Saturday, October 30, 2010

CALL FOR SPEAKERS: SCOTTISH FAMILY HISTORY WORKSHOP

CALL FOR SPEAKERS:
SCOTTISH FAMILY HISTORY WORKSHOP
Saturday, June 18, 2011
North York Central Library Auditorium
5120 Yonge Street, Toronto

The Ontario Genealogical Society, Toronto Branch and the Canadiana Department of the North York Central Library will be co-hosting a one-day workshop on Scottish Family History.
The principal speaker will be Chris Paton from Scotland who will give presentations on the Scottish church, Scottish land records/house history and the use of guild records. (For a summary of his talks, click here).

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Durham Region Branch OGS Meeting, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, 2 Nov. 2010

Agenda
1. Annual General Meeting
2. Feature Presentation
    Carrying Place by Grant Karcich 
Being sensible, European settlers followed the long-worn paths of Iroquois and Huron-Algonquin natives when finding their way to land grants north of Lake Ontario, establishing many namesake settlements along the way. One particular route, known as "Scugog Carrying Place", starts at Oshawa's Second Marsh (Oshawa and Farewell Creeks), ending at Beaverton on Lake Simcoe,  traversing Port Perry and Lake Scugog along the way. [Note: Oshawa means Carrying Place.]
The Toronto and the Quinte Carrying Place routes served a similar function. 

CLOCA (Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority) compiled a local watershed historical document in 2009 called:

BLACK/HARMONY/FAREWELL CREEK WATERSHED EXISTING CONDITIONS REPORT CHAPTER 2 - HUMAN HERITAGE
Note Meeting Location for 5 Oct, 2 Nov and 7 Dec- Kingsview United Church - 505 Adelaide Ave. East - SW corner of Adelaide and Wilson - Oshawa - directions...

"Just Starting Genealogy?" Workshop series cancelled.

Sadly we have cancelled our fall "Just Starting Genealogy?" workshop series due to very low enrolment.  We  hope to offer it again during the spring of 2011, possibly afternoons.  
Continue to visit our website (durham.ogs.on.ca) for further details about our meetings and other services. Our office is open each month on the 2nd Tuesday evening, 7-10 p.m. and the third Saturday (10 a.m.-2 p.m.) for research and questions.

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Are You Looking for Your French Ancestors?

Most researchers look in the conventional locations such as, Ancestry, Ontario Archives, familysearch.org(LDS),  or Library and Archives Canada and so on.  Here is another excellent Ontario resource for information about your French ancestors - SFOHG! - Société Franco-Ontariennes d'Histoires et de Généalogie.  The Société has currently NINE resource centres located throughout the province.  
I was in the Windsor area at the  South West SFOHG Research Centre in Puce where I was continuing my research of my ancestors who settled along  Lake Erie and the Detroit River (both US and Canadian sides). The volunteers (bilingual) are very welcoming and eager to assist you in your research.  They have a wealth of resources on site and access to paper, microfilm and digital databases not available online.  
Explore their web site for yourself to see all that they have, when they are open and how they can assist you.
The closest SFOHG Research Centre to Durham Region is North York Branch of the Toronto Public Library.  Email or call the SFOHG to arrange your visit when volunteers are available to help.
Annual memberships are available.
English Link http://sfohg.com/en/node/75

Saturday, October 16, 2010

Do You Have An Ancestor Buried in Vancouver

Thomas Grant writes to say that he can take headstone photographs as a free (volunteer) service to members of the Ontario Genealogical Society. He will photograph headstones of family members buried or memorialized at Mountain View Cemetery in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The burial location must be given. Digital images of all sides and inscriptions in high resolution will be made.  You can send him an email at to ask about this service. He is a member of the SGS, the BCGS, and the Grant Clan Society of Canada. He is online at www.grantgenealogy.ca and www.bitzfamily.ca

Thursday, October 7, 2010

British Home Child Descendants’ Reunion & Home Child Memorial Quilt Display

Brant County Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society will be holding an open house at Smokey Hollow Estates, 114-118 Powerline Road, Brantford, Ontario, on Saturday October 23rd from 10 - 8 and Sunday October 24th from 1-8 to celebrate Canada’s year of the British Home Child. Everyone welcome.
Read Brochure.   Map: http://www.smokeyhollowestates.ca/contact/index.html  Further information: phone Brant OGS at 519.753.4140 or email brantogs@bellnet.ca

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Ivy Sucee - Life and Times of Dr. Barnardo


More chairs, please!!
Peterborough's Ivy Sucee, the only Honorary Barnardo Girl in Canada, presented to a full house at our October 5 General Meeting. Her topic, "The Life and Times of Dr. Barnardo" touched the hearts of many in the audience, regardless of their family connections to Home Children. Dickensonian conditions still prevailed in England at the time Dr. Barnardo studied medicine there. His motto - No Destitute Child Refused - improved the quality of life for many of the 30 000 Barnardo children brought to Canada. However, for a number of girls and boys, and unbeknownst to Barnardo, treatment in some of the placement homes could be cruel. Barnardo's organization is the forerunner of, and model for, today's Chidrens' Aid Society.
Ivy Sucee - Contact - carlynshe@sympatico.ca & Website