Preparing for the OGS Conference

The Ontario Genealogical Conference to be held from June 1st to the 3rd in Kingston, Ontario will have a number of unique activites going on during the weekend.

Some of them are -

Ask a Pro - You’ll be able to sign up for one free session lasting 15 minutes with a professional genealogist, courtesy of members of the Ontario Chapter, Association of Professional Genealogists.

Research Around Kingston – Look at the page on the Kingston Area Research.  Do note that most of these repositories have valuable holdings but are quite small.

Go to http://www.ogs.on.ca/conference2012/kingston-facts, and see the many places to research in Kingston.

Research Room – See the separate page about this under “Program”. Sign up on arrival at the College for your hour of free research in genealogical databases for which you would normally have to pay.

The website is at http://www.ogs.on.ca/conference2012/research-room tells you what to expect in the Research Room.

Wall of Ancestors – Take advantage of this FREE research activity. Decide which facts you most want to learn about which ancestors, and make up 3×5″ cards ahead of time, to post on the Wall of Ancestors when you arrive.

You can go to http://www.ogs.on.ca/conference2012/ancestors ,and read what can be included on your card.

Go to http://www.ogs.on.ca/conference2012 to read about the Conference itself.

TONI and OGSPI Update

I have been using Ontario Genealogical Society's The Ontario Name Index (TONI), and the Ontario Genealogical Society Provincial Index (OGSPI) this week.

TONI is an index of every name in every publication relating to Ontario. The index points people to the location of the information about that name, and the location of the information may be a Branch (Chapter) document, a web site, a microfilm, a family history, an archive, etc.

It was started in May 2011, and you should check it often because they are putting on names to the index nearly everyday.

You can check out the index at http://www.ogs.on.ca/integrated/toni_database1.php

Also, don't forget the Ontario Genealogical Society Provincial Index (OGSPI).

There is 1,830,226 names on this index, and the project was started in 1997. It is located at http://www.ogs.on.ca/ogspi/welcome.htm on the Ontsario Genealogical Society.

As with any index, I always compare, and contrast the two indexes – TONI and OGSPI. Since TONI is a "work in progress", I always check it against the OGSPI to make sure that I have found all the information possible that has been put on the two indexes.

The Ship's Company of Penetanguishene

The Ship's Company of Penetanguishene is going to commerate the 200th Anniversary of the War of 1812 by building and sailing the HMS Lynx.

Work has continued on the HMS Lynch during the winter. The interior of the vessel is almost complete, including an innovative steering system running from a ship’s wheel to the outside of the stern.

They are planning to launch the HMS Lynx on Sunday June 10 at the Penetanguishene Town Dock. The vessel will then be very active this summer, participating in a range of War of 1812 Bicentennial and community events.


They are based out of Penetanguishene, Ontario on Southern Georgian Bay, in association with the Penetanguishene Centennial Museum.

To read about The Ship's Company, they have a very nice webpages full of history, and a calendar of events on http://www.shipscompany.ca/

BIFHSGO Special Meeting Event

On Monday April the 2nd there will be a Special Meeting Event from 7:00-9:30 pm at the Auditorium, Library and Archives Canada in Ottawa with English researcher Simon Fowler who will give two FREE lectures.

 Called "An Evening with Simon Fowler" he will give lectures on - Researching your Military Ancestors Online, and British Emigration Records.

Simon Fowler is one of Britain’s most experienced family history teachers, writers and researchers. He specializes in military family history, with a particular focus on the First World War, and is the author of numerous well-regarded research guides and articles. Simon worked on and off for The National Archives/Public Record Office at Kew for over thirty years and edited their family history magazine Ancestors. He also teaches online military history courses for Pharos Tutors.

Come and meet experienced researchers, enjoy some refreshments and listen to this noted family history expert give two FREE lectures. The BIFHSGO website is http://www.bifhsgo.ca/.

See you there!

Immigration to Canada

The following are FREE databases online from the Library and Archives Canada (LAC) which can be used to check the immigration of your ancestor to Canada. They are -

Immigrants at Grosse-Île http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/grosse-ile-immigration/index-e.htmlThis database includes information on 33,026 immigrants whose names appear in surviving records of the Grosse-Île Quarantine Station between 1832 and 1937.

Passenger Lists, 1865-1922 http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/passenger/index-e.html Passenger lists (RG 76) were the official immigration documents from 1865 to 1935.

Passenger Lists, 1865-1922 http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/passenger/001045-130-e.html The database provides access to 21,840 references to passenger lists held at LAC.

List of Head Tax Certificates Held at Library and Archives Canada http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/genealogy/022-905.002.02-e.html It gives the person's name, plus particulars of the Head Tax.

Immigrants from China http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/chinese-immigrants/index-e.html It provides access to 98,361 references to Chinese immigrants who arrived in Canada between 1885 and 1949.

Port of New Westminster Register of Chinese Immigration http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/chinese-immigrants/index-e.html

Newfoundland Register of Arrivals and Outward Registrations
http://www.blogger.com/goog_1118683899

Home Children http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/home-children/index-e.html Between 1869 and the late 1930s, over 100,000 juvenile migrants were sent to Canada from Great Britain during the child emigration movement.

Montreal Emigrant Society Passage Book (1832) http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/mes/index-e.html  This research tool provides access to 1,945 references to people who received aid from the Montreal Emigrant Society between May 12 and November 5,1832.

Prince Edward Island Genealogical Society

The PEIGS AGM will be at the Carriage House, Beaconsfield, 2 Kent Street in Charlottetown on April 21, 2012 at 2:00 p.m.

The Guest Speaker will be past-president of the society, Linda Jean Nicholson on the topic of "Until Death

do us Part - Stories from early Island wills and other probate documents."

Go to http://www.peigs.ca/ for more information.

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Smallman Reunion - August 4th, 5th 2012

The descendents of Joseph and Margaret/Ann (Murray) Smallman Reunion will be held on Saturday, August 4th, and Sunday, August 5th, 2012 in O'Leary, Springfeild and Cascumpec.

For information contact Darren Stretch at dstretch@pei.sympatico.ca; Kathleen (Smallman) Poirier at maurice.poirier@pei.sympatico.ca or Lola (Smallman) Stretch at lolastretch@hotmail.com.

If you wish to receive a copy of the registration form please contact one of the above with
your mailing and/or e-mail address.

We look forward to seeing you this summer.

The Diocese of Ontario of the Anglican Church of Canada

The Diocese of Ontario of the Anglican Church of Canada is celebrating their 150th year in Canada, and the Archives will be at the Conference in Kingston of the Ontario Genealogical Society June 1st and 3nd with their computerized index.

The Archives cover the five Counties of Leeds and Grenville, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington, Hastings and Prince Edward in Eastern Ontario.

The church registers held by the Anglican Diocese of Ontario Archives are normally accessible only at the tiny archives facility, and only for very limited hours each week. However, the Diocesan Archivist, Paul Banfield, has generously given permission for the index to these registers to be available at Conference 2012.

If they find that there are baptism, marriage, confirmation or burial records for the individuals of interest to you, they can provide you with the details (date, register volume number, etc.). You will not be able to obtain copies of the registers during Conference, as the archives will not be open on the weekend; however, you will be able to order copies by mail or email after returning home. Or, visit the archives in person if you’ll be in Kingston following the conference.

For more information, you can go to the Archives at http://www.ontario.anglican.ca/joomla/index.php?option=com_k2&view=itemlist&layout=category&task=category&id=56&Itemid=138