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

Cemetery Transcriptions Updating

In July, and August, the Lambton County Ontario Genealogical Society has been, and will be involved with Cemetery Transcriptions Updating.

If you can help, please e-mail lambtonogs@ebtech.net, and ask for either Robert or Karen.

The website is http://www.lambton.ogs.on.ca

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

British Home Children Talk

The first Fall meeting of the Ottawa Media Club http://www.mediaclubofottawa.ca/index.html will be Monday, September 19, 2011. at 6 pm at the Library and Archives Canada, 395 Wellington Street, Ottawa.

There will be a talk on the British Home Children called Great Expectations – The Middlemore Experience.

Between 1873-1932, more than 5,000 Birmingham children were settled in Ontario and the Maritimes, by John T. Middlemore of Birmingham. This startling event will be explained, following exhaustive research for her book, by author Dr. Patricia Roberts-Pichette and research assistant Caroline Herbert.

Dr. Patricia Roberts-Pichette and Caroline Herbert are both members of the British Isles Family History Society of Greater Ottawa, and the organization has the Home Children database on the website http://www.bifhsgo.ca/cpage.php?pt=4">

CousinsConnect – Canadian

As the opening webpage says "The place to post your genealogy questions"

It has 18, 461 queries so far, and they range from a person looking for their birth mother to a person looking for their four brothers.

The website, which has been on since 2001, says that "If you are looking to contact other genealogists, discover distant relatives, or find a missing person, CousinConnect offers you the best chance for success".

They have a "Frequently Asked Questions" that can tell you how to start using the website, how to post a query for best results, or how to change a query. It is located at http://www.cousinconnect.com/faqs.htm

On the main pages, at the bottom of the right column, you can check for new queries on a daily, weekly or a monthly basis. And the queries can be from Canada, or any country you chose.

The website is at http://www.cousinconnect.com/p/a/3/. If you want to contact them, email them at
info@cousinconnect.com

CLANS AND SCOTTISH SOCIETIES OF CANADA

The CASSC is an organization that is "the link between various Clans and Scottish Societies. We encourage the celebration of our Scottish Cultural Heritage and the promotion of this Scottish Culture in all its aspects. We seek to be the assembly of all groups who are pursuing Scottish interests".

There are over 50 Scottish Festivals taking place in Canada this year, and if you haven't gone to one of them, you should go. They are great fun, and educational too.

The organization supports the National Tartan Day in Canada. There is also a "Photo Galley", and a genealogical section in the "Notice" part of the website.

If you wish further information, please see their website at http://www.cassoc.ca/frameset.htm

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