Joanna Walsh Baty in her coffin, 1941

On death and dying

On this All Souls Day or Day of the Dead, I take an in-depth look at what led to the demise of my direct ancestors.

A life full of loss: Mary Scott Mitchell

My great-great-grandmother Mary Scott Mitchell was widowed twice and outlived four of her six children. And death by drowning would play a prominent role in her family’s story.

A life cut short

On this day in 1915, my paternal great-grandparents lost a son, a victim of the sea.

A fine day for a wedding

July 3, 1948 was a fine day for a wedding. On that lovely summer day 72 years ago, my parents began their life together.

Strachan grandparents with Scott & Nancy, 1954

A house needs a grandma in it

Remembering my maternal grandmother, in honour of her 120th birthday as well as the 100th anniversary of her marriage to my grandfather.

In living colour

Being confined indoors right now due to the coronavirus situation, I’ve been having some fun experimenting with colourization of some old family photos.

Love stories

What better time than Valentine’s Day to profile several family love stories? Here are a few marriages that stood the test of time.

Immigrants arriving at Quebec 1911

An ocean away

Why I am here? How is it that I happen to live where I do when my ancestral roots were firmly planted an ocean away?