New Glasgow Cemetery Vandalized On July 6th the New
Glasgow Pioneer Cemetery in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia—which has stood
for 161 years—was vandalized.
At least six of the tombstones have been knocked
over, some which took the bases right out of the ground as they fell
over and some markers fell into pieces as they crashed to the ground.
The damage may have been done during the Victoria
Day weekend (May, 2005) and the damage is in the thousand of dollars.
The cemetery, was once known as Founder's Cemetery, is the resting place of some of the Hector's (ship) passengers and Pictou's first residents, as well as two Mi'kmaq graves dating to the 1800s.
There are 65 markers in the cemetery.
Bells Corners (Ottawa) Cemetery Vandalized
Twenty-five large stone monuments were knocked over at Union Cemetery,
which was founded in 1853, with the last burial being in 1920. The
monuments were knocked over Wednesday night July 12, 2005.
It is now shared by the Anglican and United Churches.
(Helpers have surfaced. A number of people have come
forward and have placed stones back on their bases. They are expected
to be cemented in the weeks to come.)
The Island Register News
Since February of 2001, the Island Register News has been sending out
news stories about Prince Edward Island genealogy, heritage and history
news on a weekly basis, and now has added "death notices from local
newspapers and other sources."
The person's name, date of death, and age is given,
as well as to whom they are survived, and where their obituary can be
found in the web.
Dave Hunter, the author of this newsletter, is also
putting together a phone museum, and if you plan to visit, please
e-mail him at <dhunter@isn.net>.
The website is <http://www.islandregister.com/phones/museum.html>.
"Heritage News"
The Rooms Ian Wilson, Librarian and Archivist of Canada, was in Newfoundland at
the end of June, opening their new art gallery/museum/archives called
"The Rooms" at <http://www.therooms.ca/archives>.
Kilometres of text and a half-million images -
there is the opportunity to discover the people of this place. "Their
personal lives, politics, social activities, military actions, and
their exploration and exploitation of our natural resources, are all
documented in the archives."
There is a family history site as well as digital exhibits and a selection on collections in the archives.
City Directories Online
The Library and Archives Canada is pleased to announce the launch of
phase two of the Canadian Directories site.
The addition of 80 new directories to their
growing database brings a total of 95 searchable directories to the
site.
The regions of Ottawa and Halifax are the two new directories which have been added'
in addition, a new section entitled "CityScapes" has
been added, which is a brief historical overview of the cities whose
directories have been ditized
at<http://www.collectionscanada.ca/canadiandirectories>.
"History News"
01 August, 2005 - Commemorating Veteran's at Mountain View Cemetery
Thirteen monuments to commemorate veterans who lie in
unmarked graves in Mountain View Cemetery in Vancouver have been erected.
The monuments—which are of granite and stainless
steel and stand nearly six feet tall—contain the names of the
veterans in the unmarked graves.
For this project, Veteran's Affairs Canada (VAC)
provided $100,000 to the Last Post Fund (LPF) to erect the monuments in
the provincial Field of Honour at the Mountain View Cemetery. They
commemorate the 939 veterans who lie there in unmarked graves.
01 August, 2005 - Library and Archives Presents "Theses Canada"
The National Theses Program is celebrating its 40th
anniversary this year. The program is to acquire and preserve the
theses of Canadian universities, and to make them accessible to everyone.
The LAC provides open access to over 45,000 theses.
The theses are located at <http://www.collectionscanada.ca/thesescanada/index-e.html>.
03-07 August, 2005 - Library and Archives Canada at New France Festival
The LAC will be inside the old walls of Quebec
City, presenting "La sebile est pleine''
(the cup is full), a play which tells of traders from France who are
not so trustful, and of Ignace Gamelin, a local merchant who tells the
people about them and gets a petition addressed to the governor, asking
that they be stopped.
Check the New France Festival at <http://fnf2005.nouvellefrance.qc.ca/2005-en>.
11 August, 2005 - Compton Country, Quebec to Offer Tour The Compton County Historical Museum Society is offering a guided
house, garden, and museum tour on August 11, 2005 at 9 p.m. to raise
money for one of Quebec's oldest heritage preservation groups.
They will visit eight historical places of interest and will include
a hot lunch, which will be served at the Bulwer Community Centre.
The tour starts at the Cookshire-Eaton Information Centre in Birchton on the
corner of Rte. 108 and Harvey Road, where you will recieve a map and a
passport to each place.
The cost is $27.00 per person.
Pre-registration is required. Contact Pat Boychuck at
<patboychuck@sympatico.ca> or drop into the offices of the Qucbec
Anglophone Heritage Network at 257 Queen St., Lennoxville, Quebec. 28 August, 2005 - Caledon's Walk of Fame
At 11 o'clock, the 60th anniversary of the Allied
victories of World War II , the town of Caledon, Ontario will inscribe names on a
stone on Caledon's Walk of Fame to honour all of those who returned to
Caledon and contributed to the town after the war.
It will take place at the Caledon East Trail Pavilion, 15940 Airport Road. Contact Nadia Koltun at <d.pullen@sympatico.ca> or go to the town's website <http://www.town.caledon.on.ca/townhall/departments/recreation/Walk%20of%20Fame.asp>. Morin Heights Historic Walkabout
The Morin Heights Historical Association is hoping to raise money for
historic plaques to be placed throughout this Laurentians village.
English-language tours are scheduled for August 14th and September 25th.
All tours begin at Hillside Chapel at 1:30 p.m. A $5.00 fee is charged.
To reserve, please phone (450) 226-3232, ext. 143.
New Governor General to be Named in September
Governor
General Adrienne Clarkson is set to retire in September. At the
request of the reigning Liberal Government, she was asked to stay on another year when
it won a minority government.
Speculation is high over her replacement, with the
list of candidates running from James Bartleman, Ontario's lieutenant
governor (and the first aboriginal Canadian to be appointed) to Marc
Garneau, Canada's first man in space.
Written by War: Canadian Family Stories, 1913-1945
This
year marks the Year of the Veteran, and there is an exhibit marking it
by displaying stories written by Canadians, which will be open from 06 June,
2005 to 04 March, 2006. This exhibit is on at the Library and Archives
Canada, 395 Wellington Street, Ottawa. Tel: (613) 996-5115.
"Nearly one in ten Canadians served in uniform
between 1939 and 1945; millions more served in factories, on farms, and
in the merchant marine. It is their stories that are told through the
archival documents on display in this exhibition."
This exhibit is open from 9:00 am to 10:00 p.m. daily, in Exhibit Room C. There is free admission.
Former Residential School Made Museum
A former residential school, the Rufus Prince Building in Portage la
Prairie, Manitoba, has been turned into a museum.
Long Plains First Nation Chief Dennis Meeches, who
is the head of the project, said that "There is no better place to
house the museum than a former residential school. We want to be able
to tell the story through First Nation peoples, through our eyes,
through our experiences."
The Rufus Prince Building was a residential school
from 1916 to 1971. It is expected to reopen as a museum by 2008.
Producer Seeks Mysteries
A Toronto filmmaker, Rafael Losinski of Karow Prime
Films, is making a documentary called Unexplained Canada for CHUM TV on various mysteries of the Plains of Abraham.
In particular, he is interested in Lost Treasures of
the Citadel, and is also intrigued by General Wolfe and how he
allegedly predicted his own death by reciting a poem before the fateful
battle of 1759.
Mr. Losinski can be reached in Toronto at (416) 466-5007 or by e-mail <rafael90@sympatico.ca>.
Historic New Brunswick Church Burned
Sainte-Anne-de-Kent Roman Catholic Church in New
Brunswick burnt to the ground on June 30 after it's steeple was struck
by lighting.
About 75 people formed a human chain to pass some
statues, three small alters, and other relics from the church.
The church was known for its rare chandeliers and
beautiful paintings on its walls. Seventy-two paintings by Edouard
Gautreau were lost, as well as an Italian-made chandelier.
No one was injured in the fire.
Website Pick of the Month!
The Great War: Vimy Ridge This website <http://www.censol.ca/research/greatwar> is dedicated to Canadian soldiers serving in the
British 3rd Army, 34th Division, 23th Battalion of the Northumberland
Fusiliers (Tynside Irish) and to the Battle of Arras.
This website is packed with genealogy of George Van Wyck Laughton M.C., along with the history of the
Battle of Arras, and is posted by the grandson of Mr. Laughton with such
dedication and euthusium that it comes through in the many sections this
home page is divided into (i.e. the Official Canadian Record of the
Battle of Arras; George Van Wyck Laughton, M.C. "The Hero"; and the
Battlefield memorabilia).
Richard Laughton, the grandson, welcomes any input, corrections, or
suggestions that relate to the information posted here. He has also
posted photographs and keeps the website updated on a regular basis.
