Ottawa Branch
of The Ontario Genealogical Society
is pleased to host
Conference 2017
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Facebook, Twitter & Instagram at Algonquin College, Ottawa, Ontario
Events happening 15 June - 19 June 2017!
Go to https://conference2017.ogs.on.ca/ for more information and to register.
Early Bird Registration through 31 March 2017
oin us for the 150th Anniversary of
Confederation! Ottawa has other special
events before and after Conference so
consider making an extended stay.
All activities and sessions have been grouped
into 8 different themes. Follow the colour coding
to find the tours, workshops and sessions that
interest you the most. They are:
Canada General
Ontario
The Provinces
Canada/US
Military
DNA
Irish
General Interest
Algonquin College has completed major
renovations since we last had Conference
there. Walking distances are modest and
the accommodations in the residence are
convenient.
Algonquin Residence offers:
• 2 separate bedrooms each with desk, dresser
and oversized double bed (linens provided)
• Kitchenette with sink, full size fridge,
microwave, seating area with table and chairs
• 3 piece washroom stocked with guest
amenities
• Telephone with complimentary local calls
• High speed internet
Payment is due in full at check in.
Group Promo code: 385605
Group Cut Off Date: May 1, 2017
Book your suite at http://tinyurl.com/hashgb8
or call 613.727.7698. Breakfast is not
included. Meal information is available on the
registration form enclosed.
Wednesday 14 June 2017
18:00–19:30 Registration in Residence
Thursday 15 June 2017
08:00–19:00 Registration in Residence
Please note that Conference 2017 reserves the
right to alter the program as needed.
Thursday
Research Excursions
X3 – Ottawa Public Library
(20 people max)
There are 4 excursions to choose from. All
research excursions include transportation to
and from the Algonquin Residence. Lunches
are not included with any excursion.
The Ottawa Public Library (OPL) collection
concentrates on the Ottawa Valley, eastern
Ontario, and western Quebec. It includes
cemetery and church register transcriptions,
census indexes, local histories, family histories,
historical atlases, maps, local historical
newspapers on microfilm, indexes to local
historical newspapers, and Ottawa city
directories from 1840 onward. Free access
is provided to Ancestry, Généalogie Québec,
Programme de recherche en démographie
historique (PRDH), and the historical Globe and
Mail. The OPL catalogue can be searched at
www.BiblioOttawaLibrary.ca.
All day excursions X1, X2 & X3 depart
the residence at 9:00 and depart the
research location at 15:00.
X1 – Library and Archives
Canada
(45 people max)
Library and Archives Canada (LAC) is the repository for federal government records such
as passenger lists, census records, military
records, city directories, photographs, newspapers, family histories and a large collection
of indexes. There will be 3 one-hour tours of
15 people each (2 in English and 1 in French)
with the remainder of day for individual research. Participants who do not already have
an LAC user card should register in advance
at http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/thepublic/005-4060-e.php. For advice on preparing for the visit see https://thediscoverblog.
com/2012/05/29/the-top-five-things-youneed-to-know-before-you-visit/.
X2 – Canadian War Museum
(45 people max.)
The Canadian War Museum’s exhibition
galleries emphasize the human experience
of war from earliest times to present day, as
well as Canada’s history of honouring and
remembrance. The museum’s collections include
rare vehicles, artillery, uniforms, medals,
personal memoirs and more than 13,000 works
in the Beaverbrook Collection of War Art—in
total, more than 3 million artifacts, specimens,
works of art, written documents and sound and
visual recordings. The Military History Research
Centre houses the George Metcalf Archival
Collection and the Hartland Molson Library.
This excursion includes a tour of the exhibition
galleries (1 hour), a behind-the-scenes tour of
the vaults (1 hour), a tour of the archives and
library (1 hour) and individual research in the
Military History Research Centre for remainder
of day. Cafeteria on-site. For more information
see http://www.warmuseum.ca/.
Afternoon only excursion, X4, departs
the Algonquin Residence at 12:30 with
return departure at 16:00.
X4 – City of Ottawa Archives
(24 people max.)
The City of Ottawa Archives (COA) is the
repository for Ottawa’s documentary history.
The 16,000-volume reference library holds
photographs, maps, architectural drawings and
artifacts telling the history and development of
Ottawa. COA also hosts the libraries of several
genealogical societies including Ottawa
Branch. For more information about COA see
http://ottawa.ca/en/residents/arts-heritageand-culture/city-ottawa-archives/collectionsand-research. After a tour and a behind-thescenes look at COA, participants may conduct
their own research with assistance available. If
possible, please bring your own laptop.
Do you have online research that
you do not have access to at home or
need a little help with? A Research
Room will be available all hours
that Marketplace is open on Friday,
Saturday and Sunday.
18:00–22:00
Pub Night
Sponsored by the British Isles
Family History Society of
Greater Ottawa (BIFHSGO)
Friday Workshops
07:30–08:45 Breakfast
08:00–19:00 Registration in Algonquin
Student Commons
08:00–11:00 Marketplace Set-up
11:00–19:00 Marketplace Open
09:00–12:00 Six concurrent workshops
are available
W01 – Think Like a Genealogist:
Creative Research Techniques
to Help You Follow the Right
Ancestral Trail (40 max)
with Jane E. MacNamara
Family history research is all about following
clues and creativity—imagining what records
might exist around a life event, figuring out
how to find the records, gleaning every bit
of information from them—and letting those
records lead you to the next source. This
workshop will reinvigorate your research with
new ideas and techniques. There will be lots of
practical examples and class participation.
W02 – A Snap in Time, A Shot for
the Future: History of Photographic
Process and Preserving Your
Photographs (20 max) with Kyla
Ubbink CAPC
Through presentation, hands-on activities
and demonstrations learn about the various
photographic processes, dating photographs
based on their type, how to preserve and
care for photographs and basic digitization
techniques.
W03 – Developing Your Technology
Toolkit: Essential Gadgets and
Best Practices to Becoming a
Digital Genealogist
with D. Joshua Taylor MA MLS
Discover technologies to further your
genealogical research, including methods to
track, store and organize documents, research
notes, family trees, and other important
materials in digital form.
W04 – Searching Effectively for
Canadian Records on Ancestry.ca
with Lesley Anderson
This workshop will focus on how to search for
Canadian records, but there are many useful
hints for anyone starting out on Ancestry no
matter in which country you are researching.
Topics include how to search the census, vital,
military, immigration and other records, family
Want to learn more about
Ancestry? Come to Ancestry
Day on Monday, June 19th, a
Conference add-on. A full day
with special speakers to discover
how to get the most from Ancestry.
https://conference2017.ogs.ca/
program/monday-ancestry-day/
trees, hints, and DNA which cross a broad
spectrum of other Ancestry websites besides
Ancestry.ca.
W10 – Using Family Reconstruction
to Break Down Brick Walls
with Kirsty Gray
W05 – Finding Your Family in
Ontario Historical Records
(45 max)with Stephen C. Young
So, you have hit a brick wall in your research?
What do you do about it? Leave it for years
and hope it will crumble without giving it any
attention? Why not use family reconstruction!
In this workshop, Kirsty Gray will provide
practical tips, methods and ideas to assist with
the more challenging problems in your tree
as well as detailing how family reconstruction
can help in surname and place studies. No
guarantees though!
Since the United Empire Loyalists first settled
in the 1780s along the lakes, rivers and
streams of what would become Canada
West, Upper Canada, and then Ontario, civil
and sectarian records have documented the
growth and prosperity of the province and
its people. This hands-on computer workshop
will trace the evolution of those records and
provide experience in their merits and uses in
identifying your ancestors. Please setup a free
account with FamilySearch before you arrive.
Bring your password and a few scanned
images to upload to your tree.
W06 – Using Family Finder
Effectively: A Multi-kit Approach
with Linda L. Reid
Learn the strategy of recruiting relatives to test
so that you can compare their autosomal DNA
with that of new genetic cousins, using features
such as “matches in common”, the chromosome
browser and the matrix on Family Tree DNA’s
autosomal test. The discussion will include
privacy and ethical issues, being “cousin bait”,
contacting matches and the ethnic analysis
feature.
12:00–13:30 Lunch
13:30 – 16:30 Six additional concurrent
workshops are available
W07 – Plot a Family History Story
with Lynn Palermo
This workshop provides students with the tools
to outline a family history story that will serve
as their guide in writing an engaging and compelling story that their family will want to read.
Students will learn to create a story outline using conflict, tension, and the mechanics of writing creative nonfiction.
W08 – How to Search for Your
Loyalist Lineage with
Kathryn Lake Hogan UE PLCGS
Learn tips and strategies in this hands-on workshop about researching your lineage from
yourself to your Loyalist ancestor.
W09 – The Geography of
Genealogy with Dave Obee
This workshop will help participants gain a
better appreciation for the value of geographic
information in family history research.
Knowledge of geography will make it easier
to understand where people lived, and where
to find records relating to them. It will cover
Canadian records as well as geographic issues
in the US, the UK and Europe.
W11 – Quebec Church Registers:
Protestant 1760–2017 &
Roman Catholic 1621–2017
with Gary Schroder
This workshop will answer where the Quebec
Church Registers both Protestant (1760–2017)
and Roman Catholic (1621–2017) are, what
is in them, and what is online and what is not.
W12 – From Canada to Ireland:
Researching Here and There
with Ruth Blair PLCGS
This workshop will begin by describing the
research process to locate an ancestor’s place
of origin in Ireland in Canadian records. It will
then move on to what is available online and in
repositories to help participants research their
ancestors in Ireland.
16:30–17:30 First Timers Gathering
16:30–18:00 OGS Board/Branch
Executive Meeting
17:00–18:30 Dinner
19:00–21:00 Opening Ceremonies and
Keynote Lecture – Destination
Canada with Dave Obee
This opening lecture will present a wide variety
of sources dealing with immigration to Canada.
These include ship passenger lists (available
from 1865 through 1935), border crossing
records, and naturalization and citizenship
documents.
21:00–22:00 Opening Night Reception
Transportation Options
Wondering how to get to Conference
2017? Ottawa is 1.75 hours from
Kingston, 4.5 from the Toronto area
and a little over 2 hours from Montreal
by road. Ottawa is served by an
International Airport, YOW, and by
Via Rail. It is an easy bus ride on OC
Transpo to Algonquin College with a fare
of $3.65 for adults or $2.75 for Seniors.
See https://conference2017.ogs.on.ca/
for the details.
Saturday Sessions
07:30–08:45 Breakfast
08:00–12:00 Registration in Algonquin
Student Commons
08:00–19:00 Marketplace Open
09:00–10:00 Session A – Opening
Plenary Lecture
A1 – Family Ties: Exploring
Genealogy through the Archives of
Ontario’s Canada 150 Exhibit
with Danielle Manning
The Archives of Ontario’s newest on-site
exhibit, Family Ties: Ontario Turns 150,
showcases the ways in which specific families’
lives intersected with wider historical themes
that led to Confederation in 1867. Danielle
Manning’s presentation will reveal how family
experiences, stories, and records help to make
key events in Canada’s history more interesting,
accessible, and memorable.
10:00–10:30 Break
10:30–11:30 Session B
B1 – Canada Company Records:
Land and Beyond
with Serge Paquet
This presentation will show how the Canada
Company helped in the settlement of the Huron
Tract and other parts of Ontario, and the
relationship between settlers and the company.
The presentation will also show how to access
these records at the Archives of Ontario.
B2 – The French Canadian Disease
and its Migration from Quebec
Westward with Johanne Gervais
If you have French Canadian ancestry, this
lecture will help you identify if you have a
genetic disease passed down from generation
to generation for almost 370 years by three
French sisters who came to New France in
1648.
B3 – Close Encounters: Tracing
Families Along the Canadian and
New York Borders, 1700s–1800s
with D. Joshua Taylor MA MLS
While today’s borders between Canada and
New York might be well established, this wasn’t
always the case throughout history. Explore
strategies for tracing families who crossed the
border between Canada and New York during
their lifetimes.
B4 – All the News That’s Fit to Print
.... Or Not with
Kathryn Lake Hogan UE PLCGS
Whether it was fit to print or not, newspaper
stories, advertisements, society pages and
more can add much needed detail about our
ancestors’ lives. This lecture will examine how
researching newspapers can boost your family
history.
11:30–13:00 Lunch
13:00–14:00 Session C
C1 – Rollin’ on the River with
Captain Dan: The Impact of a
Pioneer Ottawa Valley Family
with Christine Jackson
Learn about a pioneering and entrepreneurial
riverboat captain with very deep roots in
England, Daniel Keyworth Cowley, who
became the patriarch of a family which
contributed both pre- and post-Confederation
to the Ottawa region’s history and economic
development.
C2 – From Rural Devon to PEI: A
Migration Story with Kirsty Gray
Using case studies of the Sillifant/Silliphant
and Mallett families, their migration and land
acquisition in the early nineteenth century,
Kirsty Gray highlights the various reasons why
people migrated, the impact on the families
and their communities new and old.
C3 – The Science Fiction Future of
Genetic Genealogy
with Dr. Blaine Bettinger
As the size of genetic genealogy databases
grows, so does the power of DNA. Together we
will examine some of the future tests and tools
that will be available to genealogists over the
next decade.
C4 – Conserving Canada
with Kyla Ubbink CAPC
Focusing on case studies of conservation
treatments carried out on rare pieces of
Canadiana owned by individual citizens,
discover how artifacts tell the story of our
country and how conservation treatment
ensures their longevity.
14:00–14:30 Break
14:30–15:30 Session D
D1 – Road of Shattered Dreams
with Linda Corupe UE
The records of Canada West’s colonization
roads contain a wealth of information on many
settlers and provide a glimpse into the realities
of trying to eke out a living in the mid-19th
century on the Canadian Shield.
D2 – Family History on the
Canadian Prairies with Dave Obee
You do not necessarily have to go there to trace
your ancestors in Alberta, Saskatchewan and
Manitoba; a lot of information is available on
the Web, through the mail, and at your local
library. Just beware of the limitations posed
in each province! This lecture will cover these
details.
D3 – Back to 18th Century Scotland
with Autosomal DNA: Case Studies
with Linda L. Reid
A systematic testing strategy progressing from
first to second and then known distant cousins
confirms paper trails with DNA evidence.
Genetic matching also identifies previously
unknown relatives, expands the family tree and
provides solid data for further research.
D4 – Welcoming Newcomers:
Canada’s Patriotic Societies
with Jane E. MacNamara
Societies like St. Andrew’s, St. George’s,
St. Patrick’s and many other ethnic-based
organizations provided guidance, financial
and social support for their countrymen and
women arriving in Canada. This session will
look at the activities and surviving records of
these organizations.
15:30–17:00 OGS Annual General
Meeting in Theatre
18:00–19:00 Banquet Reception
19:00–22:00 Banquet and Speaker
Family History in Prime Time
with D. Joshua Taylor MA MLS
Uncover the world of family history behind the
camera, as we discover the journey of family
history into prime time.
Sunday Sessions
07:30–08:45 Breakfast
08:00–12:00 Registration in Algonquin
Student Commons
08:00–15:00 Marketplace Open
09:00–10:00 Session E
E1 – Putting Down Roots
with Linda Corupe UE
Understanding the different routes used by
settlers to secure ownership of land, and how
to access the records for each of them will be of
benefit to all researchers.
E2 – The “Crème de la Crème”
of Online Resources for Quebec
Research with Gail Dever
Discover the best online resources to consult
when researching your family history in
Quebec and receive tips on how to explore the
French-language websites.
Sunday Sessions Continued
E3 – Community Histories
with Kirsty Gray
The village detective, Kirsty Gray, documents
the sources available to trace the history of
a community, with particular reference to
Tetcott, Luffincott and Porcupine, and how
genealogical/historical records can be used
to build up a comprehensive picture of a
community from the 18th to 21st century.
E4 – Are You Really Finding It All
When You Search?:
Mining Databases for Every
Nugget of Information
with Marian Press MLS MA
Do not just search for information with simple
keywords or a relatively random choice of
words. Get the information buried deep in a
database or help a search engine really find
what you want by knowing both the general
principles of online searching, as well as
database-specific methodologies. Concepts
such as Boolean operators, truncation, wild
cards, synonym searching, word order
and simple versus advanced search will be
explained.
10:00–10:30 Break
10:30–11:30 Session F
F1 – Upper Canada:
A Genealogy Black Hole with
Kathryn Lake Hogan UE PLCGS
Learn where to find and how to use the available
records in order to overcome the genealogy
black hole of Upper Canada research.
F2 – Tales from Tilley House
with Bruce Thomson
Family history and genealogy play extremely
important roles in the collection, preservation
and interpretation of any museum and are the
keys to unlocking the incredible stories of our
community, provincial and national heritage.
This lecture, focused on New Brunswick,
will illustrate the power of family history in
discovering and enhancing the significance of
museum objects.
F3 – FamilySearch: Resources &
Records to Build and Link Your
Family in Canada and the World
with Stephen C. Young
The free online resources offered by
FamilySearch.org not only expands and
extends your ancestral research, but also
provides a place to archive your carefully
gathered and documented conclusions with
the potential of linking your family lines to that
of distant cousins researching your common
ancestors.
F4 – The Genealogy GPS:
Let It Guide You
with Ruth Blair PLCGS
The Genealogical Proof Standard is the GPS
of genealogy and it assists you in staying the
course and analyzing the information you find.
This lecture will walk you through and simplify
the process of using the Genealogical Proof
Standard.
11:30–13:00 Lunch
13:00–14:00 Session G
G1 – The WI Tweedsmuir
Community Histories: A Social
History of Rural Ontario
with Irene Robillard
This presentation will look at the wealth of
genealogical and historical information
contained within the “Tweedsmuirs” of the
Women’s Institutes in Ontario, such as pioneer
families, farm histories, newspaper clippings,
and photographs. The presentation will also
explain how to find and access these collections,
both in paper and in digitized format.
G2 – Quebec Notary Records—
Primary Resource for Ancestors’
Documents
with Sharon Callaghan
This presentation will cover the unique records
of Quebec’s notaries, which are a valuable
resource for family history researchers. Learn
about the benefit and availability of their
documents, as well as various methods of
finding them to uncover rich and detailed
genealogical data on past generations.
G3 – US/Canadian Immigration
Pathways, 1800s–1900s
with D. Joshua Taylor MA MLS
Tracing relatives who made their way to the
United States out of Canada is not always
an easy task. This session will explore key
moments, groups, and routes in US/Canadian
immigration (and the records they left behind).
G4 – Canadiana Online:
Harnessing Mass Digitization for
Genealogy Research
with Daniel Velarde
Canadiana.org, a non-profit organization
dedicated to making historically significant
documentary materials available online, has
been digitizing, preserving and providing
online access to documentary heritage since
1999. Today, Canadiana is developing
“Canadiana Online.” This presentation
will review some of the major projects and
electronic resources developed in recent years
and highlight how genealogical researchers
can benefit from these.
14:00–14:30 Break
14:30–15:30 Session H
H1 – Out of the Shadows: Records
of the Inspector of Asylums,
Prisons, and Public Charities
with Paul McIlroy
For seven decades until 1935, the Office of
the Inspector of Prisons and Public Charities
oversaw all of Ontario’s various reformatories,
asylums, hospitals, and schools for the
handicapped in an attempt to better the lives
of the disadvantaged. This presentation will
reveal this long forgotten set of records and
the lives of the reformers, wards, and staff who
lived and toiled out of the public’s gaze.
H2 – Family History in British
Columbia with Dave Obee
British Columbia has been a leader in providing
online access to genealogical sources, which
has made it easy to research family members
in the western-most province. This session
includes a review of the most important sources
on the Internet.
H3 – Using Autosomal DNA for
18th and 19th Century Mysteries
with Dr. Blaine Bettinger
DNA can be used to examine genealogical
questions of the past few hundred years. Learn
some of the tips and tricks—and pitfalls—
of using autosomal DNA for your recent
genealogical mysteries.
H4 – Academic Libraries in the
Digital Age—An Overlooked
Resource for Genealogists
with Marian Press MLS MA
Academic libraries seldom set out to collect
materials relevant to genealogy, but most
have important materials in history, social
history and geography at the very least. This
presentation examines what academic libraries
collect and hold and make accessible digitally,
how to find relevant academic libraries around
the world online and how to make the best use
of what can be found there.
15:30–16:30 Session J – Closing Plenary
Lecture, Draws and Closing Ceremonies
J1 – Family History: What the
Future Holds
with D. Joshua Taylor MA MLS
Glimpse the future of family history through
changes in technology, research methods, and
other community developments.