If your ancestors lived in Ontario’s Niagara Region in the 19th century and early 20th century, you may want to take a look at Newspaper.com’s latest additions. More than 50 newspaper titles, primarily from this area, were added yesterday.
There are now 684 Canadian newspapers available to search, although in several cases there are only a few years and pages digitized.
For example, newly added are these Welland papers: Welland Telegraph (1881-1891 — 25 pages), Welland Tribune (1885-1892 — 31 pages), Welland Tribune and Telegraph (1923-1925 — 220 pages), and Evening Tribune (1967 — 108 pages).
Also now available are the Irish Canadian (1875 — 8 pages), published in Toronto, and The Women’s Standard (1895 — 8 pages), published in St. Catharines.
A Newspapers.com subscription is not required to look at the list of papers and years that are available.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has inscribed the Notman Photographic Archives on the Memory of the World International Register.
The register serves to safeguard and promote access to documentary heritage of global significance — archives that chronicle the history of the world and the heritage of humanity.
William Notman, 1863, McCord Museum.
The Notman Photographic Archives, preserved at the McCord Stewart Museum in Montreal, consist of 200,000 glass plate negatives, 400,000 prints and hundreds of record books and ledgers produced by the Montreal Notman studio between 1856 and 1935.
This vast collection includes hundreds of thousands of individual and group portraits that demonstrate the unique aesthetic and innovations William Notman brought to portrait photography, earning him an international reputation as the most prominent Canadian photographer of his era.
The Notman studio pioneered several experimental techniques, including using magnesium to create an early form of flash photography, printing photographs on pages with letterpress text, and large composite photographs made by combining different photographs into a larger image.
Yves-Gérard Méhou-Loko, Secretary General, Canadian Commission for UNESCO, said, “The vast number of studio portraits captured and methodically catalogued by Notman are invaluable documentation of 19th century Canadian society. He photographed not only the white business and political elite as might be expected, but also artists, sports clubs, tradesmen, Black railway porters, nannies, and former slaves to create an important historical record of Canadian multicultural society.”
At its height, the Notman studio employed almost sixty people, including many women. My great-grandmother, Amy Young Haire, worked for Notman, as well as two of her cousins, Annie Young and Mary Fyvie Young. Their employment may explain why there are more than 200 photos of my ancestors and relatives in McCord’s Notman collection.
Annie Young, who was the daughter of George Young and Elizabeth Webster, worked for the Notman Studio until she married James Stewart Reed in 1881. This photo was taken in 1878 when she was a member of the staff. Source: II-50117.1, Notman Photographic Archives, McCord Museum.
The studio’s photographers, in addition to documenting Montreal’s development into a major urban centre, were sent across the country to capture cityscapes, landscapes, and major development projects such as the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway. The images of majestic mountains, lakeshore living, industrial and port workers, Indigenous communities, and urban development were sold as souvenir prints to locals and tourists and widely circulated in magazines and books such as The Canadian Handbook and Tourist’s Guide (1866), contributing to shaping national and international notions of Canada both pre and post Confederation.
A number of Notman photos are available on McCord’s website.
Ontario Ancestors offers four virtual presentations, starting tonight through to Saturday morning. They are free and open to the public.
The following times are in Eastern time.
Tuesday, May 13, 1:00 p.m. — Ireland SIG Researching Irish Farming History by William Roulston
The aim of this talk is to help those with roots in Ireland find out more about their farming ancestors through identifying documentary and printed sources of relevance. The talk will present information on relevant collections in archives and libraries across Ireland. Much attention will be focused on records relating to the management of landed estates and what these can tell us about tenant-farmers in Ireland. Register to watch online.
Tuesday, May 13, 7:30 p.m. — Essex County and Lambton County Branches Just Across the Border by Kathryn Lake Hogan
Thousands of people cross the international border between Canada and the United States every day. Our ancestors crossed those borders as well. Discover what can be found in Canada-USA border entry records and why every family historian should be researching them.Register to watch online.
Thursday, May 15, 1:00 p.m. — Kawartha Branch Manvers Township Historical Society by Teresa Jordan
Teresa Jordan will give us an overview of the history of Manvers Township Historical Society and the current status of the organization, the hours of operation of their Research Centre and the various projects that they currently have underway. Come join us to discover what the society has to offer to assist with your genealogy and historical research in Manvers Township, City of Kawartha Lakes (formerly known as Victoria County). Register at the Peterborough Public Library to watch online.
Saturday, May 17, 10:00 a.m. — Kingston Branch Héritage-Canadiana by Glenn Wright
Héritage-Canadiana is an extraordinary website with extensive digital collections of archival records, books, newspapers, serials, maps and government publications. Glenn’s presentation will throw light on the resources and how to use them effectively in our family history and genealogical research.
Following this presentation, Derrick Bouchard, Branch Cemeteries Committee Coordinator, will shares the story behind one of the branch’s most significant 50th-anniversary projects. In 2023, dedicated volunteers from the Cemeteries Committee began transcribing the Cataraqui Cemetery burial register from microfilm reels, preserving valuable records spanning 1853 to 1978. Thanks to their hard work, more than 34,000 burial records will soon be accessible to researchers worldwide, unlocking key historical details for genealogists and historians alike. During this 15-minute talk, Derrick will provide insights into the project’s development, its significance, and a step-by-step demonstration of how genealogists can explore the pages of the burial register. This meticulously indexed collection will allow users to search by surname, date of death, burial location, and more, making it an indispensable tool for family history research. This is a hybrid meeting. Attend in person at the Kingston Seniors’ Centre at 56 Francis Street or register to watch online.
Ancestry.ca is offering free access to its key collections until May 13 at 11:59 p.m..
Some of the collections available for free for a limited time are:
Canada, Voters Lists, 1935-1980 Ontario, Canada, Marriages, 1826-1942 Quebec, Canada, Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection), 1621-1968 Quebec, Canada, Death Registers 1926-1997 England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1916‑2005
Visit Ancestry.ca to see the full list of collections that are being offered for free.
No need for credit card details to take advantage of this offer. Just register with your email and start searching.
The Québec Genealogical eSociety will host the free webinar, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Genealogy, presented by Holly Haimerl, on Tuesday, May 13, at 7:00 p.m. Eastern time.
“Diversity is where everyone is invited to the party. Equity means that everyone gets to contribute to the playlist. Inclusion means that everyone has the opportunity to dance.” — Dr. Robert Sellers, Vice Provost for Equity and Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer, University of Michigan
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in genealogical research involves seeking out the stories, histories and experiences for individuals from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds, different races, ethnicities, cultures, abilities and sexual orientations. As genealogists and family history researchers we need to avoid perpetuating biases present in historical records, promote equity, consider multiple perspectives, use inclusive language and reflect the richness and complexity of human experiences.
For more gems like these throughout the week, join the Genealogy à la carte Facebook group. When you submit your request to join, you will be asked to answer two quick questions about your family history research.
As part of an annual release of vital statistics, BC Archives on Wednesday uploaded digitized marriage registrations from 1959 and death registrations from 2004 to its searchable database.
But wait. It looks like there could soon be even more good news from British Columbia’s provincial archives. The Vital Statistics Agency is apparently working to provide birth registrations from 1904 to BC Archives.
It has been a long time since birth registrations have been made available online. For the last two decades, the most recent birth registrations have been from 1903. In 2004, the British Columbia Vital Statistics Act added an extra 20 years to the release of births, extending it to 120 years.
The Provincial Archives of New Brunswick yesterday added 23,133 digitized images of birth registrations, from 1920 to 1929, for Northumberland, Queens and Restigouche counties.
Last month, the provincial archives added 17,965 birth registrations for the same period for Charlotte, Kings and Madawaska counties.
If you missed the Genealogical Association of Nova Scotia’s virtual conference this past weekend, you can still purchase access to the 14 presentation recordings until July 4. Topics include Loyalists, Acadians, New England Planters, enslaved Black people, Irish roots, and a Muslim cemetery.
The fee to watch the recordings is $39 for association members and $69 (about US$50) for non-members.
On May 8, 1945, World War II came to an end in Europe. Known as VE Day — Victory in Europe Day — it marks the official surrender of Nazi Germany and the beginning of the end of the most devastating conflict in modern history.
This year marks the 80th anniversary of that historic moment.
