Victoria Genealogical Society
GENEALOGY & VGS NEWS Archive - 2011
Archive of news bulletins and announcements from VGS and beyond.
Our most recent news articles are located on our VGS Home
page.
The Victoria Genealogical Society takes ‘Ask Granny’ to Shannon Oaks!
posted 27 Apr 2011
On
21 Apr 2011, the Victoria Genealogical Society (VGS) provided another of its
newly launched ‘Ask Granny’ Seminars. The materials for Ask Granny were designed
to provide senior citizens the opportunity to create a genealogical gift for
their children. The Ask Granny Seminar is provided free to the residents of
local retirement homes thanks to the generosity of the Victoria Genealogical
Society’s membership and this event’s co-sponsor
Down Memory Layne.
The Seminar Leaders, Lynn Davies and Merv Scott (VGS Project Director), provided the seminar to 14 residents of the Shannon Oaks Retirement Residence in Oak Bay. We would like to thank Linda Bartel of Shannon Oaks for her wonderful assistance and support of this event.
More Ask Granny Seminars are being scheduled. Stay tuned to this website.
Also read about our first pilot 'Ask Granny' Seminar held earlier this month.
Easter Egg Hunt Event at VGS Resource Centre
posted 26 Apr 2011
Rodgers chocolates, Easter eggs and prizes for copies etc were enjoyed by the
members that dropped by the VGS Resource Centre on April 22nd and 23rd.
One of our members made a huge jump forward in her research so the Easter Bunny was extra kind to her.
The $20.00 gift certificate went to Colleen, one of our newer members who has been enjoying the Resource Centre on a regular basis. Colleen is pictured here with our Library Director Pat Acton.
The pink paper went to Melanie who we all know as an active member of VGS. Melanie is pictured here with our hard working Leila.
Happy Easter everyone!!!!
‘Ask Granny’ Seminars Successfully Launched
posted 14 Apr 2011
The Victoria Genealogical Society is proud to announce that we have
successfully developed and delivered our first “Ask Granny” seminar - an
outreach workshop designed specifically for retirement home residents. The
Victorian on Feltham was the site of our first Ask Granny seminar and the
feedback from the attendees certainly indicates it was a successful pilot. One
attendee even took the time to send us a wonderful card saying “It was most kind
to awaken us to this possibility of knowing and valuing our roots resulting in
more respect and admiration for our heritage”.
A special thanks goes out to our Victoria Genealogical Society members who
volunteered their time to assist and instruct the residents at this initial
seminar - Lynn Davies, Heather Shave, Jo Little and Merv Scott (Project
Director). “Your enthusiasm and knowledge were contagious” said one attendee
describing our volunteers.
The ‘Ask Granny’ seminar is based on materials designed by its creators in the U.S.A. Our project team worked closely with these original founders to maintain the principle messaging and approach of their seminar but take on a more Canadian and Victorian focus. “We are so excited to hear of the successful implementation of the Ask Granny materials by the Victoria Genealogical Society” said co-creator Judith Russell. “It is evidence that our program is fulfilling an international need to help senior citizens capture on paper their irreplaceable memories of family names, dates and places”.
Thanks to our membership the seminar materials are provided free to retirement
home residents, in accordance with the principles of the Ask Granny founders. A
special thanks goes to member Layne Mikoda of www.downmemorylayne.com for her
financial contribution towards the materials at this event.
A second Ask Granny Seminar is already booked for Victoria and it’s expected many more will follow. If you have any questions about the seminar contact Merv Scott at vgsprojectdirector@gmail.com.
Celebrate Volunteer Week
posted 14 Apr 2011
It's national volunteer week (Aprl 10 - 16) according to the Canadian Volunteers site. What better time than to recognize all the energy, enthusiasm and hard work that all our dedicated VGS volunteers deliver year round for the benefit of our society. We literally couldn't do it without you! Thanks to you all from the bottom of our hearts!
Here's a poem for all our special volunteers!
Like Ripples in a Pond
By Laurie Eytel
We thank you for all
the great things you do.
Large and small,
they all have meaning
to the families you help and to us.
One act
can make all the difference.
Like ripples in a pond
kindness spreads outward,
reaching and touching others
and can change a life forever.
The smiling faces we see say it all…
Thank you…you are our stars!
VGS Helping to Locate Owner of Mystery Photo Album
posted 3 Apr 2011
VGS President Melanie Arscott has been in the news again recently. Check out the following links for more information:
Laurel Point Blog - One Step Closer To Solving Photo Album Mystery
Times Colonist Article - Mystery of Hotel Photos Solved
posted 8 Apr 2011
Follow all the excitement! Here's a more complete list of recent media coverage surrounding the search for the owner of an old family photo album with the help of VGS.
Inn at Laurel Point:
Laurel Point's
blog with lots of great pictures. Don't miss postings on Apr 4, Apr 1, and
Feb 23, 2011:
Times Colonist Articles:
Feb 24, 2011 -
Victoria Hotel Seeks Owner of Photo Album Dating Back to 1914
Feb 25, 2011 -
Mystery Photo Album Sparks Interest and Leads
Feb 26, 2011 -
Sleuths Take Challenge to Identify Family
Apr 1, 2011 -
Mystery Photo Album Left at Victoria Hotel Solved
Apr 1, 2011 -
Found Living Link to Photo Album Left at Victoria Hotel
Victoria News Articles:
Apr 5, 2011 -
Technology helps unlock photo album mystery
Feb 24, 2011 - Forgotton Photo Album
Apr 1, 2011 - The Photo Album Mystery
CTV:
Feb 24, 2011 - BC photo album
VGS Library Fundraising Program Reaches Goal!
posted 3 Apr 2011
 |
| Save your Thrifty Foods Smile Card! We will be reapplying in May for additional funds for our VGS Library fund. |
We are proud to report that our Library Acquisitions Fundraising Program has been a resounding success and our Goal has been reached! Congratulations to all our members and friends who participated by taking and using a Thrifty Smile Card. 94 Smile Cards were taken and our goal limit of $1000, set by Thrifty’s, was reached quickly. That funding is sorely needed to continue providing Library resources like the well received www.ancestry.ca subscription.
If you have balances remaining on your Thrifty Smile Cards they still work so use up those balances.
More good news - Thrifty Foods has invited us to reapply for funding from their next fiscal year’s Smile Card Program, which begins May, 2011. Our Project Director, Merv Scott, will be making that proposal at an upcoming meeting of the VGS Executive Committee, so stay tuned for more news and don’t throw away your Smile Cards as we may be able to access this fund again. If you are afraid you may lose your Smile Card in the meantime you can always return them to our friendly volunteers at the VGS Resource Center.
PLEASE DON'T RETURN YOUR SMILE CARDS TO THRIFTY FOODS.
If you have any other questions about the Thrifty Foods Smile Card Program, please send them to Merv Scott at vgsprojectdirector@gmail.com.
Upcoming Easter Egg Hunt - April 21 and 22, 2011
April’s contest will be an Easter Egg hunt for members only. Each egg will
contain a prize. One egg will contain a $20.00 gift certificate to be used in
the Resource Centre. One egg will contain the gift of a package of pink printer
paper. There will be a limit of four eggs per person. Please watch the web site
for any addition information. Yes we are open over the Easter weekend!
Questions? Please contact Diana diana_g@shaw.ca
St Patricks Day Contest Update
posted 24 Mar 2011
submitted by Diana Gaiger
In February, we announced the details for our Mar 17, 2011 St Partrick's day
contest. It was open to VGS members who had Irish ancestors with unusual
occupations from the past, picked by Diana from a long list of job descriptions from the
Newry, Donaghmore, Loughbrickland
and Banbridge web site on rootsweb.
Diana reports: "We had 22 people in the VGS Resource Centre for St Patrick's Day. I have never seen so many
shades of green at one time. There was lots of visiting, exchanging of ideas &
information along with the green cookies and tea. Our lucky winner was Wanda who took the green paper to print her family tree
on." Congratulations Wanda!
Here is a list of the eligible occupations and what they mean:
| Occupation | Meaning | Occupation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amanuensi | Secretary or stenographer | Artificer | A soldier mechanic who does repairs |
| Bluestocking | Female writer | Colporteur | Peddler of books |
| Cordwainer | Shoemaker, originally any leather worker using leather from Cordoval/Cordoba in Spain | Fell monger | One who removes hair or wool from hides in preparation for leather making |
| Fletcher | One who make bows and arrows | Hacker | Maker of hoes |
| Jagger | Fish peddler | Lavender | Washer woman |
| Ripper | Seller of fish | Snobcat | One who repairs shoes |
| Tipstaff | Policeman |
VGS Web Survey Results Are In!
posted 10 March 2011
In an effort to ensure the VGS website is effective and relevant, the Executive Committee endorsed Claudia Boorman and Merv Scott's plan to conduct an online survey as a initial step to obtain base line data on the website and it's present users. The survey ran through the end of February 2011, and the results were presented at the March 10th General Meeting of the Society.
The response to the survey was very heartening, as were the positive results. A significant number of respondents also took extra time to provide comments and constructive suggestions, which we greatly appreciate. We will be be reviewing this feedback in more detail in the weeks ahead.
If you wish, you can now download a PDF version of the 2011 VGS web survey results slide show.
Questions about the survey or the findings can be sent to Claudia (your VGS Webmaster) via email at .
Local Mystery - Seeking Owner of Old Photo Album
The Laurel Point Inn, Victoria BC has been in the news recently (February, March 2011) - they are looking for the person who left an old photo album containing 203 black and white images, some dating back to 1914, at the hotel about 30 years ago.
Several related stories in local papers have piqued the interest of local genealogy enthusiasts. Here are some of links to published stories and photos:
http://www.ctvbc.ctv.ca/gallery/html/bc_photoalbum_20110224/photo_0.html
March 17, 2011 - St Patricks Day Contest for VGS Members
What occupations are in your Irish background? Do you already know or will you need to look them up?
If you are a VGS member and have an Irish ancestor with one of the following occupations, bring in proof to the Resource Centre on March 17. 2011 between 10 am and 3 pm to be entered in a draw. First prize is a $20.00 gift certificate for the Resource Centre for prints, workshops etc. Second prize is a package of green printer paper.
Eligible Occupations:
| Amanuensis | Fell | Monger |
| Artificer | Fletcher | Ripper |
| Bluestocking | Hacker | Snobcat |
| Colporteur | Jagger | Tipshaft |
| Cordwainer | Lavender |
We will also have knowledgeable members attending all day to answer your Irish questions. Irish cookies will be on hand along with tea and coffee.
Anyone wishing to share their Irish knowledge on March 17th at the Resource Centre is more than welcome. Please contact Diana diana_g@shaw.ca
See you on March 17, 2011!
Victoria Genealogical Society's Resource Centre - 947 Alston Street, Victoria, BC - 250-360-2808
Feb 22-24, 2011 - Saanich Celebrates Heritage Week
Saanich announced their celebration of Heritage week with 3 free evening speakers. All speakers are at 7:00 p.m. at Saanich Municipal Hall, 770 Vernon Avenue. Refreshments will be available.
- Feb 22, 2011 - Explore the Cultural and Natural History in Saanich Parks - Dianne Murray
- Feb 23, 2011 - Balancing Heritage Value with Energy Efficiency Targets - Pam Copley & Natalie Cushing
- Feb 24, 2011 - The Past is Present: The story of a community told through its buildings - Nick Russell, PhD
Feb 14, 2011 - VGS Valentine's Day Contest Winner
A
happy Valentine’s Day and congratulations to Wanda, the winner of our VGS
Valentines Day contest. Wanda was the first member to arrive at the VGS
Resource Centre with proof of an ancestor’s wedding on February 14th (any year,
any place).
Wanda was awarded a VGS gift certificate, redeemable for any service in the VGS Resource Centre, by Leila, our hard wording VGS volunteer and Queries Coordinator. Wanda is shown holding the proof of the winning Valentines Day marriage.
Thank you to all the members for their interest in this event. We also wish to thank our "Cookie Lady" for the great Valentines cookies!
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
This contest was the first of our monthly events
to celebrate special days each month.
Watch for details of upcoming events here on our web site
and in our "Resourcefully Yours" e-bulletins each month.
Feb 5, 2011 - VGS Display at the BC Black History & Heritage Day
The Victoria Genealogical Society supported and put on a display at the BC Black History &
Heritage Day event on the afternoon of February 5, 2011 at the James Bay New
Horizons Centre, 234 Menzies Street. This event was organized by the
BC Black History Awareness
Society (BCBHAS), based in Victoria BC.
One of the highlights of this event was a talk on British Columbia's Black
Pioneers by Crawford Kilian, author of "Go Do Some Great Thing". Watch and
listen to a You tube full video of the speaker
Crawford Kilian’s talk
Due to the participation of 5 additional Societies (our Victoria Genealogical Society - VGS; Old Cemeteries Society of Victoria - OCS; Saanich Pioneers Society; United Empire Loyalists' Association of Canada, Victoria Branch - UEL; Victoria Historical Society) and of course the BC Black History Awareness Society, each displaying a theme related to Black History, the content of information about Black History was certainly enhanced. In addition, this year’s Speaker was very informative and well received, combining to make a totally successful event. The turnout was excellent again this year.
Throughout the year, VGS creates and sets up displays at
svarious local events of genealogical interest,
to support these events and to raise awareness of the Victoria Genealogical
Society (VGS).
We welcome enquiries, and are also looking for VGS members
to be involved in manning VGS displays at these events.
Please contact VGS.
Photos courtesy of Janice Mason.
Genealogy is a Family Affair
Posted February 10, 2011 - Claudia Boorman, VGS Webmaster
The Victoria Genealogical Society's Resource Centre is an excellent place for members and the public to advance their family research, attend genealogy workshops and Special Interest Group meetings, and even to volunteer. I happened to be attending a volunteer's meeting there recently (and fortunately had my camera with me), when a whole family group arrived. In fact, it seemed to be a mini reunion, as some members of the group had not met each other before.
They seemed to be having so much fun learning more about their family history, that I asked their permission to share their story, along with a few photos of their visit, on our website. How wonderful it was to see so many family members participating in their joint family history research.
Here is their story:
Visitors at VGS Resource Centre - 29 January 2011
by Kathy Antonson
Relatives Gary, Maeve, Wendy, Chris & Deb, had an exciting meeting with
cousins Alf (Bill) Morgan and Kathy Antonson. We shared family stories and
pictures, and of course the genealogy of the family.
We are all related to John Williams, Sr., who was born in Brompton, Kent,
England in 1796 and decided in August 1853 to bring his family to Fort Victoria.
Also on the voyage were 7 of their children, along with their spouses, and
grand-children.
Thomas Albert Williams, the son of Edmund Austin and Amelia Rebecca Williams, was born in Victoria in 1868, and was in Lac La Hache in 1891. Thomas was a stage driver around 1903 on the Cariboo Wagon Road from Lillooet to Williams Lake. Thomas A. Williams married Henrietta M. Johnston in 1903, and Gary, Maeve, Wendy, Chris & Deb are their related descendants. Bill & Kathy are descendants of Edmund Austin & Amelia Williams through their son Alfred Charles Williams.
Thanks to the VGS Resource Centre for allowing our relatives to visit. They had a wonderful time and are planning a return visit in the future to share more pictures and stories.
[Editor's note: Any groups wishing to visit our VGS Resource
Centre are requested to reserve space ahead of time,
as other meetings or groups may already be scheduled, and space is limited. We
want your visit with us to be enjoyable.]
Photos courtesy of Claudia Booman
VGS Resource Centre - Notice of Change of Opening Hours
February 3, 2011 - Effective immediately the Resource Centre will NOT be open in the evenings. The Tuesday Night SIG (1st Tuesday of every month) and the Genealogy 101 SIG (3rd Tuesday of every month) have been cancelled due to lack of interest.
Once the weather improves and daylight hours grow longer these SIGs will be re-considered if there is sufficient interest. Let Sarah Hamster SIG coordinator (shamster@shaw.ca) know your thoughts.
Note: The Resource Centre continues to be open: Monday - Friday 12 noon to 3:00 pm, (except Thursday 10:00 am - 4:00 pm) and Saturday 12 noon to 4:00 pm.
Shedding light on forgotten heroes
In January, 2011, the CFB Esquimalt "Lookout" Navy News Online published a
story based on an interview with VGS member and Past President Bart Armstrong.
The full article and photo is posted at
http://www.lookoutnewspaper.com/top-stories.php?id=394
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