OGS announces officers for 2014-2016

The slate of new officers for 2014-2016 was announced today at the OGS Conference.

The president is Alan Campbell. Alan is from the Lambton Branch of the OGS.

The vice president is Patti Mordasewicz. Patti is from the Leeds and Grenville Branch of the OGS.

The Directors-at-Large are Shannon Brown-Desrosiers, David Clark, Charles Godwin, Penny Plunkett, Roger Robineau, and Louise Sabourin.

The Returning Officers are: Vice President, Finance – Steve Clendenan; Corporate Secretary – Douglas Skogstad; and now, Past President – Shirley Sturdevant.

Congratulations to everyone!

Many thanks for all that you have done for the Society, and for continuing in the footsteps of your predecessors in securing our future!

UPDATE: The funeral of Brian Gilchrist

The funeral of Brian Gilchrist will be held at The Cathedral Church of St. James Diocese of Toronto - Anglican Church of Canada at 11 am, May 5th, 2014 at 65 Church Street, Toronto, ON M5S 2E9, It will be conducted by Sub-Dean & Vicar The Reverend Canon David Brinton.

Viewing will be held on Sunday, from 2-4 and 7-9 at Turner and Porter Yorke Chapel on Bloor Street West, Toronto.

Reminder: Social Media Hangout On Air

Just a reminder to watch the Google+ Hangout on Air tomorrow morning at 8:00 EDT when members at the Ontario Genealogical Society will be on a panel discussion about Social Media.

The members of the panel will be Tony Bandy, Kirsty Gray, Daniel Horowitz, Chris Paton, Marian Press, and John D Reid.

Go to https://support.google.com/plus/answer/2459411?hl=en to see how you join Google +, and to get to the site on Saturday morning, go to https://plus.google.com/u/0/events/cgkbikrmmec7hi1irnenf5jmqbc?cfem=1 you must be a Google member.

See you there!

Royal Tour of Canada this month

Personal Flag of the Prince of Wales for use in Canada

Their Royal Highnesses The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall will tour Canada from May 18 to May 21, 2014. They will make four official stops in three provinces – Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Manitoba. 

In Nova Scotia, they will visit 

Halifax, Nova Scotia (May 18 and 19) 

Pictou, Nova Scotia (May 19) 

In Prince Edward Island, they will visit 

Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, (May 19 and 20) 

Official Welcome to Canada and Nova Scotia at the Grand Parade in Halifax, Nova Scotia, on Victoria Day on May 19

Tour of Hector Heritage Quay—A Celebration of Celtic Appreciation Month in Pictou, Nova Scotia, on May 19 

Fireworks, music, and performances to celebrate Victoria Day and the 150th anniversary of the Charlottetown Conference, which paved the way to Confederation in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, on May 19 

Visit to Cornwall United Church in Cornwall, Prince Edward Island, on May 20 

In Manitoba, they will visit 

The children at the Stevenson Hangar as they learn about the principles of flight, rockets, satellites and more in Winnipeg Manitoba on May 21 

Visit to the International Polar Bear Conservation Centre at the new “Journey to Churchill” exhibit at the Assiniboine Park Zoo in Winnipeg on May 21 

Taking part in the Order of Manitoba Investiture at the Manitoba Legislature in Winnipeg on May 21 

The website is http://canadiancrown.gc.ca/eng/1396019389915

Brian Gilchrist, Ontario genealogist, passes away

It is with a heavy heart that I read this morning that Brian Gilchrist has passed away. His passing leaves a big void in Ontario genealogy.

He was the Reference Archivist at PAMA (Peel Art Gallery, Museum & Archives), and a founding member of Halton-Peel Branch, OGS.

I first met Brian in the early 1990s when I was starting out in genealogy, and he brought an energy and interest to the subject that I had to admire. I always went to his lectures, and always came away recommitted to the world of genealogy.

The last conversation I had with Brian was about a month ago when I was asking him about a family in Peel County, and he said that he had been sick, but things were looking up, and that he had returned to work. So the news this morning really caught me off guard.

His knowledge, and understanding on Ontario genealogy will be missed.

His funeral will be held at St. James Church in Toronto next week.   

The news is on Gail Dever’s Facebook page at Genealogy à la carte at http://genealogyalacarte.wordpress.com/2014/05/01/canadian-genealogist-j-brian-gilchrist-passes-away and on the Halton-Peel Branch of the OGS Facebook page at
https://www.facebook.com/HaltonPeelBranchOGS

British Columbia, Canada, Estate Files, 1859-1949

 Another case of the partnership between Ancestry and FamilySearch. 

Ancestry has the browsable images on their site, and you can browse by Judicial District/Locality, whereas FamilySearch has the background information that could help you to search estate files in British Columbia. plus browsable images.

So how is this system working? It brings the holdings of the FamilySearch site to a different audience, but Ancestry isn’t adding any new records by doing this. Are you satisfied with this change?

At one time apparently, Ancestry would only put on indexed records, now it appears that they have moved to include browsable images.

You can search the site at Ancestry http://search.ancestry.ca/search/db.aspx?dbid=9806

You can read the information at FamilySearch at https://familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/British_Columbia_Estate_Files_(FamilySearch_Historical_Records)

The images are at FamilySearch at https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2014768

OGS new website

What do you think of the new website that the OGS has just put on the Internet?

For myself, I don’t know what to think.

It seems like they have lost their focus – Ontario genealogy.

And what do they mean by Help Save Library & Archives Canada? What do they mean? When you open the tab, it talks about Donations to the library at the OGS, not the LAC!

Could they have been too hasty in putting this on the Internet right now? Even the copyright for the website is for 2013 – it hasn’t been changed to 2014!

It is my feeling that the site needs some tweaking before it is put out to there for public consumption. What do you think?

The website is https://www.ogs.on.ca