Tuesday, December 22, 2009

R.C.R. Museum Getting Cash From The Feds

From the London Free Press, December 22, 2009:

The federal government is giving London’s military museum $1.5-million to finance the renovation and expansion of the facility, which could start as early as April.
Canadian Transport and Infrastructure Minister John Baird made the announcement today at the Royal Canadian Regiment Museum, located at 750 Elizabeth St.
The money, which will come from the Infrastructure Stimulus Fund, will bring the museum to its $2.3-million campaign goal.

“Canada has a proud military tradition and our government is pleased to invest in the Regimental Museum,” said Baird. “It supports preserving our history, promoting the values and telling a Canadian story.”
Upgrades to the museum will include an expanded gallery; a new space for temporary exhibits; an exhibit highlighting Canada’s role in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and current operations; and upgraded lighting, heating, and cooling systems.

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Library and Archives Canada Pathfinder Projects

Library and Archives Canada(LAC) have placed online four pathfinder projects “ that seek  through practical projects, to validate the four guiding principles and the key roles of the Documentary Heritage Management Framework developed by Library and Archives Canada (LAC) during summer and fall 2009."

They are:
Canada's Military Documentary Heritage: Challenges and Opportunities
Long-Term Loans: A Client-Focused Collaborative Approach
Rethinking the Stewardship of Newspapers in a Digital Age
Exposing Union Catalogue Metadata Via Third Parties

I looked through the paper on Military Hertitage as that is where I have an interest. Frankly I am not encouraged by what I see. There is little or nothing there that relates to the online researcher or for that matter anyone from outside of the Ottawa area. I wonder if what they are proposing is to download their responsibilities onto others- local museums, libraries, etc.

The paper promises consultation; but given past experience with LAC I wouldn’t hold my breath on this one.

http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/modernization/012004-2051-e.html

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

London, Ontario Celebrates Return Of 1st Battalion



From the “London Free Press, April 15, 1919”. The headline read’ “All Preparations Complete for Welcome of 1st Battalion”. The route of the march was Richmond St. to Dundas St. along Dundas to Adelaide St. to Rattle and then to the Heights.

“all bands in the city, including the G.W.V.A. band, the Kiltie Band, McClary’s Band, and the Salvation Army Band will be asked to help make everything joyful.
It is proposed to have the Boy Scouts , the cadets, and the Girl Guides stationed along the route of march.
                                                      View for the children
The civic authorities, in conjunction with the military authorities, will do everything in their power in order that the school children may get the best possible view of the parade.
Military and civil police will act jointly to keep the line of march clear.
Citizens living along  the line of march will be asked to decorate their houses , and those who loan their cars for the use of hospital men will be asked to decorate them.
At the Heights the men will be officially welcomed by Mayor C.R. Sommerville, the council, and representatives of various patriotic and religious organizations.
After this part of the program is concluded they will be dispersed at the dispersal station , after which they will be served with a meal. They will then be free to proceed to their homes.”

Saturday, November 28, 2009

Canadian Veteran’s Online

By no means is this an exhaustive list of what is online; but it can give you a good start on what’s available. There is even more available in that good old nineteenth century format - the book! Libraries still remain a very important source for the researcher.

THE FENIAN RAIDS

Fenian Raids Timeline      
 http://www.lwmuseum.ca/page03/index.html

THE NORTHWEST REBELLION

List of Officers and Men killed and wounded   http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/genealogy/022-909.005.03-e.html
The Royal Canadian Dragoons
 http://www.dragoons.ca/


THE BOER WAR

Soldiers of the South African War (1899 - 1902)
http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/south-african-war/index-e.html

THE FIRST WORLD WAR

Canadian Expeditionary Force - Soldiers of the First World War (1914-1918)
http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/cef/index-e.html
Canadian Expeditionary Force Study Group
http://www.cefresearch.com/phpBB2/
Canadian Great War Project
http://www.canadiangreatwarproject.com/
54th  Battalion CEF         
 http://www.54thbattalioncef.ca/

Internet Archive(Archive.org) CEF nominal rolls
http://www.archive.org/search.php?query=army%20list%20AND%20mediatype%3Atexts%20AND%20subject%3A%22Nominal%20Rolls%22
Canadian Virtual War Memorial    http://www.vac-acc.gc.ca/remembers/sub.cfm?source=collections/virtualmem
Library and Archives Canada database      http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/db/cef/index.html
Soldiers of the First World War (1914-1918)
http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/cef/index-e.html
The 21st Battalion CEF           
 http://21stbattalion.ca/page1.html
War Diaries of the First World War
http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/archivianet/020152_e.html
WarMuseum.ca - Canadian Newspapers and the Second World War
http://www.warmuseum.ca/cwm/exhibitions/newspapers/intro_e.shtml

Veterans Affairs Canada
http://www.vac-acc.gc.ca/remembers/sub.cfm?source=collections/virtualmem



BLOGS

Canadian War Brides Of The First World War
 http://ww1warbrides.blogspot.com/
CEF WW1 Soldier Blogs
http://cefww1soldiername.blogspot.com/
Soldiers of the 38th    
http://38thbattalion.blogspot.com/2009/11/corporal-harry-humphrey.html
War Poetry        
 http://war-poets.blogspot.com/2009/11/canadian-poetry-from-world-war-i.html

Friday, November 27, 2009

Veterans of Southwestern Ontario



This blog will look at the veterans of the wars in which Canada has been involved in since 1867 - the Fenian Raids, the Boer War, the First and Second World Wars, and the Korean War. The  post 1952 to the present I will largely leave to others. I am as interested in the histories of these men and women, the units that they served in, in the context of Canadian history as I am in their family trees.

I am more of a historian than a genealogist although I am interested in genealogy as well. I will try to mix the two disciples were I can. Of course, I will not leave my own family out. Looking into my own family tree sparked the interest that I have in veterans as so many in my family have served.

Southwestern Ontario for the purposes of this blog includes the counties of Essex. Kent, Lambton, Middlesex, Oxford, Huron, Bruce, Brant, Grey, and Perth Counties.