Archive for the ‘OGS projects’ Category
Marketplace heats up at Conference 2013
Friday, May 31st, 2013Setting up for Conference 2013, Durham College, Oshawa
Friday, May 31st, 2013
For more information about Conference 2013 and the Conference Marketplace, please visit the Conference website at: http://www.ogs.on.ca/conference2013/home/
FYI:OGS Conference 2013 Daily Schedule posted & Registering at the door
Wednesday, May 29th, 2013For those of you who would like to see details of everything that’s happening at the OGS Conference 2013, here’s the Daily Schedule. You can still register at the door for lectures on Saturday and Sunday, but the food tickets may be all sold, so be sure to have alternate food plans just in case, and be prepared to pay by giving a credit card number, or using cheque or cash. There area also a few rooms left at the South Village Residence, although these are no longer held for our group.
Conference 2013 Daily Schedule:
More information about Conference 2013 can be found by visiting the conference website at: http://www.ogs.on.ca/conference2013/home/
OGS Conference 2013 Marketplace: You don’t have to be a registrant to shop!
Wednesday, May 29th, 2013The OGS Conference 2013 Marketplace is open to both registrants and non-registrants. OGS, its branches and special interest groups, other genealogical and historical societies, and commercial vendors will be displaying their products.
The latest publications, software, archival supplies, etc., will be available. Please note that many vendors are unable to accept debit or credit cards.
You should carry cash to avoid disappointment.
Marketplace Hours:
Friday, May 31st: 11:00 a.m.—6:00 p.m.
Saturday, June 1st: 10:00 a.m.—5:00 p.m.
Sunday, June 2nd: 8:30 a.m.—1:00 p.m.
Vendors, heritage organizations and OGS branches will set up displays in Durham College’s largest and newest gym, which is three full courts in total area.
Click here for a list of vendors at Conference 2013.
Hope to see you there!
OGS is changing, and we want your help!
Saturday, May 4th, 2013The OGS Board is calling for a few enthusiastic members to form a Communications Task Force to help the Society improve communications – between and among Society members, Branches and Special Interest Groups, the Board of Directors, the Provincial Office staff and others outside the Society.
We are seeking 5-6 volunteers for this small, short-term committee, tasked with specific outcomes. We are looking for individuals with communications expertise and experience; you do not need to be a Board or Branch Executive volunteer to take part. If you have been told you are a great communicator we need your help to steer the organization to a clear and well-defined process that will allow the Society to improve its relations at all levels.
For more information, please visit the Members Only section on the OGS website, and look for the Communications Task Force Mandate. If you are interested, please contact OGS President, Shirley Sturdevant at president@ogs.on.ca by May 21, 2013, and share with her your interest and the skills and experience you can bring to this task force.
FYI: New OGS-Dundurn Publication now available on our e-Store
Friday, April 5th, 2013
As part of the OGS and Dundurn Press joint publication project, the Ontario Genealogical Society is pleased to announce the publication of Jane E. MacNamara’s new book, Inheritance in Ontario.
Whether your ancestor left hundreds of acres of land, money, or a few modest belongings, the records created when those legacies were distributed can provide valuable clues to family connections, relationships, and just how your ancestors lived. Inheritance in Ontario, will help you determine whether your relative’s will was proved in the Court of Probate, surrogate courts, or another court, and navigate the finding aids to locate surviving estate files and other complementary records at the Archive of Ontario, local courthouse or archives, or through familysearch.org. Not every Ontario estate was handled by a court however, and land records, newspapers, and manuscript collections can also help you discover “who got what.”
Jane E. MacNamara is a long-time member of the Ontario Genealogical Society. She teaches and speaks about family history to groups throughout Ontario and is the organizer of Genealogy Summer Camp, a program attracting out-of-town researchers to Toronto for a week of hands-on research. Jane lives in Toronto and encourages readers to visit her website, wherethestorytakesme.ca
Inheritance in Ontario is available for purchase on the OGS e-store.
Creating an Index to a Family History?
Tuesday, August 7th, 2012“Genealogists enter family histories through the back door, through the index. If a book has no index, that door is closed” – Patricia Law Hatcher in Producing a Quality Family History.
When you create and index to your family history, consider formatting it so it can be easily added to The Ontario Name Index (TONI). TONI is a project of the Ontario Genealogical Society to create a single index of all the names in Ontario genealogy. Family histories are an important resource for genealogy so we want to include indexes to as many as possible.
The essential requirement of TONI is that we be able to extract the last name and first name separately. To do this, ensure that your index contains three or more clear columns:
Last Name First Name the rest (e.g. page number)
Brown Samuel 42
We can solve any other problems but if you want to make the conversion easier, contact toni@ogs.on.ca for further hints.
What genealogical books do you wish existed?
Monday, November 7th, 2011The Ontario Genealogical Society is looking for opportunities to publish books and other resources that meet the needs of our members, family and local historians, and the genealogical community.
We are looking particularly for “how-to” books that describe the methodology of undertaking family history research from Canada in other countries, such as Italy, Germany, and Scandinavia.
We are also interested in hearing of your ideas for publication, even if you are not an author yourself.
For details on how to submit a proposal, please visit http://www.ogs.on.ca/services/publishing.php or email the OGS Publishing Committee Chair at pacchair@ogs.on.ca
Talk To Your MPP about Bill 126
Monday, January 17th, 2011
Image: Evgeni Dinev, link below
Bill 126 has passed first reading and we need to keep the momentum going if we want the Bill to become a law. Read the Bill here
It’s great to sign a petition but what the government really needs to hear is your thoughts and feelings on the importance of cemetery preservation.
The preamble to the Act states that:
“Ontario’s cemeteries are unique repositories of human history and the resting places of human remains and associated artifacts like grave markers, tombstones and monuments. They are important elements of our collective heritage, a priceless authentic historical record of the past and witnesses to the continuity of life in Ontario. Many of Ontario’s cemeteries also contain significant ecological features invaluable to the natural heritage of Ontario.”
Cemeteries in Ontario, particularly those that are inactive, are under attack from those who would route roads through and build residential or commercial properties on them. This must not be allowed to happen.
If you feel likewise, you need to tell your government that this practice of allowing our cemeteries to be destroyed must be stopped. Form letters are ignored, therefore in your own words,
Tell them:
- The sanctity of the deceased is of paramount concern.
- The deceased have a right to rest in peace in the tradition and custom of their religion or beliefs at the burial site of their choosing.
- Common human dignity must be respected.
- The living must be responsible for the care of the deceased.
- The cultural heritage to which burial sites bear witness must be maintained to ensure the historical record for future generations.
If we don’t respect these places, it would be disastrous for the continuity of the historical record and our collective culture in this province.
Contact the following and tell them what you want them to do. You can use the telephone, email, postal mail or, if you see them on the street, stop and talk with them.
Dalton McGuinty, Premier of Ontario
Tim Hudak, Leader, Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario
Andrea Horwath, Leader, New Democratic Party of Ontario
John Gerretsen, Minister of Consumer Services (responsible for cemeteries)
Your local M.P.P.
Contact information is at http://www.ogs.on.ca/services/bill126.php
Hearing from you personally is the best way to make sure that they understand that this Act is important to you and should be passed into Law.
Time is of the essence as this Bill has only had 1st Reading. It needs to pass 2nd Reading, go through Committee hearings and then pass a 3rd Reading before it can be put into use. An election is scheduled for October 2011 and there will be the usual long summer recess so there is not much time to get all of the work done.
Please get busy!!
Help Make Bill 126 Law!
Monday, November 15th, 2010Bill 126 – An Act to Protect Ontario’s Inactive Cemeteries was introduced at the Ontario Legislature on November 2nd. The Bill prohibits the relocation of inactive cemeteries despite anything to the contrary in another Act or regulation dealing with cemeteries.
We need your help to get the Bill passed.
Find out how you can help here: Bill 126 – An Act to Protect Ontario’s Inactive Cemeteries