NEW! Durham's Social Drop-In Series - Zoom Link

Durham's Virtual Social Drop-In Hour•

...Via Zoom, at 11 a.m. ET, on the 4th Thursday of each month.

Bored with just sitting in a virtual branch meeting without having a coffee break or having a chat with your neighbour, even to just say hello and how’s your research going?

Come and join us at our virtual social gathering, via Zoom, at 11 am ET on the 4th Thursday of each month from September 2025 to August 2026 (except December).

Bring your coffee, tea, favourite beverage and spend some time with like-minded individuals! Anything goes! It’s an informal gathering and you can share your successes, ask questions or even see if we can look something up in our library. 

Register once in advance for all the meetings:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/4cT7gBqDRquM4kTQ2T0MMg

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meetings. Keep your join information safe, because you will be able to use it every month till August 2026.

Durham's Oct 7th Virtual Meeting - A Guide to Genealogical Research in the Durham Region

A Guide to Genealogical Research in the Durham Region

Please join us as Stephen Wood and Nancy Trimble of the Durham Region Branch of Ontario Ancestors highlight the records and resources available for researching in the old Ontario County. We will also highlight the parts of old Durham County that were folded into the Durham Regional Municipality in 1974.

Date: Oct. 7th, 2025

Time: 7:30 pm

 

Bios:

Nancy started family history in her teens while trying to figure out how the various aunts and uncles were related to her. It turns out that they were great-aunts, great-uncles and courtesy aunts and uncles. She is currently the chair of the Durham Region Branch and has held various positions on the OGS Board and in the Branch over the years.

 Stephen started with a Grade 8 family history project and has been expanding his research ever since. He is one of the founding members of the Durham Region Branch and has held many positions in the Branch ever since it's start in 1982. Currently he heads the research team as well as managing the branch office and library.

Kindly pre-register at the following Zoom link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/IVNPCjzDQ0qF3nVjF-WZzg

Durham's September Meeting with Thomas MacEntee

 Turning Genealogy Clues into Genealogy To-Do's”

The meeting is virtual only - please register at the Zoom link below:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/wGXkSb9YQCaez-8e9B4BFQ

Join Durham Region Branch on Sept. 2 @ 7:30 pm via Zoom as we welcome well-known genealogist Thomas MacEntee speaking on “Turning Genealogy Clues into Genealogy To-Do's”

Does your genealogy research get bogged down when you find new clues about an ancestor? Do you stop everything and chase after that BSO (“bright and shiny object”)? Learn how to increase your research efficiency and still remember that new information for later investigation.

Participants will learn how to identify new clues in records, document new information and tuck it away for later research. In addition, we’ll focus on building better and more efficient research habits in order to stay on track and not get distracted by new clues.

Thomas MacEntee is a Baby Boomer guy with a love of punk rock music but also art history who somehow “fell” into the technology industry almost 40 years ago, and then left a lucrative IT career to pursue his love of family history and genealogy. Technology and historical research are opposites, but “tech people” like Thomas are needed to guide today’s genealogists through the maze of options so they can deploy the best apps and devices to break down research brick walls. Thomas MacEntee: author, educator, advocate, entrepreneur, and that “genealogy guy” who helps you accomplish your family history goals. 

Thomas MacEntee is a guy with a love of punk rock music but also art history who somehow “fell” into the technology industry years ago. He left a lucrative tech career to pursue his love of family history and genealogy. Technology and historical research seem like opposites, but “tech people” like Thomas are needed to guide you through the maze of options so you can find your ancestors and bring their stories to life. 

Exciting News - Family Tree Maker Tour!

Durham & Kawartha Branches of Ontario Ancestors are pleased to host the Oshawa session of the tour. Mark Olsen and Duff Wilson will present the latest features and innovations of the Family Tree Maker 2024 software.

It will be held at the Centennial Albert United Church, 19 Rosehill Boulevard, Oshawa in the East Hall on Monday, September 15th from 1 - 4 pm.

This session is free to anyone, but you must register to save a spot.

More details and the sign up link are at https://ogs.on.ca/ftm-user-group/

Durham's August Virtual Drop-in

 Durham's August Virtual Drop-in

Time: Aug 28, 2025 11:00 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Register at the following link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83321698991

Meeting ID: 833 2169 8991

Durham's August Cemetery Picnic

 August Cemetery Picnic

Kendall Cemetery, Utica

Please join us on Tues Aug 26, at Kendall Cemetery, 691 Goodwood Road, Utica, from10:00 am until approximately 4:00 pm.  Rain date will be the following day. If the temperature remains too high, then we will cancel the picnic until September.

Feel free to just show up or to contact the Branch at durham@ogs.on.ca

Bring a lunch and something to drink, bug spray, sunscreen, pencil/pen and paper and clipboard, if you have them.

Durham’s June 3rd Hybrid Meeting: Untold Oshawa with Jennifer Weymark

 

Please join us on Tuesday, June 3, 2025 at 7:30 pm as Jennifer Weymark, M.A. presents “Untold Oshawa: An Expanded History” which was published in 2024. Jennifer will be in-person.

Untold Oshawa, published for the city’s centennial, broadens the traditional narrative of Oshawa’s history by including diverse, often overlooked perspectives. The book explores Black and Jewish history, Indigenous experiences, women in politics, labour movements, and stories of displaced persons, highlighting the rich cultural fabric of the community. Through well-researched yet accessible prose, it celebrates the many individuals and groups who have shaped Oshawa. This vital addition to the city’s historical record offers readers a deeper, more inclusive understanding of its past and is a must-read for history enthusiasts.

Copies of the book will be available at the in-person meeting. Cash, debit and credit can be used.

Jennifer Weymark has been with the Oshawa Historical Society for 23 years, 22 of those years spent as the Archivist. This role has given Jennifer the opportunity to put to good use her undergraduate work in history and cultural anthropology, while also putting into practice the theories and skills learned while earning her Masters Degree in Museum Studies.

This will be a hybrid meeting: both in-person and via Zoom. Everyone is welcome. Please come and bring a friend. The library will be open at 7 pm.

In-person location: 3rd Floor Boardroom, Northminster United Church, 676 Simcoe Street North, Oshawa, ON, L1G 4V7 [NW corner of Simcoe St. N. and Rossland Rd. W.]

Virtual: Kindly pre-register at the following Zoom link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0od-CqrzwvE9wJbJMUnHnmZSRKloeVCn2f