From Monday to Saturday this week, Ontario Ancestors and five of its branches will each host a virtual presentation. All of the branch presentations are free and open to the public. Ontario Ancestors’ monthly presentation is free to members, but there is a $10 fee for non-members.
The following times are in Eastern time.
Monday, March 4, 7:00 p.m. — Leeds & Grenville Branch
Loyal They Remained by Jean Rae Baxter
This presentation tells the story of the American War of Independence from a “Canadian” point of view. Covering the period from 1777 to the settlement of the Loyalist refugees in what is now Canada, it will examine the effect of the conflict on those who opposed the Revolution. It wasn’t just white colonists who became Loyalists! The native people, especially Iroquois (Haudenosaunee), and thousands of enslaved black people, earned their freedom through their service to the British military. All these became Loyalists, too. Register to watch online.
Tuesday, March 5, 7:30 p.m. — Durham Region Branch
The History of Camp 30 by Dr. Amy Barron
How did a Bowmanville Boys Reform school end up housing top-ranking German POWs in the Second World War? Durham Region played many parts in the overseas war effort, including hosting important German officers whose one mission to get back to Germany led to many interesting escape attempts. Life in Camp 30 had many interesting ups and downs, from local recreation activities to the “Battle of Bowmanville.” And what will become of this important national historic site now? Register to watch online.
Wednesday, March 6, 7:30 p.m. — Huron County Branch
British Home Children in Huron County by Cookie Foster
Learn about a little-known part of Canada’s history that took place from 1869-1930. Discover the background of the British Home Children in England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, the philanthropic groups that sent them, and what led to the immigration of 100,000 children to Canada. These children were placed all across Canada and in Huron County as young domestics and farm labourers. Register to watch online.
Thursday, March 7, 7:00 p.m. — Ontario Ancestors
Oh, Canadiana! by Kathryn Lake Hogan
Once you finish the big commercial websites for researching your family history, it’s time to dig into the Canadiana and Héritage websites. These free websites contain a wealth of information, books, newspapers, government records, and more for researching your Canadian ancestors.
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- What is Canadiana? Over 41 million pages of primary source documents,
including Serials (Periodicals, Annuals and Newspapers), Monographs and
Government Publications. - The Héritage Project is a collection of 60 million pages of primary source
documents dating from the 1600s to the mid-1900s, making some of Canada’s
most popular archival collections available. - This webinar prepares you for visiting these websites.
- Learn the keywords to use in your search terms and what to search for.
- What is Canadiana? Over 41 million pages of primary source documents,
Register to watch online. Free for members. $10 for non-members.
Friday, March 8, 7:00 p.m. — Kent Branch
Storytelling Our Ancestors: Genealogy in Fiction by Cameron Alam
Cameron Alam will bring us along on her journey to discover the ancestor who would become the fictionalized protagonist in her book, Anangokaa. What began with an Ancestry DNA test led to correspondence and meetings with distant cousins, a journey to Cameron’s ancestral birthplace, Isle of Mull, Scotland, archival and historical research, travels to the land her ancestors settled in Upper Canada in 1804, called Baldoon, and culminated in her writing her debut novel. This presentation will be co-hosted with the Wallaceburg and District Museum. Register to watch online.
Saturday, March 9, 2:00 p.m. — Simcoe County Branch
Finding Your Innisfil Roots by Mark Hall
The Innisfil Historical Society is a non profit organization dedicated to providing an ongoing community-led project working to preserve the history of Innisfil and Bradford West Gwillimbury. Join us as Mark Hall, their president, shares some of Innisfil’s history with us. This is a hybrid meeting. Attend in person at the Northwest Barrie United Church, 464 Ferndale Drive North, Barrie or register to watch online.