Ottawa Branch Library: 2013 year in review and latest additions for 2014

---from our Librarian, Grace Lewis

2013 was an active year for the Ottawa Branch OGS Library. We added over 300 new titles to our collection. We were fortunate to receive donations from several people, including Robert Campbell, Dorothy Relyea, Don Pounder and Wade and Maureen Lennox. Those volumes that were donated but did not fit with our collection policy were still valuable to us. If appropriate, we shared them with our BIFHSGO and UEL colleagues or sold them at our Library table during our monthly OBOGS meetings for members for a nominal donation. Some we also sold to dealers. The money raised in this manner was used to purchase more relevant material for our collection or to off-set the cost of supplies.

2014 promises to be just as busy and we have already logged the following books to the library:

• A Thousand Kin: The Bolgers of Shamrock, Ontario which was donated to us by the BIFHSGO library as it did not fit their collection as readily as it did ours.
  
  This indexed family history covers seven generations of Bolgers that have lived in North America, stemming from one set of Irish parents, native to County Wexford, Ireland and who had been transplanted to Renfrew County, Ontario.


• The Ottawa Sharpshooters: The Story of the Company and the men who served during the North West Rebellion, incorporating the Diary of Captain A. Hamlyn Todd
  In late March 1885, in reaction to proclamation of a Provisional Government by Louis Riel, thousands of volunteer militia soldiers set off for North West Canada to suppress the rebellion. This is the story of the Ottawa Company of Sharpshooters and the 53 men who served in the Company.
  
  The story of the Company's service during 1885 is told. Then, through original research, the diverse and sometimes strange histories of the men who served are revealed. You will encounter Canada's most famous racehorse, Northern Dancer; Impersonator Rich Little; Alice in Wonderland; a Senator who fell out of a train and much more.
  
  Transcripts of letters by Sharpshooter Herbert M. Jarvis and the Field Diary of Captain A. Hamlyn Todd, never before published, complete the picture.
  
  This tribute was researched, compiled and published by members of the British Isles Family History Society of Greater Ottawa from local sources supplemented with information from Sharpshooter descendants and relatives. It honours the Company and the men on the 120th anniversary of the Rebellion.


• To be continued…
  The Historical Society of Ottawa was formed in 1898 and is thought to be the oldest such group in Ottawa. The contents of this signed book includes: A Good Beginning; A New Home; A Broader, Stronger Society; Doing the Colonel Proud; A remarkable Milestone; and A Society at the Crossroads.

As well, we purchased eight CDs:

1. A Rideau Jaunt in 1872 or a Sketch of the Rideau Navigation from Ottawa to Kingston, Ontario
   On a July Thursday in 1872, William Mills, a Civil Servant took a couple of days off work to make a jaunt down the Rideau Canal from his home city of Ottawa to the busy St. Lawrence port of Kingston. He took his note book with him so that he could record the memorable events and sights of his journey, much in the manner that we would take a camera with us today. The resulting book is extremely interesting.


2. Hudson Bay: or Everyday life in the Wilds of North America
   Here is a narrative of firsthand experience in the service of the Hudson Bay Company during the 1840s.


3. History of the Ottawa Valley (first published in 1986 by J.L. Gourlay)
   Sub titled "A collection of facts, events and reminiscences for over half a century" this rare book is actually two separate and distinct books within one cover. The second book is titled “The difficulties of religion.


4. Ottawa & Kingston City Directory – 1875
   Far more than just the cities of Ottawa and Kingston, this directory covers most of the (in 1875) significant communities in Ontario lying North and East of Kingston, including Almonte, Arnprior, Barriefield, Brockville, Bryson, Carleton Place, Cornwall, Edwardsburg (now Cardinal?), Gananoque, Garden Island (Nr. Wolf Isl.), Iroquois, Kemptville, Kingston, Landsdowne (now Lansdowne), Lyn, Mallorytown, Merrickville, Morrisburg, New Edinburgh (now part of Ottawa), Ottawa, Pakenham, Pembroke, Perth, Portsmouth (now part of Kingston), Prescott, Renfrew, Richmond, Rochesterville (was part of Nepean Township), Sand Point, Smith's Falls, Westport, & Wolf Island. Also included are the Quebec communities lying along the North shore of the Ottawa River including Aylmer, Buckingham, Gatineau Point, Hull, Peche, Portage du Fort, & Shawville.


5. The Gazetteer & Classified Business Directory of Canada including Newfoundland – 1930
   This is a wonderful book with a truly misleading title. Of the almost 2000 pages in this book the gazetteer takes up 70 while the rest are devoted to a wonderfully complete directory of Canadian businesses and professional people and their advertising. This is a great resource in a country where early directories are so scarce. Both the gazetteer and the Business Directory are indexed by Province but the Business Directory is also sub-indexed by trade or profession.


6. The Might Directory of Ottawa, Hull and 7 Suburbs – 1926
   A very complete and useful directory of Ottawa and Hull for 1926 (which was the year Ottawa celebrated its centennial) and also including the (then) outlying districts.


7. The Ottawa City Directory – 1909
   A very complete and useful directory of Ottawa and Hull for 1909, including the (then) outlying districts of OTTAWA including Billings Bridge; Eastview (Old Cummings Bridge, Janeville [Vanier] & Clarkstown); Mechanicsville; and Rockliffe Park.
   
   The directory gives an alphabetical list of all business firms and private citizens.


8. Ottawa City Directory 1861-1862
   Here is an early directory of Ottawa/Bytown published by Boyd & McDonald. It advertises itself as containing, "..the names and residence of the Citizens; also, a subscribers Business Directory, classified according to trade." Examination seems to indicate that it also contains the names and addresses of business who were not "subscribers."

Gene-O-Rama 2014

                           

Ottawa Branch

Ontario Genealogical Society

Presents the 30th

GENE-O-RAMA

21-22 March 2014

Confederation Education Centre

1645 Woodroffe Avenue, Ottawa

(corner of Hunt Club and Woodroffe)

Speakers, Marketplace, Computer Room

Featured speaker: Jane E. MacNamara

(http://www.dundurn.com/authors/jane_e_macnamara)

For the latest details as they become available: http://ogsottawa.on.ca/geneorama/ 

For more information e-mail: conference@ogsottawa.on.ca

Register On-Line at  http://ogsottawa.on.ca/ottawa-genealogy-event-registration1/

New Ottawa Branch Banner unveiled at Heritage Day in Ottawa

A photo of the new Ottawa Branch banner at Heritage Day in Ottawa. The two distinguished gentlemen are Doug Gray and Mike More.

Call for Nominations - Ottawa Branch

The new Branch Council for Ottawa Branch will be elected at the Annual General Meeting on Saturday 21 June at 1pm at the City of Ottawa Central Archives at 100 Tallwood Drive. All positions on the Council are open for election and any interested members are to contact the Past Chair at pastchair@ogsottawa.on.ca.

The Council meets once a month from September to June and we are now using the Internet for those who cannot physically join us in the room. Details of the positions are available at http://ogsottawa.on.ca/home/about-2/ . Nominees must be members of OGS and Ottawa Branch.

With the new Governance Model in place at the Society, we can expect changes to the operations of both the Branch and OGS. We need a strong Society taking us into the next era of genealogical service. Many members are getting older or are already doing several jobs within the Branch and we are looking to new members to step up and take on some of the roles. There are members who would be willing and capable of taking on these positions but are waiting to be asked. Please consider yourself asked. Whether you have been a long-time or recent member, whether actively involved or “quiet”, please consider the skills and qualities you possess and the passion you have for helping your Society and Branch as we move forward in this hobby that we all love. If you don’t feel up to the task right away, you could work with the current volunteer before assuming full responsibility. Few of us knew what to do when we started and we learned our way with on-the-job training from those who were more experienced.

Is there something specific that you would like to do? The Member-At-Large positions have no firm duties, so we could use people who would like to assist with tasks such as Gene-O-Rama, Outreach, Special Events, Social Media, Liaison or Publicity. Or would you like to run a project that would help the lot of genealogists in the area?

With your help, OGS and Ottawa Branch will stay strong and meet its mission:

To encourage, bring together and assist those interested in the pursuit of family history and to preserve our Ontario genealogical heritage.

Please consider where you fit into our future. If there is a part you can play on the Branch Council or in any other role with the Branch as a volunteer, now is the time to step forward. We need motivated people who are passionate about OGS, prepared to use their skills on behalf of others, willing to bring fresh ideas and, most of all, prepared to work to make things happen on behalf of all members. Our Branch cannot continue to exist if there is no one to lead.

Ontario Genealogical Society at a Crossroads - A Message from the President

Over the last weeks, information has been distributed about the Society elections on May 3, 2014. Like many organizations, OGS finds itself at a crossroads. To be relevant in the future we need to understand not only who we have been and who we are, but who we need to be. We have been “Community, Education, and Advocacy” to serve our mission and objectives on behalf of our members and the broader genealogical community.

Now...The Society has a new governance model and seeks candidates for all positions – President, Vice - President and 4 - 6 Directors - at - Large. As President, I have spoken with many members, both veteran and new, and all have a desire to see a strong society taking us into the next era of genealogical service. Many are getting older or are already doing several jobs within the Branch, Special Interest Group (SIG) or Society. Others have already served in many ways throughout their membership. We are looking to new members to step up and take on roles, either within the Branch or SIG, or on the Society’s Board

Many feel there are members who would be willing and capable of taking on these positions but are waiting to be asked. It is also a fact that the greater the numbers , the less likely someone is to volunteer, the assumption being that someone else will step forward.

Please consider yourself asked.

Whether you have been a long - time or recent member, whether actively involved or “quiet”, please consider the skills and qualities you possess and the passion you have for helping your Society as we come to this crossroads in our history – our future

We need members with skills in a variety of categories as outlined in the Call for Nominations found in the OGS Members Only area: https://www.ogs.on.ca/membersonly/mem_sign_in.php . No one candid ate must be all things; each will bring his or her own unique skill(s). These will change over time as the needs of The Society change; new Directors in future years will bring new sets of skills. Over the long - term, OGS will stay strong and meet its mission:

To encourage, bring together and assist those interested in the pursuit of family history and to preserve our Ontario genealogical heritage.

Please consider where you fit into our future. If there is a part you can play on the OGS Board, now is the time to step forward. If you see another whom you might replace within your Branch/SIG to allow them to step forward, think about doing so now. Let’s find motivated people who are passionate about OGS, prepared to use their skills on behalf of others, willing to bring fresh ideas and, most of all, prepared to work jointly as a Board to actively make these things happen on behalf of all members of The Society.

Our Society cannot continue to exist if there is no one to lead.

Yes, together we are at a crossroads. Together we must choose the right direction.

Together we are OGS!

Please see the OGS Members Only area:https://www.ogs.on.ca/membersonly/mem_sign_in.php for more details.

Make arrangements for further discussion or to get answers to your questions by emailing nominations@ogs.on.ca or president@ogs.on.ca .

Call for Candidates closes February 21, 2014.

FUNDING FOR GENEALOGICAL PROJECTS

From the Ottawa Branch website at http://ogsottawa.on.ca/grants/

The Ottawa Branch of the Ontario Genealogical society is offering  grants of up to  $2,500 each to  support genealogically related projects within the geographical area under the Ottawa Branch of  the  Ontario Genealogical Society , which includes the amalgamated City of  Ottawa, the United Counties of Prescott & Russell, the County of Lanark and the County of Renfrew. The total  grant money available for 2014 is $5 , 000.

Acceptable projects will contribute to the knowledge of genealogical techniques and to the  knowledge of genealogy relating to names, places, dates and family histories. This can include  creating publications, developing databases, digitization of  archival  material collections, hosting  training  sessions and  workshops, and the preservation of  archival  material collections. This grant  is not meant to fund employees, or other in - house labour wages , but c a n be used to contract  services and goods. 

Only  non - commercial entities may apply for this grant money including, genealogy societies,  museums, archives, libraries, schools, historical societies, and community groups. An eligible  applicant may submit more than one project proposal in any given year, and may apply in any  year t he grants are offered regardless of previous proposals or grants issued.

Successful applicants will be required to prepare and deliver a presentation related to their  funded project at either a Branch Meeting or Ottawa Branch Conference.  The support and  funding given by the Ottawa Branch must be acknowledged with the logo, web address, and  name of the Ottawa Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society appearing on all promotional  material and/or physical aspects related to all projects receiving funding.  Successful applicants  must agree in writing to these conditions. 

Application Deadline:  March 15 , 2014 

See for details. at http://ogsottawa.on.ca/grants/