Nearly 800 guests attended a record number of sessions, starting with Friday’s awe-inspiring trilogy of advanced lectures by Thomas W. Jones; ending with John Philip Colletta’s hilarious closing address; and peaking in the middle with a standing ovation for banquet speaker, Karolyn Smardz Frost.

In between, we enjoyed scores of fine sessions with speakers from Atlantic to Pacific—and even the other side of the Atlantic—as well as a sold-out Marketplace, an active Research Centre with free databases, expert consultations, special presentations, interesting tours and innovative specialist programs.

We were thrilled to welcome researchers with Dutch, Italian, and Eastern European roots who might not otherwise have discovered OGS. We hope they’ve seen the benefits of being part of a large active genealogical community.

Conference 2010 registrants still have one more week to access the online Syllabus—you’ll need the password that was sent to you by e-mail on Saturday, May 1 (or later if you registered after that.) You’ll even find some additional material from speakers Rick Crume and Alison Hare.

But once the Syllabus comes down on May 31, that will be it, as our rights to display the content expire on that date.

And don’t forget to fill in the online evaluation. If you were a registered attendee or a speaker, you should by now have received e-mail instructions as to how to access the site securely. (The e-mail’s subject line was: “OGS Conference 2010 Evaluation Invitation”.) It will only take a few minutes, and your participation will help next year’s conference organizers.

Thank you to all those who made Conference 2010 such an invigorating experience:

• the speakers who shared their knowledge and insights with such gusto
• the exhibitors who gave us access to more resources
• the sponsors and strategic partners who made the program possible
• the hotel and other suppliers for a seamless event
• the staff at our provincial office who handled registration
• the libraries, archives, and historic sites that hosted tour and research excursion visitors
• our many volunteers for their creativity, enthusiasm, smiles—and hours of work both before and during Conference 2010

And most of all, thank you to all the attendees—old friends and new—who helped spread the word, created the wonderful buzz at Conference 2010, and motivated everyone else.

We appreciate all manner of publicity for the Conference. But who knew that our work might serve the purposes of body art? Here’s a fun piece recently posted on “Defining Canada”, a website devoted to the books and authors of Dundurn Press, an OGS publishing partner:
http://www.definingcanada.ca/2010/04/23/heritage_hunt/

Boxes of Ancestors

Traditionally at OGS conferences, there has been a Wall of Ancestors where Conference attendees could post a small notice requesting information about their research subjects. At Conference 2010, we’ve developed a new twist: “Boxes of Ancestors”. Complete your ancestors’ names on 3”x5” cards that will be filed automatically. Maybe you’ll find a long-lost cousin. Or maybe someone else will do the same among the cards you enter. For details as to how participate, visit:
http://torontofamilyhistory.org/2010/new-events

After the conference, the cards will be transcribed and made available in the Members Only area of the OGS web site.

Ask a Professional

Need help breaking through that brick wall? Twenty-minute consultations with members of the Ontario Chapter of the Association of Professional Genealogists (OCAPG) will be available free of charge during Conference 2010. The Chapter has members with experience in many regions and countries of the world. Book your session at the OCAPG desk. For hours and more info:
http://torontofamilyhistory.org/2010/new-events and scroll down to the second item.

Ask The Photo Detective

Photo got you stumped? Ask speaker Maureen Taylor, The Photo Detective. Bring up to three photos (or scans of them front and back) to a 15-minute consultation. It’s also a good idea to bring photocopies or a pad for taking notes.  Book your session by contacting Global Genealogy at 1-800-361-5168 or drop by Global’s table at the Conference and book your consultation. The fee is $30.00 per session.

OCAPG Panel Announced

Four expert members of the Ontario Chapter of the Association of Professional Genealogists (OCAPG), each holding the PLCGS designation, will gather for Session 29 on Sunday morning at 9 am to discuss family-history questions that don’t have a regular forum. Come prepared with your questions about essentials, innovations and delights—or anything else that strikes your fancy. Better still, put them in writing ahead of time.

Here are the accomplished members of the panel…

Sharon Murphy, PLCGS (Moderator)
Sharon Murphy will be repeating last year’s success as moderator of the OCAPG Panel. The founder of TIMELINES Genealogical Research, Sharon is a professional genealogical researcher with 28 years experience and the author of two books; Researching Canadian Vital Statistics Records and Researching Canadian Land Records. She has also designed curricula and serves as an instructor and head of the Canadian Department for the National Institute for Genealogical Studies.

As a long-standing member of OGS, and a past-president of OCAPG, Sharon not only consults with many clients but also acts as a mentor for those starting their own careers in the field. Thoroughly steeped in the world of archival records, Sharon did many years of volunteer work in Bruce and Huron Counties. The Town of Walkerton employed her to create and catalogue its community archives in 1997-98, and she served as a team leader for APOLROD (Association for the Preservation of Ontario Land Registry Office Documents). She counts her biggest genealogical accomplishment as The Reid Family History, Loyal Ties, Volume 1, which she would love to share with you.
Sharon Murphy, PLCGS, TIMELINES Genealogical Research
3 King Street West, Suite 201, Cobourg, Ontario, K9A 2L8
sharon@timelinesresearch.com
www.timelinesresearch.com

Marg Aldridge, PLCGS
Marg Aldridge has built on more than 35 years of genealogical research to create a tremendous run of success in winning some of Canada’s most important awards and prizes for genealogists, including the 2008 OGS Essay Contest winner, the 2007 and 2008 Brian W. Hutchison Genealogical Scholarships and the 2006 Mid-Day Star Award recognizing her genealogical services in the First Nations community.

Marg is a Computer Science graduate of the Faculty of Mathematics at the University of Waterloo and has worked in IT for 25 years. She has also studied at McMaster and York Universities and taught at Humber College. She has recently completed a term as a trustee for the York Region District School Board. She is also a researcher for the Archives of Ontario, a writer, lecturer and an expert on Internet searching and many genealogy software packages.
Marg Aldridge, M.Sc., PLCGS
jamaldridge@rogers.com

Ruth Blair, PLCGS
Ruth Blair is a professional genealogist and lecturer based in Oakville. During the past 25 years, her family-history research has taken her to Ireland, England, Scotland, the United States, Australia and New Zealand. She holds PLCGS designations for Canadian, English and Irish research and she is also an Instructor for the National Institute for Genealogical Studies. For five years she volunteered at the Etobicoke Family History Centre.

Ruth has written two books: Planning a Genealogical Trip to Ireland: the Research Trail in Dublin, which helps the novice research traveller to prepare for a trip and gives advice on using the various repositories in Dublin; and Remembering Trafalgar Township, which commemorated the 200^th Anniversary of Trafalgar Township. She also writes the blog “The Passionate Genealogist”.

Ruth is a member of OCAPG and many genealogical societies in Canada, England, Ireland and Scotland.
Ruth Blair, PLCGS, Blair Archival Research]
info@familyhistorysearches.com
www.familyhistorysearches.com and blog.familyhistorysearches.com/

Tammy Tipler-Priolo, PLCGS
Tammy Tipler-Priolo of North Bay is an honours graduate of the University of Guelph with 18 years experience in the genealogical field. She has volunteered for her local Family History Centre for seven years and opened her business, The Ancestor Investigator, in 2000. She is involved with consulting, researching, teaching, writing weekly genealogy articles for www.BayToday.ca and monthly genealogy and biography articles for the Near North Senior and the Gateway Advertiser, as well as publishing, creating and producing genealogy educational workshop tools, attending many seminars and tradeshows to promote genealogy, and lecturing to different groups in Ontario on various genealogical topics.

She is a member of OCAPG, the Ancestry.ca Advisory Board, the Genealogical Speakers Guild, the International Society of Family History Writers & Editors, the Société-Franco Ontarienne d’histoire et de généalogie and the North Bay Public Library Board, as well as OGS.
Tammy Tipler-Priolo, PLCGS, The Ancestor Investigator
info@ancestorinvestigator.com
www.ancestorinvestigator.com

This is the second time we have welcomed support for genealogical education from the Netherlands Consulate General in Toronto. In 2007 the Consulate General supported the Dutch ancestry workshop staged by OGS Toronto Branch. For information about other consular activities, including those involving culture and the arts, visit the website at http://www.cgtoronto.org/homepage.asp.

Support in the Italian community comes via the Italian Cultural Institute (Istituto Italiano di Cultura), the Cultural Section of the Consulate General of Italy in Toronto, established in 1976. The main facility is on Huron Street in downtown Toronto, and there is a suburban location in Woodbridge. The Institute promotes cultural events and exhibitions, and offers language classes. For more information, visit http://www.iictoronto.esteri.it/IIC_Toronto/Menu/Istituto/.

For more information about, or to register for, the Dutch or Italian lecture streams at Conference 2010, visit: http://torontofamilyhistory.org/2010/dutch and http://torontofamilyhistory.org/2010/italian respectively.

We express our deep gratitude for this support from both Consulates General.

Friday, 2:00 pm
Marketplace Grand Opening

For the first time at an OGS Conference, there will be a grand opening of Marketplace. We’ve cleared the schedule of lectures on Friday at 2 pm so everyone can participate. Every square inch of display space has been let and we’ll be able to pore through the offerings of a large number of OGS Branches as well as many commercial exhibitors. And to spice things up, we’ll have some fun—and prizes. See you there!

Friday, 5:45 pm
Graduation Ceremony for the National Institute for Genealogical Studies

Ontario is home to what may well be the world’s most successful provider of distance-learning for genealogists, the National Institute for Genealogical Studies, celebrating its tenth anniversary in 2010.

A number of Conference speakers are National Institute faculty or graduates. The latter have completed a 40-course program and are entitled to the designation of PLCGS (Professional Learning Certificate in Genealogical Studies), jointly offered with the Continuing Education Division of the University of St. Michael’s College in the University of Toronto.

Please join with other Conference attendees and the National Institute in celebrating its 2010 graduates at a special ceremony to be held Friday at 5:45 pm.

NB: The National Institute has also kindly agreed to sponsor the closing plenary, featuring a tour-de-force lecture by the ever-popular, John Philip Colletta, “Hacks and Hookers and Putting Up Pickles: Snares of Yesteryear’s English”.

Saturday, 12:45 pm and 1:15 pm
Lunchtime Learning Sessions

Also new this year are lunchtime learning sessions on Saturday. During the 90-minute lunch break, there will be two half-hour slots, each of which will feature a 20-minute mini-lecture on what’s new with an important institution or program. So you can grab a fast bite and catch one of the lectures—or if you’re made of sterner stuff, maybe eat on the run and attend two. For your convenience, we’re repeating the two lectures most likely to command large audiences. Here’s the schedule:

12:45 pm and repeated at 1:15 pm
Introducing Genealogists to the New Toronto Public Library Website: Andrew Lofft
12:45 pm and repeated at 1:15 pm
New Developments at FamilySearch: Stephen Young
12:45 pm
Introducing Canada 150: Harry van Bommel
1:15 pm
How OurOntario.ca Can Help You Search Hundreds of Digital Collections: Loren Fantin

Watch for news of more “extras” for Conference 2010 attendees coming soon. There’s still time to be a part of Conference 2010, but a few sessions are full, and others are close, so be sure to register soon.

Genealogical information about the Hussey family on the REED "Patrons and Performances" website

Buzz is growing about a unique lecture at the upcoming Ontario Genealogical Society’s Conference 2010.

Patrons and Performances: Finding Connections to the Arts in Early Modern England and Wales will be presented by John A. Geck, a doctoral candidate at the Centre for Medieval Studies at the University of Toronto, and the Jackman Genealogical Research Associate for the Records for Early English Drama (REED).

REED is an international project that examines the historical evidence for early theatre, music, and other entertainment in England and Wales from the 12th to the 18th centuries. In particular REED produces detailed information about patrons of the arts, their roles in society and their genealogy, all of which is fully accessible to the public online. The Patrons and Performances website is an excellent example of what an Internet publication be.

This lecture will demonstrate how genealogists researching their British family histories can use the Patrons and Performances website.

As John Reid recently said in his “Anglo-Celtic Connections” blog, “It’s the kind of presentation I look for as an option when I get tired of the usual genealogical fare.”

So you think your ancestors weren’t connected to the arts? Here are five reasons you might want to sit in on this lecture anyway:

• You’d routinely check your ancestors’ names in other databases, so why not this one? Although the website incorporates research from many centuries, both the overall number and those from the lower gentry (e.g. guild members) increase significantly in the later years where you’re most likely to be researching.
• Patrons and Performances has a lot of information on places where our ancestors lived—and amused themselves. The majority of venues are places like town halls, guildhalls and large county manors where all nearby residents were welcome for performances and which were undoubtedly familiar to your ancestors in their hometowns.
• There’s a keyword search that allows you to look for parishes and manors, etc., and find patrons associated with your ancestor’s home. The fate of that patron—in one case a beheading for raising a rebellion against the king—would certainly have caused some turmoil for everyone in the community.
• Many researchers face problems in bridging the gap between the modern and early modern periods. This lecture will address general strategies for overcoming the problem of sparse records in the 1700s. Even if your ancestors do not appear in the Patrons and Performances database, you may pick up some useful methodological suggestions.
• Finally and perhaps most importantly for many researchers, much of the presentation will focus on the sources REED employed to create the Patrons and Performances website. Even for those whose ancestors were not connected to patron families, the bibliography of both print and online sources may be an invaluable resource.

Consider a step or two off the beaten path to hear about this unique project that uses the best of modern technology and scholarship to make some very old information much easier to use.

So when the Friday program for the Ontario Genealogical Society’s Conference 2010 was in development, it seemed obvious we should offer in-depth sessions on popular programs. In particular, we felt that those using RootsMagic and Legacy Family Tree could use some support.

Bill Bienia will present "Working Effectively with RootsMagic".

So on Friday morning at Conference, William H. (Bill) Bienia will present “Working Effectively with RootsMagic”.

RootsMagic users may recognize Bill’s name from mail-lists and message boards, as he is always helping those with questions, especially the tricky ones. Bill is also the person who designed the “Evidence Explained” style-source templates used in RootsMagic.

He is a full-time professional genealogist, who has been involved in Ontario research for over 15 years. He specializes in 18th and 19th century records in early Ontario and in Loyalist ancestry. He also researches records in the New England and northeastern U.S. states for pre-Loyalist families.

Rick Roberts will present "Working effectively with Legacy Family Tree".

On Friday afternoon, Rick Roberts will lead a similar session, “Working Effectively with Legacy Family Tree”, a presentation that is one of his specialties.

Rick’s life-long hobby became his vocation when he co-founded Global Genealogy in 1992 with his wife Sandra, marketing books and other supplies at genealogical conventions and by mail order. In 1996 Rick launched The Global Gazette, a popular online family history magazine. One year later, he began publishing under the imprint Global Heritage Press, which now has more than 350 books in print. Global Print Services was added in 2009, providing professional printing and binding services for self-published authors.

For more information on signing up for these and other sessions at OGS Conference 2010, visit the Friday program page.

If you have Ontario roots, be sure to take in some of these unique sessions:

On Friday, May 14, Fawne Stratford-Devai presents two in-depth sessions on Ontario Land Records. The promise of owning land was the biggest factor that brought many of our ancestors to Ontario. The records are extensive, complex, and rich with family history. This full day with Fawne (an excellent speaker) will help you understand the records and their potential.

Professional genealogist Janice Nickerson lectures twice on Saturday—first on Researching Aboriginal Ancestors, and then on Criminal Trials in Upper Canada. She has written books on both topics and brings a lot of practical experience to her presentations.

Glenn Wright is a popular speaker at OGS conferences. This year, on Saturday afternoon, he contributes an intriguing presentation to the Ontario offerings—about the records of Kingston Penitentiary.

Also on Saturday afternoon, “New Toronto Research Tools” will introduce four innovative web-based projects presented by Toronto Branch members Martha Jackson, Pat Jeffs and Jane MacNamara, and Stephen Young of FamilySearch.

Ontario sessions continue on Sunday with a case study of an Eastern Ontario Loyalist family by Melissa Ellis. Melissa’s examples will demonstrate how you can build your own family’s story.

With much of Ontario’s population clustered around the Great Lakes, Susanna de Groot’s presentation on researching ancestors who worked and travelled on the Lakes or on their shores, should interest researchers from Ontario as well as the eight US states that border the Great Lakes.

Just seven early-bird days left!

Be sure to register by Monday, March 15 to take advantage of the early-bird registration fee. Browse the program pages to choose your sessions, then go to “How do I register?” to select a registration package and register online.

But if your knees or hips, etc., will object to a whole weekend of activity, we understand that, too.

MobilityUnlimited has agreed to offer a special rate on scooter rentals for attendees at Conference 2010. They have recommended the “Dancer” model. The rental fee for the full weekend (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) is $100. A delivery and pickup charge of $90 will be split between all renters.

Contact the company in advance to arrange for your scooter. Be sure to identify yourself as part of the “OGS Conference”. MobilityUnlimited will delivery your scooter to the Doubletree by Hilton—Toronto Airport after noon on Thursday, May 13. You can pick it up from the concierge whenever you arrive. After the Conference, leave your scooter with the concierge and MobilityUnlimited will pick it up after noon on Monday, May 17.

Renters should contact MobilityUnlimited directly by e-mail or by phone at 416-778-9586 or toll free at 1-877-778-9586. Be sure to book early.

The "Dancer", recommended by MobilityUnlimited

Just two weeks away!

We already have family historians travelling from BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Quebec, and Nova Scotia, as well as Colorado, Utah, Illinois, Michigan and New York, and even Scotland, England and Italy. And of course, every corner of Ontario.

But we still have space for you, and we know you love a bargain.

So don’t wait. Spend some time today browsing the program and speaker pages. Make a note of the session numbers that interest you, or print out the handy daily schedules.

Click on “How do I register?” and select the registration package that suits you best. Then let the secure online registration form guide you through the process.

Then, perhaps a visit to the Marketplace page to start making plans for how you’re going to spend that money you just saved…

John Colletta, Susanna de Groot and Mary Nash, presenters of the Dutch ancestry stream at OGS Conference 2010

On Saturday, May 15, the Ontario Genealogical Society’s Conference 2010 will present a special module of four lectures on research for those with family origins in the Netherlands. This stream of lectures builds on the success of a Dutch ancestry workshop hosted by OGS Toronto Branch in 2007.

This information-packed program will feature three expert speakers:

John Philip Colletta, Ph.D, based in Washington, D.C., one of America’s most popular genealogical lecturers, will set the stage with a lecture on “How to Prepare for Successful Research in European Records”. (For a more comprehensive overview of John’s participation in Conference 2010, see the blog posting from 15 October 2009.)

Toronto’s own Susanna de Groot, PLCGS, a professional genealogist and co-author of the book Finding Your Dutch Ancestors, will then present two lectures covering the gamut of Dutch civil, church and population records, as well as information about using archives and online tools.

Susanna is the daughter of Dutch immigrants who came to Canada after WWII. She has been researching her family history for 12 years and has been actively involved in OGS Toronto Branch’s project to transcribe the grave markers in St. James Cemetery. In the course of her research, she has travelled a couple of times to the Netherlands and has conducted research in the Amsterdam Archives, Harderwijk Archives, Streekarchivariaat Noordwest-Veluwe (a regional archive in Gelderland), Leiden Archives, National Archives, Central Bureau for Genealogy, National Library of the Netherlands and Kampen Archives

Susanna was a speaker at Toronto Branch’s 2007 Dutch workshop and will join us at Conference 2010 fresh back from researching at the Family History Library and attending the NGS Conference in Salt Lake City. We ask her to leave some ancestors for the rest of us to find! (Those of us without Dutch ancestry will be able to hear her speak at noon on Sunday in Session 38. The topic: “Ships Ahoy! Great Lakes Genealogical Research”.)

Mary M. Nash, a Dutch-born and Canadian-educated librarian and researcher based in Ottawa, will present a case history illustrating the use of unusual and specialized sources in Dutch genealogical research. Mary is the founder of Nash Information Services Inc., a private Canadian corporation providing information, information management and calculation services to business, government and industry. A more complete biography can be found on the Conference website.

At the conclusion of the special module at 3 p.m., attendees are encouraged to stay for the rest of the day to hear lectures at the Conference proper on subjects as wide-ranging as Canadian immigration records, online family trees, social networking for genealogists, tracking down living relatives and reading immigrant clues in photographs. Their choices will include the intriguing “A Genealogy Journey to Key Largo with Bogart and Bacall” that explores actor Humphrey Bogart’s Dutch roots.

The Dutch stream is available as an option to anyone purchasing either a Full Weekend Registration Package or a Saturday Registration Package.