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 Leap Day!
According to Wikipedia, “February 29th, also known as leap day or leap year day, is a date added to most years that are divisible by 4, such as 2016, 2020, and 2024. A leap day is added in various solar calendars (calendars based on the Earth's revolution around the Sun), including the Gregorian calendar standard in most of the world. Lunisolar calendars (whose months are based on the phases of the Moon) instead add a leap or intercalary month.”
The most recent edition of Forbes magazine gives you eight scientific facts everyone should know about Leap Day.
There are also urban legends surrounding Leap Day. Custom allows marriage-minded women to propose to their boyfriends on February 29th, a legend which may trace back to a bargain struck by St. Patrick and St. Bridget of Ireland!
Superstition also decrees leap years are notably excellent for beginning important undertakings or business ventures. The choice of February 29th itself is deemed particularly astute in that even greater luck will attach to all that is begun on that day, including children conceived during that particular 24-hour stretch. Further superstition says those born on February 29th are fated to be favoured by Dame Fortune.
So take advantage of Leap Day in 2020 to carve out some time for genealogy! Maybe you’ll discover a female ancestor who proposed to her partner and lived happily ever after!
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 Ontario Ancestors Wins Unsung Heroes Society Award!
The Genealogy Guys Podcast and Vivid-Pix partnered in 2019 to develop the Unsung Heroes Award. It celebrates individuals, societies, libraries & archives, and young people who photograph, digitize, index, transcribe and otherwise make content available to the genealogical community. Numerous nominations were received in each of the three categories – Individual, Society, and Library.
 Announced February 27th at RootsTech 2020 in Salt Lake City, the world’s largest genealogy conference and exposition, Ontario Ancestors is proud to have been selected the winner in the Society category.
Ontario Ancestors was chosen for its work digitizing small microfilm records collections of early newspaper, church, and municipal records held by our Branches and by local municipal libraries. Ontario Ancestors purchased a microfilm scanner in late 2018, and provides its digitizing services at no charge to participating organizations.
To read about the other award recipients, visit the Genealogy Guys blog here!
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Treasured.ca Debuts at RootsTech 2020
Last week we told you about 
Treasured.ca. Treasured is an Ontario software-based company focused on helping families preserve and showcase their history. On Thursday at RootsTech 2020 before an audience of more than 2,500 in the Innovation Showcase and Technology Forum, Treasured unveiled its interactive digital family museum, Treasure World, to rave reviews from all observers.
View the Treasured World video trailer HERE, or learn more at Treasured.ca
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‘Finding Your Roots’ Chief Genealogist Passes Away
Gail Dever, Genealogy à la carte
Henry Louis Gates, Jr., host of ‘Finding Your Roots’, announced on February 20th that Johni Cerny, the chief genealogist for Finding Your Roots, has passed away.
 Fans of the PBS show will recognize Ms. Cerny, who appeared in each episode, doing research with old documents or on a microfilm reader.
Ms. Cerny began her professional genealogy career in 1979. She founded Lineages, Inc. in 1983, left the firm in 2005 and returned as the company’s president and CEO in 2011. Between 2005 and 2012, she was the lead genealogist for several television series that have aired on PBS, including African American Lives, Faces of America, and Finding Your Roots.
She specialized in American, African American, English, Scottish, German, Slovakian, Swiss and Italian research.
Ms. Cerny grew-up in her native Kansas City, Missouri and Los Angeles. She graduated from Brigham Young University with majors in genealogy and social work. Unable to make a living as a genealogist before Roots exploded on paper and television, she served on active duty in the United States Army from 1972 to 1979 and inactive duty from 1979 to 1983. Reaching the rank of captain, she spent her last tour in Germany as the first female commander of a forward support unit. She returned to Utah in 1979 to live her dream by launching Lineages, Inc.
Last year, Ms. Cerny, hosted a 30-minute live chat on Facebook, which is still available to watch.
Editor’s Note: This is indeed a loss to the entire genealogy community! Gail’s blog post contains the entire announcement released by Dr. Henry Louis Gates Jr., host of Finding Your Roots. To read it, click here!
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eWeekly Survey
 Last week we asked about your favourite ancestors. We had a 303 responses to our survey. Thank You!
The responses to the survey were (if you receive this email in plain text or have images turned off, see the full results at https://ogs.on.ca/eweekly-survey-results/):
Complete survey results are available HERE. Thank you again to those who took the time to participate.
Reader Responses
Ninety-eight of our respondents submitted comments about their favourite ancestors. Here are a couple of them:
My extensive genealogy research has uncovered many strong, principled people of varied lineage. My German Palatine ancestors braved the new world as part of William Penn's immigration effort. They fled persecution in German and settled in New Jersey for a few decades, but their descendants also faced religious-based hardship. They settled in Upper Canada circa 1800 and remained. I also have English ancestors who were home children in 1860-1870. Generations before them lineage includes French Huguenots. Another group of people persecuted in the name of religion and forced to flee their native country. Most of my ancestors are from poor or average families but the strength of character and perseverance they had to have had to better their lives and those of their descendants moves me deeply.
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Friedrich Georg Peschel - saw an advertisement for employment in a newspaper (his mother had used the newspaper to wrap his lunch) whilst travelling from Koenigsberg (Kaliningrad, Russia) to Kranz (Zelenogradsk) during the summer season. He travelled on foot over 1300 kilometers, to respond to the job advert as a Pharmacist and got the job. He then fell in love with 2nd daughter Therese but his father in law to be put his foot down, and he had to marry eldest Emma. Emma unfortunately had TB and died just after having a daughter Emma, he then married Therese and had 4 more children.
Thank you to everyone who submitted comments or a story. Unfortunately, we cannot print them all.
This week’s Survey asks you about volunteer work you may do, or have done in the past, in connection with genealogy or family history. The survey will be open until midnight, Wednesday.
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Exploring the Black Canadian Legacy Through Heritage Places
National Trust for Canada
As we conclude Black History Month in Canada, the National Trust offers a different perspective on exploring the legacy of Black Canadians through heritage places, from coast to coast to coast. Many of the stories that visitors will find imbedded in these places will challenge the way we see Canada and understand its past.
Editor’s Note: To read the entire online story, including references to the Black Loyalist Heritage Centre in Birchtown, Nova Scotia, and the site in Dresden, Ontario known as “Uncle Tom’s Cabin Historic Site”, click here!
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 London-Middlesex Branch Presentation
Join members of the London-Middlesex Branch on Saturday, March 7th at 10:00 am to learn “How to Research French Canadian Ancestors in Quebec using BMS2000, PRDH and FichierOrigine databases. The session will be presented by Johanne Gervais of the Quebec Genealogy eSociety.
The event will take place at the London Family History Centre, 1139 Riverside Drive in London.
All presentations are open to the public.
For more information, visit the Branch website!
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 Findmypast’s Archive is the Fastest Growing on the Market
Findmypast.com
Findmypast continues to publish millions of new records from Britain, Ireland, North America and beyond each and every month, providing users across the globe with new opportunities for discovery.
The world leaders in British & Irish family history are now adding an average of 4.3 million searchable names a day, making them the second largest publisher on the family history market and the fastest growing archive online.
2019 has seen Findmypast’s collections expand significantly, with over 1.5 billion names added to the site over the past 12 months alone.
By bringing more data to market than any other family history website, Findmypast is plugging essential gaps in previously difficult to research regions through improved access to a wide variety of family history resources, many of which cannot be found anywhere else online.
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Lambton County Branch March Presentation
Jane Teskey, Webmaster, Lambton County Branch
On Tuesday, March 12th from 7:30 – 9:30 pm, come learn about the New York Central Railroad in Lambton County with presenter Tom Walker. The NYC went through Alvinston, Inwood, Oil City, Petrolia, Brigden and Courtright.
Our event takes place at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1400 Murphy Road in Sarnia.
Everyone welcome!
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Western New York Genealogical Society Presentation
Tracy Lumb, WNYGS Chair of Publicity & Outreach
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Essex County March Presentation - Peter Robinson Settlements
Michele Watson, Publicity Coordinator, Essex County Branch
Join us on Tuesday, March 19th at 6:30 pm for a presentation on the Peter Robinson Settlements.
Derek Blount, from Lost Branches LLC, speaks about the plan that brought destitute Irish families to Upper Canada in the early 1820s. He explores the what, where, and why of the plan, and where the family records can be found.
Free & open to everyone!
Our event takes place at the Maryvale Community Room, Prince Road & College Avenue in Windsor.
Visit https://essex.ogs.on.ca for more.
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Exploring Notable Residents in Communities
Diane L. Richard, Internet Genealogy/Your Genealogy Today Research Tips & More!
Shift from researching your family to researching the locale(s) where they lived and some of the notable residents of the day. Historical context can help us improve our understanding of when and where our ancestors lived. Everyone living in a community lived unique lives, but there will be common threads we can explore to better appreciate the shared experiences - churches, community organizations, activities, and more, including those memorable residents.
For example, during my whole school career, the bus I took that ran to the elementary, middle and high schools, was driven by the same driver, Mrs. Mannix. So many shared that same experience that even if my descendants didn’t know about this, with some research, they could learn about her long career as a bus driver, when she wasn’t busy with many other activities. She always knew who lived where on her route and, literally, sometimes transported generations of the same families! Those daily bus trips were just one of the many communities I was connected to growing up. What communities were your ancestors involved with?
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Vivid-Pix Tour Coming to Ontario Ancestors in June
Vivid-Pix.com
 As part of its 11-city “Your City – Your Story” tour, Vivid-Pix will be at the Ontario Ancestors Family History Show June 5-7 in Hamilton, Ontario. The tour will showcase the company’s patented AI Photo & Document Restoration software that automatically restores treasured memories with just-one-click. The events will help to educate family historians, genealogists and hobbyists on how to create and share family stories.
Vivid-Pix was founded by Rick Voight and Randy Fredlund, who have a combined 47 years of experience from Eastman Kodak Company. They brought Kodak’s “You Press the Button, We Do the Rest” philosophy to the design of Vivid-Pix RESTORE. For more info, see the website: https://vivid-pix.com/.
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 Looking for New Members of Our Board of Directors
Vito Giovannetti, Board Member
Are you a passionate family historian or genealogist within the Ontario Genealogical Society? Do you have vision for the future of Ontario Ancestors? Are you excited to transition the Society to the next phase of its development?
If so, please consider applying to one of the leadership positions at Ontario Ancestors. The community is looking for the next group of leaders that will maintain and grow the Ontario Ancestors footprint. We are excited to connect with applicants and highlight the key responsibilities and expectations of board members.
Information will be posted soon on our website, but if you have an interest or any questions, please contact us at elections@ogs.on.ca
Ontario Ancestors is excited to usher a new era of experiences for genealogists and family historians. We look forward to creative ideas that can amplify the impact of the organization, and reach more families across the country.
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Updates from Our Favourite Bloggers
Gail Dever’s Genealogy à la carte captured the highlights of What’s New at Ancestry, live-streamed from the RootsTech stage by Crista Cowan. To read Gail’s blog post, click here!
Candice McDonald continues in Finding Your Canadian Story with part 3 of her “Celebrating 100 Years of the RCMP” with a piece on records at Library and Archives Canada.
John D. Reid of Canada’s Anglo-Celtic Connections covers new Irish resources with link to the first newsletter for 2020 from rootsireland. You can read John’s post here!
The Drouin Institute’s Marielle Côté-Gendreau continues with her blog series “Witnessing history through parish registers: The French and Indian War, Part 2.”
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The Freedom to Read – LAC’s Latest Blog Post
Liane Belway, Librarian, Published Heritage,
Library and Archives Canada
In Canada, we enjoy the freedom to read what we choose, so much so that we may not always consider how important this right is, or whether it could be interfered with in a country such as ours. After all, our intellectual freedom is guaranteed under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Yet, freedom to read can never be taken for granted. Even in Canada, books and magazines in English and in French are frequently challenged in libraries and schools, and these pressures affect the right of Canadians to decide for themselves what they should or should not read. Freedom to Read Week encourages Canadians to talk about and celebrate our intellectual freedom. Each year, Canada’s Book and Periodical Council ensures that this event raises awareness of Canada’s often little-known history of censorship and book banning, and the battles fought to keep books on the shelves of schools and libraries. Nationwide events throughout this week help raise awareness about the importance of protecting our right to read.
Editor’s Note: Freedom to Read week ends today, but the dialogue continues. To read the rest of the blog post, click here!
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My Account Page
The Society recognizes the importance of every Family Historian to be able to manage and know what their personal information is being used for. With this the Society continues to develop the "My Account" Page, where you can change things like your address, email address and reset your password. - Click here to learn more.
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CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Sat., Feb. 29th - Gene-O-Rama Research Room
Sat., Feb. 29th - National Time Refund Day! - what will you do with your extra 24 hours?
Tues., Mar. 3rd - 2:00 pm - Genealogy Drop-In
Tues., Mar. 3rd - 7:30 pm - Durham Region Branch Presentation
Thurs., Mar. 5th - Ontario Ancestors Webinar
Sat., Mar. 7th - 9:30 am - Ottawa DNA Interest Group
Sat., Mar. 7th - 10:00 am - London-Middlesex
Branch Presentation
Sat., Mar. 7th - 200 pm - Ottawa TMG Users Group
Sat., Mar. 7th - 2:00 pm - Simcoe County Branch Presentation
Sun., Mar. 8th - International Women's Day
February Black History Month
February is National Heart Month
Are there heritage events happening in your community? Send them in to eweekly@ogs.on.ca and we'll put them on our Calendar!
For additional genealogy events, visit the Society's Global Calendar here!
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FREE WEBINAR: Ute Brandenberg - Hidden Gems in German and Polish Archives and How to Find Them
Thursday, March 5th - 7:00 PM ET
Parish and civil registration records are the workhorse of German genealogy. Many researchers are unaware that there are manifold resources ranging from probate and court records to mortgage registers, tax lists, registers of settlers, and more, held by local and regional German archives. In addition, Polish archives are of great importance when researching Germans in the former Eastern Prussian provinces, for which church records sometimes have not survived. Archival materials can help you fill in blanks in your family tree but might also provide details not found in parish records, allowing you to gain a deeper understanding of your ancestors’ life experience. Many archives have been making great strides with digitizing inventories. It is now easier than ever to locate records of interest. This webinar will provide samples of records from different areas of Germany and Poland, analyze their value, and show how they were found.
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Check out our Global Events Calendar on the our website to see the meetings and events coming up soon. If your Branch or SIG has an event that you wish to advertise, please include it in the calendar. 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!
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Missed an issue of eWeekly? Click here to read previous editions of eWeekly.
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