Kirsty Gray in Ottawa

The Special Genealogy Presentation on Sunday, sponsored by the Ottawa Branch Ontario Genealogical Society and the British Isles Family History Society of Greater Ottawa, was a great success. About 132 people squeezed into the Woodroffe United Church banquet hall to hear Kirsty Gray deliver two lectures: Solving Problems Through Family Reconstruction and Searching for Surnames: Challenges, Pitfalls and the Downright Ridiculous.

Advice and tips were provided on levels of family reconstruction, things to consider in family reconstruction and how to do it. Tips on searching the internet were also provided, with examples of interesting (ridiculous) items found in the census.

Hopefully we will have more events like this.

Special Genealogy Presentation - Sunday Nov. 2nd - Ottawa

Speaker: Kirsty Gray

Sunday, November 2, from 2 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Woodroffe United Church, Banquet Hall (207 Woodroffe Ave.)
Ottawa, Ontario

UK Rockstar Genealogist Kirsty Gray will give two lectures in Ottawa on Sunday November 2nd. The lectures, sponsored by the Ottawa Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society and the British Isles Family History Society of Greater Ottawa (BIFHSGO), will be:

1. Searching for Names: Challenges, Pitfalls and the Downright Ridiculous
2. Solving Problems Through Family Reconstruction

This event will be held at the Woodroffe United Church Banquet Hall (207 Woodroffe Ave) from 2-5 p.m. Admission is $10 per person at the door. A break with light refreshments will be held between the two lectures. Signed copies of Kirsty's book will be available.

Kirsty's first involvement in family history came at the tender age of seven years with her maternal grandfather’s tree in hand. Obsessed with her great-grandmother’s maiden name of Sillifant, Kirsty began a one-name study on the name in 1999, publishing tri-annual journals on the surname for more than ten years. Kirsty took up genealogy professionally while training to be a teacher in 2002. Running Family Wise Limited, Kirsty ‘finds people’ and has conducted research for private individuals, solicitors, academics and companies worldwide. As an author, Kirsty has written for many international publications on various topics for beginners to more advanced levels and her first book, Tracing Your West Country Ancestors, was published in March 2013 by Pen and Sword with her second, Tracing Your Industrial Ancestors, due out in early 2015. A sought-after lecturer, her knowledge and her energetic and infectious personality wows audiences around the world. Appointed as Director of English Studies with the National Institute for Genealogical Studies (University of Toronto, Canada) in 2011, Kirsty has more recently been awarded Superstar Genealogist (Gold Medalist in the Rockstar Genealogist Awards 2013) for the UK/Ireland by fellow family history professionals: Rockstar genealogists are those who give “must attend” presentations.

Special Presentation - Speaker Kirsty Gray

Special Presentation

Speaker: Kirsty Gray

Sunday, November 2, 2p.m. – 5p.m.

Woodroffe United Church, Banquet Hall (207 Woodroffe Ave.)

UK Rockstar Genealogist Kirsty Gray will give two lectures in Ottawa on Sunday November 2nd.  The lectures, sponsored by the Ottawa Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society and the British Isles Family History Society of Greater Ottawa (BIFHSGO), will be:

1. Searching for Names: Challenges, Pitfalls and the Downright Ridiculous

2. Solving Problems Through Family Reconstruction

This event will be held at the Woodroffe United Church Banquet Hall (207 Woodroffe Ave) from 2-5pm.  Admission is $10 per person at the door.  A break with light refreshments will be held between the two lectures.  Signed copies of Kirsty's book will be available.

Kirsty's first involvement in family history came at the tender age of seven years with her maternal grandfather’s tree in hand.  Obsessed with her great-grandmother’s maiden name of Sillifant, Kirsty began a one-name study on the name in 1999, publishing tri-annual journals on the surname for more than ten years.  Kirsty took up genealogy professionally while training to be a teacher in 2002.  Running Family Wise Limited, Kirsty ‘finds people’ and has conducted research for private individuals, solicitors, academics and companies worldwide.  As an author, Kirsty has written for many international publications on various topics for beginners to more advanced levels and her first book, Tracing Your West Country Ancestors, was published in March 2013 by Pen and Sword with her second, Tracing Your Industrial Ancestors, due out in early 2015.  A sought-after lecturer, her knowledge and her energetic and infectious personality wows audiences around the world.  Appointed as Director of English Studies with the National Institute for Genealogical Studies (University of Toronto, Canada) in 2011, Kirsty has more recently been awarded Superstar Genealogist (Gold Medallist in the Rockstar Genealogist Awards 2013) for the UK/Ireland by fellow family history professionals: Rockstar genealogists are those who give “must attend” presentations.

Gene-O-Rama 2014

Ottawa Branch Ontario Genealogical Society

Presents the 30th

GENE-O-RAMA

March 21-22, 2014

Confederation Education Centre
1645 Woodroffe Avenue, Ottawa
(corner of Hunt Club and Woodroffe)

Speakers, Marketplace, Computer Room
Featured speaker: Jane E. MacNamara
(www.dundurn.com/authors/jane_e_macnamara)

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

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

Register On-Line at  ogsottawa.on.ca/Gene-O-Rama

Colonel By Day, Ottawa, Ontario. August 5, 2013

Colonel By Day, Ottawa, Ontario. August 5, 2013

The day turned out to be a great day for this celebration. The weather cooperated with no rain. It was sunny mostly with a little breeze coming off the Ottawa River and funneling up the Rideau Canal entrance locks in Ottawa.

 Elizabeth and I along with Kyla and Mike looked after the Ottawa Branch Ontario Genealogical Society table for the day. We talked to a number of people during the day. There were a lot of people passing by but the traffic in the Exhibition tent seemed to be lighter than usual.

Three of us, Elizabeth, Edward and Kyla dressed up in costumes representing different time periods. I know that I did attract a little attention, as a number of people asked to take my photograph. Kyla had a demonstration of book binding and even made it on the CTV news that evening for about 5 to 10 seconds.

 The one group that did attract attention was the 78^th Fraser Highlanders Fort Glen Garrison. This is a re-enactment group staffed by students. They had a great drum and fife band and presented mini concerts throughout the day. There were many people dressed in costume wandering around during the day. There was the annual celebration at the Irish Workers Memorial cross beside the canal.

To find out more about Colonel John By do a goggle search and look at the Wikipedia article.

Also have a look at Council of Heritage Organizations of Ottawa (CHOO)website under events. www.choocopo.ca/english/.

CBC Radio One - Ottawa Morning - 1921 Census

Hi everyone:
You may be interested in the following.

Elizabeth and I were invited to be interviewed on CBC Radio One - Ottawa Morning, about the 1921 Canadian Census.

The interview took place today at about 6:25 a.m.

The interview can be found at:

http://www.cbc.ca/ottawamorning/index.html

Go to the Featured Audio section on the right side of the page and use the sliding bar to look for 1921 Census.

Enjoy!

It was an experience and so early in the morning!

Images from Col By Day in Ottawa Aug. 6, 2012