Township Papers of the Province of Ontario

Mike More, the vice president of the OGS wrote this notice in the OGS e-Weekly Digest yesterday -

"The Township Papers (Archives of Ontario RG 1-58) are a large collection of documents that date from c1783 to c1870.

The documents include copies of orders-in-council, location certificates and tickets, assignments, certificates of settlement duties, correspondence and some wills. The records are arranged by township, town, or village and, within each township, by concession and then lot number. When a document dealt specifically with a particular piece of property and did not appear to fit within another records series, it was placed within the Township Papers. Once you know the particular lot of land the settler was granted, it is worth looking at the Township Papers since there may be information about the settler.

There are 540 reels of Township Papers with 528,000 pages of information, held by the Archives of Ontario in Toronto. An index to these would be a tremendous resource for Ontario genealogists but it is a HUGE job. The best indexers would be people who know the township and have an interest in the people therein. Since most of the material is hand written, everything has to be proofed, i.e. two people have to read the whole file looking for names.

OGS is considering a project to index the Township Papers of Ontario. We will need a number of volunteers to do the work but first we somebody to lead the Ontario Township Indexing Project. Are you up to the challenge? Would you like to be part of the team that brings these resources to light"?

On a personal note, this indexing project would be a great help to us who use these papers on a regular basis. I urge you to consider this as a worthwhile project.

For more information or to offer your services, contact Mike More at vp@ogs.on.ca

Conference 2014 Call for Speakers

The committee for Conference 2014 has launched their Call For Speakers. If you would like to speak at this Conference, please follow the instructions below for making your application.

The Niagara Peninsula Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society will host the Society's annual conference, May 1-4, 2014 at Brock University. The conference theme is GENEALOGY WITHOUT BORDERS.

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 from the American states and other provinces to Ontario.

Our Saturday and Sunday, May 3rd and 4th seminar sessions are generally fifty minutes in 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.

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

2. Records at a distance (especially Eastern USA and European)

3. War records, 1812, W.W. 1

4. Land records, census, directories,

5. Early Ontario records, prior to 1869 and their repositories

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

OMT to Present Homechild the Musical

The Orangeville Citizen reports that the Orangeville Musical Theatre is going to stage the musical Homechild the Musical on January the 12t.


And there will be an exhibition installed at the Orangeville Library. It will be brought there by the Shining Light on the Forgotten – the British Homechildren Traveling Display. The exhibit will include the 2010 Memorial Quilts from Ontario and Alberta, as well as books, pictures, trunks, etc.

Genealogical researcher and advocate, Lori Oschefski is bringing the exhibition to Orangeville’s Library.

The opening date for the exhibit is January 10. The musical opens at the Opera House on January 12, with performances on the 13,18, 19, 20, 25 and 26.

For tickets and more information, contact the box office at the Opera House at 519-942-3423 or online for OMT at www.orangevillemusictheatre.com

Ancestry.ca Puts On The Ottawa Journal, 1885-1980

If you are researching for your ancestor in Ottawa, Ancestry.ca has just added more issues of The Ottawa Journal newspaper to their site.

This collection contains the full published run of the paper from 1885-1980. Images in this database can be browsed and perused much like the physical version of the paper.

There are some parts missing from the collection, and they are not available. The parts that are missing are -

•1909, July-December is entirely missing.

•1963, October, the original film was damaged and certain days or pages may be missing or illegible.

•1970, January and May, the original film was damaged and certain days or pages may be missing or illegible.

You can go to http://search.ancestry.ca/search/db.aspx?dbid=50019 to read about The Ottawa Journal.

Halton/Peel Branch Meeting

On Sunday, January 27, 2013 at 2:00 pm, the OGS Branch of Halton-Peel will hold its monthly meeting, and will feature a talk given by Douglas Hill called “Tripping over Tombstones: Searching Ontario Cemeteries.”

OGS member and cemetery researcher Douglas Hill, will speak about how to search Ontario cemeteries on-line, in print and on foot. Trends in burial practices, cemetery ownership, and cemetery recording will also be discussed.

The meeting will take place at the Four Corners Public Library (Auditorium), 65 Queen St. E., Brampton.

For more information, you can go to www.halinet.on.ca/sigs/ogshp

Niagara Peninsula Hopes to "Live Stream" Conference 2014

Words has reached me that Niagara Peninsula Branch hope to live stream Conference 2014.

This is great news for the people who can’t travel to the area to take in the three day conference. They can stay at home and view the conference from their favorite chair. I image that it will cost to view the live streaming, but still it is a great way to see the talks that will be given.

Stay tuned for developments.

The website for the Niagara Peninsula Branch is www.ogs.on.ca/niagara

GenealogyCanada's Blog - 5 Years Old Today

Today is the fifth blogiversary of GenealogyCanada!

Although I didn’t hit the 1,000th blog posting today, I still managed well over 900 of them. I am pleased to have seen so many visitors dropping in for a visit - coming from every continent, and representing a wide variety of countries and regions. I sincerely hope that this blog has helped many of you find your Canadian connections, no matter where they came from.

I would like to thank all who read my posts, the comments they left, and those who sent me their press releases and notes about Canadian genealogy.

For your interest, the 10 most popular posts of the past five years are -

1. Ancestry.ca Offers FREE Access to Records
2. 1921 Canadian Census
3. The Canadian Census of 1891
4. FREE Ancestry.ca
5. Passing of John Becker, Editor, OGS Families
6. Attestation Papers of Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF)
7. Easter Treats from Ancestry.ca 
8. Historical Online Newspapers in Canada
9. The Eastern Ontario Countryside
10. Genealogy Courses in Toronto

As promised, five copies of my resource booklet – Migration: Canada and the United States – will be given away today as part of the blog's fifth anniversary celebrations.

All you have to do is correctly answer the following question, send it to me at genealogycanada@aol.com, and the winning results will be announced after the five lucky winners are picked by random draw from all correct entries.

The question is: Before GenealogyCanada became a blog, it started its life as a newsletter on the GenealogyCanada.com website. In what month and year did the online GenealogyCanada Newsletter start, leading  to the blog?

Please don't forget to bookmark the site - each month features Genealogy, Heritage, and History news, with lots of links to interesting websites, and tons of useful information to glean from its many webpages, including the famous Website Pick of the Month.

Thank you for dropping by to help celebrate the past five years, and for making GenealogyCanada.blogspot.com a part of your genealogical life.

Happy New Year!

New/Updated Websites, Blogs, and Newspaper Articles – 31 December 2012

I have come across the following websites, blogs, and newspaper articles this past week that were of interest to me, and I thought you might be interested in them, too –

Main Index: Native American Names of Quebec and Ontario (Marriage Documents) http://acanadianfamily.com/2012/01/06/main-index-native-american-names-of-quebec-and-ontario-marriage-documents Anyone who has tried to research Native American ancestry in their genealogy knows how difficult it can be to trace. Here is a site that may help you.

Canadian Christmas Books (and a few more ...) http://sd2cx1.webring.org/l/rd?ring=geneabloggersweb;id=17;url=http%3A%2F%2Fcanadagenealogy%2Eblogspot%2Eca%2F2012%2F12%2Fcanadian%2Dchristmas%2Dbooks%2Dand%2Dfew%2Dmore%2Ehtml Diane Rogers of the British Columbia Genealogical Society has posted a Christmas book list, that you may find helpful.

English Research From Canada http://kippeeb.blogspot.ca/2012/12/blake-newsletter-year-ii.html Elizabeth Kipp has the latest news about the Blake ancestry in preparation for the publication of the Blake Newsletter due 1 Jan 2013.

Ireland XO uses ‘reverse genealogy’ to link descendants to the Emerald Isle http://www.ottawacitizen.com/life/Ireland+uses+reverse+genealogy+link+descendants+Emerald+Isle/7743064/story.html Read about how Ottawa’s Phil Donnelly is helping to connect 70-million of people all over the world to the home county of Ireland in an article in the Ottawa Citizen. Goal is to connect over a million people by the end of 2013, and to create a database of 10 million members of the Irish Diaspora by 2016.

They have a website at www.irelandxo.com, and they have a newsletter onsite, a parish handbook to help you find the parish you are looking for, and a glossary which explains the terms used in Irish research eg townland, province, and so forth.

Our Town Waterford Pedestrian crossing light closer to completion www.brantfordexpositor.ca/2012/11/30/pedestrian-crossing-light-closer-to-completion What started out as a newspaper column by Carol Steedmen in which she talks about a pedestrian crossing light nearing completion in the town, turns into a column about a letter she received from a reader.
In the letter from Marilyn Nurse, Carol finds out that Marilyn is from the McMichael family from Waterford, and her father, Leamon Becker McMichael, was a first cousin to Dr. Hooker from Waterford, and recounts the genealogy.
© Elizabeth Lapointe All Rights Reserved

Archive CD Books (Canada) SALE!

I have just received a notice from Archive CD Books (Canada) that they are offering almost ALL of our CANADIAN topic books on CD at a discount for a limited time. And the sale prices are shown on each product - just above the "Regular Price" - so you can see your savings.

They give examples -

Gazetteer and Business Directory, Canada 1930, Cat.No. CA0035

ON SALE FOR: $18.75, Regular Price: $37.50

Commemorative Biographical Record of the County of York, Ontario - 1907 Cat.No. CA0254

ON SALE FOR: $13.13, Regular Price: $26.25

British Columbia from the Earliest Times to the Present, Historical & Biographical. 4 Vol. set. Cat.No. CA0361-S

ON SALE FOR: $24.50, Regular Price: $49.00

You are reminded that this sale won't last forever, so act now and you won't be disappointed.

Don't forget that they already give you free shipping if you live in Canada (flat rate elsewhere)

Sale prices are shown in the regular locations in the catalogue on each product on sale. To help you see ALL of the products on offer we have added a special "SALE" category in our online catalogue, and you can go straight there using this link www.archivecdbooks.ca/index.cfm?fuseaction=store.viewCategory&intCatalogID=29&intCategoryID=227

You are reminded that because of the complexity, and illogicality, of Canada Post's overseas shipping rates we check and, if possible, reduce our overseas rates for multiple purchases - we try to give you our best prices. Any shipping overcharge will be rebated on your credit card.

And while you are there on the website, you can subscribe to their very informative newsletter by subscribing to books@archivecdbooks.ca

FREE Access Ends Tonight!

The other day I posted about the free access at Ancestry.ca. Well, that free access ends tonight at midnight – December 29!

By taking advantage of this free access, you can explore their newest, as well as their most popular collections from Canada, the U.S., UK and around the world!

To go to the site for more information, go to http://search.ancestry.ca/search/grouplist.aspx?group=newyearoffer&o_xid=53405&o_lid=53405&o_sch=Email

Saltwater Heritage: The History and Conservation of Our Coastal Architecture:

The Institute for Architectural Studies and Conservation, in association with Beaconsfield Historic House, in Charlottetown, PEI, invites you to join them for the annual January lecture series. The theme for 2013 is Saltwater Heritage: The History and Conservation of Our Coastal Architecture.

The Institute has assembled a group of specialists to explore stories of the connections with Prince Edward Island shores.

January 7, 2013 – “Weeping Saltwater Tears: Charlottetown’s Disappearing Maritime Heritage” by Harry Holman. He is a sailor and former Provincial Archivist, and the Director of Culture, Heritage and Libraries, and he will draw on is extensive knowledge of the local waters and present an illustrated lecture using historical and contemporary images to reveal the changes to waterfront and maritime architecture and institutions.

January 14, 2013 - Carol Livingstone, President, PEI Lighthouse Society and Josh Silver, Red Seal Carpenter and Learning Manager, Heritage Retrofit Carpentry program at Holland College, will present “Lighting the Way: History, Form and Function in Lighthouse Conservation of PEI”. Together, they will explore these iconic forms of coastal architecture and the close relationships between their architectural features and their varied designs.

January 21, 2013 - Historian, Dr. Monica MacDonald, will be there to give a talk on one of the most stately seaside summer residences of PEI, and national historic site, in her illustrated presentation, “Dalvay-by-the-Sea: A Historical Overview”. She will look into the many lives of this former retreat of American industrialist, Alexander McDonald.

January 28, 2013 - Boyde Beck, popular historian, author, and Curator of History, PEI Museum and Heritage Foundation will speak on the fascinating story of Green Park and Beaconsfield, the former houses of shipbuilders, James Yeo (Jr.), and James Peake (Jr.), and the industry that made them in his talk, “Green Park and Beaconsfield — Two Shipbuilding Stories".

The talks start at 7 pm, at the Beaconsfield’s Carriage House in Charlottetown. Admission is open to the public by donation. Storm dates to be announced via local media.

For more information, please go to their website at http://iascpei.wordpress.com

Press Release: GenealogyCanada Will Celebrate 5th Blogiversary

Hello, Everyone,

As the press release says, GenealogyCanada will be celebrating its fifth blogiversary January the 2nd.


Feel free to pass the press release along to your genealogical friends.

If you have any questions about genealogycanada, please email me at genealogycanada@aol.com.

Elizabeth

(Ottawa Dec 27, 2012) On January 2, 2013, Elizabeth Lapointe will be celebrating the 5th Blogiversary of GenealogyCanada.blogspot.com, her daily genealogy, heritage, and history blog.

Lapointe says, “I have had five great years telling people about Canada’s latest genealogy, heritage, and history news and stories. Because of the blog, I have made friends from all over, and look forward to reaching new audiences in the next five years.”

GenealogyCanada.blogspot.com is expected to reach its 1,000th blog in the next few weeks. Come join the others who drop by for their genealogy fix – simply visit the blog, subscribe to the “Blog Update” email notification service, or follow along on Twitter.

Among the blog posts of which Lapointe is extremely proud are the posts that make up the yearly Veterans’ Week series in November, and the posts that greet her readers every Monday morning of new and improved Canadian websites, blogs, and news articles on Canadian genealogy, heritage, and history.

“Both of these posts are very important to me because they bring to my readers news of what is happening in Canada—or somehow related to Canada or Canadians worldwide—whether it’s in remembrance of her veterans each November, or on a weekly basis.”

To mark the 5th Blogiversary on January 2nd, there will be a special contest give-away of 5 copies of her cross-border resource booklet—Migration: Canada and the United States—to those readers who correctly answer a question about the blog. So please take a moment to visit us that day, and be sure to also tell your friends and fellow genealogists.

A random draw of all the correct entries will take place the next day, on January 3rd.

To find out what’s been posted or to see what you’ve missed, scroll down to the “Blog Archive” list and pick a date, or simply use the dedicated Google search box near the top to find your favourite subject.

If you have any questions about the blog, please direct them to Elizabeth Lapointe at genealogycanada@aol.com.

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About GenealogyCanada

GenealogyCanada.blogspot.com is a Canadian blog covering Canadian genealogy, heritage, and history news and events. There have been over 900 posts since January 2008.

The GenealogyCanada.com website contains over 30 newsletters dating from 2004 to 2007, again covering the same news as the blog. Also included is the Website of the Month, showcasing the best in Canadian genealogy.