Overview 

The Ontario Genealogical Society was formed in 1961 to encourage, bring together, and assist those interested in the pursuit of Ontario family history and to preserve our Ontario genealogical heritage. We seek to be recognized as the authority and leader in all aspects of Ontario-related family history research, preservation, and communication. The Ontario Genealogical Society has 26 Branches as well as 6 Special Interest Groups (SIGs) representing both geographic and topic research areas that shape Ontario.  In 2019, we introduced a new brand name and logo to help differentiate us from other genealogical societies. The name Ontario Ancestors provides a more immediately recognizable name to the family history community, while the logo itself incorporates our legal and historical identity as The Ontario Genealogical Society.  You will see both of these names used in connection with our organization from time to time.  

 

Membership 

Your annual Ontario Ancestors membership will expire one year from the date that you joined. A reminder will be sent out by email 30 days prior to the expiry date. You can renew your membership up to 60 days prior to your expiry date.  

A Branch or SIG membership can be added at any time during the year, but all of your Branch/SIG memberships will expire at the same time as your society membership. 

 

Communications 

eWeekly: The eWeekly newsletter provides information about upcoming events and genealogical news from both The Ontario Genealogical Society and beyond. It is available to members and non-members.  The newsletter will be sent to your inbox on Saturday mornings. Subscribe by clicking Subscribe from the top menu bar of the website’s home page.  

Social Media:  Our Facebook group Ontario Ancestors is a great place to ask questions and network with people across the globe. Many of our Branches and Special Interest Groups also have Facebook pages/groups where you can connect with others researching a specific geographical or special interest area. 

Families:   Our quarterly Journal is packed with stories, articles and other items that share breakthroughs, and resources from fellow genealogists. The content of each issue is unique and can include narrative family histories, book reviews, resource overviews and more. We are always looking for submissions. Please contact us for more information and submission guidelines. 

Annual Report: This is issued in May of each year. The report is a summary of the events, projects and other activities undertaken by the Society and its’ Branches and Special Interest Groups for the previous year. It also includes our audited financial statement for the previous year. It is distributed by email or by mail to any members without an email address. 

Annual General Meeting: It is held in June each year. At the Annual General Meeting, we review the Financial Statement, recognize long-term members, present awards and elect Board Members. The Annual Report and Financial Statement will be provided to all members ahead of the Annual General Meeting.  

 

Resources 

TONI (The Ontario Name Index):   TONI is an ever-growing mega-index for locating information on persons of interest in Ontario. The location may be a branch document, a website, a microfilm, a family history, an archive, etc.  TONI is an indexing platform and NOT a digitization project. It is available to the general public as well as Society members. Our Pay-Per-View option allows for the purchase of snippets from some of our digital records.  For more information about how to get the most out of TONI, please see the information page. 

Members’ Corner: This section of the website can be found either using the Members’ Corner flip box on the Home Page or through the link on the My Account page.  

Society Resources: The Society has many resources available to its members. We continue to digitize and make new resources available. Below is a list and link to some of the items we have available. A full list can be found on the Society and Branch Index page   

• Family Histories 
• House of Worship Photo Collection 
• Huguenot Collection 
• Independent Order of Oddfellows Life Insurance papers (IOOF) 
• Strays 
• Upper Canada Land Records 
• Vernon Directories 

 

Branch Resources: Our Branches and Special Interest groups have a wealth of specialized knowledge for their area of interest. Many have Members’ Only sections on their websites that have local records and resources. You can add a branch to your membership anytime during the year. Their fees go directly to them to help support their events and projects. There is a partial list is Branch Resources under the Resource Tab then under Society and Branch Index. 

Families Journal Archives:  Members have access to our archive of past issues of Families. The first issue was in 1962 when it was known as the Bulletin. There is an index for 1962- 2007 on the website and there is a link to the PERSI index which includes issues up to 2017. Articles about your family, their hometown, occupation and more are waiting to be discovered. 

OGS Library:  The library is located at the Humanities and Social Sciences Division at the Toronto Reference Library. The holdings are kept in climate controlled and fire protected storage. All materials do not circulate and must be requested at the Humanities and Social Sciences Reference desk. All materials are available to OGS members and the community at large. Humanities and Social Sciences Department—Toronto Reference Library; 789 Yonge Street – Toronto Ontario M4W 2G8 (TorontoPublicLibrary.ca) 

 MyHeritage Library Edition:  Members have free access to the MyHeritage Library Edition through the portal found in Members’ Corner for the calendar year 2025.  To access the portal please login to the Society website, go to Members Corner and then the MyHeritage Library Portal. On the page will be your access code. Please note it and then click on the portal and enter the code.  

 

Educational Opportunities 

Website How to Sessions: There are 2 webinars recording in the Free Webinar Library on how to use the society website. We are planning to do more of these in 2025. The live sessions provide the opportunity to ask specific questions  

Branch Meetings: Many of our Branches/ SIG have monthly meetings. Branches / SIG meeting may be virtual, in person or hybrid. Please check the branch or SIG website for information specific to the meeting you would like to attend. Topics may include local resources and topics, methodology and other relevant topics.  Guests can attend – so please check for meeting announcements in our eWeekly, Events Calendar or on our social media. 

Webinar Series:   Join us the 1st Thursday of each month at 7:00pm ET for our latest webinar.  Register via The Society website for the webinars of your choice.  You will receive an e-mail confirmation with your own personal link to join the webinar.  Register today! Members can attend the live presentations but can watch the recordings of all our past webinars at their own convenience.  

Family Tree Makers User Group: In 2022, we created a Family Tree Makers User group where bi-monthly we meet virtually to ask questions and share ideas on using Family Tree Maker. The sessions alternate between afternoon and evening sessions. Each session is recorded, and the recordings are available as a member benefit.  Family Tree User Group Videos. This group also has a Facebook group to help between sessions   OGS FTM Users Group 

 

Other Information 

Advocacy: As one of our pillars, we continue to act as a voice of Ontario family history and its researchers. Some of the areas we are involved with are cemeteries, land records, and newspapers. 

Donations:  The Ontario Genealogical Society accepts monetary donations through our website, Canada Helps website to by cheque sent directly to the office. Tax receipts will be issued for all donations over $20.00.  Please see the Donate tab on the home page or our Donation Information page 

Essay Competitions: The Society sponsors three essay contests each year. The Keffer Award is open to members, the Mike Brede Award is open to university and college students and the Dr. Don Brearley Award is open to students in grades 11 and 12. For more information, visit our Essay Competitions page.  

Marketplace: We have a large selection of publications in our e-store called Marketplace. They include books, indexes, cemetery publications and more.  Please see our Marketplace section for more information.  

Discounts: We offer discounts to a variety of partners including reciprocal membership discounts. Check the Member Advantage Codes section of our website to see all of the opportunities. 

Heritage Societies: The Ontario Genealogical Society has seven Heritage Societies and/or Groups that you can join.  These include the Centenary Club, Honouring our Heroes, First World War Society, War of 1812 Society, Fathers of Confederation Society, Rebellion of 1867 Society, and the Upper Canada Society.  More information and applications can be found on the website on our Heritage Societies page.  

Ongoing Projects:  The Society takes on projects both large and small that will be of value to genealogists and family researchers.  Some are realized by the coordinated efforts of Branches; some are done by a group of volunteers. All provide information needed by genealogists that is unlikely to be found elsewhere. The Society and its dedicated volunteers are one of the major suppliers of Ontario genealogical information. Many of these projects can be done at a distance.  For more information, please see the Volunteer tab on home page.  

 

Society Administrative Office Information: 

Phone: 416-489-0734 x200 Toll-Free: 855-MY-ROOTS | [email protected] | ogs.on.ca

We are located at Suite 202—2100 Steeles Avenue West, Concord, ON L4K 2V1, one block east of Keele Street on the north-east corner. Free parking is available on-site..  

Or by public transportation take the subway to Finch Station on the Yonge-University line. Then take the 60 C, D, or N buses to the  Petrolia/Tandem stop.   

 *Please note that this is strictly an administrative office only. Our research materials are located at the Toronto Reference Library. Please see OGS Library section for further details.