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Research in Other Countries => Canada => Topic started by: TerriG on Wednesday 21 March 12 14:14 GMT (UK)
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Grace Downie McKean & Peter Nelson McKean (my maternal grandparents) and 4 kids emigrated to Lethbridge in about 1949. Peter worked at Lethbridge Experimental Station. Grace died 1951 and is buried in Lethbridge. Peter and 2 daughters returned to Scotland in 1953. Have no details of which ship they travelled to Canada on, and don't know where they lived in Lethbridge. Any info would be much appreciated.
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http://www.lethlib.ca/
If you contacted the Lethbridge Public Library - under contacts there is a email address for questions - they should be able to look up Peter in their directories and provide and address.
Incoming Canadian passenger lists are not available past 1935 (privacy laws). Findmypast should have an outgoing passenger list that you can view.
Debbie
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Thanks Debbie. I've sent a message to Lethbridge Library and am awaiting a reply. Findmypast didn't have any records of my grandparent's journey to Canada unfortunately. My mum was convinced that she had been on the Queen Mary, although she would have been a baby when they left Scotland. I'm wondering if the passenger lists for the QM are not available online at present.
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I looked at New York city arrivals on ancestryand didn't see your grandparents but there are spelling variations and mistranscriptions which could account for that. Also is they travelled under initials only it is harder to find them and I didn't check that.
Ellis Island has New York arrivals for free - you just have to register to view the images.
http://ellisisland.org/
Debbie
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Thanks Debbie. I had a look at Ellis Island, but they're not listed. I've never seen a passenger list for the QUEEN MARY - I wonder if anybody else has?
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I too have an ancestor who emigrated to Lethbridge, Alberta in 1942. She married a Canadian serviceman in Scotland, although his family were originally from Scotland as well.
Both are now deceased and whilst I have found some useful info on LDS I cannot trace where they are buried or obituaries for them. I have tried the contact for lethbridge Library but cannot access the site, probably something I am doing.
Good luck with your search
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I managed to access the Lethbridge Library website and sent an e-mail (questions@lethlib.ca) asking about Lethbridge Experimental Station, but have yet to receive a reply. Most of the info I've got I gathered whilst visiting Lethbridge in 2007. I had the advantage that my late mother had told me where my grandmother was buried (however, we had to search the whole cemetery looking for the grave!). Whilst there I visited the library and searched the microfiche and found the obituary. I also (after much searching) found a private company that provided a death certificate. Have you contacted Vital Statistics - Alberta Registries (e-mail) VSOOPC@gov.ab.ca for documents (eg death certificates)? I obtained a medical certificate of death from them for my grandmother, as she was only in her 30s when she died.
Good luck with your search also :)
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Glad you managed to visit the grave, and sorry about the circumstances. I have absolutely no chance of visiting Lethbridge.
I have a cousin in Canada and despite my asking he still refuses to visit Alberta as, when he finished laughing, he told me it would take about three days to drive there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.
Still I have him on the job so hopefully He will come up with some info.
My relationship is not nearly as close as yours. The lady was a cousin of my Father, who is now aged 88, but clearly remembers attending the wedding of the McNabs in 1942.
Still this is what the research is all about, trying to tie up all the loose ends. However the deeper I dig the more loose ends I come up with.
Keep digging and the best of luck
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http://lethbridgeherald.newspaperarchive.com/
Lethbridge newspaper archives used to be free but now is a pay site.
Perhaps you might find something
Debbie
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Glad to say that I found my family on passenger lists going to Canada from Scotland - my grandad went over first, followed by the oldest child, and finally my grandmother took the other 3 kids over the following year. I've also found my grandad and the two girls (one being my mum) returning to Scotland in 1953.
I've also found out that they resided at the Dominion Experimental Station in Lethbridge (where my grandad worked from 1948-1953).
What I'm looking for now are photos of the Experimental Station during that time, particularly staff quarters. I have Googled it and found various aerial photos, and pictures of other buildings, but would really like to see or hear about how my mum and her family would have lived.
It's a bit of a long shot, but if anyone reading this lived there at that time and can give me any information, or even photos of my family, I would be so grateful, as I have never seen a photo of my grandma, and have no photos of my mum as a child.
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Sorry for me this is a dead end! I have no further info re my late Father's cousin. This is one of those situations where I really need to get my head down!!!!!!!!!!!!
However the phrase "
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Forgot to say that, through Ancestry site at my local LDS, I was able to access the Lethbridge Herald archives, which had a notice about my Grandma's death, funeral details and a notice of thanks from the family, as well as many articles about my Grandad's football skills!
Maxcam, have you access to Ancestry?
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Hi all
Does anyone know if photographs were taken of immigrants into Canada in the 1940s and, if so, where they would be now? I'm still on a quest to find a photo of my grandmother. I did try the Passport Office here in England, but they couldn't help.
Thanks.
Terri.
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Hi Terri,
not that I've found for my cousin's family. DO you know if your grandparents became naturalised citizens? If so, there's a small chance there will be a photo in your grandmother's file, however, for 1949-1951 you need to search by date rather than by name: http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/immigration/citizenship-naturalization-records/naturalized-records-1915-1951/Pages/introduction.aspx
I'm not sure if you have these already:
apparently, your grandad was very proud of his potato plants in 1952 - it's under the "seen and heard about town" section, lower right: https://newspaperarchive.com/lethbridge-herald-aug-15-1952-p-1/
Your family thanked everyone for their help (mid-left under card of thanks) following your grandma's death here: https://newspaperarchive.com/lethbridge-herald-mar-30-1951-p-6/
Your uncle married in 1957 but went by the name Mulgrew - is that right? THere's a photo of him and his wife here: https://newspaperarchive.com/lethbridge-herald-jun-21-1957-p-14/
There are also newspaper reports about your grandmother's death and obituary notices at Newspaper Archive but I don't have full access. From the previews, however, it didn't look like there were any photos.
I live in Calgary, but we head down to Lethbridge/Pincher Creek/Waterton every few months for weekends away, and as an immigrant, I'm brushing up on the history of my province so I'm always looking for excuses to go digging about in things. Is there anything you want me to look for next time we're down that way? Feel free to direct message me - we're heading to the Galt Museum on our next visit as I'm yet to go there, but I'll reach out to a few friends I've got down that way who might be able to help with info on the Dominion Experimental Farm.
Anyway, the offer is there to anyone who needs a hand searching archives in Calgary/Banff/Canmore/Lethbridge/Waterton - any excuse to visit the local archives is welcomed! Maxcam, if you still need someone to do some legwork, let me know :-)
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Hi Gemma
Thank you for taking the time to collect all the information. I don't believe that my grandparents obtained naturalisation and, if they did, I wouldn't know what date.
I've seen quite a few articles/letters from the Lethbridge News, but I will have another look in case I missed something.
My uncle was my grandmother's first born, so went by his father's surname. I'm in touch with my half cousin, but he doesn't have an interest in family history sadly.
I may take you up on your offer - when I get time (bit hectic here at present) I will look at the Galt website to see if they have anything that you could look at for me.
Thanks again.
Terri
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No problems, Terri. I'm playing about with the idea of writing a few books based in early Alberta (I'm a historical romance writer as my day job!) so I'll be down there again soon regardless.
It might be worth reaching out to Glenbow Museum in Calgary as well; it's possible they'll have some archival information, and the same with U of L history department. Again I'm happy to go collect anything or go chat to anyone on your behalf. I need to explore the province more anyway :-)
Gemma