Diane Tibert is a writer based in mainland Nova Scotia. She’s written on many topics over the years, including genealogy, writing, publishing, gardening and history. Since 1998, a few thousand articles have appeared in more than three dozen publications, including Saltscapes Magazine, Plant and Garden Magazine, alive Magazine, East Coast Gardener and Canadian Gardening
In Book
Diane appears in Moira Allen’s book, The Writer’s Guide to Queries, Pitches & Proposals, second edition. Published by Allworth Press in the fall of 2010.
Diane appears in Vernon Oickle’s book, Red Sky at Night – Superstitions and Wives’ Tales. Published by MacIntyre Purcell Publishing Inc fall of 2011. You can learn more about the book by reading my blog A Delightful Superstitious Book.
Diane writes fiction using the pen name, Diane Lynn McGyver. Her books include Shadows in the Stone and Pockets of Wildflowers. Her short stories include Miss Tuttle’s Lemon Tarts, The Man Who Reads Obituaries and several others. To learn more about Diane Lynn McGyver, visit her website.
In Column
In March of 2000, Diane became the gardening columnist for the Weekly Press serving Hants County, Nova Scotia. Her Garden Tales column provided a unique look at gardening with children and contained handy gardening information. In March 2001, The Guysborough Journal began publishing Diana’s Garden Tales column, and continued for three years. The Dartmouth Laker, The Bedford Magazine and The Southender began publishing the column in April of 2001. In March of 2006, Garden Tales celebrated its sixth anniversary in print, appearing in four Nova Scotia newspapers. Due to other projects Diana wanted to explore, Garden Tales ended its long run in September 2006. Many thanks to her dedicated readers who kept the column popular.
In October 2005, Diane began a genealogy column, Roots to the Past. The column enjoyed an 18-month run in The Halifax Daily News (Halifax, NS), a few years in The Guysborough Journal (Guysborough County, NS) and up until spring 2012, in The Journal-Pioneer (Summerside, PEI). It is currently published in The Western Star (Corner Brook, NL), The Citizen (Amherst, NS), The Lunenburg County Progress Bulletin (Lunenburg County, NS), The Kings County Record (Sussex, NB), Times & Transcript (Moncton, NB), Bedford Magazine (Bedford, NS) and the Southender (Halifax, NS).
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brenda hattie
/ February 18, 2011Just wondering when the book about WWII vets of Guysborough County will be completed, or has work on that been discontinued?
Diane Tibert
/ February 21, 2011Hello Brenda,
The veteran books for Guysborough County have been put on hold indefinitely. The project is too large for me to consider completing alone. My time is very limited, and my focus has been on smaller projects to earn a living.
However, all the research completed to date by me has been stored. In the future, I may create books for specific areas of Guysborough County. For example, the communities between the county line in Ecum Secum to Sherbrooke.
Kelly and I did not fully understand the size of the project when we began. It would be a full time job for several years to see completion.
Diane
Colin Waye
/ June 22, 2011Hello Diane Colin Waye here, I sent a couple messages on Burin boards I think.
Anyway in case you haven’t heard there is a group in Burin who have established a committee about the Mina Swim and to build a memorial.
They are asking for input from everywhere as there is not much available although all the committee appear to be grandchildren and so have a good feel for it.
I was always on the lookout for Thomas Taylor as a possible crew member.
Can you again supply what information you have and then I can relay it or perhaps you can go to their web site which is just getting under way.
Mina Swim Memorial site
Diane Tibert
/ June 24, 2011Hello Colin,
I hadn’t heard of this until I received your message through the Burin Peninsula list. I’ll check out the website and submit what I have on Thomas Taylor. There isn’t much. My aunt was certain her father was on the Mina Swim, but the facts I uncovered don’t seem to point in that direction.
Thank you for alerting me to this.
Wally Lowe
/ September 19, 2011Diane: I have been communicating with Sarah Jane (Tibert), her parents are Dennis and Mary ?; do you have anything on these families?
TIA
Wally
Diane Tibert
/ September 19, 2011Hello Wally: Sarah is my cousin’s daughter. Dennis is my uncle’s son. I’ve been in contact with Sarah before. She knows I have lots.
Thanks for visiting my blog.
Harold
/ October 13, 2011Hello Diane, Harold Moulton here I am one of the Mina Swim comittee members, a few years back when I started a search into my family tree I was speaking to an older man from Burin Bay Arm, a Moulton I think, but I would have to do some rumaging through gathered info. to verify it. Anyway he was the man that told me Thomas Taylor was a crewmen on the Mina Swim and I wrote Thomas in as the possible 21st crewman, I had no reason to disbelieve him for he knew most all the names I had already. and we are now checking on two more accounts that there were 2 men that didn’t make the last trip which would give us the crew of 21. if you have any info. that could verify or prove that he was or was not a crewman please contact me. my email address is on the web site minaswim.com
Thank you.
Diane Tibert
/ October 17, 2011Hello Harold, Thank you for leaving a comment. I have no real evidence that Thomas was aboard the Mina Swim, but my aunt had always believed he was a crew member. Thomas was lost at sea when the entire ship disappeared. That information came from his daughter (my grandmother), so I take that as fact. She was around twelve when he died. Family stories tell that when the ship was lost, many of the men were from the Burin area, and for months afterward, people had their blinds down.
I wonder, did the church not hold some type of ceremony for these men? Just because there was no body, couldn’t there have been a service to say ‘fairwell’? It’s incredible to think that the people were told the ship was lost, they went into mourning and that was that . . . end of story. Someone must have left a will, had land ownerships transferred from deceased husband to wife (or other family member). It’s incredible to think that a person could die and nothing was left in the line of paper work. It may be as simple as paying dues at the Salvation Army church one year and not the next (because the person was lost at sea).
I tried to contact the Salvation Army to see what was recorded that year as far as deaths, but I never received a reply to my letter.
David Kilpatrick
/ December 11, 2011Hi Diane, My father and I (David Kilpatrick) are looking into our ancestry and have hit a roadblock. We are looking for Jane Kilpatrick, born 1827 in Upham, Kings County NB to Alexander and Anne Kilpatrick. According to the 1871 Census of Upham, she was living with her brother Benjamin and his wife Lydia Kilpatrick and Jane’s own son Thomas Kilpatrick. The last info we have is she signed her name to accept an inheritance on July 26, 1869 from her father’s will of 1865. Did she travel to Lanark Scotland thereafter.We have a ships name and arrival date, the “Prussian” left Liverpool on july 15,1867 and landed in Quebec on July 25 of that same month. The ship was a member of the Allen Line. Jane may have been a passenger with Alexander Kilpatrick (age 8) We are looking for the passenger list to confirm our relatives possible arrival, for either Jane Kilpatrick or Alexander. Can you recommend any sites that will help us in our search or help us in any way? Most of our relatives landed in Quebec and migrated to Upham NB in the early 1800′s. We simply have lost track of Jane.
Diane Tibert
/ December 12, 2011Hello David,
I will answer your questions in a private message to you. Thanks for visiting my blog.
Diane Tibert
/ December 12, 2011David, the email with your comment doesn’t seem to work. I’ll paste the message below, but I don’t want to paste the entire column. If you send me your email address, I’ll forward it to you. You can reach me at tibert@ns.sympatico.ca
Are you aware of Ships List (http://www.theshipslist.com/)? It contains an extensive database of passenger lists for ports around the world. This website is the hub of everything sea-going. There’s a good chance Jane will be found there if she travelled by ship.
You are also welcome to submit at 35-word query to accompany my Roots to the Past genealogy column which appears in the Kings County Record (Sussex) and Times & Transcript (Moncton). Maybe someone out there already has the answer.
I’ve added a column (below) I wrote earlier this year concerning searching for individuals who travelled by ship to and from Canada.
Pam Putnam (Green)
/ January 24, 2012Dear Diane: I was given your website from a Jim Marr in new Brunswick. Please see my msg. below.
I have come to a dead end and need some help in trying to find Maria
Elizabeth Marr’s parents. All the info I have is she was born 1823 of
Scotland and her spouses name is Asa James Specht Porter, who was born in
1824 in Digby, Nova Scotia, Canda and died Feb. 5, 1888 in South Range, D,
NS, Canada. Their children are William Porter born about 1846, Robert
Archibald S.C. Porter, b. 9 Sep 1856, and Bertha Porter, born 1864. The only
other info I have is her residence is listed as 1871-1881 in Digby, NS.
Canada.
Any info/help would be greatly appreciated.
Respectfully,
Pam Putnam (green)
Donald Fraser Ross
/ April 4, 2012Re Taylor’s in Burin, NL
Colin Waye mentioned you were researching Taylor’s.
I have an Alexander Taylor that married in 1874 in Burin a Julia (or Elizabeth) Brushett. They have at least four children; Elizabeth Emberley, Benjamin, John, and Owen C. Obviously, this Julia (or Elizabeth) Brushett is likely born in the 1840s or 1850s to be marrying in 1874. Just wondering if any of this connects with your Taylor research?
Cheers,
Donald Fraser Ross
Halifax
Diane Tibert
/ April 4, 2012Hello Donald, I just received your message in my inbox. I will reply to you personally. Yes, Alexander is in my family tree.
robincoyle
/ May 30, 2012I found you from New Foundland Traveller’s mention. As a fellow writer, I’m happy to follow along!
Diane Tibert
/ May 30, 2012Welcome to my blog. Pauline has a wonderful blog with interesting posts.
Newfoundland Traveller
/ May 30, 2012Mentioned you on my post today and also in my book.
Diane Tibert
/ May 31, 2012Thanks, Pauline.
Greta Parsons
/ August 30, 2012Hi Diane,
Looking for info on ancestors of John Dennis .b 1740 cape ray NL who married a Fanny Serle, did he marry an indian woman before her.he had a dgt Anne who married my gg grandfather Wm Haynes.Do you have any birth/marriage/death records of same.My g grandfather was Charles Haynes married Mary Ann Maher,do you have any info on her that would lead to native status.The families settled bay st. george area/sandy point.Anne Dennis was b. barswalos.
thank you ,Greta
geecee19
/ February 28, 2013Hi there, I am wondering if you would follow my blog, or contribute to it? I aim to get more people writing but mainly about mental health. I set up the idea this week in ireland and I have been asked to take radio and newspaper interviews. You might know some people that would be willing to write for it maybe?/ please have a look at what it is I am trying to achieve and drop me a line if interested.
Kind regards
Ger collins
Diane Tibert
/ February 28, 2013Hello. Welcome to my blog. I’ll check out your blog and see more about its content. At the moment, I’m not interested in contributing since I’m just getting back into the swing of things and don’t want to take on too much. This is the first post here since November, so I have to make this blog a priority. Also, I have several incompleted projects that need to be taken care of this year. Thank you for the opportunity though. I wish you the best with your endevour.