Don't Miss This New Saskatchewan Database!

 MemorySask: the Saskatchewan Archival Information Network is a database of descriptions of archival material held in Saskatchewan archives as well as Nunavit. It is a work in progress, with new descriptions being added regularly.

You can search names or locations. If you have Saskatchewan ancestors you will want to check this out.

Celebrating Sisterhood - 100th Anniversary of Canadian Women's Right to Vote

2016 is the 100th Anniversary of Women first obtaining the right to vote in Canada. Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta were the first Canadian provinces to grant women this right. Canadian women who owned land however had the right to vote as early as 1791 but that right was taken away in 1849.

It was not until 1917 that British Columbia and Ontario followed suit and granted women the right to vote. I wish I knew if either of my grandmothers, who lived in Ontario, were involved in the struggle for women's rights, or at the very least were pleased with their new-found rights! But it is not something I thought to ask about when I was a young teenager.

1918 saw Nova Scotia come on board, then New Brunswick in 1919. Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland lagged behind, not granting women the right to vote until 1922 and 1925 respectively. But the biggest and most shameful holdout was Quebec. That province did not grant women the right to vote until 1940!

I have talked before about Canada's Famous Five, that group of 5 courageous and determined women who forced Canada to recognize women as "persons" in 1929.

You can read more about women's rights in Canada at A greater sisterhood: the Women’s Rights struggle in Canada

3 New Canadian Databases on Ancestry

Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, Honeymoon and Visitor Registries, 1949-2011

·         Commonly known as the “Honeymoon Capital of the World”, Niagara Falls is visited by approximately 50,000 newlywed couples each year.

o   Fun fact: Niagara Falls received its reputation as the “Honeymoon Capital of the World” in 1801 when Theodosia Burr Alston (daughter of the 3rd Vice President of the United States, Aaron Burr), chose to honeymoon at the Falls. Napoleon Bonaparte’s brother, Jerome Bonaparte did the same in 1804, starting the popular tradition that continues today.

·         Many of the newlyweds who visit choose to sign their names in register books kept by the Niagara Falls Tourism Office, and now, these records have been digitized and indexed and are available online for Ancestry users.

·         The collection contains 680,114 records and 17,593 images from 1949 to 2011.

·         Exploring this collection, you’ll discover visitors who travelled near and far to the Falls, and how soon after their wedding they arrived.

·         The Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, Honeymoon and Visitor Registries, 1949-2011 are now available online on Ancestry.com and Ancestry.ca

Canada Photographic Albums of Settlement, 1892-1917

·         Just in time for Canada Day, Ancestry users can now access photos that paint a picture of what everyday life was like for Canadians during the early days of our nation.

·         Compiled by the Department of Interior, the collection contains 3,358 images, the majority of which were captured by John Woodruff and Horatio N. Topley. These photographers were hired by the Canadian government to capture the spirit of Canada during this period.

·         From the original logging process implemented to harvest one of Canada’s greatest resources, to the expansive ranches and wide open spaces of the true north in its original state, this collection details the life and times of some of Canada’s earliest settlers.

·         The Canada Photographic Albums of Settlement, 1892-1917 Collection is now available on Ancestry.com and Ancestry.ca

Canada Homestead Grant Registers, 1892-1930

·         To continue to shed light into life in Canada during its first few decades as a nation, Ancestry has launched a collection of registers of applications for land grants for the Western Canadian provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta.

·         Under the Dominion Land Acts in 1872, individuals could apply to homestead a quarter section of land (160 acres) and then apply for a patent (title) to the land after occupying and improving the land for three years. The average cost of land during this time was $10.

·         With 668,623 records and 78,794 images, Ancestry users can learn about some of Canada’s earliest settlers such as applicants’ names, region, date of application and homestead fee paid.

·         The Canada Homestead Grant Registers 1892-1930 Collection is now available on  Ancestry.com and Ancestry.ca

Credit: Images from Ancestry.com and Ancestry.ca 

Book Giveaway! The History of Grenfell Saskatchewan

Good morning everyone! I have been de-cluttering my home for a few days now and came across two books I no longer want. This book is called

Grit Growth: The Story of Grenfell

author:A.I. Yule

Published by Grenfell Historical Committee 1980

There is a handwritten family tree inside for REEVE, Elliin/Ellim? Farms, Grenfell Saskatchewan starts with Charles Reeve born 1880 Birmingham England

This book is 347 pages with an index and is in very good condition.

There is a handwritten inscription "To Cousin Millicent with love from Olive Gay and all cousins at Grenfell Saskatchewan. March 1981" (Millicent was Millicent Lynn, mother of the Mayor of Midland Ontario)


Here's the deal - I'm giving this book away FREE. Yep that's right. The first person to contact me at olivetreegenealogyATgmailDOTcom will be the lucky recipient. 
All I ask is that you agree to pay for shipping but a caveat is that sending mail from Canada is expensive. Using Canada Post online I estimate this book will cost about $17.00 to ship. I will need your postal or zip code to calculate a more accurate cost.