In what city will the 2016 OGS Conference be held?

The answer is Toronto!

And the theme will be GENEALOGY on the CUTTING EDGE which promises to be very interesting.

It will be held June 3, 2016 – June 5, 2016 at the International Plaza Hotel, 655 Dixon Road in Toronto which is close to Pearson International Airport, Highway 401, and with good connections by local and regional public transit.

You are advised to watch for announcements coming summer 2015.

The website is at http://torontofamilyhistory.org/

The passing of Bob Crawford of the OGS

Late yesterday, I received the sad news of the passing of Bob Crawford of the OGS on November the 13th.

Bob was the Past-President of OGS, having served in that role from 2006-2008, as well as Past-President of the Halton-Peel Branch. He was also the Corporate Secretary since 2010.

Services will be held at the Jones Funeral Home in Georgetown, Ontario, 11582 Trafalgar Road, Georgetown, ON L7G 4Y5 Phone: 905-877-3631

Viewings are scheduled for Friday November 15, 2013, 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm and 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm.

Funeral Services will be held Saturday November 16, 2013 at 2:30 pm.

Expressions of sympathy may be sent to the OGS Provincial Office to be forwarded to Bob's family.

I have known and worked with Bob since 2005 in my capacity as editor of Newsleaf, and Families. He was always most helpful, and he had a vast knowledge of the daily workings of the OGS. We are all appreciative his service in the work that he did in the preservation of cemeteries in the province.

He will be missed.

Breaking the Silence –British Home Children in Canada

On Saturday April 6th 2013 from 1pm to 4pm there will be a special meeting in which the Ontario East British Home Child Family in cooperation with British Home Children Advocacy & Research Association, otherorganizations and individuals from across Ontario will be presenting information on British Home Children at the Ottawa Public Library.

They will provide assistance in finding the stories associated with the over 120,000 children, who came to Canada between the 1860s and the1940s as indentured servants.

Ranging in age from 1-16 years, these impoverished children from all parts of the British Isles came to our country in hopes of a chance at a better life. It was with these hopes that many philanthropic organizations working in tandem with the government to bring these children to Canada and other British Colonies.

Hear how their stories have lay hidden for decades due to the stigma attached to them. Only now many Canadians are learning that their family member was a British Home Child.

Join us as we give these children a voice and place in Canadian History.

If you suspect that your ancestor was a Home Child, this is a meeting that you should attend. Many people were Home Children, although their family never knew that they were – and there are such great resources that have been put on the Internet by genealogists from Ottawa.

Check out the Home Children website at www.bifhsgo.ca/cpage.php?pt=4

Toronto Tax Assessment Rolls for 1853

The Toronto Branch of the OGS has produced an indexed transcription of the Toronto tax assessment rolls for 1853. The original assessment rolls for 1853 are at the City of Toronto Archives.

There are two parts of the assessment rolls -

The first part of the project is a searchable online index available on this web site www.ontarioroots.com/ogs

The index (more than 9,000 names of owners and occupiers) and images is available free of charge to researchers around the world.

The second part of the project is a book and CD version of the index with lots more information for researchers with interests in mid-19th century Toronto.

There are maps and descriptions of the wards and streets, vital records, religious records and cemeteries, land records, immigration, directories, published sources and historical background.

You can order the book or CD version Toronto in the 1850s: A transcription of the 1853 tax assessment rolls and guide to family history research. The ordering instruction are on www.torontofamilyhistory.org/otherpubs.html#assessrolls

Biggest Events of the Year Coming to the St. Lawrence Area

The Event Centre of the St. Lawrence War of 1812 Bicentennial Alliance has put out a press release which tells us their plans for the year 2013 -

“While the War of 1812 Bicentennial has raged for nearly a year, the biggest events to hit the St. Lawrence are just coming up. 2013 will mark some key historic events, including the 200th anniversaries of the Raid on Ogdensburg (February 22-24), and the Battle of Crysler Farms (November 11).

Yet what makes next year a once in a lifetime opportunity for regional tourism is a month of unique historical experiences that could draw unprecedented numbers of cultural tourists.

The St. Lawrence War of 1812 Bicentennial Alliance invites all interested parties to attend a special information session at the Red George Pub in Prescott on Sunday, January 20th.

We will unveil upcoming events, our joint marketing plans and suggestions for individuals, groups and businesses alike, looking to be a part of this major tourism initiative for 2013.

The presentation is part of a regular 1812 Dinner Series, featuring fine period cooking. Join us for dinner or a drink, but be sure to reserve your space each month in advance - as there are only 30 spaces available.

Dinner begins at 5:30. The presentation will start at 7:00”.

Call +1.613.925.8800 to save your place, or go to http://celebrate1812.ca

Office Closure during Holiday Season

I have received a couple of office and library closings during the Holiday Season, and they are -

Quebec Family History Society - The library and office of the Quebec Family History Society will be closed for the holiday's from Friday December 21, 2012 until and including Wednesday January 2, 2013.

The library and office will re-open Thursday, January 3, 2013 at 10:00 a.m.

Please check their website at www.qfhs.ca. And if you are a member, refer to the winter copy of "Connections" for a complete list of upcoming activities hosted by the Quebec Family History Society.

Société de généalogie de l'Outaouais (The Genealogical Society of the Outaouais) in Gatineau, Quebec will have its office and research room closed from the 22 December 2012 to the 2 January 2013 for the Holidays. They will reopen the 3 January 2013.

Their website is at http://genealogieoutaouais.com

© Elizabeth Lapointe All Rights Reserved

The Man Behind the Grey Cup

The annual Grey Cup Football Trophy will be played for between the Western Davison Champions, the Calgary Stampeders, and the Eastern Division Champions, the Toronto Argonauts, on Sunday in Toronto.

The trophy is 100 years old this year. It was Earl Grey, who served as Governor General of Canada from 1904 to 1911, who commissioned and donated the trophy, which bears his name. 

In the spirit of promoting Canadian sports and culture, Lord Grey first intended to donate a trophy for the senior amateur hockey championship in Canada. But Sir Hugh Andrew Montagu Allan beat him to it, and today the Allan Cup continues to serve that role. Not to be deterred from making a name for himself in Canadian sports, Lord Grey donated the Grey Cup as an annual award for the senior amateur football champions, in 1909.

Library and Archives Canada (LAC) holds many resources relating to the history of the Grey Cup. To learn more about the life and activities of Grey himself, you can consult the Albert Henry George Grey, 4th Earl Grey fonds.

LAC is also pleased to feature footage of the first Grey Cup game in 1909 between two Toronto teams, the 1931 final; and the legendary “Mud Bowl” from 1950, on its YouTube channel.

Don’t forget to browse LAC’s football Flickr set at www.flickr.com/photos/lac-bac/sets/72157631613788649

You can visit the Canadian Hall of Fame and Museum at http://www.cfhof.ca

While there, you can visit the following websites –

Football Hall of Famers www.cfhof.ca/page/players

Grey Cup Winners www.cfhof.ca/page/grey_cup_winners

Research at the Museum www.cfhof.ca/page/researchrequest