Friday, March 20, 2026
Durham's April 7th Zoom Meeting - The Ontario Land Index - Jane MacNamara
Thursday, February 26, 2026
Durham Branch's March 3rd Virtual Meeting - “AI in Genealogy: Say Hello to Your Personal Research Assistant” - Michael Nettleton
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Tuesday, January 20, 2026
Durham Branch's February 3rd Meeting: "Scoundrel Bingo"
Durham Branch’s February 3rd Meeting: “Scoundrel BINGO”
3 February 2026 @ 7:30 p.m. via Zoom
Speaker: Janice Nickerson
It’s Game Night with Durham Branch as we participate in a lively, game-style webinar playing bingo! We will learn about crimes, occupations, and unusual records of Ontario’s scoundrel ancestors.
Who says genealogy can’t be fun? In this engaging webinar, attendees download a “Scoundrel Bingo” card filled with crimes, justice terminology, and record types. As Janice shares colourful stories from Ontario’s black sheep ancestors — from petty thieves to tavern brawlers — participants mark off their cards. Each example illustrates a specific record type, showing how scoundrels left behind more than just scandal — they left evidence genealogists can use. First to bingo wins bragging rights, but everyone leaves with a deeper knowledge of Ontario’s rich justice records.
Kindly pre-register at the following Zoom link (copy & paste into your browser):
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/ArAfSFv-T3uxXFfIj3T68w
Thursday, November 27, 2025
Durham Branch’s December Meeting - “Members' Show & Tell”
There’s Still Time! “Show & Tell” at Durham Branch’s December Meeting
via Zoom on Tues., Dec. 2nd at 7:30 pm.
Come and join Durham Region Branch as we celebrate, via Zoom, our end-of-year Christmas Show & Tell and Social. For decades, our end-of-year highlight event has brought us together to enjoy personal family history stories. Anything can be shown: photos, medals, heirlooms, a tricky piece of research or even a plea for help! The last time we did a Christmas zoom event it was a great success followed by a wonderful sharing session.
The virtual meeting drawback is that holding items up to a web camera is often not clear enough for all participants. So, please send your images, illustrations or links to Chair Nancy Trimble ahead of time. Her email is durhamchair@ogs.on.ca Please include your name!
Nancy will put your images or links into her PowerPoint presentation, so that she can call on you, on Zoom, to tell us all about your wonderful treasures or finds.
Kindly pre-register at our home page at:
Get your hot cider and treats ready! We will have a great open session afterwards.
Tuesday, October 28, 2025
Durham’s Nov. 4th Meeting - Ancestral Mapping Using Google Earth Pro
Durham’s Nov. 4th Meeting - Ancestral Mapping Using Google Earth Pro
Please Join Durham Region Branch for our Tuesday, Nov. 4th virtual meeting at 7:30 pm as David Joiner demonstrates how he transformed a diary into a graphical presentation using Google Earth Pro.
Google Earth Pro is a free downloadable application with many useful features for genealogy and digital mapping. Participants will learn how to add informative placemarks and lines on a map, use polygons to highlight regions of interest, run automated tours of mapped points, include image overlays to give context to family history, access historical imagery to link family stories with land surface changes over time, and share and store mapped details. Case studies will include the presenter's paternal ancestry from Aberdeenshire and his maternal ancestry from Ireland.
David Joiner is a recently retired secondary school geography teacher with an interest in family history and expertise in geographic information systems (GIS).
Nov. 4th will also be our brief Annual General Meeting for the purpose of presenting a yearly report.
Kindly pre-register at the following Zoom link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/9cp1jHKGRtO8iilmvfTLmQ
Wednesday, September 24, 2025
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
Thursday, August 28, 2025
Durham's September Meeting with Thomas MacEntee
Turning Genealogy Clues into Genealogy To-Do's”
Wednesday, May 14, 2025
Durham’s June 3rd Hybrid Meeting: Untold Oshawa with Jennifer Weymark
Monday, April 28, 2025
Durham’s May 6th Virtual Meeting – ScotlandsPeople + FamilySearch = Savings
Please join us on Tuesday, May 6, 2025 @7:30 pm as Ken McKinlay presents:
ScotlandsPeople + FamilySearch = Savings (via Zoom)
Researching our kin in Scotland can get a little pricey if we want to view the images of the birth, marriage, and death statutory registrations and the census records. With a bit of time and knowledge we can make use of key collections on FamilySearch to save us a little bit of money.
Located in Ottawa, Ontario, Ken McKinlay is a genealogy researcher with over 20 years of trial and error experience in researching his own family's history in Canada, United States, England, Scotland and Ireland.
Ken belongs to the British Isles Family History Society of Greater Ottawa (AKA BIFHSGO) and the Ottawa Branch of the Ontario Ancestors (AKA Ontario Genealogical Society). Ken has held many roles in both organizations and their respective conferences.
The talks he gives quite often deal with the methodologies for researching family history and also how to use technology to assist with doing the research.
Ken’s blog is available at: https://familytreeknots.blogspot.com/
Everyone is welcome!
Please pre-register at the following Zoom link:
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/bb7w_b3JT-iTVAV4R3UQKQ
Tuesday, February 11, 2025
Durham's Mar. 4th Virtual Meeting: Dave Obee - Guide to Digital Collections
Beyond the Online Basics: A Genealogical Guide to Digital Collections
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| 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
Monday, January 13, 2025
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
Tuesday, December 17, 2024
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_
Sunday, November 24, 2024
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.
Thursday, August 8, 2024
Durham's Sept. 3rd Virtual Meeting - All Kinds of Loyalists
Friday, May 10, 2024
Durham's June 4th Hybrid Meeting - Untangling Township Papers with Jane MacNamara
Saturday, April 13, 2024
Durham Branch’s May 7th Meeting (hybrid) : Following the Trails of the Betts Bibles – Beth Adams
Saturday, March 16, 2024
Durham Branch's April 2nd Meeting - "They Sure Moved Around!"
Durham Branch presents “They Sure Moved Around!” on 2 April 2024
Please join Durham Branch at 7:30 pm April 2nd for a hybrid meeting as Sher Leetooze, local author and historian, presents “They Sure Moved Around!”
Sher will be in person at Northminster United Church, 676 Simcoe St. N., Oshawa, ON (NW corner of Simcoe Street North and Rossland Road West). Parking can be limited.
If joining online, kindly pre-register at:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAude2grzstHNx8Tsob2Zit6OsZ05EHGdda
Description:
Sometimes we lose our ancestors – not because they die, or we’re not doing a very good search – but because they moved away. Most of the time we don’t know why they moved, and we may never know why they moved.
Doing a recent genealogical search for a man from the US, I followed his family from Darlington Township down to Kent County and environs and in doing so blew some family myths out the window!
Ontario isn’t really all that big, so let’s look at some of the resources in other parts of the province that you can call on to dispel some of our ancestral fog!
Bio:
Sher has been doing her own genealogy for over 40 years – a family’s story is never quite finished! But besides doing her own family, Sher has assisted others to follow the paper trail backward for their families. You might say enjoys the genealogical search – anybody’s genealogical search! With each new search Sher learns about new resources that should not be overlooked, or looked at again. This is what she will speak about at April’s presentation.
Everyone is welcome!
Tuesday, February 27, 2024
Durham Branch’s March 5th ZOOM Meeting: The History of Camp 30 – Dr. Amy Barron
The History of Camp 30 – Dr. Amy Barron
Tuesday, March 5, 2024 @ 7:30 pm – ZOOM only Meeting. Everyone is welcome!
How did a Bowmanville Boys Reform school end up housing top-ranking German POWs in the Second World War? Durham Region played many parts in the overseas war effort including hosting important German officers whose one mission to get back to Germany led to many interesting escape attempts. Life in Camp 30 had many interesting ups and downs, from local recreation activities to the “Battle of Bowmanville”. And what will become of this important national historic site now?
Dr. Amy Barron received her PhD at the University of Toronto in the field of Mesopotamian history and archaeology, specializing on the military history of Iron Age Assyria. She has excavated predominantly in the Middle East but has travelled widely studying the archaeology of various remote parts of the world from Peru to China. Amy has taught archaeology, ancient history and classics at the universities of Toronto and Guelph and presently teaches museum studies in Fleming College’s post-graduate program. She has worked in the museum world for over 30 years and loves sharing her passion for the past.
Please register at the following link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZItc--srz8qGNZ_T5v6QvIUuyz94fHMuKda
Durham’s website has been temporarily moved to the following url:
https://timetraces.com/durhambranch/
Sunday, December 17, 2023
Durham Branch's January 2nd Meeting - Linda Corupe - "Really & Truly The Father"
Wednesday, November 29, 2023
"Show & Tell" (and Treats) - Durham Branch's Dec. 5th Meeting








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