The Ontario Genealogical Society (OGS) and the New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS) yesterday announced what they describe as an “historic marketing collaboration between the two organizations.”
As a result of an agreement made between the two societies, NEHGS — the oldest and largest genealogical organization in the United States — and OGS — the largest in Canada — will offer memberships, products, and services at attractive discount prices to members of the collaborating organization.
Each society will offer the members of the other a $10 discount on new memberships. The societies will actively promote to its own members the other society and its resources and events.
Original publications of the two family history institutions — as well as research projects, online courses, webinars, and professional consultations — will also be made available at special pricing to members.
The crossover of genealogical interests between Canada and the United States is a result of years of shared immigration history between the two countries.
While moving from one country to the other raises many hurdles today, it was not always so. Cross-border migration was easy and common place in the 1800s, whether by road, railroad, or by way of the frequent lake crossings made by passenger steamers across the Great Lakes. It was common to move from Ontario to the United States, and vice-versa. During the 1870s and 1880s, an estimated 825,000 “British Canadians” left for the United States. The reasons for this migration were multiple, including opportunities for land or employment, family reunification, escaping problems with the authorities, or for many other reasons.
The Statistical Review of Immigration, 1820-1910 and Distribution of Immigrants, 1850-1910, published by the United States Immigration Commission in 1911 shows that 1,179,807 persons reported their birthplace as Canada in that time period. By some conservative estimates, these individuals could have 50 million living descendants in the United States today.
Similarly, migration from New England and other states into Quebec and Ontario was prevalent. The 1901 Canadian federal census shows that some 100,000 reported their birthplace as the United States. Those individuals could easily have more than 3.2 million living descendants today.
This collaboration between NEHGS and OGS took effect on May 1, 2018.
