War in 1916, his proud portrait joined those of more than 2,200 of his fellow enlistees from T. Eaton Company’s Toronto store on the flagship’s walls. 

'Downton Abbey' castle may have been backdrop for Canadian history
http://www.ctvnews.ca/world/downton-abbey-castle-may-have-been-backdrop-for-canadian-history-1.3287735

For “Downton Abbey” fans, Highclere Castle remains a lasting reminder of the popular British television drama and the Crawley family’s struggle to adapt to a rapidly changing world of telephones, gramophones and women’s rights.

But for Canadians, the Victorian country house may have been the setting of a historic meeting that altered the course of Canada’s history.

Black History Month
http://theargus.ca/orillia-2/2017/black-history-month-shades-of-resistance/

The Lakehead University Student Union-Orillia presents Black History Month: Shades of Resistance, a period dedicated to celebrating and highlighting black students and black folks within Lakehead and the community at large. 

Canada history: Feb 15 1965- Canada finally gets its own, wonderful, flag
http://www.rcinet.ca/en/2017/02/15/canada-history-feb-15-1965-canada-finally-gets-its-wonderful-flag/

Canada is still a relatively young country, but our national flag is even younger. At 52, the Canadian Maple Leaf is now one of the most recognized flags in the world. 

Canada’s red and white Maple Leaf Flag was raised officially for the first time on this date February 15, 1965.  

How an Ontario couple is telling Black Canadians' stories — and setting Canadian history straight
http://tvo.org/article/current-affairs/shared-values/how-an-ontario-couple-is-telling-black-canadians-stories--and-setting-canadian-history-straight

When Camille and Roger Dundas launched ByBlacks.com, they wanted to provide a platform for celebrating Black Canadian history, and to amplify the stories of Black Canadians' contributions to their communities.  

Manitoba 

History Matters: No female homesteaders need apply
http://thestarphoenix.com/opinion/columnists/history-matters-no-female-homesteaders-need-apply

On April 30, 1910, Manitoba Conservative MP William J. Roche stood in the House of Commons and asked Interior Minister Frank Oliver whether he had ever given “serious consideration” to the idea of “permitting ladies … the privilege of homesteading.”  

Manitoba museum using social media to solve history mystery
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/pioneer-village-museum-photos-facebook-1.3971489

A Manitoba museum is taking to Facebook to get help solving a history mystery.

The Pioneer Village Museum in Beausejour, Manitoba is scanning photo negatives from the early 1900s and posting them on Facebook hoping to find out who is in them and even where they were taken.  

Original Indigenous place names collected in Manitoba
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/indigenous-place-names-manitoba-1.3968249   

Some people might know Pekwachnamaykoskwaskwaypinwanik Lake, located south of Red Sucker Lake near the Ontario border, for its trout fishing but others might recognize it for its long Cree name.

Pekwachnamaykoskwaskwaypinwanik translates to "where the wild trout are caught by fishing with hooks."  

Alberta 

Celebrating Black History Month in Red Deer
http://www.rdnewsnow.com/article/526984/celebrating-black-history-month-red-deer

A sign once hung in the window of a downtown Red Deer café near the old train station and Windsor Hotel.

‘Whites Only’ it read.  

Museum celebrates Black History Month
http://lethbridgeherald.com/news/lethbridge-news/2017/02/12/museum-celebrates-black-history-month/

The Galt Museum and Archives was the site of a celebration of African and African-Caribbean culture Saturday as the cty came together in honour of Black History Month.

Paul Tokode, one of the event organizers, said the event was intended to showcase African and African-Caribbean culture in the Lethbridge community.  

Saskatchewan 

Saskatchewan Archives Week comes to an end
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatoon/saskatchewan-archives-week-2017-1.3977871

A picture may be worth a thousand words, but the story behind a photograph may not be known unless a record of it is kept.

That's where archivists come in.

Saskatchewan Archives Week is coming to an end after celebrating the history of the province and the people in it.

British Columbia 

How the Douglas-fir tree put Vancouver on the map
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/how-the-douglas-fir-tree-made-vancouver-1.3968058

Long before Vancouver's Shangri-La and Harbour Centre defined the city's skyline, giant evergreen trees towered over those who dared step foot inside the rugged wilderness.

The Douglas-fir was king

Museum gets Canadian world-war exhibit
http://www.kelownacapnews.com/news/412056563.html?mobile=true  

A special commemorative exhibition, From Vimy to Juno: Canada in France 1914-45, opened Jan. 27 at the Okanagan Military Museum.

This national travelling exhibition explores the connections between defining moments in Canadian history and the experiences of Canadians who fought in both world wars. From Vimy to Juno was developed by the Juno Beach Centre, Canada’s only museum on the D-Day Landing beaches in Normandy, France. 

Canada Stories this Week 

Update on the Digitization of the Canadian Expeditionary Force Personnel Service Files

This past week there was more good news from the Library and Archives Canada in that 404,164 of 640,000 files are now available online. 

The latest box digitized is Box 6831 and last name McGee.

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.

The website is http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/military-heritage/first-world-war/personnel-records/Pages/personnel-records.aspx

Be sure to tell your friends about us. 

If you would like to subscribe, please send your email to genealogycanada@aol.com 

Publishers Elizabeth and Mario Lapointe 

Sponsored by Elizabeth Lapointe Research Services. To learn more about the research services offered by ELRS, go to www.elrs.biz The email is genealogyreserch@aol.com 

(c)2017 All rights reserved.


Monday, February 13, 2017

Canadian Week in Review 13 February 2017


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

Naming the Nation

On February 9, 1865, two years before Confederation, Thomas D’Arcy McGee made an impassioned speech recommending “Canada” as the name for the new union between Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.

To read a very good account, go to http://www.pc.gc.ca/apps/cseh-twih/index_e.asp

12 February 1901


When Kootenai Brown first came to the Waterton area of southern Alberta, people told him about oil seepage along what is today called Cameron Creek.

Brown told other local ranchers of the find, and on 12 February 1901, the Rocky Mountain Development Company was incorporated to drill for oil. 

Although short-lived, Rocky Mountain Development No. 1 was Western Canada's first producing oil well and the birthplace of today's oil industry.

To read more about this, go to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_petroleum_industry_in_Canada



Social Media

Events planned to celebrate Devon's Newfoundland ties

http://www.totnes-today.co.uk/article.cfm?id=106086&headline=Events%20planned%20to%20celebrate%20Devon%E2%80%99s%20Newfoundland%20ties&sectionIs=news&searchyear=2017

Totnes is included in an international celebration linking Devon, New­foundland and the man from Compton who is said to have founded the British Empire.

Newspaper Articles 

Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia Archives wants you to search your attic for a historic black newspaper

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/the-clarion-newspaper-african-nova-scotians-1.3974228

The Nova Scotia Archives is asking people to check their old stacks of newspapers to help them piece together a part of the province's history.

The Clarion, based in New Glasgow, N.S., was one of the first newspapers published in the province specifically for the black community.

Historic Mounce Mansion listed for sale in Newport Landing


A manor built in the community of Newport Landing has netted a great deal of attention for its historic qualities — and a $435,000 price tag.

The Mounce Mansion on Avondale Road is listed by Eastern Valley Real Estate Ltd., and has a grand history to go with it.

Black History Month: Black Loyalists Exodus to Nova Scotia (1783)


The Black Loyalists were the approximately 3,000 African-American supporters of the British during the American Revolution who were repatriated to British Canada at the end of the conflict. Most settled in Nova Scotia and established what would be, for decades, the largest concentration of black residents in Canada and what was at the time the largest settlement of free blacks outside Africa.

Editor's Note: There are several historical inaccuracies in this article. The Black Loyalists came to Port Roseway (Shelburne) in the summer of 1783, not Halifax. There is the Black Loyalists Heritage Centre in Birchtown, right next to Shelburne, with many exciting programs, and the website is http://blackloyalist.com/ Personally, I am from the area, and my genealogy refers to Black Loyalists. - Elizabeth

http://www.kingscountynews.ca/community/2017/2/10/african-history-month-events-lined-up-at-acadia.html

On Monday, Feb 13, Dr. Catherine Cottreau-Robins, curator of archaeology for Nova Scotia Museums, will present a lecture at 6 p.m. in BAC 132 entitled, ‘The archaeology of slavery and freedom in Nova Scotia.’

Segregation 'even after death' for African Nova Scotians, researcher says

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/segregated-cemeteries-camp-hill-african-nova-scotians-black-communities-1.3971054

A researcher of African Nova Scotian history says shocking examples of systemic racism can be found in the histories of the province's cemeteries, where "even after death, there was segregation."

Ontario

Dionne quintuplets say birth home must be preserved as part of Canadian history

http://www.timescolonist.com/dionne-quintuplets-say-birth-home-must-be-preserved-as-part-of-canadian-history-1.9763744#sthash.tcuW6VN8.dpuf

The two surviving Dionne quintuplets are urging officials in northeastern Ontario to preserve the home where they were born, suggesting there is a "moral obligation" to safeguard a part of Canadian history.

Manitoba

Louis Riel’s Walking Stick Part of New Exhibit at Manitoba Museum

http://www.chrisd.ca/2017/02/09/manitoba-museum-legacies-of-confederation-exhibit/#.WJ3NVnko64s

A new temporary exhibit commemorating Canada’s 150th birthday opened at the Manitoba Museum on Thursday.


Legacies of Confederation: A New Look at Manitoba History” highlights iconic artifacts and specimens from the museum’s vast collection, as well as some loaned items including the seldom seen walking stick used by Louis Riel and a Treaty document dating to 1875.

Saskatchewan 

Saskatoon doc to tell stories of Canada's historic movie theatres

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatoon/saskatoon-documentary-historic-movie-theatres-1.3972330

When The Empire Strikes Back was playing at Saskatoon's Towne Cinema in 1980, it was the hottest ticket in the city, and Mike Fisher was a sleepy little boy out for a night at the movies with his mom and dad.

Alberta

'We have been here for a long time': group promotes black history in Alberta

http://www.metronews.ca/news/edmonton/2017/02/08/new-group-promotes-black-history-in-alberta-.html

Debbie Beaver is a fourth-generation Albertan who gets tired of people asking where she’s from.

The answer is a farm near Barrhead, but it doesn't satisfy most who ask, she said.

“They would say, ‘Well, before that, where was your dad from?’” she said.

“Well, my dad was born in the same place.”


British Columbia

Students preparing for historic trip

http://www.delta-optimist.com/news/students-preparing-for-historic-trip-1.9777995

A group of students and staff from Delta Secondary will be a part of history in April with a trip to Vimy Ridge to coincide with the 100th anniversary of Canada's military victory. The trip is through Education First tours with the focus being attending the anniversary ceremony alongside thousands of other students from across Canada.

Our history is harder than you think

http://www.campbellrivermirror.com/opinion/413069563.html


I’ve recently taken up a new morning ritual.

No, it’s not getting up earlier, getting early morning nutrition or going for a run or anything sensible like that.

I’m testing my knowledge.

Canada Stories this Week

He Won! He Won!


Remember last week when I told you that I was wishing Louis Kessler all the luck in the world with his invention to be debuted at the Innovation Summit on Friday at RootsTech 2017 in Salt Lake City???

He won!

His invention, which is called Double Match Triangulatorplaced third.

I communicated while him late on Friday, and he was “thrilled”.

He went on to say that “Apparently I'm the first Canadian to ever win a Showdown prize”, and he is right. He IS the first Canadian to win a place on the showdown!

So congratulations, Louis. We wait to hear more news about your invention, and your continued good luck!



#Ontario150 Twitter Campaign

The Archives of Ontario is always ahead of the latest news, and now, they are doing their share of getting their records on your computer and mobile devices by spotlighting people from Ontario in the next 150 days by Twitter.

So, the Archives of Ontario is counting down the 150 days until Ontario’s 150th birthday on July 1, 2017!

Like, re-tweet and follow our #Ontario150 Twitter Campaign @ArchivesOntario to see important people and moments from 1867 to the present, represented in our diverse collections.


Happy Valentine's Day, Everyone!!

Be sure to tell your friends about us.

If you would like to subscribe, please send your email to genealogycanada@aol.com

Publishers Elizabeth and Mario Lapointe

Sponsored by Elizabeth Lapointe Research Services. To learn more about the research services offered by ELRS, go to www.elrs.biz.

The email is genealogyreserch@aol.com


(c)2017 All rights reserved.