After a banner year of virtual presentations and conferences in 2021 and a pandemic that just doesn’t want to go away, it looks like the online trend will continue this year with almost daily opportunities to learn about genealogy research from the comfort of our home. This is good news for most genealogists.
Again in 2022, we’re going to be able to attend virtual monthly meetings and conferences on the other side of the country or in another country, without spending a dime on travel or accommodations.
The pandemic has provided many of us with plenty of (isolated) time to research and learn. It has been easier to connect with distant relatives because few people are travelling these days and more seem willing to exchange emails and chat on the phone.
But there is a downside.
Among the drawbacks for genealogists during the pandemic is the reduced access to archival centres and libraries, delayed release of new record collections, and little to no opportunity to gather in person with fellow researchers.
Still, despite the pandemic and ongoing restrictions, there are a number of things to look forward to if you’re researching your Canadian family history.
175th anniversary of Irish Famine
This year marks the 175th anniversary of Irish mass immigration to Canada during the Great Famine in Ireland.
The Great Irish Famine of 1847 resulted in the death of over one million people, most from starvation, and incited over two million people to eventually emigrate from Ireland.
In 1847, over 100,000 Irish sailed to Canada, although an estimated one in five did not survive due to harsh conditions on the ships. The destination for most of these ships was the port of Quebec, where newcomers were required to stop at the quarantine island of Grosse-Île. Almost 5,000 Irish died on Grosse-Île, making the island the largest Irish burial ground outside of Ireland.
Documentary Heritage Communities Program
In May, Library and Archives Canada (LAC) will likely announce the projects that will receive funding from the Documentary Heritage Communities Program. In 2021, LAC provided $1.5 million to support 41 projects by archives, libraries and documentary heritage institutions throughout Canada.
Nova Scotia adoption records
Nova Scotia’s adoption records are scheduled to open in the spring. The open adoption records will allow an adopted person (who is now 19 or older) and birth parents to access adoption information if they want to. People will still be able to choose if their identifying information is shared, who can contact them (including birth siblings and other relatives), and how they want to be contacted.
Census releases
Although the 1931 Canada Census won’t be available to the public until 2023, 92 years after it was collected, there are three notable census releases in 2022 that will help many genealogists, whether researching their ancestors who lived in Canada or elsewhere.
On January 6, the 1921 Census of England & Wales will be exclusively available online at Findmypast. The census was conducted in the immediate aftermath of the First World War, the Spanish flu pandemic, and the introduction of voting rights for some women. It was a time of economic turmoil, upheaval and change.
This was the first census to recognize divorce and to capture people’s employment details. Individuals were asked not only about their occupations, but also their place of work and employer.
There will initially be a charge on Findmypast to access individual entries, at £2.50 (about CDN$4.25) for every record transcript, and £3.50 (about CDN$6.00) for an original image of a record.
This highly anticipated launch is likely to be the last significant census release for England and Wales in many people’s lifetime.
Taken once a decade, the census remains secret for 100 years before being opened to the public. The 1931 census was destroyed in a fire at the Office for Works in 1942, and the 1941 census was never captured owing to the outbreak of the Second World War.
The next census of England and Wales was taken in 1951, and it won’t be released to the public until 2052.
As for the 1921 Census of Scotland, ScotlandsPeople plans to release it online “in the latter half of 2022.”
In the United States, the 1950 US Census will be released on April 1. (The National Archives in the US releases a census to the public only 72 years after the day the census was taken.) It will be available on Ancestry and FamilySearch.
Given the number of Canadians who have moved to the United States and Americans who have migrated to Canada over the years, the US census will be a good resource for family historians.
Vital records
As for Canadian birth, marriage and death records, in July we may see British Columbia registrations of marriages from 1946 and deaths registrations from 2001 on the BC Archives website. The next time a new collection of BC birth registrations will be released is 2024 — 120 years after the 1904 births were registered. In 2004, the British Columbia Vital Statistics Act added an extra 20 years to the release of births, extending it to 120 years. Until then, researchers will have to be satisfied with the online birth records from 1854 to 1903.
Last year, it was expected that Ancestry would publish Ontario marriages for 1939 and death registrations for 1949.
But that didn’t happen.
So, this year, let’s hope Ancestry will publish marriages for both 1939 and 1940 and death registrations for 1949 and 1950.
In 2021, Ancestry did publish Ontario birth registrations for 1915. For that reason, it’s likely we’ll see Ontario birth registrations for 1916, possibly in July or August.
In February, the Provincial Archives of New Brunswick will likely release online birth registrations for 1926, followed by marriages for 1971 in April, and death registrations for 1971 in June. Despite the pandemic, they had appeared on schedule in 2021.
If Nova Scotia Archives follows its 2021 timetable, we should see marriage registrations in Nova Scotia for 1946 in April, death records for 1971 in July, and birth registrations for 1921 by November.
Virtual conferences and courses
Three Canadian organizations have already announced the dates for their virtual conference, symposiums, and courses. It’s expected a few other societies may do the same.
The Québec Genealogical eSociety will hold its second annual virtual conference from February 9 to 13, 2022. There will be more than 24 à la carte sessions in English and French during the five days, which means registrants may attend just one session or several.
On April 23, the Alberta Genealogical Society will host the virtual GenFair, Breaking through Brick Walls, that is free. Details to follow.
The Ottawa Branch will host Ontario Ancestors‘ virtual conference that is usually the largest in Canada. It will be held June 24 to 26. We should expect to see the program a few weeks after the call for presentation submissions closes on January 30.
New this year at Ontario Ancestors is two virtual symposiums. The first symposium will be held in May and focus on DNA and genetic genealogy. The second one is planned for November, and the topic will be announced later. Details are not yet available.
Courses for the second annual Canadian Genealogical Virtual Research Intensive will be held August 7 to 12 and August 21 to 26. Details about the courses will be announced February 1, and registration will open April 2. Last year, there was only one course with 18 classes, and it was about researching Ontario and Quebec ancestors. There were four 75-minute classes each day, Monday through Thursday, and two classes on Friday. The course was limited to 25 students to allow for easy interaction among the instructors and students.
The largest family history event in the world, RootsTech 2022, will be held online from March 3 to 5. Registration is free and open to anyone. Will there be presentations specific to Canadian research? Hard to say until the program is released. What we can assume is that there will be plenty of learning no matter where we live.
Webinars and virtual presentations
Genealogical societies across Canada offer plenty of opportunities to learn. Many are free virtual presentations and, in a few cases, non-members must pay a modest fee.
To keep up to date with what’s available, it’s best to check your favourite genealogical organizations on a regular basis or watch for announcements on this blog and other blogs.
Ontario Ancestors will continue with its free monthly webinar program and offer the recordings free to members. The society’s branches and special interest groups also host free monthly presentations. Information about upcoming virtual presentations can be found on the Ontario Ancestors’ Events Calendar and in the eWeekly Update newsletter.
As they do every year, the British Isles Family History Society of Greater Ottawa has organized a strong monthly meeting schedule. Each monthly meeting includes an educational presentation, followed by the featured talk. This year, the meetings will continue to be virtual and all are free.
Legacy Family Tree Webinars last week announced that the O Canada series is back for a second year and will be broadcast live the third Friday of every other month, starting February 18. Recordings of these presentations will be available to watch for free for up to seven days afterward in the webinar library. More information about all of the 120 webinars is available in the program announcement, and the program is also available in a printable list.
Join and/or donate
This year, if you haven’t already done so, please consider joining a society or making a donation to thank them for providing free learning opportunities.
