History in Canada
The O'Shea Archives is the home for the historical writing and research of Canadian historian, writer and researcher, William A. O'Shea (Bill O'Shea). This is a new digital collection of many years of historical writing. Over the coming weeks and months this site will be populated with a great deal of historical information about the... Continue Reading →
LOUISBOURG HERITAGE NOTES IN THE LOUISBOURG SEAGULL Extracted from © The Seagull Louisbourg Heritage Notes "January 2000" Louisbourg in 1900 - 100 years ago. The big Louisbourg event for the summer of 1900 was a visit by the Prime Minister, Sir Wilfrid Laurier. He came to the fortress site to address the annual picnic of the... Continue Reading →
The President of Ireland, Dr. Mary McAleese, visited Nova Scotia from October 8-10th, 1998 as part of her official visit to Canada. Part of that visit to Nova Scotia was flying to Sydney from Montreal and visiting the Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Site. “On Thursday Mrs McAleese and her party flew from Montreal to... Continue Reading →
On February 24th, 1984, Prince Michael of Kent toured the Fortress of Louisbourg, with Bill O’Shea as his guide. Prince Michael of Kent is a member of the British Royal Family and the younger brother of Prince Edwards, the Duke of Kent. He visited Canada in 1984 to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the first... Continue Reading →
While doing some research on my father, Bill O'Shea, I came acrioss this nice little story in the Edmonton Journal from 2007. My father always loved helping his community and those he met. Edmonton Journal People 14 February 2007 Greetings from Nova Scotia Let’s call this a tale of the Internet. And a fascinating one,... Continue Reading →
In the last post on the O'Shea Archives, I wrote about how I learned about the 125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada Medal awarded to Bill O'Shea in 1992. Luckily it was located last week. Bill's wife, Helen, found it in a lock box. William A. O'Shea's Confederation medal. I was also sent a... Continue Reading →
William A. O’Shea’s wonderful legacy continues to surprise us. Just this week I (his son Kevin O’Shea) learned that in 1992, my father was awarded the 125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada Medal which was awarded to Canadians who were deemed to have made a significant contribution to their fellow citizens, to their community,... Continue Reading →
William A. O'Shea (Bill O'Shea) was very passionate about the history of his adopted home of Louisbourg, Nova Scotia. This archives is proof of that. While going through records, books, and research he gave to me before his passing in 2019, I found hundreds of incredible photographs. Many of historical significance. In this post, I... Continue Reading →
Beryl Markham’s Great Adventure: Abingdon to Baleine, September 5, 1936 (Louisbourg Heritage Notes 11) Charles A. Burke (Edited by Bill O’Shea) In West With the Night, Beryl Markham described her Kenyan childhood and subsequent career as a bust-pilot, big game spotter, horse breeder and successful transatlantic flyer. The book enjoyed immense popularity, but despite praise... Continue Reading →
W.A. (Bill) O’Shea 1946 - 2019 Someone once remarked that we see further when we stand on the shoulders of giants. Bill O’Shea was such a giant for the Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Site. Bill’s career with Parks Canada spanned over 40 years beginning in Placentia and ending at Cornwall, but he is best... Continue Reading →
Written by: Bill O’Shea, July 24, 2014, revised August 2018 George William “Willie” Montroy ( 1895-1970), detail from a larger picture, taken between 1916 and 1919, which used to hang in the family parlor in Bedell, Ontario Introduction The year, 2014, marked the 100th anniversary of the beginning of World War I. Between the declaration... Continue Reading →
O'Shea Archives 