In this post I share my thoughts on some confusing concepts in genealogy - original and derivative records; negative evidence; primary, secondary, and indeterminable information - all by looking at one original record from the BC archives. Genealogy Search - BC Archives Those of us fortunate to research in British Columbia rely on the Royal… Continue reading How to read an original record for evidence
Category: Canadian Genealogy
Over 5K new Chinese Canadian records are now online at Héritage Canadiana
In this post I will discuss the new release of digitized records at Héritage Canadiana, show you how to access them and then share some thoughts about what the aggregated collection can teach us. What is a C.I.9? A Chinese Immigration Certificate no. 9 is a Canadian reentry certificate. They were official government documents issued… Continue reading Over 5K new Chinese Canadian records are now online at Héritage Canadiana
Wing Sang: a house of memory
The committee chose Wing Sang at 51 E Pender Street to be the new museum. This iconic building, the first of its kind in Chinatown, the mythical touchstone of dreams for so many immigrants, and my family's historic home, will now be the house of our collective memories.
The holiday read: “Finding Mr. Wong” by Susan Crean
In Finding Mr. Wong, Susan Crean (b. 1945; Toronto, Ontario, Canada) weaves together the histories of two significant men in her life: her grandfather Adam Gordon Campbell Crean, a second-generation Irishman from County Roscommon; and Gordon's cook-cum-consigliere (see below), Wong Dong Wong (黃宗旺) (pinyin: Huang Zong Wang) (1895-1970), a first-generation Chinese from Taishan County. Their… Continue reading The holiday read: “Finding Mr. Wong” by Susan Crean
First and Second World War Files at LAC and Ancestry
On Remembrance Day I share my two most recent posts on the World Wars, PLUS Ancestry's free military collection offer, good to Nov 12th.
Requesting Second World War Files from LAC in Oct 2021: what you need to know now
In this post I share my experience in a recent application for a Second World War military service file, and then look at the surprising depth of military files online at Library and Archives Canada
Exploring First World War Files online at LAC: A Top 10 List
In this two part series, I begin exploring military files at Library and Archives Canada, beginning with the First World War.
Finding Mrs. Yip Sang: a case study of the General Register of Chinese Immigration 1885-1949 (Canada)
A case study for finding people on the General Register of Chinese Immigration 1885-1949
Not all Canadians: July 1st
The Tyee interviews Linda Yip and Catherine Clement on the impact of the Chinese Immigration Act - July 1, 1923.
Order-in-Council PC 2115: When immigration met the X-ray machine
In this post I look at the follow up to the Chinese Immigration Act and share a startling period in Canadian immigration: the use of X-rays to determine the chronological age of Chinese teenagers and young adults. Put simply, X-rays were used to measure bone formation, called ossification, and by comparing the measurements of bone… Continue reading Order-in-Council PC 2115: When immigration met the X-ray machine