Cape Breton website updated

Wayne Macvicar from Mira Gut, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, has been keeping two websites -
Cape Bretoners at War https://sites.google.com/site/cbatwar and Cape Bretoners in World War Two https://sites.google.com/site/cbinww2

He has updated them again, and the the website Cape Bretoners in World War Two contains an additional 34 individuals for a total of 16,110 plus 208 new pages for fatal casualties in the period Aug-Dec 1944, with photos for 17 individuals that are not on the Canadian Virtual War Memorial <http://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/collections/virtualmem> website.

Although he is feeling that he is getting closer to completing the number of individuals that served in the Second World War, he feels that he has jusr the bare amount of information of those who died in service. So he is asking for anyone who has any information they would like to share to fill out the form he has provided on his general Cape Bretoners at War <https://sites.google.com/site/cbatwar> website.

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

If you missed this week’s edition, it is at http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2015/01/canadian-week-in-review-12-january-2015.html

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

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

Canada’s first prime minister records

It has been 200 years since the birth of Canada’s first prime minister, Sir John A. Macdonald, and our interest in him and his life has never diminished. And since we are now celebrating the 200^th anniversary of his birth on January 11th, the interest is higher than normal.

The Library and Archives Canada (LAC) has an extensive and varied collection of records related to him, including a virtual exhibition that includes personal papers, photos, artwork, and publications. Within the LAC’s holdings are over 100,000 letters to and from family and close friends, which gives researchers a rare glimpse into his personal life.

You can listen to a podcast Let us be Canadians: Sir John A. Macdonald at http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/news/podcasts/Pages/sir-john-macdonald.aspx, or you can go to the fonds at http://collectionscanada.gc.ca/pam_archives/index.php?fuseaction=genitem.displayItem&lang=eng&rec_nbr=104008.

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

If you missed last week’s edition, it is at http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2015/01/canadian-week-in-review-05-january-2015.html 

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

The Archives Association of Ontario offers online courses

The Archives Association of Ontario (AAO) is an organization that supports archival associations, those working in archives, as well as users and supporters of archives. It is made up of 300 members from across the province. It involves itself in a network of archives and archivists providing programs, education, and advocacy. 

 

They are offering online courses, some of which may interest you.

 

The courses are -

 

Caring for Paper-Based Collections
January 20

Creating Access to Your Collections
January 27

Exhibiting Your Collections
February 10

Caring for Oversize Paper Artifacts
February 17

Caring for Scrapbooks
February 24

Writing Your NEH Preservation Assistance Grant (Free)
February 25

 

Spring sessions include new webinars on digital topics as well as caring for photographs, and emergency preparedness.

 

Registration is at https://www.nedcc.org/preservation-training/training-calendar/  

National Genealogy Conference in Canada

A travel agency from Guelph, Ontario is where you will register if you want to go to the National Genealogy Conference in Canada at Historic Pier 21 in Halifax, Nova Scotia on July 17 - 19, 2015.

The registration fee of $895.00 (Canadian Funds) per person includes the following -

• All taxes
• Full conference program with exceptional genealogy keynote and workshop speakers
• All food and beverage within the conference schedule
• The opportunity to submit personal information to have The Scotiabank Family History Centre research immigration information for your family prior to arriving at the conference.
• Guided tour plus additional on-own time at the Canadian Museum of  Immigration at Pier 21, immigration portal of Canada from 1928 - 1971
• A professionally guided tour of Halifax, including a visit to the Titanic Graveyard. Experts will be on hand to enhance your experience. Following the tour will be dinner at the Five Fishermen Restaurant, housed in a historic building with ties to the Titanic story.
• Networking opportunities and information sharing with genealogy enthusiasts from near and far.

Of course, your registration fee does not include the airfare to Halifax, or accommodation.

I am interested to know if any of my readers are going. What is your opinion on the cost of the conference? Is this a reasonable price to pay for a genealogical conference in Canada?

To register, go to http://www.visiontravel.ca/heidiwilker

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

If you missed last week’s edition, it is at http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2015/01/canadian-week-in-review-05-january-2015.html

It’s the ONLY news blog of its kind in Canada!
It has been a regular post every Monday morning since April 23, 2012.

Canadian Week in Review - 05 January 2015

I have come across the following Canadian websites, social media websites, and newspaper articles this past week that were of interest to me, and I thought you might be interested in them, too.

History

In 1727, James Wolfe, commander of the British expedition that captured Quebec in 1759, died of his wounds during the battle of the Plains of Abraham at Quebec.
To read more about James Wolfe, go to http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/646548/James-Wolfe

In 1872, Canada and the U.S. exchanged telegraphic weather reports for the first time.
For more on the history of telegraphy, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telegraphy

In 1884, a railway collision at the Humber River, just west of Toronto, took 31 lives.
To read more about the Toronto streetcar system, go to
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toronto_streetcar_system#Early_history_.281861.E2.80.931945.29

Social Media

(Video) Quebec man on a mission to save barns
http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/quebec-man-on-a-mission-to-save-barns-1.2167507#ixzz3NZhBY5Cq
   Roger Brabant of Rigaud, Que, a town on the road from Ottawa to Montreal, has started to take apart barns which have been slated for demolition, and uses the wood for his products – like cupboards.

Articles

Nova Scotia

Memory Lane Heritage Village goes high tech to boost tourism
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/memory-lane-heritage-village-goes-high-tech-to-boost-tourism-1.2882752

   The Heritage Village includes a dozen buildings set in the style of the 1940s and 1950s, and depicts the typical life of a coastal Nova Scotia community.

 

Nova Scotia music contest honours Viola Desmond’s legacy
http://thechronicleherald.ca/artslife/1259921-nova-scotia-music-contest-honours-viola-desmond%E2%80%99s-legacy
   The contest pays tribute to Viola Desmond and her contributions to Canada’s civil rights movement, and raises awareness of Nova Scotia’s Heritage Day
holiday honouring her on February 16th.

New Brunswick

Last official event held at Royal Canadian Legion Branch 28
http://www.chathamdailynews.ca/2015/01/01/last-official-event-held-at-royal-canadian-legion-branch-28
   A long-time military tradition capped off the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 28's history on New Year's Day.
   The branch hosted its stand-to levee, with more than 250 people in attendance. It was the last official event before it will merge with Branch 628 to create a new organization in February.

Ontario

Ross rifle maligned due to misinformation
http://www.mykawartha.com/opinion-story/5234631-ross-rifle-maligned-due-to-misinformation
   Terry Wieland, from St. Louis, Missouri (formerly of Peterborough, Ontario), a professional gun writer, writes a letter to the editor, in which he defends Lt. Ross Ackerman, by saying that he did not die from rifle malfunction.

Remembering the dead at Huronia Regional Centre
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2014/12/29/remembering_the_dead_at_huronia_regional_centre.html
­   Remember Every Name, a committee of survivors and community members, is working on a plan to mark some 1,440 unmarked graves of former patients at the notorious centre for people with developmental disabilities.

Canada's history not always so 'strong, proud, free'

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/canada-s-history-not-always-so-strong-proud-free-1.2884928

   The federal government's recent ad campaign distorts history, say some critics of the process.

Saskatchewan

What will Saskatoon look like in the future?

http://www.thestarphoenix.com/entertainment/What+will+Saskatoon+look+like+future/10695207/story.html

   Saskatoon could be on the precipice of getting a new look, say city officials, architects, and designers. But what that look will be is still open for debate.

Stories of the Year

 

 

One of the biggest stories of the year was the news that the Library and Archives Canada was going to digitize the service files of the First World War men and women, and put them online.

One suggestion that I would like to see as a researcher, in addition to being kept up-to-date, is that the LAC tells us where they are - up to which letter have the files been digitized? It would be easier to judge the rate at which they are doing the scans.

 

Another story has been the realignment of the Ontario Genealogical Society. They declared two branches “inactive” - Haldimand and Norfolk - and there were financial concerns for the organization, both due to lower levels of membership. It seems that they have stabilized themselves as a society, but time will tell.

  

The OGS has also transformed the publication of their journal, Families, from one that is a high-quality, paper-based magazine, into an electronic format, starting with the February 2015 issue.

 

A bit of good news for the Genealogical Association of Nova Scotia, as it moved to its new headquarters in the wider Halifax area. See their website, http://www.novascotiaancestors.ca.

They will be starting a new eight-week course in February 2015 for beginners.

 

And the third news story of the year was the Canadian societies that are going online with Webinars, Live Streaming, and putting genealogy topics on YouTube.

 

And sites like Ancestry.ca who have put on 24 new databases and have updated 5 more this past year, and FamilySearch.org, who has put on or updated their databases covering Canada (thanks to the indexers).

 

So, it has been a good year.

 

And we just got word that Louis Kessler, a genealogist from Winnipeg, Manitoba, has just released his GenSoftReviews for 2014.

 

To read who won the best reviews of 2014, go to http://www.gensoftreviews.com.

 

In 2015, the big news, as Thomas MacEntee says, is doing the Genealogy Do-Over.

  

It involves a 13-week exercise where you look at your genealogy and decide if you need to go back and do parts or all of it over again, because the first time, you may missed putting in sound citations, or do exhaustive research, and now you have a chance to correct it.

  

You can follow the progress at a Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/groups/genealogydoover or add a comment at http://www.geneabloggers.com/tag/genealogy-do-over

So, we wish everyone a Happy New Year, and let’s make 2015 the best ever year we have had for genealogy!

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

The next post will be on 12 January 2015.
 

Canada's First History Youth Forum in Ottawa

Twenty-two students from communities all across Canada have earned themselves a trip to Ottawa later this month during the first Canada's History Youth Forum.

The students were selected following their regional heritage fairs, and tasked with making a short video that demonstrated the historical significance of their topic. 

The videos were all posted online and a public vote encouraged Canadians to watch and support their favourite student flicks. After a combined total of over 34,000 votes, a panel of judges selected twenty-two winners for this year's program. 

The recipients of the 2014 Young Citizens program are: 

Abby Peterson, Rocky Mountain House, AB — Canada & Titanic
Dominic Shoop, Okotoks, AB —The Flintlock Pistol
Dylan Lee, Vancouver, BC — The Chinese Head Tax
Alexandra Mines, Vancouver, BC — Les Réfugiés Indésirables du Canada
Jenna Allison, Winnipeg, MB — Nellie McClung
Rachel Teller, Winnipeg, MB — Sir Frederick Banting
Maude Couturier, Fredericton, NB — Les infirmières militaires canadiennes
Emma Morehouse, Lincoln, NB — Patrick Owens Covered Bridge
Jasmine Rahman, St. John's, NL—The Newfoundland Conscience: A History of Giving
Jack Goldsworthy, Torbay, NL —Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: The Original Way of Life
Ben Strickland, Bridgewater, NS —The Mosquito
Sam Rogers, Lower Onslow, NS — The Black Devil's Brigade
Eastyn Klages, Chatsworth, ON — A Little Taste of Home
Paris Snake, Rama, ON — Residential Schools: The Intergenerational Impacts
Karla McCallum, Charlottetown, PEI —The Journey of the Potato
Harrison Duffy, Kinkora, PEI — History Of the PEI Railway
Élodie Chamberland, Sainte-Hélène-de-Kamouraska, QC — La Seconde Guerre mondiale
Andréanne Girard-Lemieux, Saint-Gédéon-de-Beauce, QC — Reproduction de mocassins amérindiens
Dylan Donald, Regina, SK — Chuckwagon Racing
Ella Forrest, Regina, SK — My Oma's Story
Duncan Snooks, Whitehorse, YT— Jacques Cartier
Maximilian Wanner, Whitehorse, YT — North West Mounted Police 

Honourable mentions include: 

Cauren Bale. De Winton, AB — The Evolution Of Canadian Figure Skating

Amina Guo. Vancouver, BC — Japanese Canadian internment
Olivia Richards. Vancouver, BC — 1961 train smoke eaters
Siya Johal. Delta, BC — My Sikh Family History
Luke Harris. North Vancouver, BC — Vimy Ridge
Jacob Grant, Winnipeg, MB — Andrew Charles Mynarski
Luke Battcock, Paradise. NL — Gros Morne
Griffin Fancy, Bridgewater. NS — Prestigious Provo
Julia McNeaney. ON — Ridley College
Turner Clarke, Port Colborne. ON — The Wainfleet Bog
Clara Sismondo. Kingston, ON — KCVI : a history
Lise Charles, Charlottetown. PEI — Un pėcheur madelinot
Karine Champagne, Saint-Honoré-de-Shenley. QC — Le patrimoine des Jésuites en Nouvelle-France
Makayla Kaye. Whitehorse, YT — Yukon First nation 

To see more about the Young Citizens Program, visit their website at www.YoungCitizens.ca

LAC Update: Digitized Canadian Expeditionary Force personnel service files are starting to go online

Credit: Library and Archives Canada, Acc. No. 1983-28-826

We have just received this notice from Library and Archives Canada(LAC) that they are finally putting digitized Canadian Expeditionary Force personnel service files on their site.

Here is the notice -

"In January 2014, we announced a project to digitize 640,000 Canadian Expeditionary Force personnel service files as part of the First World War commemoration activities of the Government of Canada. The goal of this project is to provide free access to high-quality digital copies of all service files in PDF format, anytime and anywhere.

Close to 100 years old, these personnel files are quite brittle. Additionally, over the years, service files have been consulted many times, so they are extremely fragile. It was time to take concrete steps to ensure their preservation for future generations.

To achieve this goal, Library and Archives Canada (LAC) will have to close portions of this collection as they undergo preparation, conservation, and digitization. The entire process is complex because each file must be examined: staples, paper clips and glue must be removed, and in some cases, the files must be treated for mould. After this preparation is completed, digitization is next, starting with box No. 1 and going up. Once digitized, the service files will be stored in a permanent, safe environment. We estimate that 32,000,000 pages will be available online once digitization is finished.

We are happy to inform you that we have started posting the digitized files online. They are accessible via our Soldiers of the First World War: 1914–1918 data base. As of today, 76,330 files are available online. Regular uploads of about 5,000 files will take place every two weeks. All digitized files are searchable by name, regimental number and rank. We will inform you as more digitized files are added to the database.'

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

Canadian Week in Review - 29 September 2014

I have come across the following Canadian websites, social media items, and newspaper articles this past week that were of interest to me, and I thought you might be interested in them, too.

History Week in Canada

In 1780, Benedict Arnold escaped one day after his treason came to light in what was to become the United States. Arnold, a major-general, and commander of the American Fort West Point, had planned to surrender the fort to the British. He became a colonel in the British army, and later lived in Saint John, New Brunswick. He then returned to England, where he died in 1801.

For more information, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benedict_Arnold

===================================================

In 1962, the "Garden of the Provinces" in Ottawa was opened by Prime Minister John Diefenbaker.

To read more about this park, that is opposite the Library and Archives Canada, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garden_of_the_Provinces_and_Territories

===================================================

Social Media

(Blog) The Recipe Project
http://recipes.hypotheses.org/4378
Valarie J. Korinek is the author of this blog, and a Professor of Canadian History at the University of Saskatchewan.

Nova Scotia

Delegates visit area for N.S. Heritage Conference
http://www.ngnews.ca/News/Local/2014-09-23/article-3879913/Delegates-visit-area-for-N.S.-Heritage-Conference/1
Pictou County, Nova Scotia hosted the Nova Scotia Heritage Conference.

History-Ed Coleman: First World War humour in Hansford’s stories
http://www.novanewsnow.com/Opinion/Columnists/2014-09-21/article-3875711/History-Ed-Coleman%3A-First-World-War-humour-in-Hansford%26rsquo%3Bs-stories/1
Born in 1899, the former Wolfville barber, Cecil Hansford, was 16 when he joined the Canadian Army to fight in the First World War.

Lighthouse mural by Yarmouth artist an attraction for Nova Scotia visitors
http://www.kingscountynews.ca/News/Local/2014-09-23/article-3878832/Lighthouse-mural-by-Yarmouth-artist-an-attraction-for-Nova-Scotia-visitors/1
A Yarmouth artist has painted a mural of 144 Nova Scotia lighthouses that will meet everybody who takes the ferry from Maine to this Nova Scotian town.

New Brunswick

N.B.’s 104th finally gets its due
http://thechronicleherald.ca/books/1239446-nb-s-104th-finally-gets-its-due
Regiment’s War of 1812 efforts shown to be more than a footnote.

Quebec

The Treaty of Paris is in town
http://www.lifeinquebec.com/the-treaty-of-paris-is-in-town-10088/
Quebec City (Quebec) 23 September, 2014 – The Treaty of Paris ended the Seven Years’ War between France Britain and Spain. The actual treaty, that was signed on February 10, 1763, is on display at the Musée de la Civilisation starting today, September 23 until October 2nd.

Ontario

Excerpt #6 – The First World War: Excerpts from the diary of Woodman Leonard
http://www.ottawasun.com/2014/09/25/the-first-world-war-excerpts-from-the-diary-of-woodman-leonard
For links to the other installments, visit last week's CWR post at -
http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2014/09/canadian-week-in-review-22-september.html

Canadian government joins 11th-hour search for John A. Macdonald’s precise birthplace
http://o.canada.com/news/canadian-government-joins-11th-hour-search-for-john-a-macdonalds-precise-birthplace
Barely 100 days before planned celebrations to mark the bicentennial of Sir John A. Macdonald’s birth in Glasgow, Scotland, the Canadian government has joined in an 11th-hour search for the precise birthplace of the country’s founding prime minister.

Science and Technology museum closed until 2015
http://www.ottawasun.com/2014/09/23/science-and-tech-museum-closed-until-2015
The Canada Science and Technology Museum will remain close until at least January 2015 because of mould.

Health unit looks back at its history
http://www.northernlife.ca/news/localNews/2014/09/22-sdhu-history-sudbury.aspx
A painstaking account of Sudbury's environmental history, going back to 1883, when Sudbury was only a Canadian Pacific Railway Outpost.

Here are the details on the RCAF’s new uniforms and ranks
http://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/defence-watch/here-are-the-details-on-the-rcafs-new-uniforms-and-ranks
The Royal Canadian Air Force’s (RCAF) new uniform respects the contributions and sacrifices of airmen and airwomen who served – and continue to serve – with pride and professionalism.

Afghanistan added to Tillsonburg's cenotaph, dedication ceremony planned Oct. 7
http://www.tillsonburgnews.com/2014/09/25/afghanistan-added-to-tillsonburgs-cenotaph-dedication-ceremony-planned-oct-7

Local residents are invited to a special dedication ceremony at the town cenotaph on Tuesday, October 7th to honour members of the International Security Assistance Force who served in Afghanistan.

Alberta

Can we save McKay Avenue School? Or is our history doomed to be history?
http://blogs.edmontonjournal.com/category/edmonton-commons/
McKay Avenue School, built in 1904, also played host to Alberta’s first legislative assemblies. Today, it’s a school museum, and on the endanger list to be torn down.

Alberta Aviation Museum receives historic air mail letter

http://www.630ched.com/2014/09/21/alberta-aviation-museum-receives-historic-air-mail-letter/

The letter was part of the very first air mail delivery in Western Canada, flown from Calgary to Edmonton on July 9th, 1918 by Katherine Stinson, in an insubstantial wood and fabric aircraft.

Bison treaty signed by Alberta, Montana tribes

1st treaty among tribes and First Nations in the area since the 1800s

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/bison-treaty-signed-by-alberta-montana-tribes-1.2775965

Native tribes from the U.S. and Canada signed a treaty Tuesday establishing an inter-tribal alliance to restore bison to areas of the Rocky Mountains and Great Plains where millions of the animals once roamed.

British Columbia 

Aboriginal tourism operator rebuked for opening burial boxes for travellers
http://www.cbc.ca/news/aboriginal/aboriginal-tourism-operator-rebuked-for-opening-burial-boxes-for-travellers-1.2774255
The actions of an aboriginal tourism operator in British Columbia who gave some travellers access to ancient burial boxes, including revealing the skeletal remains inside, have been condemned by his fellow First Nations.

Story of the Week

The society’s webpage is changing
(Editorial)

In years gone by, I used to go to a society’s website to see what was new with the organization, as well as its events,  latest publications, and their yearly executive.

There was so many changes I used to highlight it on my old news summary every week, and later, the Canadian Week in Review, but as time marched on, websites became less and less important, while on the other hand, the Member’s-Only webpages in the majority of a society’s website were becoming more important.

Then, about three years ago or so, the use of blogs by societies became the go-to media of choice for societies. But blogs quickly went out of style, mainly because they needed someone to look after them as people naturally graduated toward them. They needed someone to update them on a daily basis, and it became a hard job to find somebody within the society to take on that responsibility. And then Facebook came into the picture!

In a way, Facebook is their saving grace, because it can do everything that a webpage can do, plus it can add photos, videos, and other people can quickly comment on the posting, so it’s an "everybody" page. People have a feeling that the society belongs to them; whereas, the webpages and even blogs seemed somewhat distant, and there has to be a reason why only about 10% of the genealogy audience reads blogs, while as many as 70% read Facebook to see what is going on (according to a recent survey).

And now Google+ is making inroads on Facebook, although I believe that people are so used to Facebook now, it will be difficult to switch over to Google+. Most of the genealogists I know use Goggle+, along with a combination of Facebook, and yes, even blogs to keep up the date on genealogy news. And with the acquisition of YouTube, and video "Hang Outs", where you can actually listen to a person or people talk about one's favourite subject – Genealogy – it makes for a good combination.

So that is where I see genealogy going these days, until a new idea comes along.

How about you? Have you found that genealogy is cha

nging the way they get their word across to people? What have you experienced?

Let me know your thoughts, and I might post them in a future issue of CWR!

I can be reached at genealoygcanada@aol.com

Reminder: Check the Canadian Week in Review next Monday for the latest in Genealogy, Heritage, and History news in Canada. It’s theONLY news blog of its kind in country!

The next post will be on 06 October 2014.

Fall Events at Mackenzie House, Toronto

For those of you who do not know, Mackenzie was the last home of William Lyon Mackenzie, the city's first mayor, and one the participants in the Rebellion of 1837.

He returned from self-imposed exile to the United States as a result of his involvement in the rebellion, and the house was bought for him by his friends and supporters in 1858.

There is a host of fall events to be held at Mackenzie House, such as -

High Park Harvest Festival

Sunday, October 5, 12 to 4:30 p.m.

Visit the Mackenzie House table when you come to the High Park Harvest Festival at Colborne Lodge. They will give you information about their museum programs and the opportunity to print a special Harvest Festival souvenir on their historic proof press!

City of the Dead: The Necropolis Cemetery Tour

Sunday, October 19, 1:30 to 3 p.m.

Not recommended for children under 8 years of age.

The walk starts at the Cemetery. Meet at the main entrance.

Join them for a drama-enhanced walk through the Necropolis Cemetery to visit the graves of William Lyon Mackenzie and his family, his fellow rebels and rivals. Hear stories of murder, heartbreak and great perseverance.

After the walk, participants are invited to return to Mackenzie House, for a tour and some light refreshments. 

The Necropolis Cemetery is located at 200 Winchester Street, the west side of the Don Valley near Riverdale Farm.

Pre-registration and pre-payment required. Adults (16 yrs. & older):$12.50 plus tax; Children 8-15 yrs.: $10.50 plus tax.

Spirit Walk

Saturday, October 25 - Three times available At 6:30 p.m., 7:00 p.m. or 7:30 p.m.

Not recommended for children under 8 years of age.

Let your imagination take over as they lead you through downtown alleys and lane ways to discover some of Toronto’s reputedly haunted buildings ….

Return to gas-lit historic Mackenzie House and soothe your goose bumps with mulled cider and biscuits as you hear about the ghost stories associated with the house.

Pre-registration and pre-payment are required. Adults (16 yrs. & older): $12.50 plus tax; Children 8-15 yrs.: $10.50 plus tax

Contact them at 416-392-6915 or email machouse@toronto.ca

The webpage is at http://www1.toronto.ca/wps/portal/contentonly?vgnextoid=8ccf1d18ed7a0410VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD

Their Facebook page is at https://www.facebook.com/mackenziehouse

The story of of William Lyon Mackenzie is at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Lyon_Mackenzie

Blankenstein Family Heritage Centre - Ontario Jewish Archives-

Back in 1973, the Ontario Jewish Archives, known as the Blankenstein Family Heritage Centre, started to acquire, preserve and today, it is making available documentary sources related to Ontario's Jewish community. 

Now, the Government of Canada has announced that it will be providing $195,100 through the Canada Cultural Spaces Fund to support a renovation project undertaken by the Ontario Jewish Archives Foundation. With this funding the Foundation will retrofit the vault and redesign and furnish the public access space and document processing area in the Blankenstein Family Heritage Centre. 

The Ontario Jewish Archives is the largest professionally maintained repository of Jewish archival material in Canada.

You can search their archives where they have over 5,000 cubic feet of textual records, photos, newspapers, films, and oral histories. 

The website is at http://ontariojewisharchives.org/

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

75th anniversary of Canada’s engagement in the Second World War

Today, September 10th, marks 75th anniversary of Canada’s engagement in the Second World War.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper has issued the following statement -

“On September 10th, 1939, nine days after Germany invaded Poland, Canada made its first declaration of war as a sovereign country.

“Though still recovering from the hardship and sacrifices wrought by the First World War and the Great Depression, Canada did not hesitate to stand up for what was right.

“The Canadian contribution to the war effort was remarkable. From a population of just 11 million, over one million Canadians and Newfoundlanders served in military uniform between 1939 and 1945. By war’s end, our country possessed the fourth-largest air force and the third-largest naval surface fleet in the world.

“In the air, on land and at sea, those young Canadians served with honour and integrity, both at home and abroad. Their resolve and clarity of purpose was evident in hostile skies, on the shores of Dieppe and Normandy, in the mountains of Italy, on the frigid North Atlantic waters, and in the searing Hong Kong sun. From Europe to the Far East, they stood strong, supported by the loved ones they left behind and millions of Canadians diligently working on the home front. Freedom was won, but at a tremendous cost, with more than 45,000 Canadians giving their lives and another 55,000 wounded.

“Though decades have passed, the effects of the Second World War are still felt in Canada. The courage and sacrifice of those who served must be honoured through meaningful remembrance.

“Today, as we mark the 75th anniversary of Canada’s engagement in the Second World War, I ask all Canadians to take time to think about the enormous contributions our Veterans and Canadian Armed Forces members have made to the country we enjoy today.

“Lest we forget.”

For a history of Canada's involvement in the Second World War, please read The Canadian Encyclopedia at http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/second-world-war-wwii/  

Edmonton City as Museum Project

The Edmonton City as Museum Project will tell the ‘stories of the people, places, and things’ that make up the city of Edmonton. 

So far, the site has explored the North Saskatchewan River, told the story of the Edmonton’s Pioneer Photographers, and they will host a special exhibit on Freedom this month. 

They would like you to recommend songs that will create a sense of freedom for the visitors to the exhibit. 

The songs will be compiled into the Freedom Playlist and will be shared in the exhibit and on line. 

The last day to submit is September 27, 2014 and the exhibit will take place on September 28th from 1 – 4 pm at the Prince of Wales Armoury. 

And they want your stories! So if you have a story to contribute, you can email them at 

mroberts@edmontonheritage.ca 

The website is at http://citymuseumedmonton.ca/ 

The Facebook page is on https://www.facebook.com/YEGCityasMuseum

60th annual Manitoba Threshermen's Reunion & Stampede

This year, an unique show will be held at the 60th annual Manitoba Threshermen’s Reunion & Stampede from today until the 27th of July at Austin, Manitoba.

They will be commemorating the First and Second World Wars in displays, exhibits, and musical performances in the “Manitoba’s Military Heritage”. It will commemorate the impact of the 100th Anniversary of the First World War and the 75th Anniversary of the Second World War on Manitoba farms, families and communities.

The feature attraction will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience that includes many unique features such as

•Manitoba’s largest assembly of operating vintage military vehicles, including 1 of 2 operating First World War era Sherman tanks in Canada and a motorized First World War field ambulance

• Live daily presentations of Life in the Trenches for a First World War soldier at 11 am and 3:30 pm

• Displays of the current and heritage capabilities of Canada’s Armed Forces from 1 RCHA and 2 PPCLI from CFB Shilo.

• Exhibits on important Manitoba military sites, people and units stationed in Manitoba

• Daily fashion show of military uniforms and civilian dress from the war years at 4 pm

• Musical performances from the RCAF Air Command Band (Friday and Saturday) and the PPCLI Regimental Drum Line (Saturday only)

Go to their website at http://ag-museum.com/

You can go to the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/mbagmuseum

Ancestry Update: South African War Land Grants, 1908-1910

Ancestry.ca has added a new historical record -

“During the South African War (or Boer War) of 1899–1902, for the first time, Canada sent troops to fight in a war overseas. About 7,300 Canadian troops and 12 nurses served in South Africa. Veterans of the war were became eligible for 320 acres of Dominion Land (or a payment of $160 in scrip) under the 1908 Volunteer Bounty Act.

This database contains applications for these bounty land grants. Applications typically include the following details:

· name

· gender

· service start date, location

· residence

· death date

· place of death

· age at death

· birth date

· birth place

· regiment

The applications are two pages long, so be sure to page forward to see the entire record.” 

One thing I did notice is that in some applicant’s forms, there are notes that you may finding helpful, and the date range of service is there also. 

You can go to the website at http://search.ancestry.ca/search/db.aspx?dbid=9150 

The records are in the Library and Archives Canada, under the citation of Department of Veterans Affairs. Soldiers of the South African War, Land Grant Applications. Record Group 38 (vols. 117-136). Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa, Ontario.

FamilySearch Indexing Project is waiting for you!

Are you ready? 

FamilySearch would like to have 50,000 indexers and arbitrators to submit at least one batch in a 24-hour period! Do more if you would like, but one batch is all that is required to be counted in the record!

The record-setting begins at 00:00 coordinated universal time (UTC) on July 21, which is 6:00 p.m. mountain daylight time (MDT or Utah time) on Sunday, July 20. It ends 24 hours later, at 23:59 UTC (or 5:59 p.m. MDT) on Monday, July 21. 

Check the FamilySearch Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/events/722157871184202/ for your local start time and status updates.

Here are the statistics on indexing Canadian projects - 

• There are 67,802 current volunteers 
• There are 15 current projects
• There are 7,832 Images awaiting arbitration 
•  There have been 787,408 Canada records contributed 

Some of the project that still need indexing are –

• British Columbia Marriages 1937
• Newfoundland Vital Records 1840-1949
• Prince Edward Island 1721-1905

Plan now to get involved and add your name to the record-setting event!

The Canadian projects are at https://familysearch.org/indexing/projects/country/ca  

Ireland Canada Monument Project

Every so often, I hear from the Ireland Canada Monument Project in Vancouver, British Columbia by receiving their newsletter.

The Monument project is an historic endeavour to give recognition to those of Irish birth or descent who have given or continue to give to Canada, its provinces and the City of Vancouver.

They say that “The core work for the project is basically complete and general agreement has been reached between the Monument Society and Vancouver Parks Board on site details. Once a new site is agreed upon, the Monument Society looks forward to finalizing the site layout with Parks Board staff.”

They have a blog at http://irelandmonumentvancouver.com and you can be placed on the newsletter distribution list by writing to irelandmonumentcanada@gmail.com 

Their Facebook page is at https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Ireland-Canada-Monument/103460626418488