25 December 2013

10 December 2013

Ottawa Branch OGS Meeting - Saturday December 14th

Saturday, December 14, 1:00 - 3:00 p.m.


City of Ottawa Archives, 100 Tallwood Drive, Ottawa. Room 115

1:00-1:30 Free refreshments and networking

Speaker:  Andrew Jeanes is a Culture Services Advisor at the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport and studied heritage conservation under Herb Stovel at Carleton University’s School of Canadian Studies.

Topic:  Freiman’s Santa Claus Train.  Ottawa’s premier department store, Freiman’s, operated the Santa Claus train from 1956 to 1967.  Santa boarded the train, surrounded by children, at Vars, whose former station is now preserved at the Cumberland Heritage Village Museum.  The arrival to a civic welcome at Union Station, followed by a parade down Rideau Street to Freiman’s was a major Ottawa event.

Please check the Branch web site www.ogsottawa.on.ca/ for last minute changes.

05 December 2013

Don't forget to back up your computer files.

Backup your hard drive. If you have not done a backup so far this month make it a priority today.

You may also want to consider backing up files you have  been working on during a particular day.
You could use a USB or Thumb drive for that!

30 November 2013

RIP Peter Martin

After a courageous battle with cancer, Peter passed away at the Elizabeth Bruyere Health Centre on Thursday, November 28th, 2013, at the age of 75. He is survived by his wife Gertraude (nee Mueller) and his son Gordon (Andrea). He is predeceased by his son David (Tammy). He was the grandfather of Sarah, Chelsea and Jessica. Dear brother of Donald and Elizabeth Procter. Peter retired from the NAV CAN Air Traffic Control Simulation Centre. He was a longtime member of St. Timothy's Church and its choir, a longtime volunteer of the Ottawa branch - Ontario Genealogical Society, as well as the Gracefield Presbyterian Camp. Family and friends are invited to gather at St. Timothy's Presbyterian Church, 2400 Alta Vista Drive, for a service in his memory on Monday, December 2nd at 11 a.m., with refreshments to follow. For those wishing, donations to the Elizabeth Bruyere Health Centre are appreciated.

Published in The Ottawa Citizen on Nov. 30, 2013

Peter served as the Program Director for Ottawa Branch for many years and was also our "Sign Master" for conferences and Gene-O-Rama for many years, producing countless signs to lead the attendees around the venue. Peter came out to Ottawa Genealogy Day in May to help with the audio-visual. Thanks for all your support, Peter.
MARTIN, Peter J.
After a courageous battle with cancer, Peter passed away at the Elizabeth Bruyere Health Centre on Thursday, November 28th, 2013, at the age of 75. He is survived by his wife Gertraude (nee Mueller) and his son Gordon (Andrea). He is predeceased by his son David (Tammy). He was the grandfather of Sarah, Chelsea and Jessica. Dear brother of Donald and Elizabeth Procter. Peter retired from the NAV CAN Air Traffic Control Simulation Centre. He was a longtime member of St. Timothy's Church and its choir, a longtime volunteer of the Ottawa branch - Ontario Genealogical Society, as well as the Gracefield Presbyterian Camp. Family and friends are invited to gather at St. Timothy's Presbyterian Church, 2400 Alta Vista Drive, for a service in his memory on Monday, December 2nd at 11 a.m., with refreshments to follow. For those wishing, donations to the Elizabeth Bruyere Health Centre are appreciated.

Published in The Ottawa Citizen on Nov. 30, 2013
- See more at: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/ottawacitizen/obituary.aspx?n=peter-martin&pid=168246907#sthash.qTJrRB5M.dpuf
MARTIN, Peter J.
After a courageous battle with cancer, Peter passed away at the Elizabeth Bruyere Health Centre on Thursday, November 28th, 2013, at the age of 75. He is survived by his wife Gertraude (nee Mueller) and his son Gordon (Andrea). He is predeceased by his son David (Tammy). He was the grandfather of Sarah, Chelsea and Jessica. Dear brother of Donald and Elizabeth Procter. Peter retired from the NAV CAN Air Traffic Control Simulation Centre. He was a longtime member of St. Timothy's Church and its choir, a longtime volunteer of the Ottawa branch - Ontario Genealogical Society, as well as the Gracefield Presbyterian Camp. Family and friends are invited to gather at St. Timothy's Presbyterian Church, 2400 Alta Vista Drive, for a service in his memory on Monday, December 2nd at 11 a.m., with refreshments to follow. For those wishing, donations to the Elizabeth Bruyere Health Centre are appreciated.

Published in The Ottawa Citizen on Nov. 30, 2013
- See more at: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/ottawacitizen/obituary.aspx?n=peter-martin&pid=168246907#sthash.qTJrRB5M.dpuf
MARTIN, Peter J.
After a courageous battle with cancer, Peter passed away at the Elizabeth Bruyere Health Centre on Thursday, November 28th, 2013, at the age of 75. He is survived by his wife Gertraude (nee Mueller) and his son Gordon (Andrea). He is predeceased by his son David (Tammy). He was the grandfather of Sarah, Chelsea and Jessica. Dear brother of Donald and Elizabeth Procter. Peter retired from the NAV CAN Air Traffic Control Simulation Centre. He was a longtime member of St. Timothy's Church and its choir, a longtime volunteer of the Ottawa branch - Ontario Genealogical Society, as well as the Gracefield Presbyterian Camp. Family and friends are invited to gather at St. Timothy's Presbyterian Church, 2400 Alta Vista Drive, for a service in his memory on Monday, December 2nd at 11 a.m., with refreshments to follow. For those wishing, donations to the Elizabeth Bruyere Health Centre are appreciated.

Published in The Ottawa Citizen on Nov. 30, 2013
- See more at: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/ottawacitizen/obituary.aspx?n=peter-martin&pid=168246907#sthash.qTJrRB5M.dpuf
MARTIN, Peter J.
After a courageous battle with cancer, Peter passed away at the Elizabeth Bruyere Health Centre on Thursday, November 28th, 2013, at the age of 75. He is survived by his wife Gertraude (nee Mueller) and his son Gordon (Andrea). He is predeceased by his son David (Tammy). He was the grandfather of Sarah, Chelsea and Jessica. Dear brother of Donald and Elizabeth Procter. Peter retired from the NAV CAN Air Traffic Control Simulation Centre. He was a longtime member of St. Timothy's Church and its choir, a longtime volunteer of the Ottawa branch - Ontario Genealogical Society, as well as the Gracefield Presbyterian Camp. Family and friends are invited to gather at St. Timothy's Presbyterian Church, 2400 Alta Vista Drive, for a service in his memory on Monday, December 2nd at 11 a.m., with refreshments to follow. For those wishing, donations to the Elizabeth Bruyere Health Centre are appreciated.

Published in The Ottawa Citizen on Nov. 30, 2013
- See more at: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/ottawacitizen/obituary.aspx?n=peter-martin&pid=168246907#sthash.qTJrRB5M.dpuf
MARTIN, Peter J.
After a courageous battle with cancer, Peter passed away at the Elizabeth Bruyere Health Centre on Thursday, November 28th, 2013, at the age of 75. He is survived by his wife Gertraude (nee Mueller) and his son Gordon (Andrea). He is predeceased by his son David (Tammy). He was the grandfather of Sarah, Chelsea and Jessica. Dear brother of Donald and Elizabeth Procter. Peter retired from the NAV CAN Air Traffic Control Simulation Centre. He was a longtime member of St. Timothy's Church and its choir, a longtime volunteer of the Ottawa branch - Ontario Genealogical Society, as well as the Gracefield Presbyterian Camp. Family and friends are invited to gather at St. Timothy's Presbyterian Church, 2400 Alta Vista Drive, for a service in his memory on Monday, December 2nd at 11 a.m., with refreshments to follow. For those wishing, donations to the Elizabeth Bruyere Health Centre are appreciated.

Published in The Ottawa Citizen on Nov. 30, 2013
- See more at: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/ottawacitizen/obituary.aspx?n=peter-martin&pid=168246907#sthash.qTJrRB5M.dpuf
MARTIN, Peter J.
After a courageous battle with cancer, Peter passed away at the Elizabeth Bruyere Health Centre on Thursday, November 28th, 2013, at the age of 75. He is survived by his wife Gertraude (nee Mueller) and his son Gordon (Andrea). He is predeceased by his son David (Tammy). He was the grandfather of Sarah, Chelsea and Jessica. Dear brother of Donald and Elizabeth Procter. Peter retired from the NAV CAN Air Traffic Control Simulation Centre. He was a longtime member of St. Timothy's Church and its choir, a longtime volunteer of the Ottawa branch - Ontario Genealogical Society, as well as the Gracefield Presbyterian Camp. Family and friends are invited to gather at St. Timothy's Presbyterian Church, 2400 Alta Vista Drive, for a service in his memory on Monday, December 2nd at 11 a.m., with refreshments to follow. For those wishing, donations to the Elizabeth Bruyere Health Centre are appreciated.

Published in The Ottawa Citizen on Nov. 30, 2013
- See more at: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/ottawacitizen/obituary.aspx?n=peter-martin&pid=168246907#sthash.qTJrRB5M.dpuf

19 November 2013

Boyd family history and the house at 173 Huntmar Drive

The Ottawa Start blog is currently doing a 5 part series on the history of the house at 173 Huntmar Drive in Stittsville. Part two provides a really interesting look at the Boyd family who bought the property around 1872, farmed the land, and built the house that is there today. Included in the article are lovely old photos, newspaper clippings and screen shots of census records.

Parts 3, 4 and 5 will be posted later this week.

14 November 2013

Ottawa Branch OGS Meeting - Saturday November 16th


Ottawa Branch OGS General Meeting

Saturday November 16th, 13:00 – 15:00
City of Ottawa Archives, 100 Tallwood Drive, Ottawa. Room 115.
Please arrive by 1:00 p.m. for free refreshments and a chat time (networking).

Topic: How do I prove it - Genealogical Proof Standard (GPS)

Speaker: Heather Oakley

Proof is a fundamental concept in genealogy. In order to merit confidence, each conclusion about an ancestor must have sufficient credibility to be accepted as "proved."" (Board for Certification of Genealogists).  In this presentation, OGS Ottawa branch board member Heather Oakley will describe the 5 elements of the GPS and will explain how to use the standard to come to credible conclusions.

06 November 2013

The joyless fate of St. James Anglican Church


.



 St-James Anglican  Church in old Hull Quebec was sold last year and is now called St-James Décor (furniture); a sad ending. This Church was erected in the time of Philomen Wright. The Anglican St. James Parish, founded in 1823, was the first in the entire region on either side of the Ottawa River. The current church, dating from 1901, succeeded two others that had burned down in 1865 and 1900. The church was the place of worship for most of the early anglophone settlers of Hull, but since 1977, it has served the multi-ethnic francophone Christian Community of Saint-Bernard-de-Clairvaux. An active centre of religious, community and cultural activities, St. James Church, has played an important role in the revitalization of the Promenade du Portage


You can read more on the church at http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/city/story.html?id=5f6ee361-d0fc-4375-80ba-5b766a510528 .

Information on the church cemetery is included at: http://geneofun.on.ca/cems/qc/QCGAT0173?PHPSESSID=f1f0a5df384043ef74950d3861818753

and the church records are listed at http://www.archivescanada.ca/english/search/ItemDisplay.asp?sessionKey=999999999_142&l=0&lvl=1&v=0&coll=0&itm=261115&rt=1&bill=1 .

Thanks to Norah Cousins-La Rocque for this information

03 November 2013

When Life decides to throw you a Curve Ball

Early Thursday evening of September 19th Ian Munro, the husband of  Ottawa Branch member Susan Munro, suffered a heart attack at home and unfortunately they were not able to save him.

 


Susan organized Gene-O-Rama for many years and has been back on many occasions to help at the event. She also helped organize a number of the OGS Conference in recent years and was presented with an Honorary Membership in The Society for her service earlier this year.

A memorial service for Ian took place on Saturday October 5th 2013 at the St Thomas a Beckett Church in Mississauga for the family and friends from the area. 

Because of the health of his Mom and Susan's parents, a second service will be held in Ottawa.

The memorial service in Ottawa will be Saturday, November 9th at Barrhaven United Church at 1 o'clock.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum or the Arthritis Society of Canada.


Coming to Ottawa to do research? What you need to know

Last weekend we got a question from someone who had driven from LA to Ottawa to do research on a family member. They only had a few days available for research and wanted to know where to start. Board member John Patton provided the following advice that is useful for anyone planning a trip to Ottawa for research:
  • Day 1: spend your first day at Library and Archives Canada and/or the Ottawa Public library (Main Branch--especially its Ottawa Room).
  • Day 2: spend your second day at the City of Ottawa Archives which, in addition to its own records, also houses the research collections of The Ottawa Branch OGS, the British Isles Family History Society of Greater Ottawa and the Sir Guy Carleton Branch of the United Empire Loyalist Association.
All of these places have staff and volunteers available to assist you. Don't forget to check the hours of operation for all three when planning your trip.

In advance of your trip - don't forget to apply for your user card for Library and Archives Canada. As OGS member Ken McKinlay told us in his talk at last week's Canada and the First World War event, you can apply for this card online and your user card number is emailed to you within 2 business days. You can also request the documents you would like to review in advance through this online form.

02 November 2013

Don't forget to back up your computer files.

Backup your hard drive. If you have not done a backup so far this month make it a priority today.

OGS Facebook page reaches 1000 'likes'


The OGS Facebook page reached a milestone this week as the 1000th person clicked "Like" and began following the page to stay abreast of OGS news and genealogical information. If you are a Facebook user and you haven't "liked" our page yet, this is a great time to do so. New information is shared several times a day and the page has grown into a family history discussion forum for members and non members alike. Come join us!

31 October 2013

1921 Canadian Census - Indexed

I hope you have all noticed that the 1921 Census is now indexed and available on Ancestry.ca. Transcription errors are still there, so as you go through your names, please make corrections.

16 October 2013

Honour your First World War ancestors! Saturday October 26th



Saturday, October 26, 9:00 to 16:00
A full day genealogical event including the
Ryan Taylor Memorial Lecture
Ben Franklin Place, Centrepointe Drive, Ottawa
Council Chambers

Honour your First World War ancestors!  In the morning, archivist and historian Glenn Wright will explain how to search for information on your military ancestor in his or her service record, and genealogist Ken McKinlay will provide a case study of an individual.  

In the afternoon, historian and strategic analyst Andrew Godfrey will present the Ottawa Branch's Ryan Taylor Memorial Lecture on the contributions of Canada and Ottawa to the Great War.   

Bring your Great War memorabilia for display or identification!  This full day event is offered in partnership with the Ottawa Public Library, the British Isles Family History Society and the Ottawa Branch of the Ontario Genealogy Society. 

Registration is not required. No registration fee.

03 October 2013

Don't forget to back up your computer files.

Backup your hard drive. If you have not done a backup so far this month make it a priority today.

19 September 2013

The Friends of Library and Archives Canada - Annual Giant Book Sale

The Friends of Library and Archives Canada

Annual Giant Book Sale
September 20 to 22, 2013

St. Laurent Centre, 1200 St. Laurent Blvd., Ottawa.

Lots and lots of books, including books on history. & travel.
Used and New. English and French. LPs, CDs etc.

For more information: 613-943-1544.
www.friendsoflibraryandarchivescanada.ca

This video shows behind the scenes and volunteer work that goes on year round at Tunney's Pasture to make the book sale possible.    www.morfa.com/morfaEX/flac2013.htm

The second video is about all the acquisitions that both the LAC and NLC have acquired with the financial assistance of the Friends.  The Sherbrooke Collection was the last acquisition for / by
the LAC.    www.morfa.com/morfaEX/flac2013A.htm

12 September 2013

Toronto Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society: Call for Speakers - Scottish Workshop



The Toronto Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society have just issued a Call for Speakers for a spring 2014 workshop titled “Scotland and its People”.

This full-day workshop for family historians, to be held on Saturday 12 April 2014, will explore the social, economic and cultural history of Scotland.

We are seeking proposals for presentations at this workshop from professional genealogists, historians, family historians, librarians and archivists.

The deadline for proposals is Monday 18 November 2013. The text of the call is available through the Branch website at www.torontofamilyhistory.org.

Best regards,

Gwyneth Pearce
Secretary – Toronto Branch, Ontario Genealogical Society