Showing posts with label Ancestors. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ancestors. Show all posts

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, January 30, 2017

Canadian Week in Review 30 January 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  

Flag of Quebec 

The provincial flag of Quebec was first hoisted on 21 January 1948. Quebec Flag Day, however, is celebrated on 24 May.

The flag contains white fleurs-de-lis on a blue field (which is colour Pantone 293). The flag's horizontal symmetry allows both sides of the flag to show the same image.

To read the history of the flag, and other interesting tidbits, go to http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/ca-qc.html

Social Media

(Video) Saskatoon Heritage Society hopeful Third Avenue United Church gets designation
http://globalnews.ca/news/3203299/saskatoon-heritage-society-hopeful-third-avenue-united-church-gets-designation/

The Saskatoon Heritage Society is hopeful a provincial board will recommend the Third Avenue United Church be designated a municipal heritage property.

The church at 304 3rd Ave. North, which first saw construction in 1911, was up for consideration during a Monday evening meeting of city council.

(Video) Calgary’s Langevin Bridge renamed Reconciliation Bridge
http://globalnews.ca/news/3191789/calgary-city-council-expected-to-vote-in-favour-of-renaming-langevin-bridge/

Calgary city council voted to rename the Langevin Bridge as the Reconciliation Bridge Monday evening, with only Coun. Jim Stevenson opposed.

The bridge, which opened in 1910, spans the Bow River, connecting 4 Street S.E. with 4 Avenue S.E. 

(Blog) Protecting Fort Anne – One of Canada’s First Parks
https://thediscoverblog.com/2017/01/24/protecting-fort-anne-one-of-canadas-first-parks 

Fort Anne National Historic Site in Annapolis Royal sits at the edge of the Annapolis and Allain Rivers in Nova Scotia. The park, established 100 years ago, is Canada’s first federally-administered national historic site (Fort Howe in New Brunswick is the first historic site).
 
(Video) Calls to rename Ottawa’s Langevin Block over namesake’s connection to residential schools
http://www.thestarphoenix.com/news/national/calls+rename+ottawa+langevin+block+over+namesake/12783837/story.html

A recent decision to rename Calgary’s Langevin Bridge because of its namesake’s connection to residential schools is spurring calls to change the name of the building in Ottawa that houses the Prime Minister’s Office.

Newspapers Articles

Newfoundland

Company's test for Beothuk DNA called bogus by geneticists
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/beothuk-dna-ancestry-genetics-1.3953668

A North Carolina woman says DNA testing has revealed that she is Beothuk, a descendant of an Indigenous people from Newfoundland whose last known member died in 1829. 

Nova Scotia 

Coin, stamp to mark 100th anniversary of Halifax Explosion
http://thechronicleherald.ca/novascotia/1435557-coin-stamp-to-mark-100th-anniversary-of-halifax-explosion

A newly-minted $100 coin and a 2017 Canada Post stamp will commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Halifax Explosion.

Pre-orders are being taken for the $100 gold coin designed by Canadian artist Jamie Desrochers, which is expected to be popular among collectors after its Feb. 7 release. 


The past, present and future will all be celebrated during this year’s African Heritage Month, which will be given an official launch in Amherst on Monday, Jan. 30.

Members of New Brunswick’s black community say the time has come to bury a word once used in polite company, but is now considered offensive.

The word “Negro" is still being used as a name for roads, neighbourhoods and historic breakwater in the province.

STORIFY: African Heritage Month officially declared at Province House
http://thechronicleherald.ca/novascotia/1435096-storify-african-heritage-month-officially-declared-at-province-house

Lt.-Gov. J.J. Grant and African Nova Scotia Affairs Minister Tony Ince officially named February African Heritage Month at Province House Tuesday.

This year’s theme, “Passing the Torch — African Nova Scotians and the Next 150 Years,” recognizes the long history of African Nova Scotians, and documents their resiliency and triumphs in the face of adversity. The theme also highlights the African Nova Scotian community’s future. 

Exhibition depicts Canada's prime ministers with majesty and mischief
http://www.news1130.com/2017/01/24/exhibition-depicts-canadas-prime-ministers-with-majesty-and-mischief/

It’s John Diefenbaker as you’ve never seen him — standing on a chair, an intricate miniature statue of the 13th prime minister in a quirky exhibition that captures 150 years of Canadian political history.

Federal funds announced for Freeport legion, Cornwallis military museum
http://www.digbycourier.ca/community/2017/1/24/federal-funds-announced-for-freeport-legion--cornwallis-military.html

West Nova MP Colin Fraser has announced federal funding to help Royal Canadian Legion Carpiquet Branch 92, which received $81,450, and the Cornwallis Military Museum Association, which got $5,357. 

Volunteers revive historic cabin in the heart of Nova Scotia wilderness
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/cofan-cabin-construction-forest-cooperation-restoration-1.3951715 

It was the ultimate backwoods fixer-upper.

A dedicated group of Nova Scotians has worked to restore a nearly century-old log cabin deep in the woods of southwest Nova Scotia that's considered part of the province's heritage. 

New Brunswick

‘It's derogatory’: Black History Society pushing to remove ‘Negro’ from N.B. community names
http://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/it-s-derogatory-black-history-society-pushing-to-remove-negro-from-n-b-community-names-1.3253775

Members of New Brunswick’s black community say the time has come to bury a word once used in polite company, but is now considered offensive.

The word “Negro" is still being used as a name for roads, neighbourhoods and historic breakwater in the province.  

Saint John's racist place names need to change, group says
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/racist-names-saint-john-1.3947958

Several New Brunswick place names — like the Negro Point Breakwater in west Saint John, and Negro Head in Lorneville — are reminders of the province's racist heritage and should be changed, according to Ralph Thomas of PRUDE.

'It's ... insulting': Mi'kmaq warrior chief says of Canada's 150th celebration
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/mikmaq-canada-150-celebration-1.3949585

As Canada celebrates its 150th year of Confederation, Mi'kmaq Warrior Chief John Levi says First Nations people are still struggling with poverty and he's made a call to action to remind the country of its shortcomings.  

Ontario

A story a day to celebrate Black History Month
http://www.metronews.ca/news/toronto/2017/01/20/a-story-a-day-to-celebrate-black-history-month.html

While Black people make up 2.9 per cent of the Canadian population, according to the 2011 Statistics Canada numbers, Casey Palmer believes most of what’s reported in mainstream media isn’t necessarily reflective of his actual community.

Ryan Gosling and a brief history of Canadian actors at the Oscars
http://www.cbc.ca/beta/arts/ryan-gosling-and-a-brief-history-of-canadian-actors-at-the-oscars-1.3938260

So with our fingers firmly crossed for Gosling come next month (his hometown of London, Ont. might be something of a good luck charm, as you'll quickly see), let's take a quick look back at the 19 Canadian-born actors that join him in the all-too-exclusive club.

Join in this city’s year-long party
http://www.star2.com/travel/americas/2017/01/25/ottawa-celebrates-150th-birthday-with-a-year-long-party/

Jim Watson, the mayor of Canada’s capital, joined the Ottawa 2017 briefing in progress. He talked about the city he clearly loves and currently runs, sounded excited, then handed the reporter a puck.

“Most mayors hand out medals,” he said. “But I hand out pucks. So there you go …”

Canada history: Jan 26, 1924 Canada’s first (more or less) official flag
http://www.rcinet.ca/en/2017/01/26/canada-history-jan-26-1924-canadas-first-more-or-less-official-flag/

Canada has an interesting history with its national flags.

Canada came into being in 1867 and usually when a country is formed, one of the first things it does is create a flag as part of its new and distinct identity. That didn’t exactly happen in the Dominion of Canada.

Searching for a Canadian soldier: Belgian woman makes last-ditch effort to find her father
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/florence-heene-searches-for-canadian-soldier-father-1.3953738

A Belgian woman's plea for help to find the Canadian soldier she thinks is her biological father has captured the attention of thousands of people around the world, prompting Canadians to dig into the military pasts of their own families and to scour archival websites to try to solve the mystery 

Saskatchewan 

Former church owner objects to heritage status
http://thestarphoenix.com/news/local-news/former-church-owner-objects-to-heritage-status

A provincial review board will consider granting a heritage designation for Third Avenue United Church in Saskatoon after its former owner objected to granting protection for the historic building.

Alberta 

A step in time: Square Dance Club history
http://lethbridgeherald.com/news/lethbridge-news/2017/01/24/a-step-in-time-square-dance-club-history/

Whether country and western, polka or tango, community dancing has been enjoyed as a pastime in Lethbridge for generations.

In the early 1950s square dancing soared in popularity. An estimated 1,500 people in Lethbridge belonged to a club, and the waiting period for admission to membership into one of the city’s clubs was as much as a year.

Canada Stories this Week 

Soldiers of the Great War: The Fredericton Soldier Biography History Initiative
The introduction says that “The Fredericton Soldier Biography History Initiative brings together middle school students from George Street Middle School with educators, historians, archivists, and community members to help build greater awareness of soldiers named on the Fredericton Cenotaph and their families. It is also the goal of the project to highlight the historic complexities of New Brunswick societies during the Great War period, including the experiences of women, First Nations, African Canadians, and immigrant populations”.

If you go to the Name Index at http://archives.gnb.ca/Exhibits/SoldierBiographyHistoryInitiative/NameIndex.aspx?culture=en-CA, you will see the names of soldiers with background information, and war experience.

The website of the New Brunswick Archives is http://archives.gnb.ca/archives/default.aspx?culture=en-CA

Ontario Genealogical Society Conference 2017 Social Media Team
So we received word from the Ontario Genealogical Society conference that we have been named as a member of the Ontario Genealogical Society's Social Media Team to the conference in June 16 to 18, 2017. What an honour!

Do you know that this is the first time the Ontario Genealogical Society Conference has had a Social Media Team?

So we, along with other bloggers, have been tasked with the responsibility of telling our readers about the conference, and we will be there at the conference telling you what is going on. 

So stayed tuned. We will be your place for news on the conference. 

To read more about the conference, go to https://conference2017.ogs.ca/

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, January 23, 2017

Canadian Week in Review 23 January 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
 
Superman - Man of Steel


On 16 January 1939, Joe Shuster from Toronto publishes his first self-titled Superman comic strip - the Man of Steel had been a character in Action Comics. New York. New York. 

The "man of steel" hid his extraordinary strength, speed, and superhuman powers under the self-effacing guise of the weak and clumsy Clark Kent. 



For more information, read https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Shuster


Lorne Greene - Canadian actor 
Lorne Greene, the Canadian actor from my adapted hometown, Ottawa, starred as the lead in Bonanza, a TV series set on the Ponderosa Ranch in Nevada.

He played family patriarch and three-time widower Ben Cartwright, with his three sons (each by a different mother, by the way – and this would be of interest to genealogists) - Adam (Pernell Roberts), Hoss (Dan Blocker) and Little Joe (Michael Landon).

For more information, go to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lorne_Greene

Social Media

(Photos) Retired doctor paints Gander’s past

http://www.thetelegram.com/living/2017/1/16/retired-doctor-paints-ganders-past.html

When most people think of Gander, they think of planes. But when artist Clayton Hann is working on one of his watercolours, he looks past the planes, to the trains that made building the town possible. 

Newspaper Articles

Nova Scotia

Wolfville honours war heroine
http://thechronicleherald.ca/novascotia/1432769-wolfville-honours-war-heroine

Wolfville is commemorating war heroine Mona Parsons by erecting a bronze statue of her near the town’s post office.

Plans are being made to erect the statue of Parsons, created by Dutch sculptor Nistal Prem de Boer, on the anniversary of VE Day in May.

Local author and history buff pens new book about local family
http://enfieldweeklypress.com/local-author-history-buff-pens-new-book-local-family/

One of East Hants’ most prominent names in their history is the topic of John “Jack” Hawkins latest book.

“This book is a brief account of the life of Jabob Horne and some of his descendants, ” said Hawkins. ” Over the years I have been given records and information on Jacob and the early settlers. Mary Horne Knotling or Oregon has done a lot of research and passed it along to me.” 

Halifax Explosion plaque tells wrong story for 17 years
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/halifax-explosion-fort-needham-park-plaque-imo-mont-blanc-1.3942098

For 17 years, a plaque at the Halifax Explosion memorial site in Fort Needham park has told passersby about the disaster that rocked the port city on Dec. 6, 1917.

"Reversing her engines, Mont-Blanc went astern to pull out the deep gash in Imo's side," the plaque reads.

"Steel rasped against ragged steel, sparks flew, Mont-Blanc caught fire and blew up at 9:04:35 a.m."

The trouble is that the plaque has the story wrong. 

New Brunswick 

Port Saint John: Canada's next National Historic Seaport?
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/saint-john-historic-seaport-1.3940789

The majority of Saint Johners don't visit Martello Tower, Fort LaTour or Partridge Island — but local historian Harold Wright is hoping to change that.

Sites like Fort Howe, Fort LaTour and Partridge Island "tell our story," Wright said.
 
Rustico priest had first automobile in Canada 150 years ago
http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/news/local/2017/1/15/rustico-priest-had-first-automobile-in-canada-150-years-ago.html

December marked the 150th anniversary of the first automobile arriving in Canada, before the country was even officially formed, a steam-powered carriage that was imported by Father George A. Belcourt.

Prince Edward Island 

New Brunswick’s 2017 slogan not sitting well with some P.E.I. Politicians
http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/news/local/2017/1/21/new-brunswick_s-2017-slogan-not-sitting-well-with-some-p-e-i--po.html

A wee bit of a tiff is developing between P.E.I. and New Brunswick over which province planted the seed for Confederation.

Quebec 

A beauty pageant of the sea is coming to Quebec City, river
http://www.wral.com/a-beauty-pageant-of-the-sea-is-coming-to-quebec-city-river/16441673/

As the story goes, the training ship Amerigo Vespucci was sailing the Mediterranean in 1962 when the U.S. aircraft carrier Independence spotted it and radioed: "Who are you?" Came the reply: "School ship Amerigo Vespucci, the Italian Navy." The Independence answered: "You are the most beautiful ship in the world." 

Ontario 

Burlington Heritage Fair celebrates Canada 150 on Feb. 4
http://www.insidehalton.com/community-story/7076857-burlington-heritage-fair-celebrates-canada-150-on-feb-4/

Residents may feel more nostalgic at this year’s Burlington Heritage Fair as the 2017 theme will celebrate Canada 150 and the history of sports in the city.

The free family event is the official kick off for Heritage Month (February) and is hosted by the Heritage Month Committee and Heritage Burlington. 

Canada Post: celebrating Canadian UNESCO sites
http://www.rcinet.ca/en/2017/01/16/canada-post-celebrating-canadian-unesco-sites/

­Canada post has released five new stamps. The stamps show fascinating world heritage sites as named by UNESCO, so declared for their importance to world history and heritage 


The community archives has had a record number of new historical documents flooding in. 

Curious locals can now wander into the Community Archives of Belleville and Hastings County and unearth circa 1800s details about taxes paid and prisoner treatment. 

Museum of History acquires 'Canadian Caper' collection
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/canadian-museum-of-history-acquires-canadian-caper-collection-1.3941272

Most Canadians who were around in the 1980s have vivid memories of the so-called Canadian Caper, an audacious rescue of six U.S. diplomats during the Iran hostage crisis.  

Manitoba

Nominations requested for annual historical preservation award
http://www.mysteinbach.ca/news/815/nominations-requested-for-annual-historical-preservation-award/

Lt.-Gov. Janice Filmon is encouraging the public to nominate a worthy Manitoban who has provided prolonged and meritorious service in the preservation and promotion of Manitoba history for an award, presented in consultation with the Manitoba Historical Society. 

Alberta

Museum honours 150 years of Canada

http://www.westernwheel.com/article/Museum-honours-150-years-of-Canada-20170118

Fascinating facts and intriguing stories about Okotoks’ unique history will fill the Okotoks Museum and Archives in a year-long devotion to a Canadian milestone.

In celebration of Canada’s 150th birthday, the museum is displaying facts and stories that reflect numerous aspects of the community since the nation’s confederation in an exhibit entitled Our Place in History.

Pictures: art contest celebrates Alberta's Ukrainian heritage

http://www.metronews.ca/news/edmonton/2017/01/20/art-contest-celebrates-albertas-ukranian-heritage.html

Six Alberta students were recognized Friday for their artwork showing 125 years of Ukrainian settlement in Canada.

The ‘We Became a Part of Canada’ art contest got students across the province to look at how Ukrainian-Canadian migrants became part of Alberta 

British Columbia

Province launching a funding program for museums, heritage sites
http://www.pqbnews.com/community/410958675.html

This program offers one-time grants of up to $100,000 for; developing infrastructure to improve museum spaces and facilities; conserving historic places and heritage sites; building lasting legacies with projects that physically represent B.C.’s unique and diverse histories, culture and heritage such as exhibitions, public art or statues; and sharing history through projects that promote sharing of collections and expertise between the Royal B.C. Museum and the wider museum community.

British Columbia

Central Saanich heritage home to be moved for development

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/central-saanich-verdier-1.3938500

The first purpose-built affordable housing to come to Central Saanich since the 1960s will blend history and access, proponents say.

The project on West Saanich Road in Brentwood Bay will see a heritage home moved to make way for 40 affordable rental apartments and six for-purchase townhomes.

Metlakatla First Nation working on plan to protect heritage, language

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/metlakatla-first-nation-1.3935980
Dozens of Metlakatla First Nation members are meeting in Prince Rupert, B.C. this weekend to find ways to preserve and pass down their culture, history and language.

Allowing future generations to connect with their roots as well as protecting sites of cultural significance will be the goals of a new cultural program from the Nation," said Metlakatla communications manager Shaun Thomas.

Canada Stories this Week 

First World War

387,710 of 640,000 files are available online in the Personnel Records of the First World War database at Library and Archives Canada.

They say that the ' 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'

So far, they have digitized the following files - Latest box digitized: Box 6526 and last name Murray.

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.

For more information, go to http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/military-heritage/first-world-war/Pages/introduction.aspx 

A legacy carved in stone

There is going to be an exhibit at the Museum of War which I will try to go and see, and it's the Preserved in Stone – Underground Art of the First World War. The exhibit will be on from October 17, 2016 – January 7, 2018 and it's right inside the lobby, so it's easy to get to right beside the front door.

In the shadow of the Vimy Memorial in France lies a Celtic cross carved in soft stone. Both are monuments to Canadian soldiers who died in the First World War. But while one looms solemnly over the French countryside, the other is hidden in a cave beneath a farmer’s field.

A Celtic Cross is a highlight of Preserved in Stone – Underground Art of the First World War. The exhibition of photographs and 3D reproductions of artwork and graffiti left behind by Canadian troops preparing for the Battle of Vimy Ridge in 1917.

And if you are coming to Ottawa during the Ontario Genealogical 2017 Conference, you can take advantage of the tours that are available, and one of the tours is of the Museum of War, so you can make reservations now at https://conference2017.ogs.ca/program/thursday-2/

Canadian War Museum is http://www.warmuseum.ca/ 

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 genealogyresearch@aol.com

(c)2017 All rights reserved.

Monday, January 9, 2017

Canadian Week in Review 09 January 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 

Ice Storm 1998

05 January 1998 - The Ice Storm of 1998, caused by El Niño, hit southern Ontario and Quebec, resulting in widespread power failures, severe damage to forests, and a number of deaths.

(That day will live with me forever. I was awoken in the early morning by our dog to hear crashing noises as transformers blew. I went to the front door, and the sky was lit up by by the lights as the power went off, and the days of unrelenting freezing rain continued. We were without power for four days. And we went under another freezing rain alert again this past week and lost more limbs off of trees once again, including a big branch from our beautiful giant Fir.) 


Newspaper Articles 

Newfoundland 

Letter: Honouring Alcock and Brown 

On Saturday, June 14, 1919 British Royal Air Force officers Arthur Whitten Brown and John Alcock took off from a bumpy field in St. John’s, Newfoundland and soared into history as the first to fly the Atlantic Ocean non-stop. The takeoff site was christened “Lester’s Field” by Brown for the family that owned the property. 

Nova Scotia 


CFTA Tantramar Community Radio and the Tantramar Radio Players are taking to the airwaves to present The 1867 News. The show will begin later this month and feature daily newscasts from 150 years ago, when Canadians were preparing to enter into the federation known as Canada. 


A Canada 150 project from Annapolis Royal, N.S., weaving the rich history of the region into a traditional Scottish tartan has a Cochrane connection. 

Kimberly Gunn, who lived in Cochrane for 10 years before moving to Nova Scotia five years ago, has a strong link to the community. She and her husband come back to visit as often as they can, were bagpipers in the Cochrane Pipe Band, and Gunn continues to publish the Cochrane Visitors' Guide.

Neglect, corruption and the history behind Halifax's deadliest fire. 

The devastating fire broke out just before midnight at a Halifax institution, consuming everything in its path and taking the lives of 30 vulnerable people who had been asleep in their beds. 

More than a century later, a local author is delving into the shady history of the Halifax Poor House fire, which remains the deadliest blaze to ever occur in the city. 

Quebec 

From the archives: Awarding of a gold-headed cane to the first ship of the year started in the 1840s
http://montrealgazette.com/news/quebec/from-the-archives-awarding-of-a-gold-headed-cane-to-the-first-ship-of-the-year-started-in-the-1840s 

For most of Montreal’s long history, it was far different. Winter ice made the river impassable to sailing ships at least from mid-December to mid-April, and the advent of more powerful steam-driven ships in the middle of the 19th century didn’t extend the season by much.  

From the archives: Bonsecours was a market with style — and pretensions of grandeur — in 1847
http://montrealgazette.com/news/quebec/from-the-archives-bonsecours-was-a-market-with-style-and-pretensions-of-grandeur-in-1847  

On Jan. 6, 1847, Bonsecours Market still was not finished. Sharp eyes could see workers’ tools and supplies lying about. The police station in one of the building’s wings and the weighing station in the other — “superseding the wretched looking place now occupied for that purpose,” as the Gazette put it — were far from complete. 


Have you ever dreamed of being the sheriff of an old-timey frontier town? Perhaps you’re looking for a place to hitch your wagon? Or maybe you just wished you lived like a pioneer? Well, for the tidy sum of $2.8 million, you can turn those fantasies into reality in southern Quebec.

Ontario 

Canadian symbols on display at Museum London
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/canadian-symbols-museum-london-1.3921529

From the beaver and the moose to poutine and maple syrup, Canadian symbols will be on display at Museum London next week in preparation for the country's 150th birthday celebration.

The museum collected a host of artifacts, images and artwork that have become known as symbols of Canada's national identity, according to Amber Lloydlangston, the museum's curator of regional history.

Laid to rest: Identifying unknown Canadian soldiers who fell in battle in Europe
http://www.metronews.ca/news/canada/2017/01/04/laid-to-rest-identifying-unknown-canadian-soldiers-who-fell-in-battle-in-europe.html

It was a construction crew working on a hospital expansion that first came across human remains in 2010 near the pastoral French town of Vendin-le-Vieil — remains that would later prove to be those of an unknown Canadian soldier.

Over the six years that followed, the remains of 18 more missing Canadians would be found in the same area, either in small groups or alone where they fell nearly a century earlier.

Project adds Indigenous names to Canadian history
http://www.cbc.ca/radio/thecurrent/the-current-for-january-3-2017-1.3918513/project-adds-indigenous-names-to-canadian-history-1.3918516

They were called "Eskimo," "half-breed" or "squaw." The collection of photos of Indigenous people in the collections of Library and Archives Canada extends into the thousands — but often the Indigenous people in the photographs were not named, just labelled with words that sound offensive to modern ears.

Col. John McCrae gets the comic book superhero treatment
https://www.sootoday.com/local-news/col-john-mccrae-gets-the-comic-book-superhero-treatment-501435

Col. John McCrae is teaming up with six other lions of Canadian history to help save the world in a new comic book.

The Guelph author of In Flanders Fields is the central character in a work of historical comic book fiction by a pair of Guelph residents titled Group of 7.

Canada to celebrate Tamil Heritage Month in January
http://www.colombopage.com/archive_17A/Jan02_1483366672CH.php

Canada for the first time will celebrate the Tamil Heritage Month throughout January following its declaration by the Canadian House of Commons last year

Saskatchewan

History Matters: Grader operator unearths two ancient sites in Saskatoon landfill
http://thestarphoenix.com/opinion/columnists/history-matters-grader-operator-unearths-two-ancient-sites-in-saskatoon-landfill

It started out as a typical day for Charles Gowen, a heavy-equipment operator at the Saskatoon landfill. It was his job to scrape away dirt from a borrow pit and layer it over the trash. 

But on Sept. 1, 1977, when his grader had dug down about a metre, Gowen noticed that the colour of the soil was much darker, not its normal light sandy brown. Stopping to take a closer look, he found bone fragments and other organic material. 

Canadian Stories this Week 

New Year's Resolutions 

Well, have you made your New Years's Resolution, or do you call them something else, like goals for 2017? I prefer goals myself. I find that goals are more attainable, and I mention my goals in last week's newspaper http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2017/01/canadian-week-in-review-02-january-2017.html what I hope to attain in 2017. 

I found that The Genealogy Weekly January 4 2017 from Boston has in its weekly survey resolutions for 2017, and the most popular was organizing research papers, files, and photographs; followed closely by sharing genealogical information with other members of my by family, and sharing family history with our younger generations of my family.

That sounds familiar, doesn't it? I wonder what the success rate will be?

Something new at the Library and Archives Canada

I received a blog post from the Library and Archives Canada (LAC) entitled Introducing LAC’s guest curator blog series and our upcoming exhibition! 

They tell us to watch the LAC website at http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/Pages/home.aspx because there will be new and exciting blog articles, and upcoming exhibition - Canada: Who Do We Think We Are? And this is in recognition of the 150th anniversary of Canadian Confederation.

The exhibition opens on June 1, 2017, while the year-long blog series starts in January 2017.

The blog says that we will hear from the staff who helped develop the exhibition, including anecdotes about their work at LAC. The series also includes articles by scholars, experts and ordinary Canadians, who all depend upon LAC’s collection, from across Canada—and even the other side of the globe!

Visiting the exhibition

And be sure to visit the physical exhibition in downtown Ottawa where you can see these, and many other Canadian treasures, in person. Canada: Who Do We Think We Are? will be on display free of charge at the LAC headquarters at 395 Wellington Street between June 1, 2017, and March 1, 2018.

It sounds great and worth the visit.  

Be sure to tell your friends about us.

BTW, did you know that we celebrated our 9th blogiversary last week? We've been around since 02 January 2008! <http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2008/01/welcome-to-genealogy-canada-blog.html>

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


(c)2017 All rights reserved

Monday, December 12, 2016

Canadian Week in Review 12 December 2016


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 

Statute of Westminster 

11 December 1931 - The British parliament passed the Statute of Westminster, giving Canada final standing as an independent country. The legislation applied to Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. 

The one exception, was Newfoundland, where Britain resumed direct rule as they did before 1931. That arrangement remained until Newfoundland became a province of Canada in 1949. 


Social History  

Historic courthouse becomes Hampton's new town hall  


After years spent sitting empty the old Kings County Courthouse is once again bustling with activity, as staff from the town of Hampton began moving into their new office quarters this week.  

At one point many feared the 145-year-old building would be demolished when the province closed it in 2013 without a buyer in sight. The municipality bought the historic structure for $1 and has been renovating it since earlier this year.  

Newspaper Articles 

Newfoundland 

Archaeologists examine Indigenous site dating back 2,200 years on Exploits River 


An archaeological dig has uncovered material that dates back more than 2,000 years on the Exploits River. 

Laurie Maclean, an archaeologist, and Don Pelley, dig assistant, spent two weeks in November sifting through mud, clay and dirt on the edge of the river in search of items that belonged to the Groswater Paleoeskimos. 

Nova Scotia 

Africville and the 1917 Halifax Explosion  


Shortly after 9 a.m. on Dec. 6, 1917 a vessel carrying munitions exploded in the Narrows of Halifax Harbour, devastating much of the north end of the city. Two popular myths have emerged from that event: Africville, a black neighbourhood on the shores of Bedford Basin, escaped destruction, sheltered by the heights of the Halifax peninsula; and, following the explosion, Halifax Relief authorities deliberately denied reconstruction aid to Africville. Although mutually-exclusive, neither myth bears close scrutiny. 

Some family history at Fort Gaspereau 


I am going to tell you a story that might or might not be true. 

I prefer to think that it is true since it fits what I know of my family tree. After all my grandfather, who was born in the mid 1800s, has a name on his birth certificate that you all will recognize, Charles Tupper MD. 

2 historic downtown Halifax buildings may be in private hands next year 


After years of sitting idle and as a potential hazard, the Nova Scotia government is hoping to sell the historic Dennis Building in downtown Halifax to a developer in the new year.

The minister responsible for the file, Labi Kousoulis, wants the issue settled as soon as possible. 

How civil rights icon Viola Desmond helped change course of Canadian history 


She's often described as "Canada's Rosa Parks."  but if anything, Rosa Parks is America's Viola Desmond. 

The civil rights icon and new face of the Canadian $10 bill refused to give up her seat in a whites-only section of a Nova Scotia movie theatre nine years before Parks's famous act of civil disobedience on a racially segregated bus in Montgomery, Alamba. 

HANTS HISTORY: Dec. 5, 2016 edition 

Here's a look  at what was making the news 35 and 50 years ago in the Hants Journal


Quebec 

Timeworn Quebec City bridge could draw inspiration from Scottish twin 


Politicians have been trying to restore and repaint a historic Quebec City bridge, known as the Pont de Québec, for nearly a quarter of its 97 years of existence. 

Its almost identical twin in Edinburgh, Scotland, on the other hand, is sporting a new paint job.

Ontario 

New archive highlights years of racism faced by Chinese-Canadians 


Seventy-one years ago Mavis Chu Lew Garland and eight of her preschool classmates were photographed on the porch of the Chinese Canadian Institute on the corner of Dundas St. W. and University Ave. 

History: December 6, 1941 – War, spies, even James Bond 


The small isolated farm in southern Ontario was the perfect spot. 

It was the allied training camp for spies. 

Hindus worldwide laud proclamation of November as 'Hindu Heritage Month' by Ontario Legislature  


Commending Ontario legislature for passing the bill proclaiming November as "Hindu Heritage Month", Hindu community is urging the Canadian Parliament, other nine provinces, and three territories of Canada to do the same.  

Saskatchewan 

History Matters: Asked for bread, given a stone; the 1910 Farmers' Siege of Ottawa 


In the summer of 1910, Prime Minister Sir Wilfrid Laurier embarked on a gruelling, two-month rail tour of western Canada. 

Officially, the visit would give the prime minister the chance to see first-hand how the region had changed so dramatically during his time in office. The more likely explanation, though, was that Laurier was genuinely worried about the rumblings coming from the farm community. 

And there was good reason. 

Alberta 

ANAVETS reveal memorial park project 


The ANAVETS revealed their plan for a memorial park dedicated to veterans of the Afghan War on Friday.  

The ANAVETS originally looked at placing the memorial at Veterans Park, but a land survey indicated the land used to be a 1950s high-water catch basin and to remediate would cost $1.5 million.  

The memorial park will feature a black marble cenotaph, a tank, and landscaping. 

British Columbia 

Kelowna cemetery first provincial site of Chinese-Canadian monuments 


A commemorative monument to honour the contributions of Chinese-Canadians to BC’s history, culture and economic prosperity has been unveiled in Kelowna.  

Cowley – A Village with History 


The story behind its toponym (name history) apparently has to do with F.W.Godsal a pioneer rancher in the Cowley area. This was not the towns first name however as it was originally known as French Flats, as most of the early (white) residents that came there were French in origin. Nouveau-Brunswick and Quebecois families with names like LaGrandeur and Barbeau settled in the area around 1882. 

Historians shrug as two prime ministers erased from Canadian banknotes 


Losing two of Canada's wartime prime ministers from the country's $50 and $100 bills won't be a step backwards for a country that has plenty to learn about itself, a pair of leading history buffs say.  

International 

Canadian Jewish Heritage Month on table at Senate 


Canadian legislators have introduced a bill to designate the month of May as Canadian Jewish Heritage month. 

Canadian Stories this Week 

Call for Proposals 

The British Isles Family History Society of Greater Ottawa (BIFHSGO) has issued a Call for Proposals for its 23rd annual conference in Ottawa in September 2017. 

This year, they will highlight the genealogy of England and Wales family history, and Methodology, e.g., evidence analysis, genealogical proof standard, FAN (friends, associates and neighbours), and appraising the credibility of documents. 

For more information about submitting proposals, you can go to http://www.bifhsgo.ca/cpage.php?pt=125   

Deadline is January 31, 2017. 

New exhibit - The Canadian Museum of History and Library and Archives Canada 

A new exhibit, called Treasures From LAC Gallery, will be created within the Canadian Museum of History. 

The news story says that “ the gallery will showcase some of Canada's most historically significant documents from LAC's collections, making them more accessible to Canadians and enhancing public understanding of Canada's history and heritage.” 

So next time you are at the museum, be sure to check-out the CMH-LAC exhibit. 


Internet Archive raising funds for Internet Archive of Canada
I came across a friend's Facebook page the other day, and although she is an American genealogist, she had just made a donation to the Internet Archive, which, among other things, is going to host the Internet Archive of Canada. 

Not that that is a bad thing, but when you read the lead, it says “The Internet Archive is seeking donations to assist with the building of the Internet Archive of Canada in the wake of the Trump election”. 

What does the Trump election have to do with the Internet Archive of Canada??? 

If you read on, they say “The Internet Archive feels that this move is necessary in order to support their key mission: “to give everyone access to all knowledge, forever. For free.” We try to stay non-political here at Techaeris, but there is no telling what will transpire over the next four years with regards to net neutrality under a Trump presidency". 

So it appears that the Trump effect has made its way into Genealogy! Who knew? 


And that was the week in Canadian news!
This e-newspaper has been published since April 2012! 

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 

(c)2016 All rights reserved.