World Acadian Congress Family Reunions

Organizers of the L'Acadie du Monde (International World Acadian Congress, to be held in August 2014) are looking for people who can organize family reunions. They hope to bring Acadian families from all over the world to celebrate the cultural traditions by attending the Congress in August.

The theme for the 2014 Congress is "Lands and Forests", which will be held in Maine's St. John Valley, in southeast Quebec, and in northwest New Brunswick.

They are hoping for 100 family reunions, and for over 50,000 people to attend the two-week-long Congress.

Acadians are the descendants of colonial French families who were exiled from their homes in 1755 by the British government in what was called Le Grand Derangement, or The Great Displacement.

Applications for families interested in hosting a family reunion are available online at the website for the fifth World Acadian Congress at http://www.acadian.org/congres5.html.

Finding Ontario Ancestors

Just received this press release from the Toronto Branch of the Ontario Genealogy Society (OGS) -

“The Toronto Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society and the Canadiana Department of the North York Central Library are co-sponsoring "Finding Ontario Ancestors", a one-day summer workshop exploring the richness of Ontario records. Find out how to get the most from familiar records or discover a new source to expand your understanding of your Ontario ancestors. You’ll enjoy this relaxed, information-packed day with speakers who revel in the intricacies and richness of records – and love to share their knowledge. The workshop will be held in the Auditorium of the North York Central Library, 5120 Yonge Street, Toronto, at the North York Centre subway station. Early registration rates are available until 15 July 2011. Discounts are available for OGS members. For program, cost and registration details, visit www.torontofamilyhistory.org/Finding_Ontario_Ancestors_2011.html. To check availability, call 416-733-2608 (voice mail) or e-mail info@torontofamilyhistory.org”.

War of 1812 Database

New on the Ontario Genealogy Society (OGS) site at http://ogs.on.ca/services/1812-militia.php they have a Records Page, and today, they have added a "collection of War of 1812 Militia Documents".

The person who has worked hard, and many hours transcribing the Records from the Library and Archives Canada is Genealogist Fred Blair.

The first two sets of Records are from the York Militia, and they are -

2nd Regiment of York Militia – Payroll at http://ogs.on.ca/services/pdfs/2nd-regiment-Payrolls.pdf

2nd Regiment of York Militia and 5th Regiment of Lincoln Militia - Flank Companies and Others at http://ogs.on.ca/services/pdfs/2ndYork-5thLincoln-Flank-Companies.pdf

He offered them to the OGS with the understanding that they would be available to ALL researchers – free of charge!

I went and took a look at them myself, and Fred did an impressive job. Besides transcribing the records, he also put his own notes in with the Records, and you should read them to see if they apply to the ancestor you may be looking for in your family history.

This is just the beginning of the Records he will be allowing the OGS to place on their site, so stayed tuned as Canada goes into the 200th Anniversary of the War of 1812 in 2012.

New Version of the Lower Canada Land Petitions (1626-1865) Database

I have just received this notice from Library and Archives Canada -

Ottawa, June 8, 2011 - Library and Archives Canada is pleased to announce the release of a new version of the online database Lower Canada Land Petitions (1626-1865). This version includes digitized images of the actual petitions for all individuals listed in the database. Corrections to entries, including suggestions received from users, have also been integrated into this updated version. Many staff members contributed to the success of this project, and their efforts are much appreciated.

The database is available at:
www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/lower-canada/index-e.html.

For more information, please contact webservices@lac-bac.gc.ca.

I tested the database myself by putting in David Barclay. I found two names that matched David Barclay, and the years (1783-1804) seemed to be right.

He was the son of a United Empire Loyalist (Andrew Barclay) who settled in Shelburne, Nova Scotia, but one of his sons didn't stay, and I am alwats looking for him to show up somewhere. I have no idea where he went, so I am always searching databases worldwide to see where he went.

OGS Conference 2011 – Day 3

Although lectures did not start until 9:00 o’clock on Sunday, I had an early day, starting with the First Annual Families and NewsLeaf Breakfast at 7 o’clock.

We were all set to take a picture of the group to share with you, but the conversation got so interesting, and with Dick Doherty dropping by, we plumb forgot about it.

Joyce Fingland, the new editor of NewsLeaf and e-NewsLeaf was there, as was Judy Mills, one of the associate editors of Families, along with Kathy Baker, one of the proofreaders, and a couple of other guests, including Sarah Newitt, OGS Executive Director, and Fraser Dunford, the Executive Director Emeritus.

Then I went to the marketplace to say my hellos to people I promised to stop and talk to, and it included Ed and Rick's wives (Lynne and Jennifer, respectively) at the Moorshead Magazine table (Ed and Rick were still making their way back from NGS in Charleston, South Carolina), the OGS table, and the Dundurn Press table, where I heard of the exciting year they have planned for books. I also met with Louise St. Denis of The National Institute for Genealogical Studies, having just arrived from the NGS Conference 10 minutes before I saw her.

I also had my own aha! moment at the Conference. Talking to the nice folks at the Brant Branch table, I discovered some information on John Millership Merriman, who had come over to Canada in the 1920s, and ended up writing for the local newspapers. It was the latest discovery in a line of aha! moments stemming from a "Hi! Do you have anything on John from Canada?" letter I received a couple of years ago :-) (more on this in a later post) ...

So after I had my own “Meet and Greet” session, it was time to go to the closing plenary session to hear Dave Obee talk about social networking in his talk, “Blogs, Posts, Tweets and Apps”.

It made a good closing talk because it followed Brian Gilchrist's Houston Lecture talk Friday evening in that he explored all of the technology (which he says were invented for genealogists - why else would it have been invented?).

If you want to read some of the talks given at the Conference, you will be able to do so in the August issue of Families.

If you want to read Families, but are not an OGS member, you can now join for half a year, staring in June - in addition to regular membership benefits, you will be able to receive the August and November editions of NewsLeaf and Families, and four issues of e-NewsLeaf.

You can apply for membership at http://www.ogs.on.ca/membership.php

Next year’s Conference 2012 will be held in Kingston. The theme will be Borders and Bridges, and the War of 1812 will be explored.

OGS Conference 2011 – Day 2

Saturday morning started off very early with the Opening Plenary, given by Stephen Young from FamilySearch.org.

In “Descendancy Research: Branching Out on Your Family Tree”, he talked about his Ontario family, and he stressed the importance of tracing your cousins to find out more information about your family.

After the AGM, I went to hear Brain Gilchrist's “Does Your Research Make Sense?”.

He took us on a journey through some of his research, always asking the question, “Does it make sense”? And he told us stories about the results of his own research that wouldn't make sense if you didn’t know the whole story.

For instance, if you look at his parent's divorce papers, it says that there weren't any children from the marriage. Since Brian was of the age of majority when the divorce was granted, there weren’t any children. However, there was issue from the marriage! So watch the words you use - the meaning can be very limited!

Jane MacNamara's, “Discovering Rural Ancestors”, was an interesting and informative look at the Women's Institute of Ontario and the Tweedsmuir Histories, which the Ontario Genealogical Society is about to scan and make available in the “Member's Only” section of their website.

Nuala Farrell-Griffin—in her give her talk, “Shhh! It’s a Locality File”—emphasizes creating a locality file as the basis of research, rather than in Ireland or in Canada, or anywhere for that matter.

In the evening, at the OGS Golden Anniversary Banquet, guest speaker, Dick Doherty, gave us “Serendipity: A Lighthearted Look at Genealogy”, and was it ever lighthearted! Dick had us laughing all night long at his stories, jokes, and pictures of funny epitaphs and the like. As if the banquet supper itself and the chatter we had with the many interesting people at our table wasn't good enough (and indeed, it was!), it was worth it just to listen to Dick.

Both Mario and I were honoured to have been joined by Lisa Alzo, who herself gave five lectures during the weekend. One thing she mentioned was how impressed she was by the quality and quantity of questions asked of her during her sessions.

OGS Conference 2011 – Day 1

We went down to Hamilton last Wednesday, planning to do some research before the OGS Conference started on Friday, but the “car gods” had something to say about that - we never got to do any research!

The car broke down in the express lane of the 401 in the middle of Toronto (just past the Don Valley Parkway) in evening rush hour. After getting a ride in a tow truck to the Hamilton hotel where we were staying, we spent the next two days babysitting our car while it went through hours of testing to finally realize that it was simply a sticky throttle!

So Friday evening was the first time we were able to go to Conference.

After opening remarks by Nancy Trimble, President, and The Honourable Vivienne Poy, Senator (Honourable Patron of the OGS), the excited conference-goers sat earnestly listening to The Houston Memorial Lecture as given by J. Brian Gilchrist entitled, “Looking Forward by Looking Back: the changing face of genealogy and family history”, in which he gave a lighthearted review of where the OGS has been in the last 50 years, and where it is going in the next 50.

He has been involved in genealogy since he was 10 years old, so he answered some of my questions I have had about genealogy in Ontario - for instance, when was the first genealogy book written in Ontario (in the 1860s), who wrote the first guide books, who was the first president of OGS, etc.

He made extensive use of videos in his presentation, which kept it lively and interesting to the very last word. Anyone who has heard Brian speak knows that he is a very good speaker, and he ended his talk by asking us who will carry the OGS into the next 50 years.

Brian said that technology will carry the OGS in the next 50 years. He went through all the things technology does for us now - online databases, blogs, Twitter feeds, etc - but there will be a lot more before it is over. By the time he was finished his talk, we were as enthusiastic as he was - and looking forward to the future.

You will be able to read his Houston Lecture in the August edition of Families (of which I am its editor), along with the opening remarks given by Senator Poy.

Voices from the Dust

This family history event is being hosted on Friday, May 20th by the Ottawa Ontario Stake Family History Centre (located at Prince of Wales Drive, Ottawa).

Always informative, it's a great chance to meet some very dedicated genealogists, and to take advantage of some valuable resources.

For details on speakers, topics, and location, please go to www.ottawastakefhc.on.ca/vftd.html

See you there!

116th Haviland Family Reunion

Here is your chance to connect with the Haviland Family again!

The 116th Haviland Family Reunion will be held July 9th 2011 at Waterford North Conservation Area in Waterford Ontario. Here is your chance to connect with your family again

Saturday's events will start at 1:00 a.m. with registration, followed by a 12:00 noon pot luck buffet meal at the Pavilion. There will be afternoon activities for all ages: baseball, volleyball, genealogy sharing, renewing of acquaintances, viewing group photographs and the "Canadian Haviland Family Genealogy" books, and face painting.http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

Captain John Haviland, a United Empire Loyalist, having served the British as an artificer in the American Revoluthttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifion, moved from Haviland's Hollow on the NY/CT state line and settled in 1803 at Townsend Township, Norfolk County, near Brantford. Descendants have held a reunion annually since 1896.

For information contact: http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
David Haviland
PO Box 269
Otterville, ON N0J 1R0

or

Email him at haviland@ican.net.

Langstaff Family History

It so happens that Jack Langstaff read the paper, "Buggery and Slander: The Trials and Tribulations of Moses Winter" by Guylaine Pétrin in the May edition of the Ontario Genealogical Society's journal, Families, and found out that he was related to one of the signees of the petition.

He has researched most of the early Langstaff's who came to Ontario, and if you would like to check them out, please go to his website at http://www.langstaff.net/.

In addition, Jack says that "As well, there may be Germans from Kreis Kolmar and Wirsitz who can find parts of the family in the extensive birth file".

If you go to the site, you will see genealogies for families such as KRIENKE, LONGHURST, and NEELY.

He can be contacted at frack@rogers.com

NIGS and OGS Partnership

At the closing ceremonies of the Ontario Genealogical Society, President Nancy Trimble—in conjunction with Louise St. Denis, Managing Director of the National Institute for Genealogical Studies—made a major announcement regarding a partnership between the two entities.

The Institute will provide Live Meeting services to the Branches, in addition to other membership benefits.


More details to follow ...

Book Reviews

The May 2011 edition of the Ontario Genealogical Society's journal, Families, has been published, and the issue contains five book reviews (on pages 32 to 34) -

Crime and Punishment in Upper Canada: A Research Guide by Janice Nickerson (ISBN 978-1-5548877-05). As the review says, the records at the Library and Archives Canada and the Archives of Ontario "were waiting for someone to come along to and put them in readable order", and that person is Janice Nickerson.

If you have anyone involved in the justice system in Upper Canada form 1701-1841 (on either side of the law), you owe it to yourself to read a review of the book, and to get a copy of it.

Tories: Fighting for the King in America's First Civil War by Thomas B. Allen (ISBN 9780061241802). An excellent review of the book is given by Brenda Dougall Merriman. She aptly describes the author's intent to show how the Tories fought for America's right to stay British - and lost in the War of Independence.

British Home Children: Their Stories. Compiled by the British Isles Family History Society of Greater Ottawa (ISBN 978-1-926797-47-2). A compilation of personal essays in which 36 children tell their life stories of how they came to Canada, and the life they lived here between 1869 and 1948.

Journey To The Past - The Lost Villages of Mississauga by Heritage Mississauga Foundation (ISBN 978-0-9867579-0-8) tells the story of Mississauga through its Lost Villages of the Heartland, and across the Northern, Eastern, and Western Frontiers.

Tracing Your Irish Roots is published by Moorshead Magazine (ISBN 978-0-9781592-6-9). A great collection of fifteen articles printed by the publisher since 2005, each article is reviewed in the book review.

Families is considered as a part of the member's benefit of membership in the OGS. You can join the OGS by going to their webpage www.ogs.on.ca/membership.php. Or, if you are in Hamilton, do drop by and see us in the Marketplace at the Hamilton Convention Centre on Friday through Sunday (May 13th-15th).

Families - May 2011 - Part I

The May 2011 issue of Families, the journal of the Ontario Genealogical Society, marks 50 years of publication this year.

The illustration on the cover of the journal is the first publication that was printed back in August 1962.

Three of the seven papers that have just been published in this issue are as follows -

"Jury Duty - A Opportunity for Genealogists" by Janice Nickerson - The lead paper in this publication, it shows the role that juries played in the justice system in Upper Canada from 1701 to 1841.

"Recording Your Own Life Story in a Family Photo Book" by Joyce Fingland - She tells us how she has taken old photos, edited and/or fixed them up, and then used them to illustrate a book she has written on family history called Our Family. It's also an excellent guide on photo restoration.

"Staff Magazines" by Gwen Patterson - This column is about two staff magazines published by the Bank of Montreal and the Workman's Compensation Board that were celebrating their anniversaries.

Tomorrow's blog posting will cover the remaining papers in this issue.

Families is considered as a part of the member's benefits of OGS. You can join the OGS by going to the webpage www.ogs.on.ca/membership.php, or if you are in Hamilton - drop by and see us in the Marketplace at the Hamilton Convention Centre on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday (May 13th to 15th).

Families - May 2011 - Part II

The May 2011 edition of the Ontario Genealogical Society's journal, Families, has been published. This list shows the other four papers of the seven papers published -

"Buggery or Slander: The Trials and Tribulations of Moses Winter" by Guylaine Pétrin - She talks about the court case that she discovered while doing research at the Library and Archives Canada, having found a number of petitions concerning Moses Winters from Etobicoke Township, York County (Ontario) in the 1830s.

"Overcoming Obstacles in Family Lore and More" by E. Gail Benjafield - She discusses one of the most useful tips in breaking through brick walls: checking the sources of "family lore".

"Uncle Bert's Book - A Royal Connection?" by Al Richards - He looks at his family history through an uncle's notebook to see if there is any validation to the notion that there may be British Royal Blood in his lineage.

"Genealogy Services at the Library and Archives Canada" by Nicole Waiter - An employee of Library and Archives Canada, she write about the services that the LAC offers free of charge to the public.

Families is considered as a part of the member's benefit of the OGS. You can join the OGS by going to the webpage www.ogs.on.ca/membership.php. If you are in Hamilton, please drop by and see us in the Marketplace at the Hamilton Convention Centre on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday (May 13th to 15th).

NewsLeaf - Part II

The May issue of NewsLeaf (Vol 41 No 2) also covers what has happened in the way of news in the Ontario Genealogical Society during the past four months, as found in Branch newsletters.

In New Briefs are some articles from the following Branches -

Brant - "New Web Source for War of 1812";
Norfolk County - "Port Dover's Fishing Fleet";
Halton-Peel - "The Diary Notes of Robert Gray of Burlington, Ontario";
Leeds & Grenville - "Burial Grounds in Leeds & Grenville";
Sault & District - "Story of William Henry Latham";
Hamilton - "Old Branch Newsletters";
Quinte - "Crouse-Wannamaker Lecture";
Lambton - "Vacation Turns to Research Trip";
Niagara - "Funeral Cards";
Kent - "An 'All Irish Issue";
Kingston - "Genealogy Presentations at Kingston"

The lead story in this issue covers the appointment of the new Executive Director of the OGS, Sarah Newitt. Read about what she hopes to accomplish in the next few years with the OGS. The issue also said 'Good-bye' to Fraser Dunford, now Executive Director Emeritus of the OGS.

NewsLeaf is considered as a part of the member's benefit of OGS.

You can join the OGS by going to the webpage http://www.ogs.on.ca/membership.php. Or, if you are in Hamilton, please drop by and see us in the Marketplace at the Hamilton Convention Centre on either Friday, Saturday, or Sunday (May 13th to 15th).

We would love to have you stop by and say "Hello!"

NewsLeaf - Part I

In May of every year, NewsLeaf (the quarterly newsletter of the Ontario Genealogical Society) doubles in size to accommodate reports from each of the Branches, as well as the news that has happened over the past four months.

The Reports in this issue are the Annual General Meeting Reports about the meeting that was held last year at the Conference, plus the Treasurer Report, along with reports from Region I and the Branches of Essex, and Lambton; Region II plus Reports from Elgin, Oxford; Region from Bruce & Grey, Huron, Perth, Waterloo, and Wellington Branches; Report from Region IV plus reports from Brant, Haldimand, Hamilton, Niagara, and Norfolk Branch; Reports from Huron-Peel, Simcoe, Toronto, and York Region Branch; Region VIII Branch Reports plus reports from Durham, Kawartha, Quinte Branch; Region VIII Region Branch and Reports from Kingston, Ottawa, Leeds & Grenville Branch; Region IX Branch Report plus Reports from Nipissing, and Sudbury Branch; and the Irish Palatine Branch.

If you would like to read the yearly reports on each of the Regions to see what special projects they are involved in, or what they have planned for the upcoming year, you must be a member of OGS to receive a copy of NewsLeaf. Or, if you are in Hamilton, drop by and see us in the Marketplace at the Hamilton Convention Centre on Friday, Saturday or Sunday (May 13th to 15th).

We Are Off!

We are on the road today as we travel from Ottawa to Hamilton to the Ontario Genealogical Society's 50th Anniversary Conference.

I have all of my papers in order (because I have a number of meetings to attend), and I have planned to go to areas close to Hamilton where I will do some client research on Thursday and Friday.

In the meantime, I have completed a number of blog posts which will uploaded to the blog once a day, and I will see you when I get back next Tuesday!

Thanks for dropping by!

Elizabeth

V-E Day in Europe

Sunday, May 8th, was the 66th Anniversary of Victory in Europe Day (V-E Day).

Over 1,159,000 men and women served in the Canadian Armed Forces during the Second World War (1939-1945), and 44,093 lost their lives.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper said that "Leading up to that historic day, hundreds of thousands of Canadians left behind their families, friends and hometowns for the battlefields of Europe to defend the fundamental values that all Canadians cherish dearly - freedom, democracy, the rule of law and human rights. Hundreds of thousands of other Canadians laboured tirelessly on the home front to produce the war material needed by our soldiers in uniform as well as by our allies".

There are some records online for the Second world War, and they are located at -

www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/war-dead/index-e.html - There are members of the Canadian Armed Forces who died in service between 1939 and 1947, including those killed in action, those who subsequently died of injuries related to service, and those who died as a result of accident or illness while in service.

All other records are held by the Library and Archives Canada, and are not available for online access due to privacy laws.

www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/sub.cfm?source=history/secondwar - For a history of Canada in the Second World War, this is an excellent website covering The Battle of the Atlantic, The British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, The Battle of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and Dieppe, to name just a few of the battles.

www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/sub.cfm?source=collections/books/bww2 - You can search the Remembrance Book online, and the people are listed in the year in which they died.

www.museedelaguerre.ca/cwm/exhibitions/chrono/1931crisis_e.shtml - The Museum of War in Ottawa is a great place to go to when you are in Ottawa. They have extensive displays for you to check, and a exhaustive number of Second World War vehicles that can mean a great deal to your family history if your ancestor was in the Second World War.

Happy Mother's Day

Korean War Anniversary

Photo Credit: Mario Lapointe CD

May the 3rd was the 58th Anniversary of the battle for Hill 187 during the Korean War by Canadians who fought in the 3rd Battalion of the Royal Canadian Regiment.

In marking the Anniversary, Prime Minister Stephen Harper says that "The Korean War, like all wars, was marked by both losses and triumphs. One most notable achievement, particularly for Canadians, was the Battle of Kapyong on Hill 677. April 24th, 2011 marked the 60th anniversary of the Battle of Kapyong, a battle in which the 2nd Battalion Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry defended the front line against enemy forces that greatly outnumbered the Canadians. The Battle of Kapyong in April 1951 earned the brave Canadians a United States Presidential Citation for their undeniable valour".

A total of 26,791 Canadians served in the Korean War.

Some of the websites which talk about the Korean War are -

www.korean-war.com/canada.html This site provides a good, basic account of the war, and the Canadians action in it.

www.kvacanada.com/canadians_in_the_korean_war.htm The site goes into detail about the Canadian action in the Korean War by the Korea Veterans Association of Canada Inc. It has the awards and medals won by Canadians, and the Wall of Remembrance in Brampton, Ontario.

www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/sub.cfm?source=history/koreawar The website breaks down the war into the battles.

To look at the Remembrance Book of those who died in the war, go to
www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/sub.cfm?source=collections/books/bkorea.

The World Memory Project

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum has teamed with Ancestry.com to put the "millions of historical documents containing details about survivors and victims of the Holocaust and Nazi persecution during World War II" on the Ancestry.com website at The World Memory Project at http://www.worldmemoryproject.org/.

Together, the two organizations have created the World Memory Project to allow the public to help make the records from the Museum searchable by name online for free—so more families of survivors and victims can discover what happened to their loved ones during one of the darkest chapters in human history.

Anyone, anywhere, can contribute to this effort; even just one record and a few minutes at a time can make a world of difference to someone.

Getting started is as simple as downloading a free software program and then typing details from a record image into a database that will then become searchable online.

By being part of the World Memory Project, you'll be helping to create the largest online resource of information about individual victims of the Holocaust and Nazi persecution. You'll also be restoring the identities of people the Nazis tried to erase from history, and making sure future generations never forget.

Get started today. The power of truth is in your hands".

The website says that the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum has gathered more than 170 million pages on 17 million individuals, which include names, dates, locations, conditions, and physical descriptions of victims of the Holocaust and Nazi persecution.

The database will be available in the late summer or early fall of 2011 at Ancestry.com.

2011 Canadian Census

Shirley L. Sturdevant, Vice-President of the Ontario Genealogical Society, has just issued this statement concerning the 2011 Canadian Census -

"If you have not already completed your electronic census, please consider doing the following:

1. Print each page before you go to the next set of questions and store it with your family documents

2. Check 'yes' to the last question which will give permission to release your information in 92 years for the next set of family historians who might be looking for you. (If you say 'no', or leave it blank, your information will not be released.)

If you feel comfortable doing so, please forward this message to family and friends.

Thanks!"

Shirley can be reached at vp@ogs.on.ca.

British Home Child SIG – Organization Meeting

This is the latest news to come from the Ontario Genealogical Society -

"For those who are able to attend the upcoming Ontario Genealogical Society's Conference 2011 in Hamilton next week, there will be a meeting to discuss the organization of the British Home Child SIG. The objectives of this meeting are to solicit input into the formation of this group, establish an executive and to determine how many people intend to join. I have included a short presentation on finding my British Home Child ancestors.

NOTICE OF MEETING

Subject: British Home Child Special Interest Group – Organization Meeting
Date: Friday May 13, 2011
Time: 3:00 – 4:00 P.M.
Location: OGS Conference 2011, Hamilton Convention Centre, located in downtown Hamilton, Ontario (See http://www.ogs.on.ca/conference2011/)

Room: Albion 'A'
Sign in sheet to be sent around room.

AGENDA:

1. Introductions (5 min.) – Shirley Sturdevant (Vice President, OGS) 2. Status of the SIG (10 min.) – (current number of potential members / executive positions etc.) – Shirley Sturdevant 3. Presentation (15 min.) – "In Search of My British Home Child Ancestors" – Phil Ellis 4. Open discussion (15 min.) 5. How/when to join – Shirley Sturdevant

UNABLE TO ATTEND?

If you are unable to attend the meeting and plan to join this special interest group, please send an email to Shirley Sturdevant, OGS Vice-president at vp@ogs.on.ca prior to the conference.

Hope to see you there".

Phil Ellis

FamilySearch Historical Collections Update

There have been two Canadian collections updated by the FamilySearch Historical Collection in April, and they are -

Ontario Census 1861

The 1861 Ontario Census has been updated, and there are 1,709,804 records now online.

It includes the population census as well as the agricultural censuses at the end of each county or township.

The website says that the information is "Arranged by census district (generally by county). Within each county, arrangement is usually alphabetical by name of township. Cities, towns and villages are often enumerated separately from the townships in which they are located".

It can be found at https://www.familysearch.org/search/collection/show#uri=http://hr-search-api:8080/searchapi/search/collection/1460164

Quebec Notarial Records, 1800-1900

The second collection is the Quebec Notarial Records which contains images of notarial records arranged by locality, then notary, then time period.

They can be seen at https://www.familysearch.org/search/collection/show#uri=http://hr-search-api:8080/searchapi/search/collection/1471015

Toronto OGS Courses

Here are a couple of courses that the Toronto Branch of the Ontario Genealogy Society will put on for May -

Course # 1

"DATE: 3 May - 24 May 2011: 4 sessions, Tuesdays (6:30-8:30 p.m.)
COURSE: Toronto Branch OGS
LOCATION: North York Central Library, 5120 Yonge Street, Toronto (Room 2)
TITLE OF COURSE: "Palaeography for Family Historians"
NAME OF INSTRUCTOR: Cherryl Moote
BRIEF INFO: This course will help students decipher historical documents and gather information from them. Students are invited to bring in their own records for study".
CONTACT INFO: www.torontofamilyhistory.org

Course # 2

"DATE: 30 May 2011 (7:30 p.m.)
MEETING: Toronto Branch OGS
LOCATION: Burgundy Room, North York Memorial Community Hall, 5110 Yonge Street, Toronto
TITLE OF TALK: "Using Technology in Your Family History"
NAME OF SPEAKER: Carol Nichols
BRIEF INFO: A look at how computers and the internet can help you gather genealogical facts, photos and background information to fill in your stories, lead you in new directions, store and organize your genealogy, and link your family members to their history. Additional short presentation by Evelyn Kidd: "What you find when you aren't even looking". $5 charge for non-members of OGS".
CONTACT INFO: www.torontofamilyhistory.org

Genealogy Genies!

Genealogy Genies! They're real! They're free!

"On Saturday, June 4, 2011, the Stratford-Perth Archives will partner with the Perth County Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society to host 'Genealogy Genies', a Stratford Heritage Week-End event.

Ask the volunteer experts about anything, from explaining the mysteries of finding an Ontario vital statistic record to tips about researching overseas, making the best use of on-line sources, how to access records here that you may not have thought of using, what's the best software for genealogists, and, of course, swapping stories about family history research.

This free event will take place June 4, 2011 at the Stratford branch of the Archives at 24 St. Andrew St. from 8:30 – 4:30.

http://www.perthcounty.ca/page/stratford_perth_archives"

Genealogy Series

Lifetime Learning Centre presents "Your Genealogy Goals", the first of a series of four programs on genealogy by John Herl, on Wednesday, May 4, from 10 a.m. to noon at 32444 Seventh Ave., Mission. BC. Cost for the 4-part series is $25/members, $30/non-members.

Also, take a minute and look at the Virtual Quilt that is on their site at www.lifetimelearningcentre.org/oral-history.html.

The website says that "The virtual quilt is a multimedia format using the Internet and our website to access Mission history. By clicking on a photograph within the quilt you are accessing our collection of Mission histories.

To date we have collected more than 125 Oral Histories showcasing our diversity, distinctiveness, and determination as a community".

What an inventive program for every genealogical society to try to do!

If your society has done an oral history project like this one, contact me at genealogycanada@aol.com, and let me advertise it to the world that such a project exists.

Canada's Royal Wedding Gifts

Here is a press release from the Government of Canada concerning the country's wedding gifts to His Royal Highness Prince William of Wales and Miss Catherine Middleton.

April 28, 2011
Ottawa, Ontario

Prime Minister Stephen Harper today issued the following statement to announce the Canadian wedding gifts for His Royal Highness Prince William of Wales and Miss Catherine Middleton:

“I am pleased to announce the Government of Canada will make a donation to the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary in honour of the marriage of His Royal Highness Prince William of Wales and Miss Catherine Middleton. The Government of Canada will offer this wedding gift on behalf of all Canadians.

“The Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary was chosen by Prince William and Miss Middleton to be the Canadian beneficiary of a special charitable fund that was set up to celebrate their wedding. The donation of $50,000 by the Government of Canada will allow the organization’s volunteers to carry out their mission, which is to offer—day and night—a permanent search and rescue program to meet the needs of Canada’s marine services, as well as to prevent injuries or loss of human life at sea. Through its search and rescue and nautical safety programs, this not-for-profit organization assists the Coast Guard and the Department of National Defence.

“Canada is proud to offer a wedding gift to a family member of our Head of State, Her Majesty The Queen. This gift was chosen specifically for the occasion and represents Canadians and the pride they have in their country.

“The selection of this worthy cause is symbolic of Canada’s affection for the Royal couple. Canadians are eager to welcome the Royal couple to Canada for their first Royal Tour as newlyweds and share the best of our great land.”

The Prime Minister and Mrs. Harper have also arranged for a personal gift of outdoor equipment for use when the Royal couple experience Canada's natural splendour later this year.

From June 30 to July 8, 2011, the newlyweds will undertake a Royal Tour of Canada, their first visit outside the United Kingdom as a married couple. They will visit Alberta, the Northwest Territories, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, and the National Capital Region. A detailed itinerary will be released at a later date.

For more information on the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary, visit www.ccga-gcac.com.

Toronto's Genealogy Summer Camp 2011

There are only five days left to register for Genealogy "Summer Camp" in Toronto. Registration has to be sent in by May 1st.

From their website comes this news -

"The 2011 Genealogy "Summer Camp" will be number 15! More than 100 participants from England, right across Canada and many US states have attended the 14 previous Summer Camps - some more than once!

Genealogy "Summer Camp" is a unique program that brings out-of-town family historians to Toronto for an intensive week of tutorials and hands-on research, with the guidance of local experts, at the many archives and reference libraries in Toronto. We take full advantage of Toronto's great public transit system and we keep the group small to allow lots of help from our local experts.

Some tutorials will emphasize Toronto sources, but most repositories have holdings from a much broader area. Researchers with ancestors anywhere in Ontario will benefit from Summer Camp.

We've also welcomed many local participants as "day campers". It is an excellent way to get acquainted (or reacquainted) with the libraries and archives in our city. It is also a great excuse for a week of concentrated research.

This year's Summer Camp is scheduled for June 5 to 10, 2011.

For more information, please go to http://www.torontofamilyhistory.org/summercamp.html or send an email to info@torontofamilyhistory.org, or leave a voicemail message at 416-733-2608."

Hudson's Bay Company Biographical Material

Hudson's Bay Company formed in 1670 as a company which—at one time—covered the central and far western part of North America. Its archives is located in Winnipeg, Manitoba. and some of the records (in part) are online at
www.gov.mb.ca/chc/archives/hbca/about/hbca.html.

Besides photos, maps, sound recordings, and textual documents, it has "biographical sheets" online of various people who use to work for the company at www.gov.mb.ca/chc/archives/hbca/biographical.

The website says that "Biographical sheets outline the person's employment history and may also include the parish of origin or place of birth; positions, posts and districts in which the person served; family information, if available; and references to related documents, including photographs or drawings".

For more information, you can contact them at hbca@gov.mb.ca.

Genealogy Corner

Do you know that Statistics Canada has a "Genealogy Corner" webpage on its site at http://census2011.gc.ca/ccr03/ccr03_000-eng.htm? On the website is this quote: "The 2011 Census questionnaire contains a question that permits you to be part of the history of Canada. If you check yes to this permission question, your descendants will be able to do family and genealogical research on you and your family in the future".

If you go on the "Release of personal information after 92 years" webpage at http://census2011.gc.ca/ccr03/ccr03_002-eng.htm, you will see where they held "citizen focus groups and "Town Hall" meetings" before they decided to take the course that they have now adopted, and have passed as law (against the wishes of the Canadian genealogical community) as the "new" standard for Census Canada.

Make sure that YOU answer YES to the question on the Census Form so that 92 years from 2011, your census information will appear on the forms that are released to Library and Archives Canada.

Brant Branch Blog

The Brant Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society has a new blog at http://brantcountyogs.blogspot.com.

It just recently started, and already in their second posting of the blog this month, they have put on what is available at their library! A good way to start!

I look forward to following their blog, for it looks like it could be asset to the Branch, and may encourage more people to take a look at the website to see what is available.

Easter Treats from Ancestry.ca

Have you seen this notice from Ancestry.ca? All Canadian marriages look-ups are free from today until April 30!

So busy yourself with research over the next few days to see if you have all the marriage records which are available on Ancestry.ca. Here are the ones which are available, free!

Just go to http://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/group/Canada_Marriages

• Acadia, Canada, Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection), 1670-1946
  
• Births-deaths-marriages, Christian messenger
• British Columbia Marriage Index: 1872 to 1924
• Canada Parliamentary Marriage and Divorces, 1867-1919
• Mariages de l'Enfant-Jesus de la Pointe-aux-Trembles, 1674-1975
• Marriage Notices of Ontario 1813-1854
• Ontario Marriage Notices [1830-1856]
• Ontario People: 1796-1803
• Ontario, Canada Marriage Registers by Clergy, 1896-1948
• Ontario, Canada Marriages, 1801-1928
• Ontario, Canada, Catholic Church Records (Drouin Collection), 1747-1967
• Ontario, Canada, County Marriage Registers, 1858-1869
• Ontario, Canada: Civil Marriage Registrations, 1869-73
• Ontario, Canada: Roman Catholic Marriages, 1827-1870
• Quebec Notarial Records (Drouin Collection), 1647-1942
• Quebec Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection), 1621-1967
• Repertoire des mariages de Sainte-Ccile-de-Masham, comt de Gatineau : 1853-1963
• Repertoire des mariages du Lac-Sainte-Marie (Comt de Gatineau) : (1881-1963)
• Repertoire des mariages, Sainte-Anne-de-la-Perade, 1684-1900
• Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, Genealogies

Enjoy!

Anglo-Celtic Roots

The Spring issue of Anglo-Celtic Roots (a quarterly publication of the British Isles Family History Society of Greater Ottawa) is here, and in it is an article by Naomi Ridout "Shearton Godfrey Bird and Amoi Chun: From Colonial Hong Kong to Pioneer Barrie, Ontario" in which she recounts the story of a British Army Officer who marries a Hun Chinese woman in 1859, and they eventually settled in Barrie. They were her great-great-grandparents.

In the second article "A Mother for Albert Edward Weir" the author Patty McGregor uses the census reports from 1861, 1871, 1881, and 1891 to try to find out who the mother was for Edward Weir. Was she successful? You will have to read the article to find the answer.

Besides giving a report of the last AGM (held last June, 2010), the issue also has a history of "The Brian O'Regan Memorial Library" written by Betty Warburton, who has been a librarian there from the beginning.

Scattered throughout this issue is reminders of the BIFHSGO Conference which will be held this year on Sept 16 to the 18th.

This year it will feature Wales and England with a focus on London and Home Countries.

You can go to www.bifhsgo.ca for more information.

New British Home Child SIG

Over 100,000 children were sent to Canada between the 1860s and 1930s. Many Ontario genealogists have found they have a family connection with a Home Child, and many more will learn this as they continue their research.

A SIG has been formed by the Ontario Genealogical Society, and they are looking for all interested people to join and share their skills and enthusiasm to continue the growth of the group.

Right now, the goals are to

- bring together genealogy researchers who have like interests in British Home Children (BHC) to share their research experiences.
- encourage possible descendants of BHC to investigate their ancestry.
- raise awareness of the history and contribution of the BHC in Canada.
- identify resources for research on individual BHC.
- identify resources for research into the social conditions in the UK and Canada which influenced the lives of the BHC.

If you are interested in meeting others who share your interest in Home Children, or if you have ideas to shape this group further, please contact OGS Vice President Shirley Sturdevant at vp@ogs.on.ca to find out how to get involved.