Showing posts with label Ontario. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ontario. Show all posts

Friday, April 19, 2013

Call for Speakers – OGS Conference 2014

The Conference 2014 at Niagara Branch are looking ahead to line up speakers for Conference 2014 in St. Catharines at Brock Universit. The conference will be held May 1st to 4th, 2014.

The conference theme will be GENEALOGY WITHOUT BORDERS.

They say, in part, that “Although borders are an important aspect in defining a country, they also often delineate an area of genealogical study. In the past, genealogists often had to travel across borders to complete family histories in their genealogical area. Today's genealogist can often cross these borders while sitting at a desk. We can trace the movement of settlers from European countries and from the American states and other provinces to Ontario. We invite seminar proposals with this theme in mind.

Our Saturday and Sunday, May 3rd and 4th seminar sessions are generally fifty minutes length with ten minutes for discussion. We also have workshops on Friday, May 2nd, which are of three hours duration. We invite lecture and workshop submissions on a broad range of genealogical topics which will help to solve family history problems by any of the following methods

Use of technology in genealogy (DNA, internet, software etc.)

Records at a distance (especially Eastern USA and European)

War records, 1812, W.W. 1

Land Records, census, directories

Early Ontario records, prior to 1869 and their repositories

Proposals are also solicited for the broader genealogical categories including the histories associated with the War of 1812, methodology, analysis and problem solving used in genealogy

If your proposal is accepted, you will be notified early summer and we will request that you provide a 4 page summary of your talk or workshop for our syllabus by Dec. 31st, 2013. This should include references and web addresses mentioned, sample screen images etc. It will be submitted electronically (in Word, RTF or PDF format).

Please include your approximate travel costs, economy class to St. Catharines, Ont. Canada. Besides remuneration, food and lodging will be based upon the number of lectures given and transportation expenses will depend upon the speaker's home address. Workshop fees may be negotiated.

We are looking for speakers who would be open to being streamed out from the conference to those members who cannot travel but still wish to join us. As well we are looking for speakers who may be interested in speaking but cannot travel as we can stream you in to the conference”.

Questions can be directed to conference2014@ogs.on.ca

The website is at www.ogs.on.ca/niagara

Thursday, April 18, 2013

GENWEB UPDATE: Alberta, Quebec, and Ontario Cemeteries


The Canadian GenWeb has issued an update to the Alberta, Quebec, and Ontario cemeteries as follows -

ALBERTA

Lacombe:

-  Bentley Cemetery

QUEBEC

Huntingdon County:

- Tallen Family Burial Ground

ONTARIO

Brant County:

- Farringdon Cemetery

- Mount Hope Cemetery

Bruce County:

- Douglas Hill Cemetery

- Queen Hill Cemetery

Elgin County:

- St Thomas Cemetery

Essex County:

- Victoria Memorial Gardens

Grey County:

- Cookes Presbyterian / Orange Valley Presbyterian / Old Presbyterian Cemetery

- Mennonite Brethren In Christ Cemetery

Lambton County:

- Hillsdale Cemetery

- Point Edward Veterans Memorial Park

Manitoulin District:

- Michael Bay Cemetery

Norfolk County:

- Barton Family Cemetery

- Bethel Brethern in Christ / Tunkard Cemetery

Peel County:

- Brampton Pioneer / Harrison-Hewgill Pioneer Cemetery

- Cheyne Cemetery

Simcoe County:

- St Mary's Catholic Cemetery

Wellington County:

- Abandoned / Old Anglican Cemetery

The Canada GenWeb have given it thanks to Alison Mitchell-Reid, Anne Chamberlain, Bonnie Lee Breadner, Brenda Marchese, Giselle Loder, Jim Anderson, Joanne Krywko, Kate Ford, Marilyn Whiting, Nancy Ross-Hill, Sharon Mattiuz, Tom Thompson, and William Cooke for help indexing, and to Alison Mitchell-Reid, Anne Chamberlain, Bonnie Lee Breadner, Carolyn Bechtel, Doug Tracey, Joanne Krywko, Kate Ford, Linda Doran, Marilyn Mallet, Nancy Ross-Hill, Penny Gallagher, Pete Carell, Sharon Mattiuz, Thomas Rowe, and William Cooke for photos of the cemeteries.

To view the site, go to http://canadacems.blogspot.com/2013/04/alberta-quebec-ontario-update.html

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

UPDATE: The Ontario Name Index (TONI)

The latest news from the Ontario Genealogical Society, and the people who are working on the TONI database, is that they have 1,813,773 records online. As they reach the 2,000,000 mark - they find that they need more coordinators.

Anyone can use TONI. It is open to members and non-members alike, and they would look forward to hearing from you.

So if you can help, that would be great!

The records are available through the website, and Pay-Per-View (PPV) at www.ogs.on.ca/integrated/toni_databasesearch.php

The person to contact is Mike More, TONI Provincial Coordinator at toni@ogs.on.ca

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Quinte OGS Branch Meeting

Sher Leetooze will talk about Scottish Research when the Quinte OGS Branch has their meeting on Saturday at 1:00 pm on April 20th, 2013.

Sher has been working to get her family from Ulster back into Scotland and in preparation for that day, Sher went to see just what Scottish records would tell her. Today, Sher will share with us some of that information for the lowlands and borders of Scotland, how it is divided up, where the records are kept, and how to access them.

The meeting takes place in the Christ Church Hall (ample parking available) 770 Trenton Frankford Road, Glen Miller, Ontario.

The website is at http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~canqbogs

Sher will also be at the OGS Conference (May 31, June 1, 2 in Oshawa where she will give a talk on Saturday morning Building Yout Family Story Using Maps.

The OGS Conference site is at http://www.ogs.on.ca/conference2013/home

Friday, April 5, 2013

FamilySearch UPDATE: The Canada Wiki

I just heard from Lisa who is a consultant at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City for the work on the Canada Wiki pages, and she has asked for our assistance

She says that “We are starting to post tasks on the FamilySearch Wiki to help us get the Ontario pages ready for a major renovation. If anyone would like to do some wiki reading and editing on the project they can find tasks at www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/FamilySearch_Wiki:WikiProject_Ontario

This project is in the beginning stages, but we hope to make the FamiliySearch Wiki a valuable place to find resource and record help for Ontario genealogists. As we finish Ontario we will move on to complete the same tasks in other provinces of Canada”.

So if you can help in any way, you can email Lisa at mcbridelw@familysearch.org

If you are already helping to read, write or edit Canadian Wiki Project pages at FamilySearch, let me know, so that I and the readers of this blog can recognize your good work.

Thursday, April 4, 2013

Nassagaweya History Day, Campbellville, Ontario


The Nasagiweya Historical Society tells us that a day which focuses on Nassagaweya Township history and families, photo and local history exhibits will be held on Saturday April 6th from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm.

There will also be a book launch for the new book Death Notices and Obituaries of Nassagaweya compiled by Joy Simpson.

The event will be held at the Nassagaweya Tennis Centre & Community Hall, Guelph Line/401, Campbellville, Ontario, and there will be free admission, and refreshments available.

You can either call Audrey Allison at 519.837.9288, or click on the website at www.nasagiweyahistoricalsociety.com/id9.html

Genealogy Resources Class at Oakville Public Library, Oakville, Ontario

The OPL is offering two classes in genealogy, and they are -

Ancestry Library Edition

Interested in researching your family roots?

This hands-on workshop will introduce you to Ancestry Library Edition and other library resources that will help you get started.

Tuesday, April 9 from 10:00am – 11:30am

Cost: Free

Genealogy Online

Feeling overwhelmed trying to sift through all of the genealogical information available on the web? This hands-on workshop shows you the best websites to use when researching your family history.

Cost: $5.65 to attend the class.

Thursday, May 16 from 10:00am – 11:00am

To register, go to www.opl.on.ca/blog/type/genealogy

Monday, March 25, 2013

The United Church of Canada’s Toronto Archives Is Moving

This is a press release that was released on their website on March 6, 2013, and may be of interest to my readers -

Toronto: The United Church of Canada announced today that its Toronto-based archives will be moving this summer from its current location at the United Church’s national office in west-end Toronto to the Toronto Christian Resource Centre in the Regent Park neighbourhood of downtown Toronto.

In announcing the decision on the new location for the archives, Nora Sanders, General Secretary of the General Council, said, “I am pleased that this move will mean not only that we will be saving a considerable amount of money but also that as a tenant we will be financially supporting a local United Church ministry.”

Sanders says that in addition to being able to house the United Church’s archival collection now located at the General Council Office at 3250 Bloor Street West in Toronto, the new location at 40 Oak Street offers more than enough space to accommodate records that are currently stored off-site at an archival facility.

She explains the decision to move the archives ahead of the anticipated relocation of the General Council Office to Bloor Street United Church in 2018 was an opportunity that made financial sense for all parties to the five-year lease agreement.

The United Church of Canada supports a network of archives situated in eight different locations throughout Canada. The archives in Toronto manages the records of the General Council and the Central Ontario Conference records of Bay of Quinte, London, Hamilton, Manitou, and Toronto Conferences and their respective presbyteries and pastoral charges. The church’s archives outside of Ontario are not affected by the move.

The United Church’s Toronto archives moved to its current location in 2008, after more than 50 years on the campus of the University of Toronto’s Victoria University. No decision has been made about whether the Archives will move again when the General Council Office relocates to Bloor Street United Church.

Nichole Vonk, General Council Archivist, will oversee the monumental task of moving close to 20,000 boxes of records to the new site. The church will be contracting specialized movers, the new location will meet the institutional standards set by the Canadian Council of Archives, and all the records will continue to be administered by professional staff.

Although not located directly on a subway line, the Archives’ new location at 40 Oak Street is easily accessible by public transit, will have on-site parking, and is closer to the United Church’s theological school at the University of Toronto.

While planning and preparations are underway to move the collection from its current location,

•the Archives will remain open during regular public hours until June 6, 2013.

•the Archives will not receive any records deposits after April 30, 2013. Records can be donated to the Archives when it reopens in September 2013.

•the Archives will be closed to all researchers June 10–September 15, 2013, reopening in the new location September 16, 2013.

•the Archives will continue to provide reference service for certificates or legal requests while it is closed to the public.

Vonk emphasizes that, throughout the transition, the church remains committed to providing continued uninterrupted, open access to its archival records related to residential schools for the purposes of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

For up-to-date information about The United Church of Canada’s archival programs and on the move, see the Archives webpage. Questions and concerns about the move should be directed to Nichole Vonk, General Council Archivist.

The archival website is at www.united-church.ca/local/archives/on

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Tracing Forward - Searching for Relatives in Recent Times



Toronto Branch of the OGS has just issued a Call for Presentations for a fall workshop titled “Tracing Forward - Searching for Relatives in Recent Times”.

The aim of this workshop, to be held on Saturday 26 October, is to offer new ideas, skills or tools to help researchers trace members of their expanded family trees, people who might still be alive or recently deceased. We are hoping to receive proposals from professional genealogists, family historians, private investigators, legal experts and heir searchers.

The deadline for proposals is Friday 31 May

The website is at www.torontofamilyhistory.org

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

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

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

One More River to Cross: Tales of the Underground Railroad

The Canadian Museum of Civilization is going to present the story of Isaac Brown, a Maryland slave. Historians and masterful storytellers Shannon and Bryan Prince bring to life this remarkable true story with hauntingly beautiful songs by Denise Pelley and Tom Starks.

It will be held on Saturday, February 21 in the theatre of the Canadian Museum of Civilization, and tickets are $5.00. They are available online, at the Museum Box Office, or by calling 819-776-7000

The website of the Black History month is at www.civilization.ca/event/one-more-river-to-cross-tales-of-the-underground-railroad?calendar_date=2013-02-23&cm_mid=2217850&cm_crmid={76C38DEF-186A-E211-9333-005056A35E1C}&cm_medium=email

Friday, February 15, 2013

Genealogy Fair

There will be a Genealogy Fair at the London Public Library, Westmount Branch, 3200 Wonderland Rd. S. London from Saturday, 16 Feb 2013 from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.

The Westmount Branch is planning a Genealogy Fair in honour of Heritage Week. For details, please check with staff .

No Registration Required

Feel free to drop in anytime during the day.

The web site for information is at www.londonpubliclibrary.ca/research/genealogy

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Irish Palatine Group Sponsors Ontario Genealogical Tour


The Irish Palatines have the Irish Palatines in Ontario Tour in September of this year. And it seems like they will be visiting many spots of interest to the Irish Palatines in Ontario.

Here is the press release that was sent out a few days ago -

The Irish Palatine Special Interest Group (IP-SIG) is pleased to sponsor a 10-day Irish Palatines in Ontario Tour to take place September 5-15, 2013. You do not have to be a member of the IP-SIG in order to join us on the tour.

However, seating is limited and the bus is already over half full so if you want to be part of the Tour, book your seat today. Download the Tour brochure that outlines the places we will visit, as well as the cost. The tour brochure is available at http://briandunk.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/tour-brochure-final.pdf

The tour will highlight several Irish Palatine settlement areas and we will meet various Palatine descendants along the way. The tour also includes visits to many major historical and tourists sites across Ontario. Accommodations will be at quality hotels in the heart of several major Ontario cities as well as a one night stop at a lovely, large Ontario cottage country resort.

If you are interested in joining our tour, please do not hesitate to contact "Great Canadian Holidays" for details at 1-800-467-8687 (ext. 280).

They now have a WordPress page at www.ogs.on.ca/ip-sig , in addition to the website at www.ogs.on.ca/ireland

Reminder: If you want the GenealogyCanada blog updates to come to you everyday in your email, send your address to genealogycanada@aol.com with the subject heading Blog Update, and I will put you on the email list.

UPDATE: Cemetery Project – Ontario GenWeb

The Cemetery Project Section of the Ontario GenWeb was updated Feb 11th.

Additions have been made to the names, when the person born, and when they died.

The following are the cemeteries that were updated –

Brant County:

- Farringdon Cemetery

Essex County:

- McDowell Cemetery

Grey County:

- Greenwood Cemetery

- Salem Cemetery

- St George's Cemetery

Haldimand County:

- Canborough Cemetery

Halton County:

- Lowville United Church Cemetery

Huron County:

- Greenhill Cemetery

Leeds County:

- Abandoned / Brennan Cemetery

- Blanchard Cemetery

- Maple View Lodge Cemetery

- Soper's Cemetery

- Weeks Cemetery

Middlesex County:

- Oakland Cemetery

- Strathroy Cemetery

Norfolk County:

- Port Ryerse Memorial Church Cemetery

Simcoe County:

- Minesing Union Cemetery

Waterloo County:

- Elmira Union Cemetery

- Riverside Cemetery

- St James Evangelical Lutheran Cemetery

Welland County:

- Hansler's / Christ Brethern Church Cemetery

Wentworth County:

- Hamilton Cemetery

- Winona (Fifty) Cemetery

Thanks to the many volunteers who put this information, and take the photos, and to Sherri Pettit who puts it on the Ontario GenWeb site.

This is a FREE site, and the volunteers do not get paid.

You can go to
http://canadacems.blogspot.ca/2013/02/ontario-update.html

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Ontario Genealogical Society’s Cemeteries Project

There will be a meeting at the Hamilton Branch of the OGS on Sunday, February 17, 2013 at 2:00 pm. The meeting will be held at the Hamilton Room, Hamilton Main Public Library, 55 York Blvd., Hamilton .

The topic will be Ontario Cemeteries, and the speakers will be Diane Clendenan and Marjorie Stuart.

The presentation will describe what is available at present in Ontario with respect to records and plans of cemeteries, photos of gravestones, and future plans for the Society’s Ontario Cemeteries Project.

You may contact www.ogs.on.ca/hamilton

Ontario Cemetery Locator http://ogs.andornot.com/CemLocat.aspx Records for all Ontario cemeteries, both existent and non-existent, cairns, columbariums, family plots, and burial registers, that have been identified by the Ontario Genealogical Society at this time

Cemeteries and Name Indexes www.ogs.on.ca/services/indexes.php This index includes names taken from transcriptions of the monumental inscriptions, cemetery records, and other sources that have been identified by various groups.

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Family Heritage Day


There will be an open house at the Brant Branch OGS, 118 Powerline Rd in Brantford on February the 18th from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.

All our facilities will be available for examination and research.

No admission charge.

There is adequate parking.

For details and directions please call 519-753-4140 or e-mail brantogs@bellnet.ca

To go to the website, click on to www.ogs.on.ca/brant

Saturday, January 26, 2013

Leeds and Grenville OGS Involved with Marking Lost Cemetery


A long-neglected cemetery connected to the House of Industry that is now Maple View Lodge near Athens, Ontario will be cordoned off this spring with a fence surrounding approximately 150 gravesites.

The facility was built in 1895, it was the first house for the poor east of Toronto, and it could hold 90 'inmates'. Among the first inmates were 38 Canadians, 15 Irish, nine English, two French and two Americans.

Leeds and Grenville Branch of the OGS has been busy with the project, and if you want to know more about it, you can go to the Brockville Recorder newspaper site at http://www.recorder.ca/2013/01/15/project-marks-lost-cemetery
The Leeds and Grenville ranch of the OGS websuite is at www.leedsandgrenvillegenealogy.com

© Elizabeth Lapointe All Rights Reserved

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

East Nissouri History Book – Sold Out

We get this news from The Tracer, the newsletter the Oxford Genealogical Society that “The East Nissouri History Book was published late last year and we hear that it is now sold out. However, it is not too late to submit your family story or something about the East Nissouri community. The History committee will be publishing an annual supplement that they hope will be a repository of bits and pieces of history that might otherwise be lost.

If you didn’t get your family story into the History Book and you run across old photos in the attic or if you want to share your knowledge of the history of a business, an organization or a person in your community. Please contact Patti at eastnissouri@gmail.com or call 519-539-2013.

If you didn’t get a copy of the East Nissouri History book, a copy is available for research at our Resource Centre, 82 Light Street, Woodstock.

The website of the Oxford Genealogical Society is www.oxford.ogs.on.ca

Monday, January 21, 2013

Waterloo Region Branch Will Hold Annual Meeting

The Region III Annual Meeting will be hosted by the Waterloo Region Branch on April 20, 2013, at the Preston Legion, 334 Westminster Drive North, Cambridge, Ontario.

Registration will start at 8:45 on Saturday, and at 9:30, there will be a talk by Darryl Bonk, founder “Waterloo Region Generations,” former Director London and Kitchener Family History Centres, member of Waterloo Region al Heritage Foundation, and Waterloo Region Branch Executive member, and his topic will be “What IS on the Internet”

Before the afternoon session starts at 2:00 pm, there will be vendors onsite to visit, the Waterloo Region Branch will have its AGM, and you will be able to find out what is going on at the OGS head office in Toronto.

The afternoon talk starts at 2:00 pm will feature Ruth Blair of Blair Archival Research, and she will talk on ”What is NOT on the Internet”.

To download a Registration form visit www.WaterlooOGS.ca

For further information contact the Branch at watogs@yahoo.com

Saturday, January 19, 2013

Crouse-Wanamaker Lecture


Lynn Heale, Membership Co-ordinator of the Quinte Branch OGS tells us of a meeting which will take place (today) on Saturday January 19th at 1 p.m. It will be the Crouse-Wanamaker Lecture, honouring the founders of Quinte Branch.

This year, they will proudly present Historian & Author Gerry Boyce.

Mr. Boyce will speak on his project to update his book Historic Hastings published in 1967. "A lot has happened in the 45 years since Historic Hastings was published." This new book will highlight events of the past four decades and will be a companion volume to the original publication. Historic Hastings is scheduled to be reprinted with an updated index.

Mr. Boyce, who lives in Belleville and spent more than three decades in the education field, was instrumental in establishing several local museums and the Hastings County Historical Society.

The meeting will take place at the Quinte West City Hall Library, 7 Creswell Drive, Trenton, Ontario.

For more information, go to www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~canqbogs