Category Archives: Meetings

Leeds & Grenville Branch Presentation – April 2023 – Getting Ready for the 1931 Census, and Beyond the Online Basics

Join us on Monday, April 3rd at 7:00 pm on Zoom for a special presentation from well-known Canadian genealogist Dave Obee. Dave will give us a two-fer evening – two short presentations on different topics.

The first topic is a timely one – Getting Ready for the 1931 Census! The 1931 national census is due to be released in June, 2023 — and since it will probably not be indexed right away, we need to get ready. Pick your priority people and get to work! This session offers ideas for identifying the census divisions and subdivisions where you will find your relatives. Using digitized census reports and mapping tools, you will be able to narrow your search options.

In the second presentation, Dave will take us Beyond the Online Basics: A Genealogical Guide to Digital Collections. There are billions of scanned pages on the Internet — a collection that few physical libraries could match. The problem is that many pages relevant to your research can be difficult to track down, since they are not on the usual genealogy websites. This session provides ideas on how to find the documents that will help you learn more about your families, or the local histories of the areas where they lived.

To join us for this presentation, visit our website leedsandgrenville.ogs.on.ca for the link to register or click this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUvc-2urz4qH9MlJAslt_6cNC2S0wPFfvD6

Everyone is welcome!

Leeds & Grenville Branch Presentation – March 2023 – Families Behind the Portraits of Frederick William Lock

Join us on Monday, March 6^th at 7:00 pm on Zoom when we will host a presentation jointly with the Brockville Museum about the Portraits of Frederick William Lock. Mr. Lock painted in the Brockville area beginning about 1853, and among his works in the Museum’s collection are portraits of several leading Brockville citizens of the time. The portraits from this collection are on display in the Museum’s Art Gallery until December of 2023, and the Leeds and Grenville Branch has partnered with the Museum to offer glimpses of the lives of the citizens in these portraits, and their genealogical roots. Our presentation is entitled Families Behind the Portraits.

The Sherwood and Buell families were among the first settlers to arrive in Leeds County in the 18^th century, and were instrumental in the development of the area, filling such roles as sheriff and surveyor, and turning tent homes into stone houses on the St. Lawrence River.

In the presentation Museum staff will talk about the artist (who married into a local family), and Branch volunteers will uncover the lives of those citizens portrayed in Lock’s portraits.

The Leeds & Grenville Branch of Ontario Ancestors is housed in the Brockville Museum, and is happy to showcase why local history and family history are so intertwined.

Everyone is welcome to join our online Zoom meeting, but registration is required. You can register at this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZElf-GtrTgrEtYK3Kbvovoho0CGRDO_e0QA.

We look forward to seeing you on March 6^th!

Leeds & Grenville Branch Presentation – February 2023 – Rail History in Eastern Ontario

Join us on Monday, February 6^th at 7:00 pm on Zoom for a presentation by Craig Stevenson on Rail History in Eastern Ontario and its relationship to local history and genealogy. Craig will discuss a few areas where rail was most visible in local life through to about 1960: stations, agricultural and economic connections, impact on the geography of some communities, and where and how railways connect to social history.

Craig is a rail enthusiast who is involved with Friends of Grand Trunk Railway 1008, preserving a precious piece of railway history! He teaches at Tagwi Secondary School in Avonmore, and has written a number of history articles pertaining to SD&G, as well as the St. Lawrence Seaway and local rail heritage.

To join us for this presentation, click this link to register: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUof-iuqT8rHN2ksY97rGzXOij3sx0fxBkG

Everyone is welcome!

Leeds & Grenville OGS Branch Drop-in Gathering – January 2023

Join us virtually on Wednesday, January 11th at 7:00 pm for our next Branch Drop-In Session using Zoom. Start your genealogy New Year off right with a gathering to talk about family history research!

We hope to have members and other researchers in Leeds & Grenville Counties share their research strategies and discover what resources are available in our Branch Archives that might help in your research.

We welcome short stories about successful research (AHA moments always welcome), and discussions about the brick walls you are facing! Maybe someone else in the meeting will be able to offer fresh insight into the challenge.

We look forward to talking with members and researchers about their successes and challenges, or simply talking genealogy!

This discussion is open to everyone, but you will need to register in advance. To register, visit our website at leedsandgrenville.ogs.on.ca and follow the link, or click this link: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAkf-mprjgiGd3piZQr9heqtrHpBmxoTlFb

We will send out instructions about how to participate with your confirmation email.

Leeds & Grenville Branch Presentation – December 2022 – The Thousand Islands History Museum

Join us on Monday, December 12^th at 7:00 pm on Zoom for the inside scoop on one of our area’s charming local museums, the 1000 Islands History Museum in Gananoque. Founded in 1995, the 1000 Islands History Museum is a family-friendly waterfront museum where you can experience ten thousand years of Canadian history in the Thousand Islands. From rum runners to river rats, explore the people, places, and heritage of Gananoque and the St Lawrence River through year-round interactive exhibits, lively community events, hands-on children’s activities, and a quality gift shop.

Collections Coordinator Zane Smith’s presentation will focus on the 1000 Islands History Museum’s mission and mandate to preserve and share the region’s diverse history. It will discuss how the Museum achieves this mission through collections management, conservation, research, exhibitions, community programs, and special events. The presentation will also highlight upcoming activities at the 1000 Islands History Museum and let everyone know how to get involved.

Everyone is welcome, but registration is required. You can register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYlcOqrqzoiH9MdsgZK-hOIstC8tFC8qqC4

After registering, you will receive an email with a link to join the presentation.

Leeds & Grenville Branch Presentation – November 2022 – British North America Preserved: The 1813 Battle of Crysler’s Farm

Join the Leeds & Grenville Branch, Ontario Ancestors and the Colonel Edward Jessup Branch, United Empire Loyalists of Canada, on Monday, November 14^th at 7:00 pm for an online presentation by Stuart Lyall Manson. In the presentation, titled “British North America Preserved: The 1813 Battle of Crysler’s Farm,” Stuart will focus on the context, impact, and aftermath of that important battle on the history of Canada. His PowerPoint slides associated with this presentation will be peppered with interesting images such as maps, documents, paintings, photographs and artifacts. Stuart will delve into aspects of the subject matter that are not well known to the general public.

The presentation is open to everyone, but you will need to register. Click this link to register: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcvd-utrzwsH9RuQNdpsas5SA15qMDfBSXD

Stuart is a professional historian and co-owner of an Ottawa research company called Public History, which specializes in Indigenous issues. He is also the author of the book series Sacred Ground: Loyalist Cemeteries of Eastern Ontario, the first volume of which was published in 2021, and the second volume is expected in 2023. Stuart also produces the historical newsletter The King’s Colour: A Broadside of Early Upper Canada, available on his website stuartmanson.wordpress.com.

Note: There is a memorial service held to commemorate this battle at Crysler’s Farm National Historic Site on November 11^th. Stuart Lyall Manson will be the guest speaker in 2022.

Leeds & Grenville Branch Drop-in Gathering – October 2022

Join us virtually on Thanksgiving Monday, October 10^th, at 7:00 pm for our first Branch Drop-In Session using Zoom. What better time than following a family gathering to talk about your family history research?

We look forward to talking with members and researchers about their successes and challenges, or simply talking genealogy!

This discussion is open to everyone, but you will need to register in advance. To register, visit our website and follow the link, or click this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAvcu2hpjItHtPw7THckJqmnFvDdFRlHk0j.

We will send out instructions about how to participate with your confirmation email.

Leeds & Grenville Branch Presentation – September 2022 – Farran Mackenzie Lost Villages Mysteries

On Monday, September 12^th at 7:00 pm on Zoom join the Leeds & Grenville Branch for a presentation by Maggie Wheeler, the Seaway Valley’s Queen of Crime. Maggie will speak about the origins of her Farran Mackenzie Lost Villages mysteries from the Seaway history, the connection to the history of the British Home Children, twenty years with Farran Mackenzie, and the finale of the series slated for October 2022.

Maggie holds a Masters in English and a Bachelor of Education in English and History, and is best known for showcasing the social, cultural and psychological impact of the St. Lawrence Seaway and Power Project construction on the Canadians it affected.

The presentation is free, and everyone is welcome, but registration is required. Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEldOigqD4tH9wTx-6MGXpRYa3c0XuaYR3F

Leeds & Grenville Branch – June 2022 Presentation – Life On the Rideau Lakes In the Early Years

Join us on Monday, June 13^th at 7:00 pm when local favourite Sue Warren will send us off into summer with Life on the Lakes in the Early Years – what daily life was like in the first two decades after the Rideau Canal was built.

*Watercolour of Jones Falls lockstation in 1838. Source: History of Jones Falls lockstation – Rideau Canal National Historic Site (pc.gc.ca)*

Life around the Rideau lakes – a discussion of the Rideau Lakes area covering First Nations, European settlement, agriculture, architecture, religion, medicine – daily life in the first half of the 19th century!

Sue is a board member and past chair of the Chaffey’s Lock and Area Heritage Society, and a former Parks Canada historical interpreter. After teaching for a number of years, Sue retired in 2016 as CEO of the Rideau Lakes Public Library system. She is also an avid Facebook poster and genealogist!

Everyone is welcome, but registration is required. You can register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZModeyhqjsvGNE-zxmQIXwRkZAG4LZoM8gq. After registering, you will receive an email with a link to join the presentation.

Leeds & Grenville Branch – May 2022 Presentation – Genealogy By Google

Join us on Monday, May 9^th at 7:00 pm when well-known Canadian genealogist Dave Obee will introduce us to Genealogy by Google.

Google is an invaluable tool for genealogists. It pays to know some tricks, including effective filtering and search strategies. Don’t forget Google Books, Google Maps, Google Images and the historic newspaper collection. You will quickly discover that a simple search simply scratches the surface of what is available to genealogists.

Everyone is welcome but registration is required. To register for this presentation click https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwudOiupzsjE90l_Zf0AxWd1Qy8W4tCdmNX. After registering, you will receive an email with a link to join the presentation.