The Island Register News! --- Friday, February 16th, 2001 (Sample Issue)

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The following is a sample issue of the Island Register's Weekly Newsletter - this particular issue was emailed to subscribers February 16th, 2001. Each week following, another issue has gone out to those subscribed to receive it.

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The Island Register News! --- Friday, February 16th, 2001

This Newsletter/Updates notice will come to you each Friday, whenever there is news to report from the Island Register, or from the Genealogical, Heritage, and Historical community on Prince Edward Island. I would like to thank you for subscribing, and sincerely hope that you will find it a friendly, useful and fun adjunct to the Island Register.

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A bit about the Island Register, and its origins. I have often been asked why I put so much effort and expense into bringing you the Island Register. It had it roots back in the 70's, when I was just beginning to discover my P.E.I. families. At the time, I was living in Ontario, many miles from the availability of P.E.I. records, only able to spend a week here each summer. Many people here on P.E.I. helped me with my research, and none would accept anything in return. The Island Register is my way of returning the favour in kind, making Prince Edward Island records easier to access from "away".

The Register first went on line in 1991 on a local telephone BBS in Charlottetown which supported web pages. It was a much smaller version, of course of what is online today. I soon discovered that people were dialing up long distance to access the information there from as far away as Vancouver and Los Angeles. This service continued till the end of 1996 when the BBS closed down, and on January 29th 1997, I moved the Register over to the Internet. The rest is history. Prince Edward Island records are easier to access than ever before. Since 1997, the site has had over 1,330,000 visitors, and is now averaging 3,000 a day. By fall at the current rate, the Register should hit 2 million.

I work an average of 8 hours daily working on the site, including both major and minor additions and modifications and answering emails. You won't see a lot of these on the "What's New" page, as much of this I consider normal maintenance and upkeep. Then, after a few hours sleep, I work midnight shift at Canada Post in Charlottetown to pay the bills. Guess which work I enjoy the most!

Those who know me know the answer.

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Why I am doing a Newsletter?

For multiple reasons, I must confess. Firstly to remind people of the new information going on the page - but it is more than that.

It is also so that those of you that are living off-Island will catch a glimpse of everyday life in a way that is very difficult to do in the organized format of the Island Register. It will include items like the weather, what various users of the Register are up to... and happenings here on the Island that I would like to pass along. Many of the items included here, I have been asked about on the Island Register IRC chats. I hope that you do enjoy this issue, and I will try not to bore you with each one! We now have well over 200 subscribers to this newsletter, and welcome more.

For those of you still receiving update messages from NetMind, stop by their site to cancel these extraneous notices - they may continue on till the end of March.

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I would like to thank all of you who posted their appreciation on the PEI-Roots mailing list this week for the work I do on the Island Register. I am truly happy that you like the site and have found it a help. Don't forget, that while the Island Register may have been the oldest, and is the largest P.E.I. Genealogy site, that there are many other P.E.I. sites that also deserve kudos! You will find links to a large number of P.E.I. genealogy sites, all equally deserving, on the Island Register's links page:
https://www.islandregister.com/url.html

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Weather Notes:

Since I have had some very positive feedback from the weather notes in the first issue, I am going to make it a weekly feature. I apologize to the readers here on P.E.I., as we have all lived through it, but it will be interesting to all off-Island. I (sigh) look forward to the Spring and Summer when I can report our truly best weather!

One of the nicest things eyes can behold can be seen in the spring where everywhere you look, you see a patchwork of freshly cultivated fields with their red soil, green grass, and the blue of the sky and ocean. Later on, there is the smell of fresh mown hay and clover, and the lure of the beach on those sultry summer days, and in the fall, the beauty of the changing foliage across the Island!

But that's starting in a couple of months - for now, we must patiently await the end of winter....

Feb. 09 - Weather calling for a sunny day, clouding over towards evening, then 10 cm. of snow. Tomorrow, warming up and changing over to freezing rain, then back to sub zero late Saturday. -10 deg. c. predicted for Sunday.

Feb. 10 - Today began at 4 a.m. with my going out to clear off the driveway before the few cm. of snow that had come down got heavy with rain. Rained all day, with distant thunder in the a.m. and temps a few deg. above freezing, then the temperature tapered back down below freezing in the evening. Snow banks took a welcome beating!

Feb. 11 - Quite the opposite of yesterday. Winds overnight from 50 to 90 km/h (forecast), and rattling the house all night long. Confederation Bridge closed to high-sided vehicles. Temp. 6 a.m. here -18 deg. c. (~0 F). Cloudy and a few flurries forecast with wind warnings. Brrrr! Daytime very cold and windy - the winds tapering off in the evening.

Feb. 12 - Not too bad a day - partly sunny, forecast high -10 deg. c. (11 a.m. -14 deg. c.), winds 40 to 60 km/h with some ground drift, winds easing off late in the day.

Feb. 13 - Partly Cloudy, temp forecast to go to -3 deg c. with 2-5 cm. snow in the afternoon.

Feb. 14 - Beautiful winter morning - very heavy hoar frost over all the trees. Missed many photo ops not having my camera with me on the way home from work. However, late in the the day it isn't forecast to be as nice. Another winter storm advisory - snow beginning this evening 10 - 15 cm., changing over tomorrow to freezing rain/rain with high winds. Temps rising to above zero then back into the deep-freeze later tomorrow.

Feb. 15 - Left work at 4:30 a.m. due to the storm with the other out of town'ers, and crawled back towards home. Got stuck in a four foot snow drift only a mile from home. Dug myself out - no shovel, so did it with my bare hands! Got about 1/2 mile further only to have to wait while another dug out ahead of me. Got home, and the driveway was blocked with a four foot drift lengthwise, so had to park the car on a very snow-narrowed road, start up the tractor, and clear the drive.... Put a shovel in the car :-) I finally got in for my first cup of coffee at 8:30, four hours after leaving work... It was my adventure for the day. It is raining now (10:00 a.m.), but to cool down at noon to sub-zero with high winds. Possible 10 cm. more snow.

5 P.M. Update: The Island is shut down. The Confederation Bridge is closed to all traffic. This is the first time it has been closed to all traffic since it opened in 1996, though there have been many times where it was closed to high sided vehicles for short periods. Blizzard conditions across P.E.I. and people are being asked to stay put. Multiple car pileups in many locations around the Island, and plows were taken off the roads due to poor visibility. Winds are to start diminishing west to east across the Island tonight, then the cleanup begins! Current conditions as the winds start subsiding, 61 km/h with overnight potential of gusts to 80 km/h diminishing to 30 km/h over night. Snow to change to flurries, low of -13 deg c.

Feb. 16 - Digging out again! Auto body shops enjoying the boost in business, plow drivers hoping for the chance to get a bit of well deserved sleep. Winds light, forecast high -4 deg c. Partly cloudy. Another storm forecast Saturday.

So, with that note, I close off this week's weather notes. It was a week to remember.

Our local soothsayers claim that a hard winter like this brings a long hot, dry summer!

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For those of you who are stumped converting Metric temperatures (C) to Fahrenheit and vice-versa, visit the second page of the Island Register's Links page and use the handy temperature converter. Just enter the current temp. (F or C) in the appropriate field, press your tab key, and the correct temp. will show in the opposite field.
https://www.islandregister.com/url2.html

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Welcome Home to the Island!

Despite the weather above, spring is coming! Now is the time to think about vacations, and when planning your vacation this year, consider a visit to Prince Edward Island. The low value of the Canadian dollar compared to the U.S. dollar makes it an ideal place to vacation for those of you who live in the States.

The Island is blessed with many natural beauties and is known for its friendliness towards its visitors, and great summer weather. Excellent accommodations in the form of Hotels, Motels, Cabins, Campgrounds, and Bed and Breakfasts abound at an affordable price. If you love seafoods, try our fresh from the sea seafood at any of the many wonderful Island restaurants. If you don't want to frequent the usual tourist stops, take the time to drive down some of the small country roads just to see where you wind up - some of the Island's greatest treasures are hidden just beyond the next corner. Plan to take the time to explore.

Some have said to me on the Island Register IRC Chats they will miss the ferries... Good News - you can still have the best of both worlds - the easy fast access to the Island over the Confederation Bridge, and the nostalgic sail across the Northumberland Strait on the ferry from Wood Islands to Nova Scotia on the way off!

For those of you planning to do research, these are just some of our fine research resources:

There are many more - this list could go on and on.

Concerned about staying in touch while here? Community Access points (CAP Sites) are set up across the Island at Schools and Libraries where you can access the Internet through computers set up for the benefit of the public at large. The Island may be small, but it is well connected!

See the CAP site, as well as Archives, Museum, Tourism, Library links, etc. on:
https://www.islandregister.com/islandlinks.html

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Canadian Heritage Week is February 18 - 24, 2001!

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Speaking of P.E.I. Resources, one must not forget to mention Waldron Leard's "History Room", located in Kingsboro, 10 miles E. of Souris. Waldron has amassed a huge collection of information. Please see his page at:
https://www.islandregister.com/leard.html

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Please accept my deepest apology for messing up Susan Leard's "Leards of Kingsboro" URL in the last issue. I must have checked the letter a hundred times before sending it, and noticed the error when I received my email copy of the newsletter! Was my face red - especially when just after sending the correction, Waldron emailed me to tell me of my error! Will check this one two hundred times if necessary! Susan has done a lot more work on her page this week. I would also like to thank her for presenting her first "History Room Appreciation Award" to me for my work on the Island Register. Once again, her correct URL:
http://www.isn.net/susankin

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East Coast Music Awards:

Music has always been an important part of the Maritime Culture. The East Coast Music Awards took place in Charlottetown last week, culminating in an awards ceremony last Sunday night. All types of music were represented at different venues in town, Aboriginal, Blues, Celtic, Classical, Country, Francophone, Gospel, Jazz, Rock, Traditional, and others - a great chance for our wonderful East Coast artists to show off their talents. The old Eaton Center on Kent Street became a 76 hour jam session open to the public - other venues included the Confederation Center, Confederation Court Mall, bars and pubs, and many other localities around the Charlottetown area. It was hard not to hear music if anywhere in Charlottetown from the 8th to 11th.

Despite weather problems that delayed many, by Saturday, some 1,757 artists, performers, delegates and guests had arrived for the festivities.

Among the instruments played here on the Island over the weekend, were two played by Jasper Wood, and Denise Djokic, who performed in the Classical and Jazz series of the E.C.M.A., who played respectively, an 1829 Pressenda violin valued at 1.5 million, and a Stradivarious cello valued at 4 million dollars. That's pretty valuable wood, varnish, and cat gut!

Awards were held on the 11th in a much-converted Charlottetown Civic Center. The Center bore little resemblance to the hockey arena it is when the awards were televised. A lavish three-stage set had been constructed within the facility to serve the ceremonies. The awards were broadcast live on CBC Television, and in Stereo on CBC Radio 2 beginning at 8 p.m. EST (9 AST) Sunday.

Award winners, among many others, were Natalie McMaster (Best Instrumental); Lennie Gallant (Best Album - "Lennie Gallant Live", Best Male Artist, Best Roots-traditional Solo); the Barra MacNeils (Best Group); Damhnait Doyle (Best Single "Tattooed", Best Pop/Rock, Best Video); The Jive Kings (Best Jazz); The Carson Downey Band (Best New Artist, Best Blues); Birch Mountain Bluegrass Band (Best Bluegrass); Grande Derangement (Best Francophone Recording "Danse dans les flames"); and Theresa Doyle (Best Children's).

Anne Murray was presented the "Board of Director's Special Achievement Award" by Governor General of Canada, Adrienne Clarkson. Little know facts about the Springhill, N.S. artist: Her first job was as a teacher, teaching at Athena High School here; She made the decision to pursue music as a full time career while here; P.E.I. Songwriter, Gene MacLellan wrote her first best seller, "Snowbird"; and her first professional engagement was at Johnny Reid's "Prince Edward Room" in Charlottetown. During her career since, Anne has received world wide recognition, 4 Grammys, 31 Juno awards, and was the first Canadian artist to receive a gold record in the U.S. (for Snowbird) in 1970. In 1985, she was made a Companion to the Order of Canada, and in 1993, she was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame.

Another note of interest, Adrienne Clarkson, our Governor General celebrated her birthday while on the Island attending the festivities - her birthday was Saturday.

The ECMA takes turns being presented at different Maritime locations each year, and this one was said to be the largest and most successful yet, injecting millions into the local economy. Charlottetown last hosted the awards in 1996.

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The Island Register would like to congratulate Catherine G. Hennessey, Charlottetown, P.E.I. for her being named Member of the Order of Canada. Her citation reads:

"Catherine G. Hennessey, C.M.
Charlottetown, P.E.I.
Member of the Order of Canada

She is a tireless advocate for historical conservation in Prince Edward Island. For the past 35 years, she has raised awareness of the importance of preservation of the natural and built heritage in her province. In her various roles, notably as Executive Director for the Prince Edward Island Heritage Foundation, she has used her expertise to promote the historical integrity of Charlottetown. She currently volunteers in support of the Confederation Centre Art Gallery to ensure that future generations will be able to appreciate and enjoy the rich diversity of the Island."

From the Governor General of Canada's Web Site at:
http://www.gg.ca/appointments/20010214_e.html

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Marge Reid, who helps me out with the Island Register IRC chats has completed much of her project of putting the Islander's in the Boston, 1880 census online. Temporarily, while she test drives and finishes the database, she has it at:
http://www.eskimo.com/~dirving/pei1880/pe80indx.html

When completed, Marge will return the census to its site on Rootsweb, at which time I will update you all!

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I would like to request that any of you who might be attending/planning a reunion of a P.E.I. family, to let me know a.s.a.p., so that it can be included on the Island Register's "Reunions page". We only have a few listed so far for this year:
https://www.islandregister.com/reunions.html

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News from the PEIGS:

I mentioned this in the last newsletter, but it is worthwhile repeating for the many who subscribed after the sending date:

The final lots of the 1891 census are completed, and they, and the 1891 census index may be ordered from PEIGS. The February PEIGS Newsletter is out - indexes of this and older issues viewable from the PEIGS page.

The February meeting of the PEIGS is scheduled for February 24th, 2001 at 2:00 p.m. at the corner of St. Peters Road and Northridge Parkway behind the Kentucky Fried Chicken. Guest speaker will be Cecil McPhail speaking on the "History of West River". This site is wheelchair accessible. Everyone is welcome to attend!

Further details are given on the PEIGS page at:
https://www.islandregister.com/peigs.html

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New/Updated Lineages:

New Feb. 09, 2001 - David Campbell's "The Descendants of James Campbell and Christy MacDonald"
New Feb. 12, 2001 - Doug Moran's "The Descendants of Michael Moran and Margaret Conley"
New Feb. 13, 2001 - John Albert's "The Descendents of Gabriel Albert and Genevieve Bouthillier"

View The Island Register Lineages Page at:
https://www.islandregister.com/gindex.html

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General Updates:

This has been another reasonably quiet week on the Island Register. It gave me time to do a redo a number of old style lineage files, and other long delayed items on the page.

Feb 09, 2001 - 1 Family file(s) added on our Lineages page bringing our total to 457.

Feb 10, 2001 - Many small changes on the Register, link updates, etc. Nothing major, sorry! Day of general consolidation including cleanup of my home office.

Feb 11, 2001 - Added a Boer War era photo from Robert Davidson to the "Mystery Photo" page. Can anyone help him identify those in it?
https://www.islandregister.com/mysteryphoto.html

Feb 12, 2001 - Added wills of Annie Laura, John, and William Campbell to the Wills Database, submitted by Fred Dimond. Interestingly, the will of John, was witnessed by Lucy Maud Montgomery, his 1st cousin once removed, and the niece of Annie Laura, his wife. Also added the Will of Patrick Walsh, submitted by Kingsley Walsh - 197 wills now in the database.

Feb 12, 2001 - 1 Family file(s) added on our Lineages page bringing our total to 458.

Feb 13, 2001 - 1 Family file(s) added on our Lineages page bringing our total to 459. This is the date of the most recent change/addition only!

Feb 14, 2001 - 1 Family file(s) updated on our Lineages page bringing our total to 459. This is the date of the most recent change/addition only! Now over 49 updates, additions since Jan. 1st!.

Feb 15, 2001 - Day spent doing various administrative chores on the site. A large number of email address changes made for some of the Register's contributors. Nothing noteworthy to report other than the weather!

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As always, you may view The Island Register's "What's New" page to see the latest additions in the interim between update letters:
https://www.islandregister.com/whatsnew.html

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Please tell your friends about the newsletter/update service from the Island Register, and tell them how to subscribe. If you have any notes of interest to the Register's users, please pass them along to me. I cannot always promise a full-fledged newsletter due to severe constraints on my time, but will always send you the latest updates and notes. I welcome feedback to this Newsletter, and to the Island Register. I cannot always promise a response to each letter due to time limitations, but each and every one will be read and appreciated...

Dave Hunter, Email: [email protected]
Rural Route 2,
Vernon Bridge,
Prince Edward Island,
Canada, C0A 2E0.

The Island Register - https://www.islandregister.com/

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