I woke up on Friday, 9 June to find the name-indexed census open on the Ancestry website. The digitized fields are Name, Gender, Marital Status, Age, Estimated Birth Year, Residence Date, Home in 1931, Relation to Head,
Enumeration District and Sub-District. You can add fields for others in the household to the search form.

Having exhaused a very very short list of my relatives that were easily found I turned to the survivors of those who served with the Ottawa Company of Sharpshooters in 1885 believed to be living in Canada. None of the commissioned officers were alive. Of seven surviving NCOs one was clearly identified in the census, one was identified despite an ambiguity in the handwriting, candidates for two others were found, and three are not yet located.

Ancestry has done an amazing job in getting the name indexing completed in 9 days. The indexing will continue to improve and expand. Based on my limited testing you have a good chance of finding a person through the search. Your research skills will still come into play in resolving issues like name changes and handwriting ambiguity.

Please share your experience in the comments.

UPDATE
In correspondance with Ancestry I received the following information.

“The handwriting recognition model is set to try to detect to as close as possible the “as it appears” value on the image. In the example you have noted, a non-closed ‘g’ may in fact be captured as a y. While statistically speaking ‘Rogers’ would likely be a more common surname than ‘Royers’, what we have found is that if we overemphasize a check against statistically common names in our current AI data set, we run into the opposite issue where the less common results may be over written to a higher degree. As we continue to expand the locations, languages, and time periods of material that we process, however, we feel the AI will continue to learn and recognize some of the linguistic nuances that come with processing a large data set such as found in a national census, and will be better at determining what may be “sloppy penmanship” vs a valid, but less common name.”

I added

Interestingly, while there are numerous examples of Rogers being interpreted at Royers, there are no cases of George appearing as Georye, either as first or last name.

In my own family history, today marks the centennial of the birth of Audrey, the only child of Maud and John Northwood in Rokeby, Saskatchewan. She is my fourth cousin twice removed and my earliest known Canadian-born relative.

In speaking with her years ago, I got the impression life on the family farm as an only child during the Dirty Thirties was not a favourite recollection.

She was happy to move to Ottawa during WW2. In the 1942 Ottawa City Directory she is listed as stenog Natl Def Naval Serv  r 294 Clarence. In 1943 as stenog Natl Def Stores Br r 496 Cooper. She was even happier to move back west, eventually to Vancouver Island, and fully invested in her subsequent life. Her obit.

On Saturday at 9 am, online and in person, British Isles Family History Society of Greater Ottawa members are invited to the society’s Annual General Meeting.

For a second helping of AGMs, the Ontario Genealogical Society invites its members to participate onine starting at 11 am.

Everyone, in person or online, is invited to BIFHSGO’s popular Great Moments in Genealogy event starting at 10 am. The presentations are:

• Introducing the Cripwells, by Paul Cripwell.
• Message from the Grave: Desperately Seeking Charity Gerow, by Jane Simpson.
• A Family Mystery Solved through Research and DNA, by Susan Smart.
• Finding Archy Ban Egypt, by Carol Annett.

More detail at https://www.bifhsgo.ca/events

Just announced. No need to rush.

The deadline for the latest of what has become a BIFHSGO quinquennial tradition isn’t until 30 May 2024.

The Writing Competition is one-way BIFHSGO pursues “Encouraging research, publishing and sharing of British Isles/Canadian family and social history” — one of the objects of the society when founded (Article III, Letters Patent, Canada 16 Nov 1994).

You could win up to $300 first prize, $200 second prize, and guess what for third prize! That could be the motivation you need to complete the article you’ve been working on for “time immemorial.”

You have to be a member as of the submission deadline, so if you have what you think might be a winning entry but are not a member, join for 2024.

Find out the details at https://www.bifhsgo.ca/30th-anniversary-writing-competition

 

Good news from LAC. As of 6 June opening hours for the textual and microform consultation rooms at 395 Wellington Street in Ottawa are extended.

On Tuesdays and Thursdays the rooms will be open from 9 a.m. until 8 p.m. and on Saturdays between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.

The Reference and Genealogy Rooms will also be open, but without service.

Kudos to LAC for recognizing that not everyone can make it during the regular workday. Researchers coming from out of town will benefit, perhaps avoiding the need for expensive additional visits.

Here’s the LAC announcement . The hours for other days are at https://library-archives.canada.ca/eng/services/public/visit/Pages/ottawa.aspx

UPDATE: With 50 hours open per week LAC now leads the pack. Next is the US National Archives in Washington DC (48 hours and no weekend service,) the UK National Archives (41 hours, no Sunday or Monday service,) BANQ Mtl (38 hours) and Australia Archives Canberra (35 hours).

Judging by some of the presentations I’m seeing offered, there’s a resurgence of interest in Y-DNA testing. If you’re part of the trend, Family Tree DNA’s latest discounts, for Father’s Day, are available until 18 June on these bundles.

Family Finder + Y-37 $198 $149
Family Finder + Y-111 $328 $259
Family Finder + Big Y-700 $528 $449

By itself, the Big Y-700 test is $449 $399.

All prices are USD; shipping is extra.

familytreedna.com

 

Ancestry is going full tilt on indexing using its own handwriting recognition technology. It took Ancestry 9 days to index the 1950 US census with 151 million names that way. Canada’s 1931 census is smaller, just 10 million names, but with complexity not previously encountered such as two languages mixed together and uneven skew in images from some bound volumes that were not an issue in the US 1950 census.

Ancestry are hopeful, not certain, they will have an initial partial index linked to images “very soon.” Will it be sufficient for most searches to be as successful as with 1950? That’s Ancestry’s goal. We shoudn’t have long to wait to find out. Improved indexing and some other fields transcribed by FamilySearch will come over the summer.

Let’s also look forward to having handwriting recognition technology applied to other collections.

Major additions to a smallish collection of British Middle East war diaries mentioned on 2 October 2022 has been made, including for several Canadian units. Here. for example is my transcription of the entry from the image of the diary for the 22nd Canadian Field Ambulance in France the day after D-Day.

Beny-Sur-Mer
1944
7June
Wednesday:- By 0900 hrs. ADS was set up and functioning to capacity. Casualties being evacuated from 8 Can Inf Bde and later on in the day by 9 Cdn Inf Bde. Pte. Sbwoechi, J. P. -RCASC and Pte. Case, L.R. -RCAMC were wounded by snipers in unit lines. Large numbers of casualties seriously wounded were resusitated by plasma, morphine, etc. and evacuated to 33/34 F.D.S. Among those seriously injured were some German Prisoners.
The weather; fine, warm and clear.

Here’s the list of 285 diaries; 32 have Canada (Canadian) mentioned in the title. Not all would load when I tried.

´A´ Military Mission Central Mediterranean Forces (CMF) Corsica
´C´ Military Mission Greece
´M´ Central Mediterranean Forces (CMF) 1 Forward (Fwd) Base
1 (Palestinian) Company Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment)
1/7 Middlesex Regiment (Duke of Cambridge´s Own) ´B´ Company
1/7 Middlesex Regiment (Duke of Cambridge´s Own) ´D´ Company
10 Corps (also Delta Force): CSO (X Corps Chief Signal Officer)
10 Corps: Rear Headquarters (HQ)
101 Abyssinia
102 Derna (Libya)
106 Cairo (Egypt)
16 Middle East Forces (MEF)
176 Fd. Amb. `A´ Coy.
176 Fd. Amb. `B´ Coy.
18 Northern Ireland
19 Elizabethville (Belgian Congo)
2 (Palestinian) Company Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment)
2 Cheshire Regiment ´B´ Company
20 Brazzaville (French Equatorial Africa)
20 Cairo Section (Egypt). Missing at transfer
20 Captain Carter´s War Diary (Africa)
20 Middle East Section (extracted from WO 201/8)
20 Middle East Section
20 Spears Mission (West Africa)
20 Spears Mission Force ´L´ (West Africa)
20 Syria Section
20 Syria Security Mission
20/1 Free French Battle Group
20/1 Free French Brigade
20/1 Free French Division
20/1 Free French Flying Column
20/2 Free French Battle Group
20/2 Free French Brigade
203 South Africa
204 Burma
204 China (Forward Area)
207 Burma
209 Middle East Forces (MEF)
210/1 Greek Brigade
210/2 Greek Brigade
211 Middle East Forces (MEF)
22 Czech Forces
220 Pacific and India
23 Dutch Forces
26 Iraq
27 Athens (Greece)
30 Russia (USSR)
32 British North Africa Forces (BNAF)
34 Central Mediterranean Forces (CMF)
37 Central Mediterranean Forces (CMF)
5th Assault Regiment Re Hq (26th and 80th Assault Squadrons)
6 Cheshire Regiment ´A´ Company
6 Cheshire Regiment ´B´ ´C´ & ´D´ Companies
Albania
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe 102nd Anti-Tank Regiment (Northumberland Hussars) Ra Wo
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe 106th Brigade Company Rasc
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe 113th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment Ra
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe 114th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment Ra
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe 120th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment Ra
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe 12th Battalion, the Devonshire Regiment
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe 12th Battalion, the Parachute Regiment
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe 13th Battalion, the Parachute Regiment
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe 13th/18th Royal Hussars
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe 147th Essex Yeomanry Field Regiment Ra
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe 151st Brigade Hq
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe 168th (City of London) Light Field Ambulance Ramc
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe 17th Field Company Re
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe 185th Infantry Brigade Hq
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe 1st Battalion the Royal Ulster Rifles
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe 1st Battalion, the Dorsetshire Regiment
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe 1st Battalion, the Hampshire Regiment Wo
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe 1st Battalion, the King´s Own Scottish Borderers
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe 1st Battalion, the Royal Norfolk Regiment
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe 1st Battalion, the South Lancashire Regiment
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe 1st Battalion, the Suffolk Regiment
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe 1st East Riding Yeomanry
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe 20th Anti-Tank Regiment Ra
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe 22nd Dragoons (Royal Armoured Corps)
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe 22nd Independent Parachute Company
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe 231st Infantry Brigade Hq
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe 233rd Field Company Re
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe 235th Field Park Company Re
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe 246th Field Company Re
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe 24th Lancers
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe 253rd Field Company Re
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe 262nd Field Company Re
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe 263rd Field Company Re
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe 27th Armoured Brigade Hq
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe 280th Field Company Re
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe 295th Field Company Re
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe 2nd Battalion the Essex Regiment
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe 2nd Battalion the Gloucestershire Regiment
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe 2nd Battalion the South Wales Borderers
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe 2nd Battalion, the East Yorkshire Regiment
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe 2nd Battalion, the King´s Own Shropshire Light Infantry
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe 2nd Battalion, the Lincolnshire Regiment
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe 2nd Battalion, the Middlesex Regiment
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe 2nd Battalion, the Ox and Bucks Light Infantry
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe 2nd Battalion, the Royal Ulster Rifles
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe 2nd Battalion, the Warwickshire Regiment
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe 2ndbattalion, the Devonshire Regiment Wo
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe 33rd Field Regiment Ra
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe 3rd Airlanding Anti-Tank Battery Ra 01
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe 3rd British Infantry Division Provost Co Mpany
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe 3rd Parachute Brigade Hq
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe 3rd Parachute Squadron Re
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe 4th Airlanding Anti-Tank Battery Ra
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe 505th Field Company Re
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe 50th (Northumbrian) Divisional Signals
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe 50th Infantry (Northumbrian) Division Hq
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe 50th Northumbrian Division Provost Company
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe 53rd Airlanding Light Regiment, Ra
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe 53rd Regiment Ra Hq
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe 56th Infantry Brigade Hq
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe 591 Parachute Squadron Re
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe 5th Battalion, the East Yorkshire Regiment
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe 5th Parachute Brigade Hq
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe 629th Field Squadron Re
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe 62nd Anti-Tank Regiment Ra
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe 69th Infantry Brigade Hq
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe 6th Airborne Armoured Reconnaissance Regiment
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe 6th Airborne Division Hq
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe 6th Airborne Division Signals
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe 6th Airborne Division Workshops Reme
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe 6th Airlanding Brigade Hq
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe 6th Assault Regiment Re Hq
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe 6th Battalion, the Durham Light Infantry
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe 6th Battalion, the Green Howards
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe 716th Light Company Rasc (Airborne Light Company)
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe 71st Field Company Re
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe 73rd Field Company Re
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe 73rd Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment Ra
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe 76th Field Regiment Ra
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe 77th Assault Squadron Re
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe 79th Assault Squardron Re
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe 7th Battalion, the Green Howards
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe 7th Battalion, the Parachute Regiment
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe 7th Field Regiment Ra
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe 81st Assault Squadron Re
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe 82nd Assault Squadron Re
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe 86th (Hertfordshire Yeomany) Field Regiment Ra
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe 8th Battalion, the Durham Light Infantry
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe 8th Battalion, the Parachute Regiment
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe 8th British Infantry Brigade Hq
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe 90th Company Rasc (Armoured Assault Brigade)
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe 90th Field Regiment Ra
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe 9th Battalion, the Durham Light Infantry
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe 9th Battalion, the Parachute Regiment
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe 9th Infantry Brigade Hq
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe British 3rd Infantry Division Hq
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe C Squadron 141st Regiment Rac
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe C Squadron, the Inns of Court Regiment (Royal Armoured Corps)
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe No 1 Wing the Glider Pilot Regiment Aac
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe No 2 Wing the Glider Pilot Regiment Aac
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe the Staffordshire Yeomanry Q.o.r.r
Allied Expeditionary Force, North West Europe the Westminster Dragoons (Royal Armoured Corps)
Arab Legion
Army Medical Services: 186th Field Ambulance Ramc
Army Medical Services: 195 Airlanding Field Ambulance
Army Medical Services: 200th Field Ambulance Ramc
Army Medical Services: 203rd Field Ambulance Ramc
Army Medical Services: 223rd Field Ambulance Ramc
Army Medical Services: 224 Parachute Field Ambulance Ramc
Army Medical Services: 225 Parachute Field Ambulance Ramc
Army Medical Services: 8th Field Ambulance Ramc
Army Medical Services: 9th Field Ambulance Ramc
Bari Sub-mission (Italy) Political Warfare Executive (PWE)
Brigadier (later General) Kenneth Exham´s Russian papers (British Military Mission, Moscow). With photographs and map
British Forces, Middle East. 01 April 1942 – 31 December 1942
British Forces, Middle East. 01 August 1942 – 31 December 1942
British Forces, Middle East. 01 December 1940 – 31 July 1943
British Forces, Middle East. 01 December 1941 – 31 December 1943
British Forces, Middle East. 01 February 1942 – 31 December 1942
British Forces, Middle East. 01 January 1941 – 30 September 1943
British Forces, Middle East. 01 January 1942 – 30 November 1942
British Forces, Middle East. 01 January 1942 – 30 September 1943
British Forces, Middle East. 01 January 1942 – 31 January 1943
British Forces, Middle East. 01 July 1940 – 28 February 1943
British Forces, Middle East. 01 July 1942 – 31 December 1942
British Forces, Middle East. 01 June 1942 – 31 December 1942
British Forces, Middle East. 01 March 1942 – 31 December 1942
British Forces, Middle East. 01 May 1942 – 31 December 1942
British Forces, Middle East. 01 November 1942 – 31 December 1942
British Forces, Middle East. 01 October 1939 – 31 December 1943
British Forces, Middle East. 01 October 1942 – 31 December 1942
British Forces, Middle East. 01 September 1942 – 31 December 1942
British Forces, Middle East. 1939-1942
British Forces, Middle East. 1939-1943
British Forces, Middle East. 1939-1946
British Forces, Middle East. 1940-1942
British Forces, Middle East. 1940-1943
British Forces, Middle East. 1940-1945
British Forces, Middle East. 1941-1942
British Forces, Middle East. 1941-1943
British Forces, Middle East. 1942-1943
British Forces, Middle East. 1942
Bulgaria
Caen, France (WO 179/2969)
Canadian Military Mission, Berlin
Canadian, South African, New Zealand and Indian Forces 10th Canadian Armoured Regiment (Fort Garry Horse)
Canadian, South African, New Zealand and Indian Forces 12th Field Regiment Cdn
Canadian, South African, New Zealand and Indian Forces 13th Field Regiment Cdn
Canadian, South African, New Zealand and Indian Forces 14th Canadian Field Ambulance Rcamc
Canadian, South African, New Zealand and Indian Forces 14th Field Regiment Rca
Canadian, South African, New Zealand and Indian Forces 16th Field Company Rce
Canadian, South African, New Zealand and Indian Forces 18th Field Company Rce
Canadian, South African, New Zealand and Indian Forces 1st Battalion the Canadian Scottish Regiment
Canadian, South African, New Zealand and Indian Forces 1st Battalion, the Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa (Machine Guns)
Canadian, South African, New Zealand and Indian Forces 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion
Canadian, South African, New Zealand and Indian Forces 22nd Canadian Field Ambulance Rcamc
Canadian, South African, New Zealand and Indian Forces 23rd Canadian Field Ambulance Rcamc
Canadian, South African, New Zealand and Indian Forces 27th Canadian Armoured Regiment (Sherbrooke Fusiliers)
Canadian, South African, New Zealand and Indian Forces 2nd Canadian Armoured Brigade Hq
Canadian, South African, New Zealand and Indian Forces 3rd Canadian Infantry Division Signals
Canadian, South African, New Zealand and Indian Forces 4th Canadian Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment
Canadian, South African, New Zealand and Indian Forces 5th Field Company Rce
Canadian, South African, New Zealand and Indian Forces 6th Canadian Armoured Regiment (1st Hussars)
Canadian, South African, New Zealand and Indian Forces 6th Field Company Rce
Canadian, South African, New Zealand and Indian Forces 7th Canadian Brigade Hq
Canadian, South African, New Zealand and Indian Forces 8th Canadian Brigade Hq
Canadian, South African, New Zealand and Indian Forces 9th Canadian Brigade Hq
Canadian, South African, New Zealand and Indian Forces Canadian 3rd Infantry Division Hq
Canadian, South African, New Zealand and Indian Forces North Shore (New Brunswick) Regiment
Canadian, South African, New Zealand and Indian Forces the Chaudiere Regiment
Canadian, South African, New Zealand and Indian Forces the Highland Light Infantry of Canada
Canadian, South African, New Zealand and Indian Forces the North Nova Scotia Highlanders
Canadian, South African, New Zealand and Indian Forces the Queen´s Own Rifles of Canada
Canadian, South African, New Zealand and Indian Forces the Regina Rifle Regiment
Canadian, South African, New Zealand and Indian Forces the Royal Winnipeg Rifles
Canadian, South African, New Zealand and Indian Forces the Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders
Cape Town Liaison (South Africa)
Central Mediterranean Forces (CMF) Region 4 ACC
Central Mediterranean Forces (CMF) Region 6 ACC
Chekiang (China)
Diary of Soviet Military Mission Liaison Group
Durban Liaison (South Africa)
Greece ´A´ British Liaison Unit
Greece ´B´ British Liaison Unit (XI Field Division)
Greece ´C´ British Liaison Unit
Greece ´D´ British Liaison Unit (National Guard)
Greece Salonika
Greece Sub-mission
Greece
Hungary
Italian Army
Land Forces Sub-Commission
Norway
Operation Garden (WO 171/1305)
Poland
Pretoria, Pioneer and Labour (South Africa)
Ramgarh (India)
Royal Army Ordnance Corps, later Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers: 4 County of London Yeomanry Light Aid Detachment (RAOC REME LAD)
Royal Army Ordnance Corps, later Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers: 7 Medium Regiment Light Aid Detachment (RAOC REME LAD)
Royal Army Service Corps: 15 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RASC Platoon
Royal Army Service Corps: 53 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RASC Platoon
Royal Army Service Corps: 57 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RASC Platoon Detachment
Royal Army Service Corps: 57 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RASC Section
Royal Artillery: 4 (Durham) Survey Regiment, 1 Composite Battery
Royal Artillery: 4 (Durham) Survey Regiment, 2 Composite Battery
Royal Artillery: 4 (Durham) Survey Regiment, A. Troop
Royal Artillery: 4 (Durham) Survey Regiment, B. Troop
Royal Artillery: 4 (Durham) Survey Regiment, R. Troop
Royal Artillery: 4 (Durham) Survey Regiment, S. Troop
Royal Artillery: 4 (Durham) Survey Regiment, Y. Troop
Royal Artillery: 53 Light Anti-Aircraft Battery (RA LAA)
Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers: 15 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment Workshop Section (REME Wksp)
Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers: 57 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment Workshop Section (REME Wksp)
Royal Horse Artillery: B. Battery, 1 RHA Regiment
Royal Signals: 1 Field Regiment Signals Section E (Sigs)
Royal Signals: 10 Armoured Division Signals (Sigs)
Royal Signals: 11 Field Regiment Signals Section (Fd Regt Sigs)
Royal Signals: 15 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment Signals Section (LAA Regt Sigs)
Royal Signals: 4 Field Regiment Signals Section (Fd Regt Sigs)
Royal Signals: 40 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment Signals Section (LAA Regt Sigs)
Royal Signals: 57 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment Signals Section (LAA Regt Sigs)
Royal Signals: 64 Medium Regiment RA Signals Section (Sigs)
Royal Signals: 7 Medium Regiment RA Signals Section
Rumania (Romania)
Russian Liaison Group (USSR)
SHAEF Mission Denmark
South Africa 2 Echelon
South Africa NEAS Section.
South African Military Mission
War Office: Army Medical Services: 149th Field Ambulance Ramc

On 1 June 1931, census day, Canada was in the midst of the brutal Great Depression and reflected it in the census. In 1921 the right-hand census columns were headed PROFESSION, OCCUPATION AND EMPLOYMENT, in 1931 simply UNEMPLOYMENT.

With drought and the general economic depression the Prairie economy was particularly hard hit. In 50 rows of one census form, for Kindersley, Sask, picked at random, I found nine out of 23 men of working age had the notation “No Job” in column 33. That’s a nearly 40% unemployment rate.

A quick scan of some census pages from Essex East, Ontario, found pages with even more “No Job” notations, and not just for labourers but also for people like a baker and motor mechanic. You will also find the notation “Laid Off” as well as “Illness”

Your ancestors may have been fortunate, those with a steady income even benefitted from depressed prices, but their community sufferred. Once you find your ancestor in the census check out the situation of the neighbours.

Read some first hand recollections here, remembering it’s the extremes that get attention, or delve into a local newspaper archive.

Choose from selected free online events in the next five days. All times are ET except as noted. Those in red are Canadian, bolded if local to Ottawa or recommended. Assume registration in advance is required; check so you’re not disappointed. Additional mainly US events are listed at https://conferencekeeper.org/virtual.

Tuesday 6 June

7:30 pm: Four Proven Strategies For Overcoming Research Obstacles, by Janice Nickerson for Durham Branch OGS.
https://ogs.on.ca/events/durhams-june-meeting-four-proven-strategies-for-overcoming-research-obstacles/

10 pm: Another Four Sources for New Zealand Family History, by Fiona Brooker for Legacy Family Tree Webinars.
https://familytreewebinars.com/webinar/another-four-sources-for-new-zealand-family-history/

Wedesday 7 June

2 pm: Discovering More From Your Next Generation Sequence (NGS | Big Y) Test, by Mags Gaulden for Legacy Family Tree Webinars.
https://familytreewebinars.com/webinar/discovering-more-from-your-next-generation-sequence-ngs-big-y-test/

7:30 pm: Highlanders, Islanders, Outlanders and Y-DNA’: A One-Name Scottish Genealogical Research Adventure Back in Time , by John Maguire for Huron Branch OGS.
https://huron.ogs.on.ca/events/huron-branch-exploring-y-dna-with-a-specific-surname-john-maguire/

Thursday 8 June

 

Friday 9 June

Saturday 10 June

9 am: BIFHSGO AGM
https://www.bifhsgo.ca/events

10 am: Great Moments in Genealogy, short presentations by  Paul Cripwell, Jane Simpson, Susan Smart and Carol Annett.
https://www.bifhsgo.ca/events

11 am: OGS AGM
Members login through https://ogs.on.ca/

On 10 May I posted Suggesting Digitization of LAC Materials.

It reported communication from LAC that:

“However, our digitization policy is under review. I’ll verify if there are any provisions in the new version for collecting suggestions from the public. As soon as I have more information on that aspect, I’ll email you.”

On Monday 5 May I received a follow-up email from Martin Lanthier, A/Chief, Reference, Access and Services Branch, clarifying that it is actually a Digitization Strategy that it is under review, not a Digitization Policy. The text of the email continues:

This process (development of a digitization strategy) is not completed, but when it is, the document will be posted on our website. Since it is too early in the process, there is no date scheduled for the posting.

During the discussions, the importance of having clients influence the process leading to the identification of digitization projects was identified. We still have to determine how this influence can take shape, and we need to develop a mechanism to do so.

Hence, unfortunately, there is not a process in place for the moment to receive suggestions from clients. However, we can expect that in a near future, such a process will be in place.

It will be interesting to find out what LAC means by “a near future.”