[ISL] "Genealogy is good tourism"

[rfmcdonald]

This article in the regional Island newspaper, the Eastern Graphic, by Allan Rankin, produces a compelling argument. Creating interest in diasporids may be key.

We have the unique ability as Islanders to locate one another geographically by surname and ethnic origin. We know that Le Region Evangeline is where most of our French speaking Acadian brothers and sisters can be found, while Emerald and Morell are old Irish settlements and you are likely to run into fourth generation Scots in places like Belfast and St. Catherines.

Many Island Mi’kmaq families continue to live on Lennox Island.

Genealogy and family history is a passion for many Islanders. My brother began his odyssey to unravel the history of the Rankin side of my own family several years ago, and he and my sister-in-law travelled all over Canada, visiting church cemeteries, public archives, local historical societies and winding through countless reels of microfilm.

The result is an impressive compilation, with photographs and maps, that sits on our living room coffee table for curious visitors to examine.

When I was just out of graduate school and working as Education Officer at the PEI Museum and Heritage Foundation, genealogy seemed like a lesser calling, and some of us were more focused on researching and interpreting the larger themes of Island history than compiling genealogical information on index cards.
But our fearless leader and heritage matriarch, to her great credit, realized the importance of family history and Beaconsfield in Charlottetown became a centre for genealogy under the brilliant guidance of Janet Dale and followed by the indefatigable Orlo Jones.