A Heritage Certificate For Christmas

This a great idea for Ontario Genealogical Society members –

If you're a member of the Ontario Genealogical Society Centenary Club and you're looking for a last minute holiday gift (or just starting your shopping like some of us), consider a supplemental Centenary Club certificate for your relatives. They can be members of the Centenary Club because you've already proved that you are.

Supplemental certificates are only $10 each for OGS Members ($20 for non members) and make a great stocking stuffer.

To purchase one, simply download the application form and fill out Section 1 indicating your name and contact information, the number of certificates you are ordering and the names of the relatives you are buying for. No need to provide evidence, it is already on file here.

Please make sure your request reaches us by December 7th so that we can make sure your certificates reach you in time for the 25th.

Questions? Contact membership@ogs.on.ca or call Provincial Office.

The website of the OGS Heritage Certificate is www.ogs.on.ca/home/heritage_societies.php

A membership to the society is $60.00 CDN per year, and the membership is at www.ogs.on.ca/membership.php

PRESS RELEASE

Blogger Showcases Canada’s Veterans' Week 2012 (November 5th-11th)

(Ottawa, 29 October 2012) GenealogyCanada.blogspot.com — a daily blog that has covered Canadian genealogy, heritage, and history news since 2006 — will again publish a series of posts during this year’s Veterans’ Week by focussing on all aspects of the Canadian military, highlighting events occurring from coast to coast to coast.

“Veterans Week, which takes place this year from November 5th to the 11th, is a very important resource for readers of this blog. It allows us to remember those who fought in Canada’s wars, starting with the Boer War (1899-1902) to the War in Afghanistan (2002–2011), and to say ‘Thank you’ to those who gave so much for Canada”, says Elizabeth Lapointe, of GenealogyCanada.blogspot.com.

For posts from last year’s Veterans’ Week, please visit http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2011/11/blogger-showcases-canadas-veterans-week.html

Recently, Elizabeth became the newest addition to Thomas MacEntee’s GeneaBloggers website and newsletter www.GeneaBloggers.com. Her column on Canadian genealogy news and resources for those seeking their Canadian roots has just been launched, and with the column, Elizabeth will continue to offer her breadth of knowledge on Canadian genealogy, and on cross-border migration between Canada and the U.S.

“I am very happy to write a column for GeneaBloggers, and to work with Thomas MacEntee, a world-renowned genealogy blogger. The second column will be ‘Canadians in the American Civil War,’ she says.

About GenealogyCanada

The blog, www.GenealogyCanada.blogspot.com, has been covering Canadian genealogy, heritage, and history since the first of over 800 posts was first published in January, 2008.

At the www.GenealogyCanada.com website, there are over 30 monthly newsletters covering news on Canadian genealogy, heritage, and history, including the famous “Website of the Month”.

Elizabeth Lapointe is the editor of Families, the journal of the Ontario Genealogical Society.

The Ontario Name Index TONI

The goal of TONI is to include EVERY name found in any publication relating to Ontario. The index will go over a million entries in October.

The members of the Ontario Genealogical Society is indexing this list. It is free, and open to everyone at www.ogs.on.ca/integrated/toni_database1.php

The Toronto History Lecture

A press release came from The Toronto History Lecture this morning, and I thought that you would be interested -

“Please join us again this year in spreading the word about The Toronto History Lecture. It will be held on October 24 at 7:30 pm at the City of Toronto Archives and is presented jointly by the Archives and the Toronto Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society.

To commemorate the bicentennial of the War of 1812, the City of Toronto Museum Services created a Book of Remembrance for the men of York who fell during the war and all the casualties of the Battle of York. Janice Nickerson's research on the militia men uncovered so many fascinating stories that she decided to put them together in a book, York's Sacrifice: Militia Casualties of the War of 1812.

For the bicentennial year's Toronto History Lecture, Janice will tell a few stories of the men, women and children whose lives were transformed by this pivotal event in the history of Toronto.

Admission is free, but reservation is required. Their website is at www.toronto.ca/archives

Many members of the heritage community contributed to the great success of last year's inaugural Toronto History Lecture. We look forward to a similar success on October 24th”.

May I add that in the November 2012 issue of the Ontario Genealogical Society Families, we will have a book excerpt from Janice’s book mentioned above, and a book review.

The website of the OGS is www.ogs.on.ca

Cuts at Library and Archives Will Affect Genealogists

In May of this year, the OGS put this on their blog. It reads - 

Cuts at Library and Archives Canada will Affect Genealogists
May 18th, 2012

Recently several cuts were announced by Library and Archives Canada (LAC). These cuts will affect the ability of LAC to provide a high level of service to researchers and will affect the public’s ability to access records housed at LAC. Additionally, LAC has announced cuts to programs that support archives throughout Canada, which will affect the ability of these organizations to continue to make Canada’s documentary history accessible.

What do these cuts mean?

Our access to Canada’s documentary history, as well as its continued preservation, has been put in jeopardy.

How will these cuts affect genealogical researchers?

1. LAC will be reducing their hours, restricting the public’s access to knowledgeable archivists and reference staff, and genealogical inquiries will require appointments.

2. The inter-library loan program will be cancelled as of February 2013. Previously researchers could request that documents be sent to their local library, free of charge. Examples of these documents included microfilms of passenger lists and census records, or published books held in the library collection. The cancellation of this program means that researchers must travel to Ottawa to view these records, or hire a researcher in the Ottawa area to access the records for them.

3. The number of staff employed at LAC is being reduced by approximately 20%. Not only does this mean a reduction in service to researchers, it will also affect LAC’s ability to catalogue books, describe archival collections, and digitize the collection.

4. LAC’s collection mandate is changing. Previously LAC’s role was to preserve Canada’s cultural and historical heritage, but now the focus has shifted to preserving the documents of the federal government. This means that private business records and the documentary history of ordinary Canadians are no longer being actively collected. Already several important pieces of Canada’s Aboriginal and military history have been acquired by private collectors both inside and outside of Canada.

5. Small and medium-sized archives throughout the country have been dependent upon funding administered through LAC. The elimination of this funding puts their ability to preserve their collections at risk. This funding, in the past, has allowed these institutions to properly describe archival records, digitize collections, create archival exhibitions, and hire new archival professionals.

If these changes concern you:

Write a letter to: your MP, the Minister of Canadian Heritage & Official Languages, the Prime Minister, and/or your local newspaper. Outline how these cuts will affect your ability to research and access Canada’s documentary history.
Members of Parliament:
http://www.parl.gc.ca/MembersOfParliament/MainMPsCompleteList.aspx?Language=E

Have you written your letter today?

 

Book Review: The Beginner's Guide to Genealogy

Fraser Dunford, the former executive director of the Ontario Genealogical Society, wrote a small yet delightful and very informative book  a few years ago on what to do as a beginner genealogist. It is to be noted that the book, The Beginner's Guide to Genealogy, is written from the point of view of Ontario records.

In the "Introduction", he says, “This book starts with some of the basic concepts used in genealogy, shows you how to start on your family tree, then looks briefly at two huge topics, evidence and ethics.”

In "How To Do the Basics", he discusses such topics as Family Tree (difference between Ancestor and Descendant trees - with examples), Family Record, BMD, and Dates.

The section, “Where to Find It”, covers Maps, Census, Religious Records, Civil Registration, Municipal Records, Land Records, Newspapers, Immigration/Emigration, and Wills.

Also included is a Glossary, and a Relationship Chart, in addition to other material not mentioned here.

You may also wish to read his companion book, Beginner's Guide to Ontario Genealogy (Toronto: OGS, 2006).

Both books are available from the bookstore at www.ogs.on.ca.

York County and the 1837 Rebellion

The York County Branch of the OGS www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~onyrbogs has a new project of collecting a list of participants in the 1837 Rebellion.

The information being collected is -

• Date of birth
• Place of Birth
• Date of Death
• Place of Death
• Rebel or Volunteer
• Time in Prison
• Prisoner's Boxes Made
• Exile
• Transport to Diemen's Land
• Banished
• Escaped

They are asking if you have an ancestor involved in the rebellion, please send in the information to Patricia Blackstock at pblack-stock@sympatico.ca.

If you want a bit of information of the Rebellion of 1837, go to
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upper_Canada_Rebellion.

Call for Papers the Ontario Genealogical Society

The Ontario Genealogical Society (the Durham Region Branch) will hold it's conference May 31 – June 2, 2013 at The University of Ontario Institute of Technology/ Durham College, Simcoe Street North, Oshawa, Ontario.

The deadline for Submissions is 31 July, 2012, and selected speakers will be notified in the late summer of 2012, and the Syllabus material (PDF files), due in late 2012, is require for...

The theme will be Pulling Up Stakes – Putting Down Roots

The press release says that “We invite lecture submissions on topics about migration from all over the world to Canada – to Ontario specifically from early times to the present.

They should include: why the people left their homeland, the method of transportation used and why and where they settled. Topics could also include movement from Ontario to other parts of Canada and the USA”.

If you have any questions, email the Programme Chair at <2013progcom@gmail.com>.

Books

I have just published two booklets - The War of 1812: Canada and the United States, and Migration: Canada and the United States.

They are available for purchase through Global Genealogy at http://globalgenealogy.com, and the National Institute of Genealogical Studies at www.genealogicalstudies.com.

For more on the booklets, go to http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2012/01/booklet-1-war-of-1812-canada-and-united.html and http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2012/01/booklet-2-migration-canada-and-united.html

OGS is 50 Years Old Today!

October 15, 2011

"While we have been celebrating our 50th Anniversary all year, it's worth sharing that today, October 15th, is the actual birthday of The Ontario Genealogical Society.

On October 15th 1961 The Ontario Genealogical Society was established in a meeting at the University of Waterloo. The fledgling Society was sponsored by the Pennsylvania German Folklore Society of Ontario, and Dr. G.E. Reaman of Waterloo Ontario was made the first President.

Dr. Reaman's first President's Message is found on the front page of the very first Bulletin (now Families) which OGS members may view in the Members Only section of our website.

Through the hard work of enthusiastic genealogists across the province, we have changed and grown a great deal since that day in 1961.

Thank you to all members of The Ontario Genealogical Society for your tireless efforts and contributions over the years. Your dedication has made us who we are today.

Happy Birthday and welcome to our 51st year!

Sarah Newitt
Executive Director OGS
http://www.ogs.on.ca
ed@ogs.on.ca

York Region Ancestors

I received the fall issue of the newsletter this week, and it is packed full of news and articles.

On the front page is an article by Susan Smart, "1906 – A Quaker Centennial Anniversary", in which the Friends hold a meeting which itself is covered in The Canada Quaker History Journal.

The second article is "The Udell Family of Markham, Pickering and Uxbridge (Part 1)" by Walter Udell. It traces the family from 1801 to about 1826, with an accounting of the children of John and Margaret (Brown) Udell.

The May 2011 Meeting – Question of the Month lists the question, “What are some of your favourite genealogical repositories in York Region?” and some of the answers were the Georgina Pioneer Village, the Kleinburg Library, and Vaughan Township Archives.

The York Region Branch website is at http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~onyrbogs

General Membership Meeting

The Sudbury District Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society will have it's General Membership Meeting on MONDAY, September 19, 2011 at 7:00 PM at the Parkside Older Adults Center,YMCA 140 Durham St. South.

It will be an evening of "SHOW & SHARE" and you are encouraged to bring your genealogical gems, summer surprises, and vacation victories!

Tell us WHO you were looking for, WHY they were important to you, WHAT you found,and WHERE you found it!

EVERYONE WELCOME!

Bring A Friend

Free Parking Under YMCA (After 6:00 P.M.)

Their website is at http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~onogs/ogs.htm

British Home Children Newsletter

A brand new newsletter has just been added to the newsletters produced by Canadian genealogy organizations, and it is the BHC-SIG Newsletter. That is – the British Home Children Special Interest Group.

In the first issue of the newsletter there is an article about the S.S. Toronto, Dominion Line; an article on Mary Scott Pearson submitted by Beth Bruder; an article on William Thomson Robin by Margory Ronnin; an article on Percy Henry Smith by Shirley Sturdevant; My BHC Ancestors by Phil Ellis, and Part I: Thomas (George) Warner – A Barnardo Boy by Linda Hurtubise.

There is a message from the Chair Phil Ellis, and an article about the Flamborough Archives, and the work they have done on the Home Children from the town of Waterdown.

If you wish to join, the fee is $5.00 per year (in addition to the regular yearly ($60.00) and a half-yearly ($35.00) fee.

If you wish to join, go to the membership site at http://www.ogs.on.ca/membership/join.php, or contact Marsha at the OGS membership@ogs.on.ca to discuss it with her. Or you can go to the BHC-SIG site at http://www.ogs.on.ca/SIG-BHC/index.htm

Keffer Writing Contest

Every year the Ontario Genealogical Society (OGS) has a writing contest called the Keffer Writing Contest. The deadline for entering the contest is November 1st.

The entries must be Canadian or Ontario based genealogy, and they should be between 1,500 and 2,000 words in length.

There will be three judges, and lots of nifty prized -

1sr prize $100.00 plus 2 annual OGS memberships
2nd prize $75.00 plus 1 annual OGS memberships
3rd prize $50.00
4th prize $25.00

You have to be a member of the OGS in order to enter. They have a new membership offer of $35.00 for a half year membership. Details are at are at http://www.ogs.on.ca/home/essay.php

Dave Obee - Canada's Genealogist

I first met Dave Obee of Victoria in 2007 at a genealogy/library conference at the Library and Archives Canada in Ottawa. His website is at http://www.daveobee.com/

Since then, we had the occasion to meet each other in various events, and at the 2011 conference of the Ontario Genealogical Society held in Hamilton, I asked him to write a piece on Social Media for the August issue of Families.

As a lead-up to reading the paper in the fall issue of Families, there is a good article called "Database search strategies” at http://www.daveobee.com/columns/09search.htm in which he gives us ten reasons why a search may not be as straightforward as we may think they would be - as Dave says “There are dozens of reasons why a search might fail”.

Some of the reasons he gives are -

Original records were poorly written,

Places were confused, and

People lied - Some people do not want to be found.

But he gives eight ways to search to increase your chances of success, including the use of wildcards, and how to be flexible in searching.

Dave will be speaking at the 2012 Ontario Genealogical Society Conference to be held at Kingston, June 1-3, 2012. The website is http://www.ogs.on.ca/seminar/conference2012.php

The Talbot Times

The June 2011 issue of The Talbot Times of the Elgin County Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society arrived last month, and it is full of news about Elgin County!

The editor brings you up-to-date on the renovations at the St. Thomas Public Library, and says that the group has made contact with another genealogical group in the area that meets at the Family History Centre, and has decided to coordinate some meeting with them.

A 13-page index to the St. Thomas Times Journal of August 1, 1952 (Section A through to Section L) including an index to photos, funerals, articles, births, marriages, reunions – all with tons of names!!

If you wish to contact the editor, please email them at info@elginogs.ca, or go to their website at www.elginogs.ca.

The Ontario Genealogical Society is offering a half-year membership for $35.00, you can go to http://www.ogs.on.ca/membership/types.php

Bruce & Grey OGS

On July 26, 2011 at 5:30 p.m., at the Harrison Park Community Centre in Owen Sound, there will be a pot luck supper.

The special speaker will be Shirley Sturdevant, the Ontario Genealogical Society's Vice-President. Her topic is "What's happening at OGS & Provincial Office".

Come and find out how these initiates can be a benefit to members & branches.

Please bring your own plates, cutlery, beverage, and dish to share with everyone.

If you want more information, please go to http://tiffanyweb.bmts.com/~bgogs/calofevent.html

Paul McGrath Memorial Lecture

Last week, the Toronto Family History Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society released information on an upcoming evening event in memory of the late Paul McGrath, a remarkable, accomplished and greatly-missed local and family historian. The inaugural Toronto History Lecture in Paul’s memory will feature a colourful and controversial figure from the city’s past.

The speaker will be local writer and historian Chris Raible, as he presents “Rebel Remembered: The Legacy of William Lyon Mackenzie, 150 Years After His Death”. Chris is an expert in Upper Canadian history with a particular focus on the career of Toronto’s first mayor. He is the author of four books – two on Mackenzie – and has spoken and conducted seminars for many heritage organizations.

Before the lecture, be sure to find out more about the Archives and its spectacular collection of records – including 12 million photographs, more than 3000 maps, and records from the townships, villages and boroughs that form Toronto today.

Free admission but reservations required

Thursday, 4 August 2011

7:30 pm sharp (refreshments 6:30–7:30)

City of Toronto Archives, 255 Spadina Road, Toronto

For more information about this special event and to reserve a seat, visit http://tinyurl.com/6hshhsx

The Toronto History Lecture is organized and supported by an informal group of friends and associates of Paul McGrath and the following organizations:

City of Toronto Archives http://www.toronto.ca/archives/

Ontario Genealogical Society http://www.ogs.on.ca/

Ancestry.ca http://www.ancestry.ca/

"Janet the Researcher" Blog

Another Canadian blog is celebrating a birthday. The name of the blog is "Janet the Researcher" and it is 4 years old today! Congratulations, Janet!

Go to her blog at http://researchergal.blogspot.com/

Janet is a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists and the Ontario Chapter, Markham Berczy Settlers Association, Grey County Historical Society, the Ontario Genealogical Society and the National Genealogical Society.

She is a busy lady!

Among other topics of interest, she writes about the Billy Bishop Home and Museum, several blogs on Bruce County, the Johnston Family, and the Marham Berszy Settlers Association.

Tech Forum Launched

The latest news from the Ontario Genealogical Society is -

"The newly formed Technical Support and Innovations Committee has launched a new forum on the OGS website. The Tech Forum is available to all OGS members and will provide a place to go to for Technical Advice and Support.

Whether you want to know more about a computer program you are using or what kind of equipment you should purchase for your branch this is the place to ask your questions. The answers will be provided by other members who have some experience or knowledge in the area you are looking for more information on.

It is hoped that this forum can also serve as a venue for members to suggest new ideas involving technology and how it can benefit the genealogical community.

To access the forum sign in to the Members Only section of the OGS website. The link to the Technical Support Message Board will appear in the green menu on the left hand side".

Steve Fulton
Technical Support and Innovations Committee
His email is tsic@ogs.on.ca
The website of the Ontario Genealogical Society is http://www.ogs.on.ca/

A New Website for The OGS British Home Children

This afternoon I checked the Ontario Genealogical Society site http://www.ogs.on.ca/ to see if there were any new items, and I saw where the British Home Children now has a website at http://www.ogs.on.ca/SIG-BHC/index.htm.

As the website says "From 1869 to 1939 various workhouses, sheltering homes, orphanages and child care organizations in Great Britain immigrated over 100,000 orphaned, abandoned, pauper children ages 1 to 18 to Canada. Known as the British Home Children (BHC), life for these children coming alone to Canada to work as domestics and farm labourers forging ahead in a new land was not always easy."

They have a Resources Link, and are going to have a "Members Only" page in the future.

The cost to join the SIG is $5.00. If you are already an OGS member just mail in your $5.00 cheque to the OGS provincial office indicating that it is for 2011 membership in the BHC SIG. You may also call the office or email Marsha, our Membership Co-ordinator at membership@ogs.on.ca to add this branch.

The email address for the British Home Children is BHC@ogs.on.ca.