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Meet the Winners of the OGS Lottery
November 27, 2011
The winning OGS 50th Anniversary Raffle tickets were drawn at the board meeting on November 26, 2011. Congratulations to all the winners!
First Prize: Handmade Anniversary Quilt
Jean Warwood, Wiarton, Ontario
Second Prize: Handmade Anniversary Pen Set
Carolyn Heald, Toronto, Ontario
Third Prize: Registration to Conference 2012
Judy Gauthier, Toronto, Ontario
Fourth Prize: Course from National Institute for Genealogical Studies
Fiona Skogstad, Thunder Bay, Ontario
Fifth Prize: Gift Certificate from Global Genealogy
Paul McAlister, Thunder Bay, Ontario
Sixth Prize: Annual Individual OGS Membership
Bonnie More, Montreal, Quebec
Seventh Prize: Gift Certificate to OGS e-Store
Mary Anne Wright, Kingston, Ontario
Eighth Prize: Gift Certificate to OGS e-Store
Clare Westheuser, Belleville, Ontario
Thank you to all who purchased tickets for supporting OGS in its 50th Anniversary year
Archives of Ontario releases the 2011 Ontario Vital Statistics Records
May 31, 2011
The Archives of Ontario released the 2011 Ontario Vital Statistics records on May 30. This release involves the following records:
- Indexes to Births and Stillbirths, 1914 (Archives of Ontario Series RG 80-4, MS 931, Reels 28)
- Indexes to Marriages, 1929 (Archives of Ontario Series RG 80-7, MS 934, Reel 27)
- Indexes to Deaths, 1939 (Archives of Ontario Series RG 80-10, MS 937, Reel 28)
- Registrations of Births and Stillbirths, 1914 (Archives of Ontario Series RG 80-2, MS 929, Reels 246-255)
- Delayed Registrations of Births and Stillbirths, "50" Series, 1914 (Archives of Ontario Series RG 80-3-1, MS 930, Reels 75-76)
- Delayed Registrations of Births and Stillbirths, "90" Series, 1914 (Archives of Ontario Series RG 80-3-2, MS 933, Reels 69-70)
- Registrations of Marriages, 1929 (Archives of Ontario Series RG 80-5, MS 932, Reels 881-908)
- Registrations of Deaths, 1939 (Archives of Ontario Series RG 80-8, MS 935, Reels 616-635)
This most recent release is all on 16mm microfilm stock, resulting in a total issue of 74 reels. These records are available for consultation in the Archives Reading Room at 134 Ian
Macdonald Boulevard, Toronto, Ontario. They may also be borrowed through the Archives of Ontario's Microfilm Interloan Service. For more information see their website.
TONI Launched at AGM
 May 14, 2011
As part of the Annual General Meeting at Conference 2011in Hamilton ON, OGS officially launched The Ontario Name Index (TONI) and its associated Pay Per View service.
TONI is a name index created with the eventual goal of indexing all the names of all the people who were ever recorded as spending time in Ontario. The index will then link a researcher to where the record(s) of a given name can be found. If the record is available through pay per view then the researcher will have instant access to the facts around that name.
TONI and pay per view have been available in beta form for the past month. Check out TONI.
Join the new British Home Child SIG
February 11, 2011
2010 was the year of the British Home Child. Over 100,000 children were sent to Canada between the 1860s and 1930s. Many Ontario genealogists have found they have a family connection with a home child and many more will learn this as they continue their research.
As OGS commemorated the year we developed the idea of forming a Special Interest Group (SIG) focused on the British Home Children. This group is now starting up and we're looking for all interested people to join in and share their skills and enthusiasm to continue the growth of the group.
The British Home Child SIG has been formed with the following tentative goals in mind.
- To bring together genealogy researchers who have like interests in British Home Children (BHC) to share their research experiences.
- To encourage possible descendants of BHC to investigate their ancestry.
- To raise awareness of the history and contribution of the BHC in Canada .
- To identify resources for research on individual BHC.
- To identify resources for research into the social conditions in the UK and Canada which influenced the lives of the BHC.
Visit their website.
Correction, Mar 8, 2011: This article originally described the 100 000 children sent to Canada as "orphaned". Many Home Children were not, in fact, orphans. The word has been removed to reflect this.
Archives of Ontario releases the 2009 Ontario Vital Statistics
The Archives of Ontario released the 2009 Ontario Vital Statistics records on December 1, 2010. This release involves the following records:
- Indexes to Births and Stillbirths, 1913 (Archives of Ontario Series RG 80-4, MS 931, Reels 26)
- Indexes to Marriages, 1928 (Archives of Ontario Series RG 80-7, MS 934, Reel 26)
- Indexes to Deaths, 1938 (Archives of Ontario Series RG 80-10, MS 937, Reel 25-27)
- Registrations of Births and Stillbirths, 1913 (Archives of Ontario Series RG 80-2, MS 929, Reels 237-245)
- Delayed Registrations of Births and Stillbirths, "50" Series, 1913 (Archives of Ontario Series RG 80-3-1, MS 930, Reels 73-74)
- Delayed Registrations of Births and Stillbirths, "90" Series, 1913 (Archives of Ontario Series RG 80-3-2, MS 933, Reels 68)
- Registrations of Marriages, 1928 (Archives of Ontario Series RG 80-5, MS 932, Reels 850-880)
- Registrations of Deaths, 1938 (Archives of Ontario Series RG 80-8, MS 935, Reels 602-615)
The microfilm is available in the Archives Main Reading Room and through their Microfilm Interloan Service program. All of the current listings, including the newly released material, is listed on their website.
Ontario Genealogical Society’s 50th Anniversary
In 2011, the OGS will be 50 years old. The OGS Board has approved the following celebrations and projects to commemorate the occasion.
- Conference 2011
- To be held in Hamilton on May 13 to 15, this will be our birthday party. Details can be found on the OGS website and through our blog. Don Hinchley, Past President pastpresident@ogs.on.ca, is Conference Chair.
- Cruise
- We will hold a genealogical cruise of the east coast of North America in September 2011. This is a continuation of our birthday party. For information on the ‘ports of call’ and the dates and costs please see the website. Mary Rossiter, Director of Region 10 director10@ogs.on.ca, and Cathy Blackburn, Director of Region 9 director09@ogs.on.ca, are leaders of this project.
- Golden Anniversary Family Histories
- For the 25th anniversary, OGS requested family histories and received 620 of them. We are seeking more family histories for our 50th, with a particular request for updates to the histories produced for the 25th. These family histories will join the 3 500 family histories now in our library and will go into our e-Library, ensuring that the histories are never lost and making them available worldwide. Paul McAlister, Director of Region 11 director11@ogs.on.ca, is leader of this project.
- Top 50 in 50
- We are asking the OGS Branches and Regions to name three or four OGS Members (current or past, including Family and Associate) who have made a significant contribution to Branch/Region/OGS, with a description of their accomplishments. From these proposals we will select the Top 50 as a way to honour those who have worked mostly in the Branches. Don Hinchley, pastpresident@ogs.on.ca is leader of this project.
- TONI (The Ontario Name Index)
- Indexes, particularly name indexes, are the most valuable thing a genealogical society can produce. We are going to create a single index of Ontario names, indicating where information about that person can be found. The index will go on the public part of the OGS website so that anyone can access it. TONI will show:
First name
Last name
Record type (birth, marriage, death, obit, tombstone, newspaper article, etc, etc)
Date of event, at least to the decade
Location of event, at least the county
Where the full information may be found
OGS currently has over two million names indexed online but not in one index. It will be straightforward to bring TONI to ten million entries and it has the potential to reach fifty million entries. Mike More, Director of Region 8 director08@ogs.on.ca, is leader of this project.
Treasured Ontario Rural Histories to be Formatted for Online Access
Guelph ON: November 19, 2009
Joy Trimble, President of the Federated Women’s Institutes of Ontario and Don Hinchley,
President of the Ontario Genealogical Society, today signed an agreement to digitize and place on
line the rural histories known as the Tweedsmuir Histories.
Since 1920 the Ontario Branches of the Women’s Institute have been gathering local
history and preserving it in book form. Because the WI is largely a rural organization, these are
histories of small communities. There are about a thousand of them, comprising an estimated
half million pages of local Ontario history. They are one-of-a-kind and only a few have been
photocopied or digitized. Many are in delicate condition and so are at-risk documents.
The project will take at least three years. As they are prepared, the digitized Histories
will be placed in the OGS e-Library where anyone can borrow and read them. There will be a
small borrowing fee; the money will go to the maintenance of the original Histories and to the
operation of the lending system. The project will identify, conserve, preserve, and digitize all
available Ontario Tweedsmuir Histories.
Tweedsmuir Histories
The Women's Institute has been interested in local history since 1920. In the late 1940s,
Lady Tweedsmuir (wife of a former Governor-General of Canada and an active participant in the
WI) encouraged the creation of local histories by each WI Branch. Of the then 1 500 WI
Branches, 989 are known to have created a local history of their area. The books include a
history of the local settlers in the area, the agricultural practices and industries that formed the
basis of the local economy, the social institutions such as churches, schools and community
centres, and local personalities. For many tiny communities, the Tweedsmuir History is the only
history created. Copyright to the Tweedsmuir Histories is owned by the Federated Women’s
Institutes of Ontario.
Women’s Institute
The first Women's Institute was established in Stoney Creek, Ontario in 1897 and has
grown to be an international organization. The provincial body for the WI Branches is the
Federated Women’s Institutes of Ontario (FWIO), a not-for-profit charitable organization with
affiliations around the world, working with and for women in rural and small-town Ontario.
Through the network of Branches, they offer educational programming and community support;
advocate for social, environmental and economic change; and work towards the personal growth
of all women, for home and country. Originally set up to provide training and education to
women and to address concerns in rural communities, the WI now offers women a mutual
support structure as well as an opportunity to advocate on important issues close to its members'
hearts. The WI has become a fundamental part of many women's lives throughout the world. It is
committed to developing women's talents and today has links with over 8 million women in
some 60 countries. The FWIO has about 6 000 Members in Ontario.
Ontario Genealogical Society
The Ontario Genealogical Society (OGS) is a registered charity, founded in 1961 with the
mandate “To encourage, assist and bring together all those interested in the pursuit of family
history”. It has slightly less than 5 000 Members, most living in Ontario although a significant
number live elsewhere. The OGS has 30 Branches in all parts of Ontario and two Special
Interest Groups.
The OGS operates a scanning project named “Keeping and Valuing Ontario’s Heritage”
which enables it, in partnership with Ontario's heritage organizations such as archives, museums
and libraries, to digitize and place on the OGS website considerable quantities of material of
genealogical value. The project has been underway for six months and is still in the datagathering
stage. The Tweedsmuir Histories will be a significant component of this project. The
project has received core funding from the Ontario Trillium Foundation, the Cultural Strategic
Investment Fund of the Ontario Ministry of Culture, and the Jackman Foundation.
Additional funding is being sought for the conservation and preservation of the
Tweedsmuir Histories and to fund the salaries of interns to help train future professionals in the
conservation, preservation, and digitization of paper documents.
Student Paper Competitions
September 16, 2009
The Ontario Genealogical Society has established two essay competitions for students. Both require a paper to be written on a topic within family history. Both carry a prize of $500 and publication in Families.
The Dr Don Brearley Genealogical Essay Prize is open to secondary school students in grades 11 and 12. For this, the first year, it is open to Toronto District School Board students only. In future years it will be available to students in other Ontario school boards.
The Mike Brede Genealogical Essay Prize is open to any full-time student in a university or community college who is either a resident of Ontario or attending an Ontario university or community college.
See the Essay Competitions web page. for more information.
OGS Receives Grant
April 3, 2009
The Ontario Ministry of Culture has given OGS a $40 000 Cultural Strategic Investment Fund (CSIF) grant in support of the OGS scanning project Keeping and Valuing Ontario's Heritage. The grant will enable OGS to hire a Library Technician to assist in placing databases online. The Library Technician will also be able to provide advice on the management of OGS libraries and other data interests.
The project Keeping and Valuing Ontario's Heritage has also received funding from the Ontario Trillium Foundation and the Jackman Foundation. OGS President Don Hinchley declared "This grant will assist OGS to move further into the age of technology by making more genealogical resources available to our membership online" OGS Executive Director Dr Fraser Dunford pointed out that "this grant is further proof that OGS is moving in the right direction. Clearly we are doing something that granting agencies respect and support."
Bill 149 - An Act to Protect Ontario's Inactive Cemeteries, 2009
March 21, 2010
Bill 149 has been deleted by the Government of Ontario . Please contact your local M.P.P. or Mr. Brownell jbrownell.mpp.co@liberal.ola.org directly for further information.
If you are unsure of how to contact your local MPP you can look at MPP Addresses and Contact Information. If you need additional assistance, Find Your Electoral District.
The Ontario Genealogical Society Appoints a New Honourary Patron
February 4, 2009
About two years ago our current Patron, Senator Lorna Milne, announced she was approaching the end of her Senate term and suggested the OGS seek another Patron. A search team consisting of Bob Crawford (Past President), Dave Mackenzie (a Past President) and Senator Milne was formed to search for a new Patron. The search committee held a number of discussions and reviewed the qualifications of several potential candidates. The committee made a recommendation which was approved by the Executive and the OGS Board.
It is my pleasure to announce Senator Vivienne Poy has graciously accepted the position as our new Honourary Patron effective at Conference 2009. Senator Poy will be attending the Opening Ceremonies of Conference Friday May 29th.
Senator Poy is an entrepreneur, fashion designer, community activist and Chancellor Emeritus. She graduated from the Fashion Arts course at Seneca College and ran a flourishing fashion business for fourteen years. In 2003 Senator Poy completed her Ph.D. in History at the University of Toronto.
Her interests in history lead the Senator to begin researching her family's history. In 1995, "A River Named Lee" was published, in which she traced her family history in China. Three years later she published "Building Bridges: The Life and Times of Richard Charles Lee, Hong Kong, 1905-1983." Her third book was published in 2002.
On the personal side the Senator loves to read, write and design – from clothing to jewelry, light fixtures, and furniture. She is an avid gardener and when she has time likes to bake and cook for her family. Her family includes her husband, children and grandchildren.
As OGS President I extend my welcome on behalf of the Society to our new Honourary Patron, Senator Vivienne Poy.
On behalf of the OGS I would like to extend the Society's thanks to Senator Lorna Milne, Dave Mackenzie and Bob Crawford for their efforts in securing our new Patron.
Don Hinchley, President
Ontario Genealogical Society
New Imprint to Publish Canadian Genealogy Books
 December 12, 2008
Dundurn Press and the Ontario Genealogical Society announce the creation of a joint imprint to publish books on Canadian genealogy. The imprint, to be called OGS Dundurn, will be governed by representatives from both organizations. OGS will be responsible for finding authors, receiving manuscripts, and initial screening. Dundurn will be responsible for editing, design, and production. Both organizations will be responsible for marketing: OGS within the genealogical community, Dundurn to bookstores.
Kirk Howard, President and Publisher, Dundurn Press, said "As a long-time member of the OGS, I have admired the many ways in which the OGS connects with the genealogical community. In working together to publish books of genealogical significance we will build on this success and be able to reach a wider readership."
"Our partnership with Dundurn Press will provide those in the genealogical community with new resource material," said Don Hinchley, President of OGS. "We hope to encourage new authors through this partnership."
Dundurn Press has for over 35 years published books of Canadian interest. Based in Toronto, it markets books worldwide.
The Ontario Genealogical Society is Canada 's largest with over 4 500 members and 31 branches across Ontario. It is Canada 's largest genealogical publisher with over 5 000 titles.
Authors interested in publishing with the new imprint should contact OGS at provoffice@ogs.on.ca. We particularly like to see books at the concept stage.
Trillium Grant allows OGS to Preserve At-Risk Heritage Documents
December 12, 2008
The Ontario Genealogical Society has received a grant of $179 400 from the Ontario Trillium Foundation as starter funds for a project to help Ontario heritage organizations digitize parts of their collections. The funds, granted over two years, will enable OGS to hire a technician, obtain equipment, and travel to the heritage organizations to scan the material.
This project will:
- provide a digitized version of one-of-a-kind records, increasing security
- allow small organizations access to digitizing they otherwise could not afford
- increase the exposure of small organizations
- increase access to records significant to Ontario's heritage
- allow an income stream to heritage organizations if they wish
- provide a Canadian not-for-profit portal as an alternative to foreign commercial portals
OGS is working in partnership with Ristech Company Inc, a Burlington , Ontario company that specializes in scanning equipment. Additionally the funds will enable OGS to make improvements to its website so that it can put some of the digitized material online. If it is genealogical material, the heritage organization can choose one of three options on the OGS website: free to everyone, free to OGS Members only, or pay-per-view, the last permitting a royalty stream back to the heritage organization. Non-genealogical material could go on the heritage organization's own website or they could get assistance from Knowledge Ontario.
OGS President, Don Hinchley said "I believe this grant will give many more genealogists throughout Ontario and the world access to materials without the necessity of traveling to the museum or local archive."
This project will help protect the culture and heritage of Ontario some of which is in delicate condition and could be lost if it is not copied.
This project makes the programs and services of many Ontario heritage organizations more accessible to the world By placing material on a website well-known for Ontario genealogical material, small heritage organizations will themselves become better known. This is particularly true for heritage organizations that are currently little known, such as those relating to specific cultures, religions, or ethnic groups, or those in more remote parts of the province. The OGS website can act as a portal leading to an organization's website. The presence of material on the OGS website makes the heritage organization more interesting to the public.
For more information about the Ontario Genealogical Society, the services available online, or to find one of the 30 local Branches near you, please visit the OGS website.
The Ontario Trillium Foundation is an agency of the Government of Ontario. For over 25 years, the Foundation has supported the growth and vitality of communities across the province. It continues to strengthen the capacity of the volunteer sector through investments in community-based initiatives. For more information, please visit their website. Library and Archives Canada (LAC) is pleased to announce the launch of an online database, Immigrants to Canada.
November 13, 2008
The database contains Canadian immigration records held at LAC, many of which relate to immigrants from the British Isles arriving in Quebec and Ontario; also included are references to settlers in other provinces. Through this new database, researchers can access references to lists of immigrants and other types of records created before 1865, such as declarations of aliens and names of some Irish orphans.
You are invited to visit the database online.
The contributions of many LAC staff were instrumental in the success of this project, and their efforts are much appreciated. For more information, please contact Sylvie Tremblay, Chief, Canadian Genealogy Centre - .
The end of an era in Norfolk County
October 7, 2008
William Yeager, long-time Curator of the Eva Brook Donly Museum has announced plans to retire, effective October 31. Bill has dedicated his career to the preservation of Norfolk 's heritage by collecting artifacts and particularly in amassing one of the foremost archival research areas in Ontario. The Norfolk Historical Society wishes Bill Yeager a fulfilling retirement where he can pursue his other interests of writing, research, and gardening. A public reception to honour the occasion of Mr. Yeager's retirement and to celebrate his achievements will be held at the Norfolk Heritage Centre in the near future.
Special Interest Group for Irish Palatines
September 24, 2008
The Ontario Genealogical Society has established a Special Interest Group for Irish
Palatines (SIG-IP). They will have the same status as a Branch but will not be tied to a specific
Geographic region. With the inclusion of the Irish Palatines the OGS has a total of 31 Branches
across Ontario.
The Palatines were Protestants who left the German Palatinate in 1709 at the invitation of
Queen Anne of England. They settled in various British colonies and 185 families settled in
Ireland. Beginning in the 1830's many of the Irish Palatines moved to Canada. Today many
Canadians have Irish Palatine ancestry, often without being aware of it since all they know is that
their ancestor came from Ireland.
The SIG-IP is open to any person who sees value in exploring the common heritage of
German language, Protestant religion, migration to Ireland and many ties of marriage to other
Irish Palatine families. As a Special Interest Group within the OGS, the SIG-IP will develop
regular communications with its members, including a web site. It will offer opportunities for
sessions at the annual OGS conference and will produce occasional publications to inform its
members of Irish Palatine history and genealogy.
Anyone interested in this SIG should e-mail <SIG-IP@ogs.on.ca>.
The Ontario Genealogical Society is interested in establishing other SIGs and seeks
suggestions. Since we hold the library of the now-defunct Huguenot Society of Canada, we
particularly would like to form a Huguenot SIG. For information on this or to suggest other
SIGs, e-mail <provoffice@ogs.on.ca>.
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