Faces of 1812

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The Canadian War Museum is proud to present Faces of 1812, an exhibition created by Library and Archives Canada in conjunction with the opening of its major exhibition 1812.

Faces of 1812 presents some of the men and women, both combatants and civilians, who experienced the War of 1812. It likewise highlights the conflict as a rich and continuing source of artistic inspiration, commemoration, and reflection.

The War of 1812 united French- and English-speaking Canadians, First Peoples, and the British against a common foe. The confidence gained through their successful joint defence helped lay the foundations for modern Canada.

Faces of 1812, a complementary exhibition to the Canadian War Museum’s 1812 will be on display at the War Museum in Ottawa from June 13, 2012 until January 6, 2013.

You can also discover thousands of portraits on LAC‘s new Portrait Portal.

For more information, visit the Canadian War Museum website.

For more information on recent announcements at LAC, visit “News“.

Did your ancestors come from Russia?

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Do you wonder who your first Russian ancestor was and when he or she left Russia and arrived in Canada? Are you curious about your family’s Russian heritage?

If so, the LAC website is a great place to begin your research. For instance, you will find a page specific to genealogical research for the Russians. It provides you with historical background, LAC’s archival collections and published material, as well as links to other websites and institutions.

If your ancestor came to Canada between 1865 and 1935, you might find his or her name on passenger lists.

Tip:

Tracing your Russian ancestor in Canada is the first step. Joining a genealogical society is an ideal way to begin your genealogy research.

Learn where and how to begin your research at Library and Archives Canada by watching this short orientation video: Orientation Services for Clients at 395 Wellington.

For more information on recent announcements at LAC, visit “News“.

Release of New Orientation Video

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Colour photograph of the registration desk with a banner above the desk that displays "Welcome to Library and Archives Canada"

We are pleased to announce the release of our new orientation video.

This video is the second in a series of tutorials that provide useful tips and recommend tools to help you discover and access archival records, genealogical resources and published materials at LAC.

The tutorial series is just one of a number of LAC modernization initiatives that focus on providing you with quick and useful information about our services.

Learn where and how to begin your research at Library and Archives Canada by watching this short orientation video: Orientation Services for Clients at 395 Wellington.

For more information on recent announcements at LAC, visit “News“.

Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II images now on Flickr 

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Looking for the Debates of the House of Commons (Hansard) online?

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Are you searching for the Debates of the House of Commons, also known as Hansard? Depending on the dates you are looking for, a great place to start your research is online. However, only the very early years and the very recent years are available online; those in between are not.

Here is the breakdown:

1867–1900

The full texts of Hansard for the years 1867–1900 are available online through the Early Canadiana Online (ECO) website [http://eco.canadiana.ca/?usrlang=en]. While some of the content in ECO is only available to subscribers, the Debates of the House of Commons are available for free and do not require a subscription.

1901-1993

Hansard for the years 1901–1993 are not yet available online. Library and Archives Canada holds these years in print and in microform. Many university and public libraries hold print or microfilm/microfiche copies of Hansard. Please contact your library for more information. If you are a university or college student, check your school library website to see if there is a research guide for government or parliamentary publications, which can save you a lot of time.

Library and Archives Canada has participated in a project to digitize the full-text of Hansard for 1901-1993. When this digitized content is available online, we will post an announcement on this blog.

1994-Present

The full texts of Hansard from the 35th Parliament (January 1994 onwards) are accessible online from the Parliament of Canada website [www.parl.gc.ca]. Select “Parliamentary Business” (top left), then “In the House of Commons Chamber” (left column). Choose the Parliament and Session from the list on the left.

Tips

  • The Debates are always organized by Parliament and Session. A handy reference tool to find the Parliament and Session [www.parl.gc.ca/ParlInfo/Lists/Parliament.aspx?Language=E] that correspond to the dates you are looking for is available on the Parliament of Canada website.
  • The Debates have detailed indexes. In the early years, these indexes were in the same volume as the Debates. In the later years they were printed in a separate volume.

Questions or comments? We would love to hear from you!

Did your ancestors come from Italy?

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Do you wonder who your first Italian ancestor was and when he or she left Italy and arrived in Canada? Are you curious about your family’s Italian heritage?

If so, the LAC website is a great place to begin your research. For instance, you will find a page specific to genealogical research for the Italians. It provides you with historical background, LAC‘s archival collections and published material, as well as links to other websites and institutions.

If your ancestor came to Canada between 1865 and 1935, you might find his or her name on passenger lists.

Tip

Tracing your Italian ancestor in Canada is the first step. Joining a genealogical society is an ideal way to begin your genealogy research.

Questions or comments? We would love to hear from you!

The Top Five Things You Need to Know Before You Visit

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Are you visiting Ottawa to do some research at Library and Archives Canada? Before you arrive, there are five things you need to know:

1. All researchers need a user card

You can register for a user card in two ways, either in person at the registration desk or online by submitting the User Card Registration Form. Present your photo ID at the registration desk to retrieve your user card.

You must read and agree to the terms and conditions in the User Agreement before you can obtain the user card.

2. There is a difference between service hours and opening hours

Our service points, including the registration desk, are only open during service hours when staff is on site and ready to help you. The building is accessible during opening hours, but staff is unavailable. These hours are posted on the Visit Us section of our website and in the building.

3. Order your research material in advance

At least five business days before your visit, order up to ten items of archival material by using our online Material Retrieval (Onsite Consultation) Form. You may order up to five items of published materials the same way as above, or place your order by telephone at 613-996-5115 or 1-866-578-7777 (toll-free in Canada and the US) by selecting option 8 in the automated menu.

4. Book your reference appointment, if necessary

We are applying a new approach to service delivery. This means that no appointment is necessary for basic orientation and genealogy services, which are available from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday to Friday. However, you must book an appointment if you need to consult our reference experts or genealogy specialists.  See the Contact Us section of our website for more information.

5. Where to start your online search

There are a variety of databases to choose from, so we encourage you to watch this 90-second video tutorial to help you determine “How to Begin your Search Online.”

Questions or comments? We would love to hear from you!

Summary of comments received in French up to September 30th, 2013

  • LAC added that there is no need to make an appointment for basic assistance for genealogical research. Staff is available from 10 AM to 3 PM, Monday to Friday. However, you must book an appointment if you want to consult with staff before or after those hours.

The School Files Series, 1879 -1953

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Library and Archives Canada (LAC) holds records created by the federal government about the administration of residential schools.

The School Files Series (archival reference RG10-B-3-d) within the Indian and Inuit Affairs sous fonds contains records created from 1879 to 1953 about residential schools and day schools.

This series contains some records of the admission and discharge of students at residential schools, as well as files on the establishment of individual schools.

The School Files Series has been digitized and is available through the Microform Digitization section of the LAC website.

Our reference specialists recommend a list of which schools are mentioned in which volumes and reels of the series. This list can be found in the Search Help section of the digital version of the series. It will prove to be quite useful when navigating the School Files Series.

Additional Resources

  • For more information on how to search the Microform Digitization section, use the Search Help section.
  • View the description of this series in Archives Search for additional information.

Questions or comments? We would love to hear from you.

Royal Tour: The Duchess of Cornwall’s Canadian Ancestors

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Did you know that Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall and wife of Prince Charles, has among her ancestors a Premier of the Province of Canada and two New France pioneers, Zacharie Cloutier and Jean Guyon?

How is this possible?

It’s simple. The Duchess of Cornwall’s great-great grandfather, William Coutts Keppel (1832-1894), visited Canada and married Sophia Mary MacNab (1832-1917), on November 15, 1855, in Hamilton, Ontario.  She was the daughter of Sir Allan Napier MacNab (1798-1862),  Premier of the Province of Canada from 1854 to 1856, and Mary Stuart.
As we continue to climb Mary Stuart’s family tree, we discover the names of Zacharie Cloutier and Jean Guyon.

You can find many archival and published materials regarding these historical figures in our collection; some are digitized and available online. Try finding them by “Searching all”!

Learn more about Allan Napier MacNab’s career by consulting the Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online.

Do you wish to know if you have someone famous as an ancestor? Learn more by discovering our Genealogy Services!

Questions or comments? We would love to hear from you!