Betty White recently hosted Saturday Night Live and gave all of us Genealogists out their a chuckle with her census skit. If like me, you have poured over census sheets wondering how in the world the census takers came up with the information they did you will enjoy this video.
If you happened to miss it you can watch it below.
Genealogy Gems shows another handy tool you can use in researching your Genealogy and Family History online using Google News.
Have you used this tool? What interesting things did you find out about your family?
Robert the “Genealogy Guy” from Treasure Maps Genealogy does a really great job explaining how to use the Google Toolbar to save your eyes when researching your family history online.
I have been using the tool for a long time and I am very grateful he did a video on this.. it just never occurred to me to do it 
Are there other tools you use in your research that would help others? Let me know, I would love to put your video here for others or do one to help. Leave your suggestion or comment below.
Of all the emotional processes you go through when studying and researching your family tree it is the hunt for birth parents that is the most challenging. The locale privacy laws can make it a lot more complicated to find exact names and addresses depending on where you live. It may well be difficult simply to find out the locations connected with your adoption either from the adoption agency or your adoptive parents. If your birth mother or father don't want to be found you would not be alone as this is fairly common. You should be prepared for a long time spent searching as it can be difficult.
One of the early steps is to ask your adoptive parents if they could assist you in locating your birth parents. Keep in mind that adoptive parents coul;d see this as a rejection of them and their affection for you. Don't just ask bluntly and try to be sensitive to how your questions might make them feel. If you make it very clear that you wish to know your genealogy has nothing to do with them or the love they showed you as parents that will reassure them. Don't let them think you are looking to replace them as your real family by searching for your birth mother. If you can get a forename for your birth mother then you are doing better than most. They may know no more than the name of the agency or adoption center that handled the paperwork. Finding information from overseas adoption agencies is likely to make things a lot harder for you. There are some adoptions that are a lot more open than others and your parents may have had some contact with the birth mother. This doesn't mean they will know her name but any descriptive information about her age or some physical features may help you in your search.
Check out the laws surrounding adoption in your state and country. It may be worth your while to invest in professional help to assist with understanding the laws. You must always abide by the law so make sure you stick to the rules. You will discover that you can get help from some agencies either online or from the local phone book. When searching you will find that having some legal advice will be a great help. Adoption reunions are worth looking into and you can usually sign up online. You never know, you may discover your birth mother is searching for you as well.
Eventually the agency that dealt with your adoption can be approached. It is worth asking but they may not be able to help much. It can happen that they will pass on a letter from you to your birth mother if you ask them. In your letter you would explain you want help to research your birth family tree. If the can give you some information about your mother's medical history you might learn something useful about your own medical health potential and risks.
It may be tough but try not to simply give up when you hit problems. If you can find out her name you can at least build up your family tree even if you never find her. You should assume that it will be very difficult to find your birth father. You could always research the family tree of your adoptive family if you come up against a complete brick wall when it comes to researching your birth parents. After all, it is their name you carry and their love that raised you.
The Canadian Genealogy Centre is an online resource for anyone in the world who wants to identify their Canadian ancestors and learn more about them. A variety of databases and records are available through the Canadian Genealogy Centre. This guide will help you navigate the site.
What You Can Do
The most popular activity on the Canadian Genealogy Centre is searching for ancestors. By using the Centre’s combined genealogical database search, you can search for a wide variety of government records. Since the records were collected and maintained by the Library and Archives Canada, they have a high degree of reliability and trustworthiness.
Ancestors Search Database
Using the Canadian Genealogy Centre's Ancestors Search database, you can search for all kinds of events like births, marriage bonds made between 1779 and 1865, deaths, and divorces between 1841 and 1968. Researchers can search land records like the Gaspe Land Commission records from 1626 to 1841, Lower Canada land petitions from 1826 to 1865, and Western Land Grants from 1870 to 1930. This is by far the most extensive database available to Canadians researching their genealogy.
Searchable immigration and citizenship registration records at the Canadian Genealogy Centre include records for the Montreal Circuit Courts from 1851 to 1945; Home Children records from 1869 to 1930; the Montreal Emigrant Society Passage Book of 1832; records of immigrants from the Russian Empire and immigrants at Grosse-Ile from 1832 to 1937, and generalized immigration records from 1925 to 1935.
Searchable military records include lists of courts martial and soldiers from the First World War and soldiers from the South African War.
Census Records
Old census records provide a huge wealth of information about your Canadian ancestors. Census returns collected in 1851, 1861, 1871, 1881, 1891, 1901, 1906, and 1911 list every individual by name and provide each person’s age, sex, birth country or province, racial or ethnic origin, occupation, and marital status. Census records for 1901 and 1911 also include the individual’s birth date, year of immigration, and location of land. Be advised that the 1851 Census is incomplete, as portions of the records were destroyed.
The Newspaper Obituaries
Newspaper obituaries are also available through the Canadian Genealogy Centre’s online databases. If you find a newspaper obituary for one of your ancestors, you could be very fortunate indeed. Many obituaries give details about the deceased's survivors, their military service, their employment, and names of family members – especially spouses – who predeceased the individual.
The Canadian Genealogy Centre is an outstanding research for the amateur genealogy researcher.
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