Past Speakers
Celebrating the Holiday Season and Genealogy!
Show & Tell / Bring & Brag
At this meeting together we celebrate the season and any genealogical breakthroughs, special stories, favourite websites, interesting documents or other artifacts, etc.
Members, you are invited share with us what genealogy 'ah-ha's you've experienced.Please bring festive snacks to share (optional).
The break will be extended to ensure opportunity to chat and taste
Grant Karcich - Carrying Place
Being sensible, European settlers followed the long-worn paths of Iroquois and Huron-Algonquin indians when finding their way to land grants north of Lake Ontario, establishing many namesake settlements along the way. This particular route, known as "Scugog Carrying Place", starts at Oshawa's Second Marsh (Oshawa and Farewell Creeks), ending at Beaverton on Lake Simcoe, and traversing Port Perry and Lake Scugog along the way. [Note: Oshawa means Carrying Place.]
The photo is from the book Wanderings of an artist among the Indians of North America by Paul Kane, 1859. [- a free download at Google Books.]
The Toronto and the Quinte Carrying Place routes served a similar function. A painting by George A. Reid, shows a portage between the Humber and Holland Rivers, which also led to Lake Simcoe.
CLOCA (Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority) compiled a local watershed historical document in 2009 : BLACK/HARMONY/FAREWELL CREEK WATERSHED EXISTING CONDITIONS REPORT CHAPTER 2 - HUMAN HERITAGE
Ivy Sucee, the daughter of a Barnardo Home Child and the founder and president of the Hazelbrae Barnardo Home Memorial Group, is the only honorary Barnardo Girl in Canada - a title given to her by the Barnardo Society in England a few years ago. Ivy discussed the Life and Times of Dr. Barnardo, along with her own dramatic personal research. She is very passionate about the stories of the Home Children.
Ivy Sucee - Contact - carlynshe@sympatico.ca & Website
2010 - Year of the British Home Child - Facebook
Photos of Hazelbrae - Canada's First Barnardo Home
Mini-talk - Chairperson, Guy Lafontaine, gave a short demonstration of a few programs and techniques he uses to record and store a family's genealogical data, information and photos. See the blog for his summary.
Fraser Dunford's topic - "What's On at the PO?" (i.e.; What is available to members at the OGS Provincial Office?)
[The Provincial Office has been incubating a number of ideas for new services to members and branches.]
Also, Steve Wood has learned to cope with researching original Dutch records. He will give a short talk on the subject.
This photo was taken at a cottage on Gold Lake in the 1930s. Very few children were obese in those days.
Our next meeting is Tuesday, September 7 - with Fraser Dunford - speaking about What's On at the PO (i.e.; What is available to members at the OGS Provincial Office? The Provincial Office has been incubating a number of ideas for new services to members and branches.)
Notice that all remaining meetings for this year will be held at Kingsview United Church, as described above.
• June 2010
Seeking German Ancestors
Speaker: Eileen Wilson
Eileen discussed genealogical research in Germany and the former Austro-Hungarian empire, focussing on the geographical changes in the area that make research more difficult.
Such difficulties arose from the extensive national boundary changes after World War One. In 1867, the Austrian House of Habsburg agreed with the Kingdom of Hungary to jointly rule their respective territories. This Dual Monarchy lasted for 51 years.
• May 2010
Our Family History - Organized and in Print
Speaker: Sharon Murphy
Sharon is the founder of TIMELINES Genealogical Research. She is a professional genealogical researcher with 28 years experience and the author of two books -- Researching Canadian Vital Statistic Records and Researching Canadian Land Records. She has also designed curricula and serves as an instructor and is also the Head of the Canadian Department for the National Institute of Genealogical Studies Online Courses, University of Toronto. As well, she has been an occasional guest lecturer at the University of Toronto, giving on-site instruction and tours of the Archives of Ontario, Toronto Reference Library and North York Public Library. The Library Archives Canada is also on this list of tours.
One of her recent projects, closely related to the topic at our meeting, is the part she played in the preparation of former Cobourg Mayor Angus Read's new book "Don't Tell Me It Can't Be Done".
Genealogy and Genetics: A y-DNA Surname Study Produces Some Completely Unexpected Results.
Speaker: Ken Ackles
-Introduction to genetics
-y-DNA and Mitochondrial DNA
-Why y-DNA is important for genealogy
-What is DNA?
-Short Tandem Repeats (STRs)
-Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP)
-Ackles Surname Project
-The big surprise
-Ancient origins
-Suggested reading
The Ken Ackles is cousin to the Ken Ackles in this photo, who born in 1916, in Nova Scotia. He was an actor in B movies, and a professional wrestler?
• March 2010
THE HIDDEN GENEALOGICAL TREASURES IN OUR EDUCATION SYSTEM
Speaker: Don Hinchley
The Ontario Government enacted legislation in 1874 requiring compulsory education to age sixteen. As a genealogist, examining the education system will reveal much information to broaden the scope of your research.
This presentation is intended to assist you in your research by revealing some of the sources not readily apparent to those whose exposure to the educational system did not extend past being a student.
• February 2010
Lynn Phillip Hodgson
All New Secrets from Camp X
Lynn Phillip Hodgson is the author of many books about Camp X, including:
Dispatches From Camp X, Inside-Camp-X, Ajax Arsenal of Democracy, Camp-X the Final Battle, Camp-X Silver Dagger, Camp-X Vengeance Weapon, and Camp-X Mills of the Gods.
• January 2010
Archives of Ontario, What's There for You!
Guest Speaker: Stewart Boden, Outreach Officer
Stewart presented a brand new and extremely informative introduction to the Archives of Ontario, its new building, and the collections and services of interest to genealogists. Stewart discussed how to research at the Archives, and about the different ways to access some of the most popular records held there. For those who are already familiar with the AO, the presentation reviewed some of the most important changes that have been made in the past year, including the redesigned website and the expanding educational programming. The website offers many resources online: http://www.archives.gov.on.ca/
[Stewart Boden has been at the Archives of Ontario since 2001. He spent five years as a Reference Archivist, helping researchers find and use photographic, architectural and cartographic records. His passion for archival advocacy led him to his current position as Outreach Officer, a job he has been doing since January 2007.]