Monday, April 6, 2015

There’s a new look to an older website


 

The Sudbury Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society has a new look to its website!

I knew that they were working on one, and today I took a visit.

It is a very clear design, an inviting way to present genealogy, in a non-glitzy
(is that a word?) manner. I am very impressed.

Under Reference Information drop down menu, they have put their library holdings that you can download onto your site; Our Projects – where you can download cemetery updates, and the 1921 census data; Maps - which show the District and the Townships in 1841 – Baldwin, Chapleau, Killarney, Nairn and Hyman, Sables-Spanish Rivers, and Surnames List from various publications - cemeteries, registers, funeral home data, wills, land registry documents and miscellaneous books.

So if you have ancestors in the Sudbury area, this is a place that you should check at http://www.sudburyogs.com/

They also have a Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/groups/sudburyogs/

Sunday, April 5, 2015

Toronto Branch of the OGS releases its summer programe



We have just received the summer program of the Toronto Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society. The program is as follows -

Registration is now open for Genetic Genealogy, a full-day workshop to be held on Saturday 6 June 2015 at North York Central Library, co-sponsored by Toronto Branch and the Library’s Canadiana Department.

This workshop will cover the main types of DNA testing available to genealogists, different analytical techniques and how the results from genetic testing are used in conducting or supporting family history research. Our keynote speaker will be Irish genetic genealogy expert Dr. Maurice Gleeson.

Early-bird rates apply until 9 May and OGS members enjoy additional discounts.

For full program and speaker details and to register online, visit http://torontofamilyhistory.org/learn/workshops/genetic-genealogy/

Toronto Branch and the Canadiana Department of North York Central Library will also be co-sponsoring a one-day workshop on Atlantic Canada Genealogy on 17 October 2015.

The keynote speaker for this event will be Dr. Terrence M. Punch of Halifax, Nova Scotia. We are now looking for other speakers who would like to be part of this workshop.

The deadline for submission of proposals is 16 May 2015.

The full Call for Speakers can be found at http://torontofamilyhistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Call-for-Speakers-Atlantic-Canada-Genealogy.pdf.

The website is at http://torontofamilyhistory.org/

Their Facebook page is at https://www.facebook.com/TOFamilyHistory

Is your surname Easter or Bunny?


 
Every holiday, like at Christams, ancestry.ca sends out a press release where they usually talk about surnames that have some relation to the holiday at hand.

This time its names associated with Easter – like Easter, or Bunny, for example.

The press release says that Ancestry.ca 'has gone on the hunt through its collection of millions of historical Canadian records and discovered some seasonal and festive Canadians from history who may have been popular at this time of year. One name that stands out is Miss Esther Agg, from Ontario, who is just one of the historical Canadians with Easter names'.
 
They say that from their database, more than 17,000 birth, marriage and death records for Bunnys, including Mr. James W. Bunny who was born in 1877 in Bowmanville, Ontario, but his records show that he lived in Winnipeg later in life, and more than 32,000 records for those with the surname Easter, such as Mr. Samuel Easter, born in 1841. He is seen in the 1911 Census of Canada, living in Grenville, Ontario.

     You can find these name at www.ancestry.ca/

Saturday, April 4, 2015

Ever been to Genealogy Summer Camp?



One of the highlights of the summer was going Summer Camp, wasn't it?

Well, did you know that Toronto Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society has had a Genealogy Summer Camp for almost twenty years?

If you didn't know, but would like to find out more about the summer camp, you can contact Jane MacNamara at her blog http://wherethestorytakesme.ca/genealogy-summer-camp/ for details.

Toronto Branch has been running this innovative program for almost two decades now - they invite out-of-town researchers to Toronto for a full week of concentrated family history research at our wonderful libraries and archives, under the guidance of local experts. More than 140 participants from England, right across Canada and many US states have attended over the years.

Local residents are welcome too, and may choose to stay with the group or attend as “day-campers”.

This year’s Genealogy Summer Camp will run from Sunday 7 June to Friday 12 June 2015.



Check the Canadian Week in Review every Monday morning for the latest in Genealogy, Heritage, and History news in Canada.

If you missed this week’s edition, it is at http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2015/03/canadian-week-in-review-30-march-2015.html

 It’s the ONLY news blog of its kind in Canada!

It has been a regular post every Monday morning since April 23, 2012.

Friday, April 3, 2015

April is Sikh Heritage Month in Ontario


Sikh Heritage Month is celebrating in Ontario because in 2013 Bill 52 An Act to proclaim the month of April as Sikh Heritage passed by the Ontario government.

“Sikh Canadians have lived in Ontario since the middle of the 20th century,” said Singh. “They represent a growing and dynamic population. Sikh Canadians have made significant contributions to the growth and prosperity of Ontario and that’s what we’re celebrating this month.” said Jagmeet Singh, NDP MPP. 

Their website says that "April was specifically chosen given its importance for Sikhs, as it is in April that Sikh Canadians celebrate Vaisakhi, which marks the formalization of the Khalsa and the Sikh articles of faith. Sikh Heritage Month is an opportunity to remember, celebrate and educate our future generations and society at large about Sikh Canadians and the important role that they play in communities across Ontario".

To see their website, go to http://ontariosikhheritagemonth.ca/

To read their Facebook page, go to https://www.facebook.com/sikhheritagemonth



Check the Canadian Week in Review every Monday morning for the latest in Genealogy, Heritage, and History news in Canada.

If you missed this week’s edition, it is at http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2015/03/canadian-week-in-review-30-march-2015.html

 It’s the ONLY news blog of its kind in Canada!

It has been a regular post every Monday morning since April 23, 2012.

SEEKING "ASK AN EXPERT VOLUNTEERS" FOR OGS CONFERENCE 2015


 
Shirley Sturdevant, Program Chair of the Ontario Genealogical Society’s Conference this year in Barrie, Ontario has put out a special call for "ASK AN EXPERT VOLUNTEERS".

Many of the OGS Conference 2015 Speakers have offered their service for the "Ask an Expert" program being offered at the OGS Conference in Barrie this year from May 29-31 at Georgian College, Barrie, Ontario. Conference organizers are seeking other experienced OGS members or other APG/OCAPG experts in the field who wish to offer their services and promote their skills.

This is an excellent opportunity for experts in Canadian genealogy to share their knowledge and help people with their genealogy.

Interested volunteers should contact Shirley Sturdevant, Program Chair at program.conference@ogs.on.ca

You can go to the Conference site at http://www.ogs.on.ca/conference/



Check the Canadian Week in Review every Monday morning for the latest in Genealogy, Heritage, and History news in Canada.

If you missed this week’s edition, it is at http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2015/03/canadian-week-in-review-30-march-2015.html

 It’s the ONLY news blog of its kind in Canada!

It has been a regular post every Monday morning since April 23, 2012.

Thursday, April 2, 2015

New idea at the Kensington Market Historical Society

Since the Kensington Market Historical Society came into being in 2012, they have put on many events, and walking tours around the market in Toronto.

And they are about to put on a new exhibit with a interesting way of experiencing it!

On April the 19th at the Lillian H. Smith Library, the Kensington Market Historical Society, and Marianne Williams, and Rachel Leaton will present General Eclectic: Oral Histories of Kensington Market, an online exhibition of the stories from current and former residents of the beloved Toronto neighbourhood.

To launch the exhibit a free' human library' is being co-sponsored by the Toronto Public Library on April 19, 2015 from 2pm to 4:30pm. The Human Library event allows you to "borrow" a member of the Kensington Market community for a brief conversation about their experiences and memories. You are also welcome to share your memories of Kensington Market.

The exhibition will be launched at 2:15pm with the Human Library starting at 2:30pm. Light refreshments from the market will be served.

Do you see your genealogical society doing something like this? You could highlight something in your society, for example. You could have an online exhibit, plus a ‘human library’ of speakers available to talk about the archives one-on-one at your Speakers Series with people who come to the event. Wouldn't  this be a great idea? Some thinking 'outside of the box', right? Let me know if your society intends to do something like this.  You can read my post on the Speaker Series at http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2015/03/monthly-meeting-or-speaker-series.html

Visit the exhibition online at www.kmhs.ca/general-eclectic after April 19th. (Check back at this time)

Go their website at the http://www.kmhs.ca/



Check the Canadian Week in Review every Monday morning for the latest in Genealogy, Heritage, and History news in Canada.

If you missed this week’s edition, it is at http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2015/03/canadian-week-in-review-30-march-2015.html

 It’s the ONLY news blog of its kind in Canada!

It has been a regular post every Monday morning since April 23, 2012.