Monday, November 16, 2015

Canadian Week in Review 16 November 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

On November 14, 1891, and died in 1941. Frederick Banting, medical scientist, doctor and Nobel Laureate, was born in Alliston, Simcoe County, Ontario and studied medicine at the University of Toronto. He graduated in 1916, and then reported for military duty in December, the day after graduation.

After the war, he started studying the pancreas in 1920, and in 1922, they injected a 14-year old diabetic boy with insulin that had had made and purified from an ox pancreas.

You can read more at http://www.notablebiographies.com/Ba-Be/Banting-Frederick.html

Social Media

Kawartha Branch, OGS, now on Facebook

The page is at https://www.facebook.com/groups/Kawartha.OGS/

The Kawartha Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society covers the counties of Haliburton, Northumberland, and Peterborough, as well as the former Victoria County, now known as the City of Kawartha Lakes.

Grande Prairie & District Branch

And the Grande Prairie & District Branch has a new website. The area covers the South Peace Region of Alberta.

It is a very clean site where you can search the obituary website, visit the cemetery index, and read the newsletter.

 The website is at http://www.abgenealogy.ca/grande-prairie-branch

Upcoming Events

Gene-O-Rama 2016

Gene-O-Rama will be held from April 1 and 2, 2016 by the Ottawa Branch Society of the Ontario Genealogical Society in Ottawa. The featured speaker will be Glenn Wright.

The latest details will be available at http://ogsottawa.on.ca/geneorama

Hamilton Branch, Ontario Genealogical Society

Christine Woodcock will present From Family Tree to Family Treasure on 19 November 2015 at 7:00 pm at the Hamilton Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society.

It covers the former County of Wentworth, which includes the Townships of Ancaster, Barton, Binbrook, Beverly, Flamborough East, Flamborough West, Glanford, and Saltfleet, which are now all part of the City of Hamilton. The branch includes a sub-group which focuses on British Genealogy: WISE (Welsh, Irish, Scottish, English).

For more information, you can go to their website at http://www.ogs.on.ca/hamilton/

Genealogical Association of Nova Scotia

Did you know that the Genealogical Association of Nova Scotia (GANS) opens up their Research Room every Sunday from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm at 33 Ochterloney Street, Suite 100, Dartmouth, Nove Scotia?

The Research Room is open to everyone. Stop by to chat, do some Internet research, check out the library, or buy a publication or membership. Bring a friend!

You can go to their website at http://www.novascotiaancestors.ca/eventListings.php?nm=287

Prince Edward Island Genealogical Society

The next public meeting of the PEI Genealogical Society will take place Saturday, November 21 at 2:00 p.m. at Beaconsfield’s Carriage House in Charlottetown.

Their guest speaker will be Sarah Fisher, Project Manager for the University of Prince Edward Island's (UPEI) new website called booklives.ca at http://booklives.ca, developed by the Robertson Library.

The Book Lives project originated with research on the *provenance*of books in the library’s collection which revealed interesting facts on the individuals and families who, over the course of many decades, donated the books. These books carry stories beyond their original purpose. The meeting is open to the general public, admission is free, and all are welcome. Refreshments will be served.

The Carriage House is located behind Beaconsfield Historic House on the corner of Kent and West Streets in Charlottetown.

For further information please email fredchorne@gmail.com

Newspaper Articles

Newfoundland

Cluny Macpherson, gas mask inventor, more than a side note of history

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/cluny-macpherson-gas-mask-1.3312072

Dignitaries and medical history buffs, including the acclaimed British historian, gathered in the atrium of Memorial University's medical school last week to unveil an exhibit about Cluny Macpherson's accomplishments during the First World War – the discovery of the gas mask!

Prince Edward Island

Replica chaloupe to be built at Roma

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/pei-roma-replica-boat-1.3311227

The Roma at Three Rivers Historic Site near Montague, Prince Edward Island, is the proud new owner of a chaloupe— a wooden boat described as the pickup truck of the 1700s.

Mi'kmaq of P.E.I. history on display at Acadian Museum

http://www.journalpioneer.com/Living/2015-11-09/article-4337838/Mikmaq-of-P.E.I.-history-on-display-at-Acadian-Museum/1

The Acadian Museum's latest exhibition -- Ni'n na L'nu: The Mi'kmaq of Prince Edward Island -- opened last Thursday.

Ontario

South African historian revisits Canada’s role in Boer War after discovery of hidden grave

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/forgotten-grave-in-south-african-bush-recalls-canadians/article27216630/

In a remote patch of South African bush, where only giraffe and wildebeest roam, lies the long-neglected grave of an unknown Canadian who may have been a veteran of Canada’s first major overseas war.

11 Canadian War Heroes We Can't Forget On November 11

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2015/11/09/canadian-war-heroes-remembrance-day_n_8475820.html

While many soldiers have been recognized for their exploits in combat, others deserve praise for the roles they played in other fields designing planes, gathering intelligence, or treating wounded fighters.

Manitoba

Military hall of honour opens in Manitoba legislative building

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/manitoba-legislature-military-hall-1.3312455

A hall of honour listing all First World War regiments based out of Manitoba was unveiled at the legislative building on Tuesday.

Located in the southwest corridor on the main floor, the hall will eventually include dedications to Lt.-Col. William "Billy" Barker of Dauphin, the most decorated serviceman in Canadian history, and Sgt. Tommy Prince of Winnipeg, Canada's most decorated First Nations soldier.

Fundraiser celebrates Carberry’s heritage

http://www.mywestman.ca/community-news/4503-fundraiser-celebrates-carberry-s-heritage.html

When the provincial heritage branch declared two blocks of Carberry’s Main Street as Manitoba’s first (and still only) Heritage District in 2007, one of their recommendations was to create a comprehensive walking tour guide that illustrates what’s special about the town. Thanks to Winnipeg writer and heritage buff Reid Dickie, Carberry now has such a book.

British Columbia

Lost to history: the Canadians who fought in Vietnam

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/lost-to-history-the-canadians-who-fought-in-vietnam-1.3304440

At only 17 years old, B.C.'s Rob McSorley knew he wanted to go to war, and it didn't matter if it wasn't in a Canadian uniform.

Now, 45 years after his death in the jungles of Vietnam, his sister is finally learning how much he mattered to the American soldiers with whom he served.

Canadian news stories this week

First World War letters are now online

On November the 11th, in addition to the nation remembering veteran's who died in the First World War, the county's archives, like the Archives of Manitoba, paid homage by putting online The First World War in Letters in a weekly blog.

They also have put on a database of 1, 092 names of veteran who died in the First World War. This a very complete database, for it contains their surname, and given names, rank, battalion, community of residence, next of kin/siblings at the front, details surrounding death, and date of death.

You can see this date base and the letters at http://www.gov.mb.ca/chc/archives/ww1blog/index.html

The Archives of Nova Scotia also has a website for putting on Correspondence from the First World War.

30,000 Nova Scotians signed up between 1914 and 1918, and archives is oresenting a small selection of original letters, to be augmented with new content each year until 2018.

The three letter that are presented, are those from Private George Allen “Al' Fraser, Captain L. Howard Johnstone, and Corporal Daniel Morrison.

The letters (which are very interesting to read), are at http://novascotia.ca/archives/warletters/

1921 Census for Colchester County, Nova Scotia are now online

Dwayne Meisner, who keeps on top of the 1921 census, tells us that thanks to Beverley Sumpter, Donna Rushton and Christine Vincent, census for Colchester County, Nova Scotia is now fully transcribed and available to view at the link below.

As usual, if you are not already a member of his site, you will have to complete a free registration form.

Please go to the site, http://www.dwaynemeisner.com/census/novascotia/colchester1921/index.php

Library and Archives Canada (LAC) blog

Now that the election is over, the Library and Archives Canada (LAC) has returned to regular blogging, and last week it launched a new online database called Immigration to Canada, porters and Domestics 1899 -1949. 

This online database allows you to access more than 8,600 references to individuals who came to Canada. Names were taken from lists contained in the Central Registry Files series of the Immigration Branch (RG76 BIA) and other files held at LAC.

Go to http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/immigration/immigration-records/porters-domestics-1899-1949/Pages/search.aspx

The LAC has also announced the launch of a new online database, the Ukrainian Immigration, 1891-1930. 

This online database allows you to access more than 14,700 reference to names of Ukrainian who arrived in Canada and the united States between 1891 and 1930. Names were taken from the passenger lists held at lAC for the following Canadaian and American ports – Halifax, Nova Scotia; Montreal and Quebec, Quebec; Saint John, New Brunswick; new York, New York; and Portland, Maine.

Start searching at http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/immigration/immigration-records/immigrants-ukraine-1891-1930/Pages/search.aspx

Quebec government drops place names with n-word

And as you know, the Quebec government has announced that the rapids in West Quebec will no longer be named with racist slur after province drops place names with n-word. Quebec is the last province in Canada to do this, and now it seemed probable that placenames with the word 'squaw' in them will be banned.

There are still 27 official place names in Canada containing the term 'squaw' , for example, Quebec has the most, with eight, followed by New Brunswick with seven. British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Ontario and Prince Edward Island have scrubbed the word from their maps, while it does not appear Manitoba ever used it.

To read the full story, go to http://www.24news.ca/the-news/canada-news/178152-quebec-rapids-will-no-longer-be-named-with-racist-slur-after-province-drops-place-names-with-n-word

And that was the week in Canadian news!

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

If you missed last week’s edition, it is 
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