An organization of family historians, some with Toronto roots, others who live in Toronto, we have ancestors around the world.

Open for Settlement: Scottish Settlers in Canada

When:
March 9, 2022 @ 7:30 pm – March 23, 2022 @ 7:30 pm
2022-03-09T19:30:00-05:00
2022-03-23T19:30:00-04:00
Where:
THREE-SESSION ONLINE SERIES
Cost:
$20 / $15 for OGS members
Contact:
Open for Settlement: Scottish Settlers in Canada @ THREE-SESSION ONLINE SERIES | Toronto | Ontario | Canada

Three-session online series:
7:30 to about 9:00 pm
March 9, 16 and 23, 2022

Following the Revolutionary War and the signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1783, the British Crown opened its new colony to settlement. This led to hundreds of thousands of Scots emigrating to Canada, beginning with settlement in PEI in 1792 and moving west, following the land that was being offered for settlement. In this series of talks, we will look at those who came to Canada, the colonizers who settled them, as well as the power and politics which orchestrated the settlement of the colony.

Each session, including discussion, will be recorded and archived for a limited time, but for the most benefit, please try to participate in the live Zoom session. Click here to register.


March 9: Scottish Settlements in Atlantic Canada

Scots began leaving their homeland in droves following the move to farm improvements in the Highlands. This mass exodus coincided with the opening of land for settlement in Atlantic Canada, resulting in thousands of Scots emigrating to Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia. In this session we will look at life before emigration, the colonizers that assisted with emigration and the records that will help you to know more about your Scottish ancestor in Atlantic Canada. The years we cover will be pre 1811.


March 16: Scottish Settlements in Ontario

Following the Revolutionary War, many British subjects were eager to get onto British soil and Canada was the nearest colony. Land was granted to soldiers who had remained loyal and with the success of settlements such as Glengarry, colonizers soon realized that there was success to be had in getting Brits to settle in the huge swath of untapped land in Upper Canada. In this session, we will take an in-depth look at the colonizers who created the settlements in Ontario. These include Lord Selkirk, Lord Talbot and John Galt.


March 23: Scottish Settlers in the West

Prior to Confederation, John A MacDonald sought to recover some of the massive area in the west known then as Rupert’s Land. There also came a need to open the country from east to west and to also hold on to British Columbia who were on the verge of annexing with America. The Dominion Lands Act opened land in the west for settlement. In this session we will look at the Red River Settlement, the CPR settlements and the Canada Northwest Land Company.


Speaker: Christine Woodcock is a genealogy educator who enjoys sharing knowledge and opportunities with others to assist them in their quest to find their Scottish ancestors and to preserve their family legacy. Being a Scottish emigrant herself, she is fascinated by the stories of others who left their Scottish homeland for opportunities in other lands. Her interest is in helping their descendants understand more about their Scottish ancestors and the lives they lived on both sides of the Atlantic.

Click here to register.