Anglo-Celtic Connections

Here we go again. The Carney government has directed cabinet ministers to identify areas for reduced program spending by 7.5 percent in the fiscal year that begins next April, 10 percent the year after, and a cumulative 15 percent for 2028-29. If expenditures are to meet NATO’s targets, stimulate the economy and protect social programs, the money must come from somewhere.

What does that mean for Library and Archives Canada?

The 2025-26 Main Estimates allocated $208,150,119 to Library and Archives Canada, representing a 4.2% increase from the previous year’s $199,806,690. LAC’s expenditures support three statutory responsibilities:

Providing access to documentary heritage
Acquiring and preserving documentary heritage
Internal Services

Here’s the fundamental financial data for each, with the 7.5% decrease applied equally across all categories in the right-hand column.

Category	Expenditure Type	2024-25 Amount	2025-26 Amount	Percent Increase	2026-27 Amount
Providing access to documentary heritage	Operating	$37,820,020	$56,786,182	50.15%	$52,527,218
Providing access to documentary heritage	Capital	$44,790,676	$35,252,002	-21.30%	$32,608,102
Acquiring and preserving documentary heritage	Operating	$67,100,827	$67,199,899	0.15%	$62,159,907
Acquiring and preserving documentary heritage	Capital	$7,791,921	$5,727,792	-26.49%	$5,298,208
Internal Services	Operating	$43,147,246	$44,259,244	2.58%	$40,939,801

It’s improbable the cut would be across the board. How much will small p politics play into it? Would it be politically acceptable to curtail or downscale the opening of Ādisōke next year due to budget cuts?

As with plants, periodic pruning of an organization is healthy. Could we see fewer LAC blog posts, such as “Pineapple-cheese salad from the 1950s“, reconsideration of the priority of hosting a Creator in Residence, or termination of the failing Co-Lab challenges?

Will we see consolidation, resulting in a reduction in the number of managers? No doubt some of them possess skills that could be employed in priority areas outside LAC. There is presently one vacant director position and seven acting directors at LAC.

Will LAC seize the opportunity?

 

Episode 26 of Mark Thompson and Steve Little’s podcast (posted July 7, recorded mid-June) covers some fascinating developments in AI and genealogy. The hosts discuss recent updates from Gemini and Claude, share insights from their RootsTech panel on responsible AI, feature an interview with Jessica Taylor from Legacy Tree Genealogists, and discuss the announcement of ChatGPT 5.

I share their enthusiasm for Google’s Gemini—after trying it during a free two-month trial that’s now ending, I’m impressed enough to continue with a paid subscription. Given their high praise for Claude’s Sonnet 4, I decided to test it by having it review this very post. The result? Only minor refinements were needed, which (it suggests) speaks well for both the original draft and Claude’s editorial restraint.

Where to listen: You can find Episode 26 on most podcast platforms or visit https://blubrry.com/3738800/ for direct access and links to previous episodes.

On 12 May 2026, Statistics Canada will administer the next Census of Population. A statistically significant sample of the population will be selected to receive the long-form questionnaire, Form 2A-L, to provide extensive data for detailed analysis. The remaining households will complete a short-form census.

The 2026 long-form questionnaire includes the introduction of new questions to gather data on general health, sexual orientation for respondents aged 15 and over, and experiences with homelessness. A question on religion will be reinstated to support analysis of societal trends.

Here are the long-form questions of interest for family history:

• Names and Household Listing (Step B): The fundamental list of all persons living at an address on May 12, 2026,  even if they are temporarily away.
• Address and Dwelling Information (Step A & E): Provides the exact place of residence, which is critical for placing ancestors in a specific location. Details about the dwelling (type, when built, number of rooms) add valuable context to their living conditions.
• Relationship to Person 1 (Question 5): This explicitly defines family structures within the household (e.g., spouse, common-law partner, child, parent, sibling, grandchild).
• Date of Birth and Age (Question 2): A primary fact for identifying an individual and distinguishing them from others with similar names.
• Marital Status (Question 6 & 7): Indicates whether a person was married, widowed, divorced, or single, and clarifies common-law relationships, helping to trace family units and life events.
• Place of Birth (Question 19 & 20): Crucial for tracing migration patterns. The census asks for the province or country of birth for the individual and for their parents. This provides clues for tracing the family back at least one generation and potentially to overseas origins.
• Citizenship and Immigration (Question 21): Details on Canadian citizenship by birth or naturalization, and citizenship of other countries, can help pinpoint when and how a family arrived in Canada.
• Ethnic or Cultural Origins (Question 23): This self-identified information on ancestry provides significant clues about a family’s deeper roots and cultural background, which can guide further research.
• Indigenous Identity (Questions 24-29): For those with Indigenous heritage, these detailed questions about First Nations, Métis, or Inuit identity, including membership in specific First Nations or land claims agreements, are invaluable for tracing lineage.
• Religion (Question 30): Can help locate other vital records, such as baptismal, marriage, and burial registers, which religious institutions often hold.
• Language (Questions 8-10): Information on mother tongue and languages spoken at home can indicate a family’s country of origin and cultural community.
• Mobility (Questions 32 & 33): By asking where a person lived 1 and 5 years prior, the census tracks migration within Canada or from another country, helping to fill in an ancestor’s timeline.

Choose from these selected free online events; it’s another week of thin pickings. All times are Eastern Time, unless otherwise noted. Registration may be required in advance—please check the links to avoid disappointment. For many more events, mainly in the U.S., visit conferencekeeper. 

No rain?

Tuesday’s Ottawa forecast is for a mix of sun and cloud. High 25. Humidex 30.

If that holds, I’ll head for The Beechwood Cemetery Stroll, a guided historical tour through Beechwood, the National Cemetery of Canada. Rain or shine, it begins at 10:30 AM.

Find out more at https://beechwoodottawa.ca/en/foundation/events/full-beechwood-stroll-8-july-2025-west-half

 

The British Isles Family History Society of Greater Ottawa (BIFHSGO) provides a valuable resource by offering free online access to back issues of its journal, Anglo-Celtic Roots. Issues from the last five years remain an exclusive member benefit.

While the online Index of Titles is useful for locating specific articles, it does not allow for a full-text search of the content. This can be a limitation when you recall a piece of information but not the corresponding article title.

A built-in full-text search capability, such as is available for the Historical Society of Ottawa’s Bytown Pamphlets, would be convenient. There is an alternative.

Google’s advanced search capabilities provide access to the publicly available ACR content.

Procedure:

1. Navigate to Google’s advanced search page.
2. Input your search terms in the “Find pages with…” section.
3. In the “Then narrow your results by…” section, specify the search domain by entering the following URL into the “site or domain” box: https://www.bifhsgo.ca/uploads/files/ACR/.

Inaccuracies occur, resulting in imperfect or incomplete search results. It may only be half a loaf, but a powerful tool for locating information within the extensive archive.

Thanks to Ken McKinlay for bringing this facility to my attention.

 

 

Miscellaneous items I found of interest during the week.

Dictionary of Canadianisms on Historical Principles
This dictionary, which you may have heard of, has a new version available as of May 15th. From “A-tent” to “zunga” the total content is now over 12,000 words and almost 15,000 meanings. They’ve added 137 new words or updated old ones.  What’s a Canadianism? A word or phrase that’s either from Canada or really common here, even if other places use it too.

3 British Customs and Folklore Associated with July
From Fishwrap, the official blog of Newspapers.com

The Old Farmer’s Almanac for June
This June, the mean temperature in Ottawa was 19.2 °C; the OFA prediction was 17°C, 2 °C below average.
FAIL

The OFA predicted 95 mm of total precipitation at Ottawa. The actual was 65.5 mm.
FAIL

An Historian Beyond the University
Adam Bunch reflects on being an independent public historian.

OGS eWeekly
Every Saturday morning, I wake up to an email with the OGS Weekly. Mentioned several times previously, it bears repeating. There are announcements of family history interest, and regular content: “Updates from our Favourite Bloggers”, “What’s New at The Big 4” and “Calendar of Events.” It’s a simple and free way to keep updated. Go to https://ogs.on.ca/ to subscribe and view an archive of past issues.

Josh Johnson
A US stand-up comedian who keeps turning up in various feeds, including in a recent post by Persephone here. There’s a bonus link to an Ottawa cartoonist.

 Thanks to the following for comments and tips: Anonymous, Patricia & Gerry Mannella, Teresa, Unknown

Findmypast’s latest data supplement comprises two minor United States church collections and an expansion of the newspaper archive:

1. Indiana Births and Baptisms, 1854-1911 – 4,465 records.

2. Maine Baptisms, 1726-1855 – 2,956 records.

Major Newspaper additions — over 10,000 pages, are:

1. Leyland Guardian – 69,418 pages (1986‑2004)

2. Life – 30,118 pages (1879‑1905)

3. Morning Advertiser – 21,768 pages (1873‑76, 1892‑95, 1899)

4. Salisbury Times – 18,954 pages (1910‑37, 1940‑49, 1960‑62)

5. Cork Examiner – 17,790 pages (1856, 1877‑80, 1887‑93)

6. Glasgow Evening Times – 12,594 pages (1882‑93, gaps)

7. Maidstone Telegraph – 10,648 pages (1930‑38, 1958)

Issue 23, the Summer 2025 edition of Irish Lives Remembered, the official magazine of the Irish Family History Centre, is just out and free online.

Articles cover both historical and recent Irish lives, complemented by genealogy tips. There’s Canadian content.

Featured articles cover the legend of St. Brendan, the experiences of Irish Arctic explorers, some of whom played a crucial role in navigating the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, and the significant Celtic lineage of Canadian artist Shania Twain.

There’s a feature article on the Irish background of Alexander Ector Orr, recognized as the “Father of the New York Subway.”

Further content includes an interview discussing Dublin’s AIDS crisis, a profile of Thom McGinty, an examination of historical Irish medical clans, and an account of health and fitness pioneer Kathleen Mary O’Rourke. For genealogical pursuits, articles provide guidance on managing DNA matches and tracing matrilineal ancestry.

Regular columns include a “Heritage Highlight” on Craggaunowen Castle & Crannóg, two “Dear Genie” segments addressing reader genealogy queries, and an “Emerald Roots” interview with Helen Moss, Senior Researcher at the Irish Family History Centre. Concluding the issue are reviews and a book excerpt, featuring Frontier (a series exploring early Canadian history) and Irish Nurses in the NHS: An oral history.

 

Ancestry continues to expand its Birmingham records, adding 52,407 records on June 30 for All Saints Hospital, dedicated to the care and treatment of individuals living with mental illnesses.

Sourced from the Library of Birmingham, the newly accessible collection encompasses both patient registers, which aggregate information for multiple individuals, and personal case files, detailing individual patient histories. Those provide details such as their name, occupation, marital status, and precise dates of admission, transfer, discharge, or demise. Genealogical information, including the names of parents, spouses, and other familial relationships, may be present.

Ancestry now has 12 Birmingham collections, including two added in June, as well as those for Warwickshire and of broader scope, such as the censuses, which incorporate Birmingham information.

 

 Sandwiched between walks, I spent part of Canada Day watching the following YouTube video by Canadian Mark Thompson. Recorded 3 weeks ago for FamilySearch, it makes up in part for the lack of posts to The AI Family History Show, which he shares with Steve Little.

It’s long and recommended.

The following was accidentally posted to an earlier date. It’s reposted here in case you missed it.

Do you have problems locating and understanding historical place names in Scotland? Pre-19th-century spellings were unstandardized, requiring flexible search strategies.

In June, the National Library of Scotland released a comprehensive placenames research guide that consolidates ten searchable placename databases covering 400 years of Scottish cartographic history.

The guide organizes gazetteers chronologically, from Timothy Pont’s pioneering surveys (1583-1600) through contemporary OpenStreetMap data. Notable collections include the Roy Military Survey (1747-1755) with 33,523 names, Joan Blaeu’s complete atlas of Scotland (1654) containing 28,394 entries, and the massive Ordnance Survey database (1888-1913) with 2.5 million transcriptions.