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 Happy Victoria Day!
Canadians first began observing “the Queen’s birthday” in 1845, when the British Empire’s then longest-serving monarch, Queen Victoria, was in her eighth year on the throne. She was born on May 24th, 1819, and that was the official birthday for many years. Following her death in 1901, May 24th was proclaimed in law as Victoria Day, a day to remember the late Queen and her role as the “Mother of Confederation”. In ensuing years the day of celebration moved around, until 1957 when it was officially proclaimed as the Canadian monarch’s official birthday, and was established as the Monday before May 25th.
 Although Queen Elizabeth’s actual birthday is April 21st, in England it is officially celebrated on the second Saturday in June, making Victoria Day a uniquely Canadian celebration, and considered by many to be the beginning of the summer season.
This year’s celebrations will be markedly different from the past – no public gatherings with fireworks, no getting together with friends and family around a BBQ or picnic – just an opportunity to recognize our longest-serving Monarch, now in the 68th year of her reign.
Her recent televised messages dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, Easter, and the 75th Anniversary of VE Day, remind us that she continues to keep her 21st birthday pledge – “that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong”!
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When planning our virtual conference we wanted to try new things! One of those ideas was to spread out the time attendees would want to spend in front of a computer screen! The idea of the hour-long Fast Trax sessions was conceived! All of these events will happen live, and you will be able to ask questions and interact with the presenters.
In addition, on Saturday and Sunday we are offering 20-minute presentations between our main speakers – featuring companies like MyHeritage, Vivid-Pix, Forever, and Ancestry.
Check the Virtual Conference schedule for more information about all of these presentations!
Be sure to join us the first week of June for an exciting online conference with eighteen hours of educational sessions – all for only $50.00. Click here to Register.
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Open for Business!
This week all members of The Ontario Genealogical Society should have received notice of an upcoming vote to approve new and revised Bylaws for The Society. In an effort to allow all members the opportunity to better understand these changes, to ask questions and provide comments, we have set up a website: https://ogs.on.ca/town-hall-for-members/. There you will find information about the Town Hall meetings to which all members are invited – the first was held on May 14th and the second will take place on May 21st at 7:00 pm – as well as a Bylaws Submission Form allowing members to ask questions and provide comments in written form. Voting will close on June 1st.
Our staff and volunteers continue to provide services to our members and the genealogy community – check out the latest Member Advantages in the Members Corner section of our website, and be sure to take advantage of the great sessions on offer at our virtual 2020 Conference, “A New Vision”.
And this week’s words of wisdom:
I don’t care how poor a man is; if he has family, he’s rich!
Colonel Harry Potter, M.A.S.H.
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BREAKING NEWS! FREE Access to Newspapers.com this Weekend!
Thomas MacEntee, Abundant Genealogy
NEW! Newspapers.com: FREE ACCESS to  Newspapers.com Publisher's Extra this weekend! Now through Sunday. May 17th, 2020, you can get FREE ACCESS to almost 600 MILLION pages of historic newspapers! Newspapers.com is the largest online newspaper archive. Search historical newspapers from across the United States and beyond. Explore newspaper articles and clippings for help with genealogy, history and other research. VIEW DETAILS
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TONI Explodes to Over TWELVE MILLION Entries!
Over the last eight weeks, volunteers of the Society have been very busy looking for opportunities to add further resources to TONI and the Society’s many websites. We would like to share the most exciting addition to TONI of the Birth, Marriage & Deaths records for Ontario.
In order to provide Ontario-based access to the BMD Records for the Province, we engaged in discussions with the Archives of Ontario and FamilySearch more than two years ago, resulting in the inclusion of indexes to these records in The Ontario Name Index (TONI). To check out these new records, visit the TONI search page HERE.
Learn more about this exciting initiative, program, and about other new data indexed in TONI, in this week’s video by Society President Steve Fulton, UE.
CLICK THE IMAGE TO PLAY THE VIDEO
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Ontario Ancestors President Steve Fulton, UE
Discusses the Latest Additions to TONI
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 Quebec Family History Society Free Virtual Lectures
During this period of self-isolation, the QFHS is offering several free virtual guest lectures and community events. Those listed on the website include:
Friday, May 22nd – 1:00 pm – Gary Schroder will speak on What's New in Irish Genealogy.
Sunday, May 24th – 2:00 pm – Free Virtual Lecture: “A Journey with Elsie” with Helene Jasmin
This is the story of a pioneer horticulturist who designed her English gardens (Reford Gardens) for 30 years. She was an activist for the voice of women, cofounding the still active club WCCM (Women Canadian Club of Montreal). Elsie Meighen was born in Perth (ON) in 1872. When her family moved to Montreal’s Square Mile, her personal life changed. In October 1918, she inherited the estate of her uncle, George Stephen, in Grand-Metis, halfway between Quebec City and Gaspe.
Thursday, June 11th – 7:00 pm – Free Virtual Genealogy Question & Answer Session
A group of researchers will be available to answer any genealogy-related question you might have.
Sunday, June 28th – 2:00 pm – Free Virtual Lecture: The 1833 SUITOR/LANE MURDER with Steve Cameron
Free land, a fight for turf and a shot in the early morning. The story has many surprises: no oral tradition, a public hanging, transportation to Van Diemen’s Land and a discovery of the ancestor!
For more information, visit the Society’s website events page! All events will take place using the Zoom platform. To receive an invitation to any of these sessions, send an email to qfhs@bellnet.ca.
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Sudbury District Branch Webinar on May 20th
Nancy Vaillancourt, Program Coordinator, Sudbury District Branch
The webinar will be free to all. Pre-registration required - CLICK HERE
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New Book for Your Genealogy Reading!
 The producer of the documentary Data Mining the Deceased: Ancestry and the Business of Family, has written a book tracing the histories of the largest, longest-running, most lucrative, and most rapidly growing genealogical databases in which she presents a broader history of the industry.
Since the early 2000s, genealogy has become a lucrative business, an accelerating online industry, a massive data-mining project, and fodder for reality television. And while the pastime of genealogy has been with us for generations, the fact remains that our contemporary fascination with family history cannot be understood independently of the powerful technological tools that aid and abet in the search for traces of blood, belonging, and difference.
The book contains first-hand interviews with key players, including executives with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Ancestry.com founders, industry observers and professional and amateur family historians. You can learn more about it by listening to a presentation given by Dr. Creet here!
Author Julia Creet is a professor of English at York University. The book can be ordered from the University of Massachusetts at this website or by calling 1-800-537-5487. You can take advantage of a 30% discount with code S735.
One reviewer describes it as “an engaging overview of the growth and resourcing of family history in North America.”
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Updates from Our Favourite Bloggers
This week’s post from Ken McKinlay in Family Tree Knots deals with Records that don’t make sense – and what to do with them. We’ve all had a few of those! His post last week about Canadian War Diaries from the Second World War covered several sites for accessing these records, which can provide significant insight into actions and activities in which your ancestors may have been engaged.
In Eastman’s Online Genealogy Newsletter, Dick Eastman shares My Method of Filing Digital Images and Documents. I know I am always looking for “best practices” and learning how others store their digital collections is helpful as I sort through my own files.
In Olive Tree Genealogy, Lorine McGinnis Schulze shares her suggestions for Learning to Read Old Handwriting, including links to articles she has written on the topic.
Candice McDonald writes about Medical Journals on Canadiana in Finding Your Canadian Story. Read it here!
John D. Reid in Canada’s Anglo Celtic Connections shared a research guide from the City of Ottawa Archives entitled Tracing the History of Your Ottawa Property. The guide covers many resources which can be consulted in tracing a ‘house history’ and much of it can be applied to whatever municipality you live in.
In Are You My Cousin?, Lisa Lisson lists 10 FREE Social History Sites for Your Genealogy Research. While the specific American sites may not provide information relative to Canadian research, they will make you look for the Canadian equivalent resources!
Gail Dever of Genealogy à la carte told us about a new bilingual portal being created by the University of Maine to access historical Franco American records from US and Canadian Archives. You can read about it here!
And for those of you looking for a little humour in dark times, read Legacy Tree Genealogists post Genealogical Giggles – Finding Humor in Genealogy Documents!
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eWeekly Survey
 Last week we asked: "What types of maps do you find useful in your research?"
We had 327 responses to our survey. Thank you.
The top survey responses were:
- historical maps
- town and county detailed maps
- online maps such as Google maps, Apple maps, etc.
- maps showing land ownership
- traditional road maps
We hope that some of the responses on the FULL SURVEY RESULTS might suggest new map opportunities to you for use in your research.
This week’s Survey asks “What social media, if any, do you use: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Pinterest?” The survey will be open until midnight, Wednesday - CLICK HERE
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Ancestry Extra Events This Week!
We want to share next week’s Ancestry Extra schedule as we head into the long weekend. Please note that we have a few changes this week! Our regular Tuesday session has been shifted to Monday to align with Victoria Day and for the first time, we’ll be doing a French webinar on Thursday. We’ve included a translation of the description below, but please note that this webinar will be in French only.
Date & Time: Monday, May 18th at 10:00 am EDT
Where: Ancestry Canada Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/AncestryCA/)
Session Name: Keep Calm and Carry On: Tips and Tricks for Researching Your UK Ancestors
To celebrate Victoria Day, Ancestry ProGeneaogist Celia Heritage will share advice and guidance on researching your UK ancestors, highlighting key resources available to discover the stories of your ancestors from across the pond. Celia will then be conducting a live Q&A.
Date and Time: Thursday, May 21st at 12:00 noon EDT
Where: Ancestry Canada Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/AncestryCA/)
Session Name: La Collection Drouin : un incontournable de la généalogie canadienne-française – session delivered in French
The Drouin Collection: a must in French-Canadian genealogy
Luc Lépine will provide an introduction to genealogy through the documents and research tools available on Ancestry.ca. You will discover the French-Canadian origins up to the arrival of your ancestor in New France.
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Canada Historic Places Day Will Last All Summer!
The National Trust for Canada
#HistoricPlacesDay is going virtual for the summer of 2020 – with new ways to share places that matter online!
Canada Historic Places Day 2020 is extending its timeline and ramping up its focus on online and virtual experiences, given that closures and social distancing may continue to affect historic places into the summer. Historic places across Canada have already been very creative this spring in bringing heritage experiences into the homes of Canadians, and this national celebration will continue to inspire and engage Canadians throughout the summer.
Canada Historic Places Day will launch on Saturday July 4th, 2020 and continue to the end of August, with new virtual tools to enhance the celebration: #HistoricPlacesDay will continue the popular Selfie Contest but with a new creative spin. Our month-long giveaway that asks Canadians what they love about Canada’s historic places will run during the month of July.
New this summer, we are introducing Online Adventures that allow the staff and volunteers at historic places and individual Canadians alike to create online adventures that feature participating #HistoricPlacesDay sites. Here’s are some examples:
- Imagine an adventure inspired by the Group of Seven. What better way to celebrate their 100th anniversary than to virtually visit the places that shaped their art and continue to tell their story? Canadians can ‘visit’ the Arts & Letters Club of Toronto where the Group met frequently for lunch, and then explore their artworks at the McMichael’s eMuseum, featuring 1,233 pieces of art and objects associated with the Group’s iconic story.
- Or imagine a university student sharing a virtual pub crawl through the Exchange District of Winnipeg, highlighting some of the historic places to enjoy a brew in that 20-block National Historic Site.
It’s hard to predict what adventures Canadians will upload to the site this summer, and that’s part of the adventure. Online Adventures will be featured in August.
Since this national celebration will continue during July and August this year, we will be running a longer promotional campaign that includes working with social media influencers.
This will be a great summer for historic places, featuring exciting new ways to share places that matter with an even bigger audience – online!
Stay tuned for further details!
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Do You Have Irish Palatine Roots?
Ontario Ancestors has an Irish Palatine Special Interest Group for people who have an interest in exploring the common heritage of German Protestant origins and subsequent migration from the Rhineland-Palatinate to Ireland.
The purpose of this group is to help you research your Irish Palatine heritage by providing resource information, links and a connection to other Irish Palatines. Anyone interested in this SIG should e-mail us at ip-sig@ogs.on.ca. You can also check out our website!
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Who Do You Think You Are? Magazine’s Online Forum Will Close on June 1st
Sarah Williams, Editor
It is with a heavy heart that I have to announce that we will be closing the Who Do You Think You Are? Magazine forum on 1 June 2020. This forum has been at the heart of our website for almost 13 years, but the platform it runs on does not offer the level of security that people rightly expect today. We have plans to upgrade to a better, more secure website that should be easier for our readers to use, and sadly it’s not financially viable for us to upgrade the forum at the same time.
Over the years I have been inspired by your dedication and I have learned so much from you all, whether it’s magazine feedback, new websites or creative approaches to genealogical problems. Please stay in touch with us via social media or email. We have featured many of your success stories in the magazine, but there have been countless acts of kindness over the years which will not be forgotten.
I know that many of you have made friends through this forum and I hope this gives you enough notice to get in touch with each other and copy and paste any threads you wish to keep a record of.
If you want to continue supporting each other with genealogical queries and sharing family history chat, then please join our Facebook Group or sign up to RootsChat, another popular family history forum. Thank you once more for all your support. Keep in touch and happy hunting!
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The Heirlooms We Treasure
From Our Readers
In our April 18th eWeekly Survey we asked readers about the types of heirlooms passed down from their ancestors. Over 400 responded, and many of you took the time to describe these treasured items. Quite a few kitchen items have been handed down over the years!
- I have a rolling pin that is over 100 years old passed down by a great-great-aunt. It makes the best pie shells. It has no handles and there is an imperfection in the wood grain.
- I have my grandmothers Cookie Jar
- As the only daughter of an only child raised in her grandparents’ home, I have kitchen utensils such as great great aunt Maggie Boyle's potato masher, and great Grandma Stringer's wood butter bowl
- Cooking equipment such as grandmother’s rolling pin and cookie cutters
- Wooden butter making tools
- Cast iron bean pot
- A recipe book from my great grandmother
- I have an old sieve and measuring cup, mincer and other items that have been handed down and are still in use to this day.
What wonderful gifts to cherish! Thank you for sharing.
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LAC Offers Resources for Staying at Home
The Library and Archives Canada (LAC) collection provides a wealth of insight into how our society has pulled together and coped with collective crises in the past. Now, as we face the COVID-19 pandemic, our challenge is to work together by staying apart.
These resources will help people of all ages to explore Canada's heritage while staying at home.
These resources offer a variety of ways to actively learn, stay curious and contribute to our collective memory during an otherwise isolating time. We encourage everyone to discover new things and offer their own contributions!
Editor’s Note: The post includes links to over 40 organizations with online resources. See the list here!
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FREE WEBINAR: Jenna Lemay - Researching Indigenous Ancestors in Northern Ontario
Thursday, June 4th – 7:00 PM ET
This presentation will cover aspects of researching Indigenous people in Northern Ontario, as it presents unique challenges. I will cover researching online using Ancestry and FamilySearch, using Library and Archives Canada to access Government records, and taking advantage of local archives and local historians. Some challenges include the lack of indexing in the censuses for Northern communities; the shifting of regional names, boundaries, community locations, and community names; lack of birth, marriage, and death records; and difficulties in determining what Residential School, if any, an ancestor may have attended.
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Check out our Global Events Calendar on the our website to see the meetings and events coming up soon. Many of our events are webcast so you do not have to live nearby in order to attend.
Some Branches also stream their monthly meetings and speakers’ presentations. Check out your favourite Branch/SIG website for further information, and if they offer this service, be sure to watch them from the comfort of your own computer! Branch or SIG events will appear in the Calendar on the Ontario Ancestors website if it is included on the events calendar of the Branch/SIG website.
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Missed an issue of eWeekly? Click here to read previous editions of eWeekly.
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