Tag Archives: United Counties of Leeds & Grenville

Celebrate Family Day Weekend with Leeds & Grenville Branch

To celebrate Family Day 2023, Leeds & Grenville Branch, along with several other branches and a SIG of Ontario Ancestor, will be offering access to the members’ section on their websites for the Family Day weekend! Anyone can purchase a “weekend access pass” to the thousands of records in these members’ areas. Other Branches /SIG participating include: Eastern European Special Interest Group, Essex Branch, Huron Branch, Kent Branch, Lambton Branch, Niagara Peninsula Branch, Oxford Branch, Simcoe Branch.

Access will begin on Friday, February 17th at 6:00 pm until Monday, February 20th at 6:00 pm. Access passes can be purchased from the “Marketplace” on the main Ontario Ancestors website https://ogs.on.ca/. Be sure to create yourself a free account on the site before you begin shopping. The cost of each access pass is $20.00 per branch/SIG.

How to get in on this great opportunity:

Head to the Ontario Ancestors’ website – www.ogs.on.ca

  • Log in or, if you do not already have a free account, create one (your access pass will be emailed to you)
  • Click on the green “Marketplace” button
  • On the “Products” page, click on “Branch/SIG Members Only Access”
  • Click on the branch/SIG you would like access to by clicking the “Add To Cart” button
  • Add another Branch/SIG by clicking on the “Continue Shopping” button
  • When finished, click on “Proceed to Checkout” button
  • Fill in your billing/payment preferences then click on “Place Order”
  • an email with your Family Day Weekend Access pass will be emailed to you

This is a great opportunity to check out thousands of resources available to assist you in your family history journey.

Happy Family Day Weekend!

Leeds & Grenville Branch Publications Now Available in Marketplace

Happy Holidays from your Leeds & Grenville Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society.  We have some exciting news that we couldn’t wait to share!
 
After months of work digitizing, formatting and creating descriptions, Leeds & Grenville Branch is thrilled to announce that our publications are now for sale in digital format in Ontario Ancestors Marketplace.  Simply visit the OGS website, click on Marketplace, then Branch Publications, and Leeds & Grenville.  We are still working on uploading, so if a publication you wish to purchase isn’t listed, please let us know at leedsgrenville@ogs.on.ca. 
 
Paper versions of most publications are still available to order from the Branch.  Contact us at the above address to enquire about availability and postage costs.
 
Thank you for supporting the Leeds & Grenville Branch as it works to preserve the genealogical history of the United Counties.

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 12th 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 14th 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 11th.  Stuart Lyall Manson will be the guest speaker in 2022.

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

Join us on Monday, June 13th 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 – March 2022 Presentation – Need Help With Family History?

Leeds & Grenville Branch Archives

We asked members of the Leeds & Grenville Branch to send us some requests for information on their family research in the Counties.  Branch researchers have researched in our Archives and online to see if we can answer their questions!  Join us on Monday, March 14th to hear what we’ve found!   Learn more about what we have in our files, and where the gaps are.  If you have questions about how to research in our Archives, we’ll be happy to answer them.  Everyone is welcome to join us on Monday, March 14th at 7:00 pm on Zoom.   To register visit this link:  https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYocu2grzwiH9KnwMLzCvaBHTfodqS6cHeR . You will receive a confirmation email with a link to the live presentation.

Leeds & Grenville Branch Presentation – Village of Athens (Farmersville) – Monday, October 4th, 2021 at 7:00 pm

The village of Athens (formerly known as Farmersville) is in the centre of Leeds & Grenville Counties.  Henry and Sally Smid’s presentation will include the story of Athens and Area Heritage Society Museum from its beginnings to its continued development. The Museum has provided a variety of exhibits, events, and presentations over the years and has experienced the challenges of being a small rural museum. Innovation and technology have been a part of the COVID years. The Museum has recently begun to upload its extensive archives and looks forward to future activities as pandemic regulations are lifted. To register for this free online presentation, click on this link: 

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYkdeGsqzwrHtaOLIvtz86ojq9HLdV5-KRt

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting.

Access to the Leeds & Grenville Branch Archives

Update Effective November, 2021

With the Proof of Vaccination policy:

• All Museum visitors will be asked if they pass screening (don’t have symptoms)
• Museum Front Desk volunteers will ask for and check Vaccine Certificate and government-issued ID for visitors (not for staff and volunteers). They will do this for Archives visitors as well.

The Brockville Museum is now open for visitors to its exhibits by appointment only and with capacity limits.  The Museum building, which houses the Archives of the Leeds & Grenville Branch, is open Tuesday through Saturday between 10:00 am and 4:00 pm.

The Leeds & Grenville Branch of OGS is working to re-open our Archives to visitors beginning Tuesday, September 14th, but only by appointment.  Our space limitations are such that we can only accommodate two visitors at a time in order to maintain physical distancing.  Masks must be worn to enter the Museum building, and while in our Archives space.

In order to book an appointment, please leave a message on our Voice Mail system (613-342-7773) or by email at leedsgrenville@ogs.on.ca, telling us your name and contact information (email and telephone preferred), the date and time you would prefer to visit, and alternates if possible.  We would also like to know the names or locations that you wish to research so that we can determine which resources we have available to assist.  Our Archives appointments will begin at either 15 minutes before the hour, or 15 minutes after, to avoid arrivals of Museum visitors and Archives visitors at the front desk at the same time.

Once we receive your request we will reach out to our researchers to determine whether we can accommodate your request, and match up the request with a researcher.  Any further instructions about on-site requirements will be given when we confirm your appointment.  We will advise the Museum once we confirm your appointment.  This process will take at least 48 hours to complete, so please be patient with us.  We are all volunteers.

Please note that drop-ins CANNOT be accommodated at this time.  If you have any questions, please either leave us a voice mail or send us an email and we will get back to you as soon as we can.