Hello WikiTreers!
WikiTree Challenge #1, the first of 2023, is now complete. We spent an incredible week working together to build up a massive list of ancestors based on the seven starting notables nominated by the Ontario Ancestors! We were challenged with finding the families of note-worthy Canadians that originated in Canada, China and Ukraine. Once again our group of researchers did a fantastic job of tracking their ancestors and documenting them on WikiTree.
Challenge participants added more than 5,476 profiles to the seven starting people!! The highest amount of people were added to the Smith line, which gained 1,867 profiles in one week! Six of the seven lines were connected in unique ways to the global tree, with only Sam Ching of China remaining unconnected.
Altogether more than 86 WikiTreers made 12,001 edits to the profiles. Groups were quickly formed to tackle the more difficult lines, while some looked up articles, added categories, transcribed documents, and contributed in other ways.
MVP: Stu Ward
Top Bounty Hunters: Morgan Mulligan & Liz Macdonald
Team Captain: Cheryl Hess
All contributors ● Scoring explanation ● Research resources ● January Notable Ontarian Connections
Here are some highlights from our discoveries:
- Albert Sylvester Smoke (1894-1944) Was a Canadian long-distance runner at only 4'10" tall. He competed in the marathon at the 1920 Summer Olympics and was considered one of the best of his era.
- Murray MacKenzie Whetung (1921-2021), four degrees from Elsie May Taylor Knott, was the last living WWII veteran in Curve Lake First Nation when he died in 2021.
- Elijah Marsden (1881-1935), six degrees from Elsie May Taylor, was literally picked up in the air and hurled into an oncoming car when the baskets he was carrying on his shoulders were hit with a strong gust of wind, becoming parachutes. He succumbed to his injuries later that day.
- Rasberry Hovell (1783-) a first cousin once removed of Thomas Hovell (1763-1859) was transported from England to Australia for 7 years in 1828 for stealing a watch.
- Jean Elizabeth (Morrison) Pigott (1924 - 2012) was an MP for Ottawa-Carleton, the first woman chairperson of Ontario Hydro, and she received the Order of Canada in 1995. Her sister Maguerite Ann (Morrison) Hale (1929 - 2022) also received the Order of Canada in 2006. Known as Ottawa's legendary "Three Sisters" with one still living.
- We learned a lot while researching Sam Ching, including the fact that his friend "Ah Lung" had no surname listed, as "Ah" meant friend or buddy. Sam's profile was touched by ten different researchers as we attempted to honor him in best way we could.
