Once a day on the Blair Archival Research Facebook page a new post is shared. There is a theme for each month and July’s was Canada. You will get bonus posts relating to the theme but only on the Blair Archival Research Facebook page these will not be posted on the monthly blog review.
July 1
Happy Canada Day! Do you have Canadian ancestors? Have you checked the Genealogy and Family History section of the Library and Archives Canada website?
July 2
Did you notice on the Library and Archives Canada website that you can access a large number of databases for free? Some of these databases are also offered on pay per view websites.
July 3
LAC has a list of research aids to assist you with your research.
July 4
Don’t forget to check out the virtual exhibits on the LAC website. You never know what you may find.
July 5
LAC has put several microfilms online that you can browse.
July 6
Each province and territory in Canada is responsible for their own vital statistics. You can find contact information and more on the LAC website.
July 7
If you are looking for someone who lived in Canada circa 1940 then see if you can access a copy of their 1940 National Registration. You will need an address or location of where they lived, proof of death which could be a copy of an obituary and the fee is about $50 CDN. It will take about three months to get the information.
July 8
AMICUS is a good resource to see what might be available at LAC. You can search it for books and newspapers. You can find local histories, church and cemetery indexes, family histories and other items that may help you with your search.
July 9
If you are searching for a First World War ancestor you can search the attestation papers on the LAC website for free. If you find a relevant file then you can order a copy of the military file online as well. You will have several choices of the format of the document. It can be printed, digital or on CD.
July 10
When looking for information on your First World War ancestors don’t forget to check out the War Diaries that are digitized and online.
July 11
If your ancestor died in the Second World War then you can search a database on the LAC website to see if you can find more information.
July 12
You can find a list of websites that relate to War Graves on the LAC website.
July 13
If you had an ancestor who died in a war then check the Books of Remembrance link at Veteran Affairs Canada. You will find links to digital images to the books and they are separated into conflicts except for those who served from Newfoundland. They have their own book.
July 14
Did you know that you can search the Alberta Homestead Records at Internet Archive? These are microfilms that you can browse to find more information.
July 15
On the University of Victoria website they have the British Colonist Newspaper (1858-1910) available online to search.
July 16
The Winnipeg Free Press has put their archive online. The date ranges are 1874 to 2011.
July 17
The New Brunswick archives have a database called “The New Brunswick Irish Portal.”
July 18
The Cape Breton University Digital Collections has the Nova Scotia Historical Newspaper Project.
July 19
Memorial University in Newfoundland has the Digital Archives Initiative. You can browse some newspapers and there are links to other newspaper sources.
July 20
Memorial University has a collection of digital maps.
July 21
If your people were living in Newfoundland on 1 April 1949 then they were there when Newfoundland entered Confederation. There is an audio recording of the broadcast from St. John’s and Ottawa on that day.
July 22
The University of Prince Edward Island has a website called Island Archives which provides a wealth of information relating to the history of the Island and its people.
July 23
Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec has a digital collection of historic newspapers.
July 24
If your ancestors hail from Saskatchewan the Regina Public Library has the Prairie History Collection. They list the resources available at the library.
July 25
Have you seen the Ontario Time Machine Really Old Ontario Books? It is run by the public libraries in Toronto, Hamilton and Kingston Frontenac and the government of Ontario.
July 26
The Hudson Bay Archives have Biographical Sheets with regards to employment but it may also provide additional information.
July 27
A good beginner’s guide for Canadian research is “Finding Your Canadian Ancestors A Beginner’s Guide” by Sherry Irvine and Dave Obee.
July 28
If you have Loyalists in your family then the best book to help you with the research is “United Empire Loyalists: A Guide to Tracing Loyalist Ancestors in Upper Canada” by Brenda Dougall Merriman.
July 29
Brenda Dougall Merriman also wrote an excellent book for Ontario research called “Genealogy in Ontario Searching the Records” revised third edition.
July 30
A gazetteer is a must for doing genealogical research. One for Canada is “Lovell’s Gazetteer of British North America 1873”
July 31
Attending conferences helps you learn more and find out what is new in the area of your research. The Ontario Genealogical Society has a conference every year and it is the largest in Canada.
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