Candice McDonald

Saskatchewan Ancestors: The Name Change Index of the SGS

I\’m sure most of us have found an ancestor who changed their name. Unfortunately, we don\’t always get a paper trail showing it. If you have an ancestor who lived in Saskatchewan though, you\’re in luck. In 1933 the Saskatchewan government passed legislation formalizing the process of changing one\’s name. First an application would beContinue reading “Saskatchewan Ancestors: The Name Change Index of the SGS”

Immigrant Ancestors: The Canadian Naturalization Records

http://wikimapia.org/36822/Library-and-Archives-Canada#/photo/141205 Immigration records can be tough. There are so many variables to consider. What country did they come from? When did they come? How old were they when they came? What port would they have come through? If your ancestor came from a country outside the British Commonwealth, you do have one avenue open toContinue reading “Immigrant Ancestors: The Canadian Naturalization Records”

Ontario Ancestors: Happy Birthday Toronto!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Toronto This week marked Toronto\’s 184th birthday. Known as \”Toronto the Good\” in world wide circles, the rest of Canada tends to have a love/hate relationship with our largest city. I myself was born in Toronto, and lived there until my early teens, Though it\’s been many years since I lived there, I still haveContinue reading “Ontario Ancestors: Happy Birthday Toronto!”

British Columbia Ancestors: Victoria Police Department Charge Books

Some people get embarrassed when they find out there\’s an ancestor who has a criminal connection. Genealogists, on the other hand, tend to have the opposite reaction. We look at \”black sheep\” ancestors with delight, knowing there\’s a good story in there. This week I found out about a great resource through social media. GailContinue reading “British Columbia Ancestors: Victoria Police Department Charge Books”

New Brunswick Ancestors: The Genealogical Files of Mgr Robichaud

If you have north eastern New Brunswick ancestors, as I do, then you\’ll want to check out the Mgr Donat Robichaud Genealogical and Historical Research Collection at the Provincial Archives of New Brunswick. This collection is the product of many years work. http://archives.gnb.ca/Search/FatherRobichaudTranscriptions/Default.aspx?culture=en-CA Monseigneur Robichaud was a Catholic Priest who was born in Shippegan, New Brunswick 24Continue reading “New Brunswick Ancestors: The Genealogical Files of Mgr Robichaud”

Prince Edward Island Ancestors: The Island Register

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Prince_Edward_Island If you have Prince Edward Island ancestors, then you need to bookmark The Island Register into your web browser. This site is a go-to site when researching PEI. Mainly transcriptions, it is still none the less a very good resource on tracing your ancestors. http://www.islandregister.com/ Right on the home page you can see that there areContinue reading “Prince Edward Island Ancestors: The Island Register”

Newfoundland Ancestors: Newfoundland\’s Grand Banks

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Newfoundland_and_Labrador Newfoundland and Labrador can be one of the more challenging provinces to research. Joining Canada in 1949, it is our newest province (Nunavut was created in 1999, but is a Territory). Because of this, you are not going to look at the traditional Census and other government records that we rely on for theContinue reading “Newfoundland Ancestors: Newfoundland\’s Grand Banks”

St. Distaff\’s Day and Our Textile Ancestors

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Drop_spindle_with_wool_of_alpaca_Peru.jpg This week\’s blog post will appeal to those of you who are trivia and history buffs, but there is a genealogy connection. On January 6 I attended the St. Distaff\’s Day celebration at the Fort St.John North Peace Museum. The North Peace Spinners and Weavers Guild were there to show visitors the ancient art ofContinue reading “St. Distaff\’s Day and Our Textile Ancestors”

New Brunswick Ancestors: Update to the PANB County Guides

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_New_Brunswick A while back I wrote a blog post about the County Guides at the Provincial Archives of New Brunswick (PANB). They are a wonderful resource, but at the time of writing they were last updated in 2006. I\’m happy to say that over the holidays, the PANB gave us a Christmas gift and updatedContinue reading “New Brunswick Ancestors: Update to the PANB County Guides”

Yukon Ancestors: yukongenealogy.com

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Yukon If you\’re lucky enough to have an ancestor that spent time in the Territories, it\’s a double edged sword. You know they\’re probably going to have the kind of life story that we as genealogists crave. But you also know that genealogy in Canada\’s North doesn\’t come as easy as in the South. IfContinue reading “Yukon Ancestors: yukongenealogy.com”