Biggar Root Booster

Newsletter Biggar Branch Saskatchewan Genealogical Society

Volume 14, No. 2 Spring 2008

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SGS Seminar ‘08 - A Report

by Rae W. Chamberlain

The thirty ninth annual SGS Seminar is over for another year. Even though Seminar 2008 was in the spring this year participants had to contend with snow. In 1991 at the fall seminar in Prince Albert there were a few of us who got storm stayed . This time Prince Albert didn’t get the worst of the storm as it was farther west at the Alberta border. The venue for the seminar was the Masonic Lodge on 15th Ave. Accommodation arrangements were left up to the attendees with no hotel designated as a host.

The Masonic Lodge was established in Prince Albert in1876. In the early years there were several lodges within Prince Albert, but now there is only the one. On the lower level there were numerous portraits and photographs and other memorabilia on display. The main room was furnished with some beautiful historic oak and oak and leather furniture.

Registration was straight forward and quick. On the lower level they had a couple hundred items displayed that were donated by Prince Albert businesses or SGS members as a fund-raiser for the seminar. Everyone was offered a chance to buy tickets to drop into a container beside an item and hope there name would be drawn later.

The weekend was kicked off Friday evening with a talk titled "History Underground: A story History of Early Prince Albert" which told the story of uncovering of a historic cemetery during the construction of the Saskatchewan Forest Centre Building in 2004, the archaeological survey and excavation and uncovering how this all tied into the early history of Prince Albert. This was followed by a time to socialize and take in the SGS Silent Auction or browse the SGS sales table.

A well stocked continental breakfast Saturday morning was sponsored by Conexus Credit Union and Sunday morning Remco sponsored a hot breakfast with scambled eggs, pancakes, sausages and bacon. A representative from Conexus spoke to everyone Saturday morning. On Sunday, a speaker from Remco made a presentation on memorialization with examples from today and 4000 to 5000 years ago. Everyone doing memorialization needs to put much thought and to take time to chose a memorial that reflects the personality and life for whom you are creating the memorial.

Did You Know? SGS Library Collection is valued at $ 347,281.00 Consists of 20,858 books 1,271 microfilms 34,499 microfiche 585 maps 10 videos 37 CD’s Source 2007 SGS Annual Report

The Prince Albert Branch chose to go virtual with some the speakers this year. This meant the speakers stayed home and presented their topic by high speed internet service. For the most part, apart from a couple of small delays, this worked extremely well and I think, was well received. There was a moderator on hand who made contact with the speaker and dealt with any problems that came up. The speakers all made Power Point presentations which were projected from a projector onto a large screen via a laptop computer. The speaker himself controlled the visuals. The sound was excellent. The only drawback was on some of the visuals the text was too small to read, but when capturing screens off the net you have to work with what you are presented with. At the end of the presentation, there was time for questions. Questions were relayed to the speaker via the moderator. Virtual speakers included Paul McGarth of Toronto, who is noted for his role on the family history television show Ancestors in the Attic on History Television; Paul Blake of London, England; Sanda MacLean Clunies of Derwood, MD; Debbie Parker Wayne of Cushing, Texas and John Wiley of Grand Prairie, Texas. In person presenting topics, they had Lisa Rudolph of Saskatoon; Leverne Baxter of Christopher Lake, a Prince Albert Branch member; their own Nancy Carswell of Shellbrook, Sask, and Linda Monahan of Prince Albert and Christina Krismer of Regina, the SGS Education Coordinator. One speaker, unfortunately was not able to be present so those who had registered for that session were accommodated in another session of their choice for that time period.

The SGS Annual Meetings was held after lunch on Saturday afternoon. Certificates were presented to various people who had competed the requirements in the education program. Several donors to the SGS Moving Fund were presented with certificates of appreciation.

The SGS Heritage Award was presented to Leverne Baxter of Christopher Lake. Elections were held. Lindy Kasperski of Regina was elected by acclamation as President, Joyce Carlson and Colleen Slater-Smith were elected to the board with one board position unfilled. The Board will be filling the position by appointment.

Family History! Biggar Branch Saskatchewan Genealogical Society Box 1103 Biggar, SK S0K 0M0 Branch Contact: Rae Chamberlain 306-948-3638 Visit our website: http://www.biggargenealogy.wetpaint.com Biggar Branch SGS Membership Benefits receive the quarterly newsletter Biggar Root Booster borrow books and magazines from Branch library use of microfiche collection experience and knowledge of other members to assist you researching your family history educational workshops gain knowledge on local genealogical resources for Biggar and area special projects network with other genealogists keep abreast of the latest developments in the field of genealogy advice on genealogical internet websites & sources

Biggar Branch SGS Members Attend

Re-opening of

SGS Library & Research Room and Office

by Rae W. Chamberlain Several members of the Biggar Branch made the trek to Regina on May 2nd to attend the re-opening of the SGS Library & Research Room and Office. We were in Regina in time for lunch, then we headed over to the library. There was parking available on the side streets for two hours and two hour metre parking along 11th Ave., but I decided to go to the Impark on the north end in the block of the library building. There was also an Impark a block or so west on 11th Ave. If one is staying in the Regina Inn or Ramada the new location is within a short walking distance. Except I think, I would walk up Broad Street to11th Ave rather than go up Osler Street to 11th Ave. The new Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites at 1907 11th Ave is a short walk west of the new library. In the vicinity is Casino Regina and the Cornwall Center.

The library is in a well lite room.Through a door off the research room is the very nice staff offices and a space for the SGS volunteers to work. There is lots of room between the aisles for browsing the library stacks. Everything is well marked and the system they used for shelving the books is easy to use once one knows how it has been done. I had the opportunity to try out the computerized library catalogue. One could search the catalogue several ways. Much, much better - quicker and easier, to find stuff than searching the lists that are posted on the SGS website or searching through all the library lists that have been published each quarter in the Bulletin. Hopefully sometime in the future they will able to make the catalogue available via the net or on a CD.

If there are any Biggar Branch members interested in borrowing some books or periodicals from the library and are not sure of what to ask for just drop Celeste an email or give her a call and advise her where you are researching, what it is you are wanting to know and she will send you some books and periodicals to help you along with your research. If there are some specific periodicals of interest to you, advise Celeste and she will put your name on the mailing list so as the specific periodicals become available they will be circulate to you.

At 2p.m. the Executive Director, Linda Dunsmore-Porter and incoming President, Lindy Kasperski spoke a few words. The SGS Past-Presidents present were introduced and then asked to come forward and assist with the ribbon cutting. Members and guests circulated about, many delving into the books looking to make a discovery. This was followed by a social hour.

The SGS Library & Research Room and Office have settled in a much better space. Do plan on making a visit. The staff will orientate you for using the library and offer any assistance they can. There are many gems hidden away on those library shelves. Your ancestors may be in a book that is sitting on the shelf.

We left Regina before 4p.m., made a stop for supper and arrived back in Biggar about 8:45 p.m., just over 12 hours after we had left.


The first issue of our newsletter for this year has been placed on our website at http:biggargenealogy.wetpaint.com with no ads. I had trouble with some of the linefeeds being stripped away and not being able to restore them. So some of the formating of this issue is not to my liking. Further issues will be added to the site as they become available. Some of the ads may be added with this newsletter.

Watch the Library and Archives Canada website for the release of the 1916 Census for the provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta sometime after June 1st. It is not known at this time in what form we will be able to access this census.

Canadian Council of Archives National Conference will be held in Regina May 24-25, 2008. All archives users are invited to attend. It will be interactive and informative with visits to several archives in the Regina area. Visit http://www.archivesconference.ca for more information. You can view the program and register online. A website for a Biggar Encyclopaedia has been set up at http:biggarencyclopaedia.wetpaint.com to tell the story of our town and its people in the format of the twenty-first century. This is a collaborative undertaking where anyone knowledgeable, or interested in preserving Biggar’s history can participate. It is set up in the ‘wiki’ format so the website allows for the participation of many not just one individual or editorial team. Anyone can contribute content by registering and submitting a writers request to the administrator. It is hoped the encyclopaedia will develop into a successful project to mark the Town of Biggar’s Centennial in 2011.

New Research Guides

Press Release May 2nd, 2008
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH -
FamilySearch announced today the release of two new free research tools that will help those with British and Scottish roots to find their ancestors. The research guides, Finding Records of Your Ancestors, England, and Finding Records of Your Ancestors, Scotland feature easy-to-follow instructions, colorful graphics, and removable worksheets. Free copies can be viewed, downloaded, or printed online at FamilySearch.org.
The guides will help take the guesswork out of British and Scottish genealogical research by simplifying the process and giving users a specific, proven strategy to use. In an inviting workbook style, the guides show users which records to search, what to look for, and what tools to use. The steps and tools needed to navigate British and Scottish historical records to find ancestors are colorfully outlined.

Finding Records of Your Ancestors, England and Finding Records of Your Ancestors, Scotland, are the latest additions to the popular series of free online publications. The guides are designed for those who have already gathered some family history information about their British or Scottish ancestors and are ready to search public and private records——they are must-have reference tools for researchers of British or Scottish genealogy.

The guides explain different types of records in England and Scotland and instruct the user when and how to use specific records. Real-life case studies allow readers to see for themselves how the research process works. Expert search tips, including tips on how to use the Family History Library Catalog, are included. Also included are maps, key dates in British and Scottish histories, and guides for reading respective genealogical records.

Other guides in the Finding Records of Your Ancestors series include African American, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Italy, Jewish, Mexico, Norway, and Sweden.