Toronto Branch, Ontario Genealogical Society

Fall 2019 courses and workshops

Registration is now open for the next semester of Toronto Branch learning, beginning in September 2019.

Coming up this fall: four courses, two workshops and a tour, guaranteed to strengthen your family history skills.

On the evening of Tuesday September 24, soak up insider tips on how to make the most of your library research. Join us at the Toronto Reference Library for Searching Toronto Public Library Catalog for Genealogy Sources.

Janice Nickerson will lead a brand new course called Hands-on Criminal Justice Records of 19th Century Ontario on three Thursday afternoons beginning September 26. Learn how to identify, locate and interpret this fascinating record set through group work on case studies on site at the Archives of Ontario.

On three Wednesday evenings beginning October 9, Guylaine Pétrin will explore A Goldmine for Family History Researchers: Library and Archives Canada, with a focus on two special online repositories—Canadiana and Héritage.

And, back by popular demand, Marian Press will teach you how to tackle online databases like a pro, and increase your odds of finding that elusive record or ancestor. Don’t miss Advanced Research Skills on three Wednesday evenings beginning November 6.

Have you been bitten by the DNA bug? Then be sure to join us for back-to-back events in October with Diahan Southard, also known as “Your DNA Guide”.

On the afternoon of Friday October 18, we’re presenting an intensive hands-on session called Try Your Hand at Genetic Genealogy. This is your chance to take a DNA case step-by-step, under Diahan’s guidance, to learn how to explore your autosomal DNA match list and make family connections. Enrolment will be strictly limited to 30 people.

And on Saturday October 19, enjoy a full-day workshop with Diahan titled Grow & Organize Your DNA Network. Learn how to organize your DNA results & contacts, find out about essential third party tools, and discover strategies for using mtDNA and YDNA. Take your genetic genealogy knowledge to the next level.

Last but not least, consider joining our guided tour of the amazing collection of historical maps held at the Toronto Reference Library on Wednesday October 30. This tour is free but registration is required.

All of our educational events can fill up quickly. Please sign up early to avoid disappointment.

June 2019 meeting

Our last Toronto Branch meeting before the summer break will take place on Monday, June 24 starting at 7:30 p.m. at Lansing United Church in North York.

Stephen Young has been an employee of FamilySearch for more than three decades. He also has a strong Ontario connection. His ancestors immigrated to the Toronto area from England in the 1830s and were early pioneers in Perth and Huron Counties. At our June meeting, Stephen will share insights from his long career in genealogy as well as his own family history research. Please join us for The Pros and Cons of Participating in a Global Family Tree. After our mid-meeting break, Michael Nettleton will close out the evening with a short presentation titled What I Learned By Following the Monk from Buffalo.

The Members Network will be gathering as usual in advance of the main meeting, beginning at 6:15 p.m.—all Branch members are welcome, regardless of level of knowledge or area of interest.

Lansing United Church is located two blocks south-west of Sheppard and Yonge, at Poyntz Avenue and Beecroft Road (enter from Poyntz). It’s a short walk from the Sheppard-Yonge subway station, which also links to frequent bus service. If you are driving, parking on local streets is free after 6:00 p.m., and there are pay parking lots close by. The few spaces in the church parking lot are reserved for members with accessibility needs.

Toronto Branch meetings are free to attend and open to all. Visit our Meetings page to find out more.

Remember… there are no Branch meetings in July and August… but they’ll resume in September with more great opportunities to learn and share!