Durham's Feb 4th Virtual Meeting: Dave Obee - Guide to Digital Collections

 Beyond the Online Basics: A Genealogical Guide to Digital Collections 

Dave Obee

Please join us at 7:30 pm on Tuesday, March 4th EST via Zoom as we host one of our favourite speakers, Dave Obee. Everyone is welcome and let your friends know too.

There are billions of scanned pages on the Internet -- a collection that few physical libraries could match. The problem is that many pages relevant to your research can be difficult to track down, since they are not on the usual genealogy websites. This session provides ideas on how to find the documents that will help you learn more about your families, or the local histories of the areas where they lived.

Biography (short)

Noted speaker, newspaper man and raconteur Dave Obee is a familiar speaker at OGS Conferences and Branch Zoom Webinars. 

Dave Obee has written a dozen books and has given more than 700 presentations at genealogy and history conferences since 1997. He offers four dozen presentation topics, ranging from general genealogical information, to Canadian research, to technology and more.

Editor and Publisher of the “Times Colonist“ in Victoria, British Columbia, Dave hosts CanGenealogy, a link site that is selective and sorted for ease of use. He also runs Volhynia.com, a website dedicated to the old German colonies in the northwest corner of Ukraine. His own website is at DaveObee.com

This will be a Zoom only meeting. Kindly register at the following Zoom link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEkcuyvqz0qGtFJsvc9A6ty433k2nOOjv6O

Durham's Feb 4th Virtual Meeting - Six Free Websites Every Ontario Genealogist Needs - Janice Nickerson, U.E.

 

Six Free Websites Every Ontario Genealogist Needs

Please join us on Tuesday Feb. 4th at 7:30 pm via Zoom as we welcome Janice Nickerson, one of our favourite speakers.

Topic:

If you watch TV, you might be forgiven for thinking that you need to pay hefty subscription fees to big genealogy companies to research your ancestors. But some of Janice’s most exciting finds were found on six free websites. In this lecture she will introduce you to her favourite online sources for Ontario family history.

Bio:

Janice Nickerson, U.E., is a professional genealogist based in Toronto. 

Her expertise includes Upper Canadian history, criminal justice records, turning bare bones genealogies into shareable family stories, and using genealogy gifts and games to create a legacy. 

In addition to helping her private clients discover the richness of their ancestral heritage, Janice does heir searching for provincial Public Trustees, writes and lectures on a variety of genealogical topics. 

Her books, Crime and Punishment in Upper Canada: A Researcher’s Guide (2010), and York’s Sacrifice: Militia Casualties of the War of 1812 (2012) were both published by the joint imprint of the Ontario Genealogical Society and Dundurn Press. 

Janice is a proud 8th-generation Canadian, with English, German, Irish, Welsh and First Nations ancestry.

Please register at the following Zoom Link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwkd-GhqT8qH9bj4rTKVVQNpddgsarkciML

Durham's January 7th Zoom Meeting: Where Have All the Obits Gone?

 

Please join Durham Region Branch on Tuesday, January 7th at 7:30 pm as Gordon McBean tackles the topic “Where have all the obits gone?

Some argued that there was no need for genealogical societies to record obits anymore, once online obituaries became available. After all, it’s all online now! Due to the high cost of publishing obits many people are only publishing brief notices and then using the Funeral Homes website to publish a complete obit. Funeral Home sites are not permanent and newspapers are closing and their websites disappearing.

A detailed obituary will focus on the important moments that made up the life of a loved one. Including short anecdotes which show readers the true character of the person who has passed away. An obituary is the final record of a person’s life: their achievements, interests, passions and milestones. Because published obituaries become part of the public record, obituaries keep the memory of those we loved alive. Who is ensuring the information will be preserved when newspapers shut down and websites disappear.

Gordon McBean, a member of the Manitoba Genealogical Society (MGS) since 1996, has been actively involved in the organization, including serving as past president and VP of Information Technology from 2011 to 2017. He played a crucial role in developing the MGS MANI online database, which now includes over 1,500,000 index records. A retired Educational Technologist from Red River College, Gordon supported staff with technology training and is also an avid photographer and outdoor enthusiast. In 2023, he was honored with the Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers for his significant contributions to genealogy and community service.

This will be a Zoom only meeting Everyone is welcome to attend.

Kindly pre-register at:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0scemtqzMvGNYLfDTYeSdlprT68-KXS9l_

Durham's Dec. 3rd Christmas Meeting (In-person only): Library Research - Bring & Brag - Christmas Potluck Treats

 

Please join Durham Region Branch on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024 @ 7:30 pm as we celebrate the holiday season (in-person only).

The meeting will be held in the “Steven and Lori Wood Library” in the 3rd floor Boardroom of Northminster United Church. The library will be open at 7 pm, so bring your research questions and see what resources we have. The library holds a very eclectic collection, covering far more than Durham Region.

The meeting will start at approximately 7:30 and will feature items that attendees have brought for the “Show & Tell”. Look around your collection and bring something that you wish to brag about and astound the audience.

During this very informal meeting, we will be providing hot cider and other drinks. Please bring a few Christmas treat to share with others and enjoy the comradery.

Northminster United Church is located at the north-west corner of Simcoe St. N. and Rossland Rd. W. at 676 Simcoe St. N, Oshawa. The parking lot of the church is located off Carnegie Ave. (1 block west of Simcoe St on Rossland Rd).  Parking is also allowed on the side streets nearby, and in the school parking lot on the south-east corner of Simcoe and Rossland. The door to the meeting is located facing Rossland Rd. W. Please note that the lift for the church is extremely unreliable, so please use the stairs. We will have chairs on the landings for you to rest if needed.

Durham Branch's Nov. 5th Meeting - The United Church of Canada Archives

 

The United Church of Canada Archives – Kyle Pugh, Archivist

Please join Durham Region Branch on Tuesday, Nov 5, 2024 @ 7:30 pm as we welcome Kyle Pugh, the Archivist for the United Church of Canada Archives.

Celebrating its 100th anniversary next year, the United Church of Canada (UCC) is the country's largest mainline Protestant denomination.  Formed in 1925 with the union of the Methodist, Congregational, and Presbyterian Unions, the United Church Archives houses thousands of vital statistic registers and historic rolls.  Kyle Pugh, the Ontario Regional Councils Archivist, will be exploring these resources, as well as providing valuable tips on navigating the United Church's collections.

 Kyle Pugh is the Ontario Regional Councils Archivist at the United Church of Canada Archives.  In this capacity, he leads the team responsible for the acquisition and preservation of records from Ontario's regional councils and communities of faith.  

November is also our Annual General Meeting - please consider volunteering to help keep our branch strong.

This will be a completely virtual meeting.  Please register at the following Zoom link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEsdOyhrDMtE9L9G1RyvwHrmihXp-vIZmYS

Update on Website

 Our website is still under construction!

We are still at:  https://timetraces.com/durhambranch/

NEW!! Durham Region Branch's Temporary Website

Due to unforeseen circumstances, Durham Region Branch's website has not been updated for 10 months. The links still work, but we are unable to update and add our upcoming meetings!

With many thanks to Dan Delong, we have a new temporary website using our backup pages.

You will find it at:  https://timetraces.com/durhambranch/

We are currently working on streamlining our site and hope to have our new refreshed website up soon.

Thank you for your patience.