90 schools now in Toronto war memorials database

Volunteers with the Toronto Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society have added about 3,000 new names since the fall of 2013 to For King and Country – the growing online Branch database of school memorials commemorating Toronto students and staff who volunteered for active service in the two World Wars and other military conflicts. This searchable collection now contains 90 schools and more than 35,000 names, with transcriptions and photographs of school war memorials, along with historical background and links to other useful school and community websites. The newest schools in the database are Oakridge Public School and Danforth Technical School. Danforth Tech holds the distinction of being the alma mater of a staggering 2,235 volunteers—students, graduates, teachers and other staff—more than any other school in the British Commonwealth—and it maintains an impressive archive of records, housed in its War Memorial Library. Explore For King and Country now at www.torontofamilyhistory.org/kingandcountry/, and contact co-ordinator Martha Jackson at kingandcountry@torontofamilyhistory.org if you would like to get involved with this project.

Gwyneth Pearce

Secretary – Toronto Branch, Ontario Genealogical Society

publicity@torontofamilyhistory.org

Now on Facebook and Twitter @TOFamilyHistory

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

Back up time!

Just a reminder to back up your genealogy data files and pictures. Also, remember to do this after you have had a busy day entering new information.

Best Wishes for 2014.

Happy New Year.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to all of our blog readers.

Edward

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.

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!