Searching for Your Ancestors? Join Us!

EDUCATION | PRESERVATION | ADVOCACY The Genealogical Society Formed in 1961 to encourage, bring together, and assist those interested in the pursuit of Ontario family history and to preserve our Ontario genealogical heritage, we seek to be recognized as the authority and leader in all aspects of Ontario-related family history research, preservation, and communication. We have 29 Branches as well as four Special Interest Groups (SIGs).

As a Society we… • Foster the study of genealogy and family history • Promote standards for genealogical excellence by instructing researchers in current principles, methods, and effective research techniques • Collect, preserve, and make available materials related to Ontario genealogical study • Represent the interests of Ontario genealogists • Share research expertise in other geographic areas • Encourage the writing and preservation of family histories and works of genealogical interest

Join Us Support our work by becoming a member. Join a community of people who are passionate about family history. You can join easily online via our website: ogs.on.ca.

Members Receive • Quarterly journal Families, incorporating our newsletter NewsLeaf, the latest Blog posting, and our weekly electronic newsletter, eWeekly Update • Access to many online resources within the Members Only area including recorded webinars and back issues of our journal and newsletters • Reduced fees for the annual family history Conference • Preferred membership rates with other provincial and some state genealogical societies • Discounts on numerous third-party products and services Get Involved For more than half a century, dedicated and passionate volunteers have developed or completed many projects that assist family history researchers.

Our projects include… • Ontario cemeteries: recording their locations, transcribing headstones, and advocating for their protection through registration with the Ontario government • Indexing and transcribing various historical records for the benefit of researchers • The Ontario Name Index (TONI): an index of almost six million names recorded in Ontario historical documents • Digitization: We continue to work on acquiring tools to digitize various collections and make them available to the public online.

Annual Conference Our Conference and Annual General Meeting are held each Spring in a different Ontario location. Genealogists come together to meet one another and strengthen their connections. We offer an exciting program of lectures and workshops given by expert genealogists and research professionals. Expand your genealogical skill set and check out the marketplace to learn about the latest genealogy tools and resources.

Provincial Library Our collection, catalogued, and maintained by volunteers is held at:

Humanities and Social Sciences Department Reference Library—Toronto Public Library 789 Yonge Street—Toronto, ON M4W 2G8 (Bloor-Yonge Subway Station) Family histories are a cornerstone of the collection and we encourage all genealogists to publish their family histories and donate a copy to our collection for other genealogists to use. Publications The Society develops and sells a variety of genealogical resources. Our full catalogue is available by selecting “Marketplace” from our website menu. Our editorial team for Families invites proposals, manuscripts, and suggestions for future publications that will be useful to a wide range of genealogical researchers. We do not, however, publish family histories.

Families Published quarterly in electronic and paper formats, our full-colour journal contains researched, illustrated, and fully cited articles, plus: • In Review, reviews resources for genealogists • Name Game, a family queries exchange column • Advertisements for professional researchers, publishers, and other services for genealogists

NewsLeaf Published quarterly and incorporated in each issue of Families, our newsletter keeps all members up-to-date on Society news and… • Upcoming gatherings and special events • Current news from Branches and Special Interest Groups • News on genealogical issues and advancements • Information and research tips

Society Office Suite 202—2100 Steeles Avenue West Concord, ON L4K 2V1 Tel: 416-489-0734 | Fax: 855-695-8080 Toll-free: 855-MY-ROOTS (697-6687) E-mail: [email protected] Hours: Monday-Friday—(9:00 AM—5:00 PM)

Our Mission Is To “Encourage, bring together, and assist those interested in the pursuit of family history and to preserve our Ontario genealogical heritage” Branches of The Society Since 1961, a network of 34 Branches/Special Interest Groups (SIG) has formed across the Province. All Branches are managed by volunteer members, who operate within The Society’s charter and by-laws. New Branches may be organized where there are sufficient resident members. We urge you to join one or many Branches, if you have ancestors from the area or want to be part of local group activities. Acquiring a membership takes just minutes—via The Society’s website. Branch members meet regularly and encourage the sharing of knowledge and resources. Guest speakers provide their particular knowledge and most Branches offer library resources. Branch newsletters help you become familiar with area resources. Queries addressed to the newsletters reach all other members with ancestors in the same area. Each Branch offers resources online and may sell publications. Workshops may be offered, some with other heritage and lineage groups. Learn more online: http://ogs.on.ca/branches

Branches

Brant County Hamilton-Wentworth , Ontario (virtual) brant.ogs.on.ca Hamilton, Ontario hamilton.ogs.on.ca Bruce & Grey Owen Sound, Ontario Huron County brucegrey.ogs.on.ca Goderich, Ontario huron.ogs.on.ca Durham Region Whitby, Ontario Kawartha durham.ogs.on.ca Peterborough, Ontario kawartha.ogs.on.ca St. Thomas, Ontario Kent County elgin.ogs.on.ca Chatham, Ontario kent.ogs.on.ca Essex County Windsor, Ontario Kingston essex.ogs.on.ca Kingston, Ontario kingston.ogs.on.ca Haldimand & Norfolk (virtual) haldimandnorfolk.ogs.on.ca Sarnia, Ontario lambton.ogs.on.ca Halton-Peel Brampton & Oakville, Leeds & Grenville Ontario , Ontario haltonpeel.ogs.on.ca leedsandgrenville.ogs.on.ca London-Middlesex London, Ontario , Ontario londonmiddlesex.ogs.on.ca simcoe.ogs.on.ca Niagara Peninsula Sudbury Thorold, Ontario Sudbury, Ontario niagara.ogs.on.ca sudbury.ogs.on.ca District North Bay, Ontario Thunder Bay, Ontario nipissing.ogs.on.ca thunderbay.ogs.on.ca Toronto Ottawa, Ontario Toronto, Ontario ogsottawa.on.ca torontofamilyhistory.com Oxford County Waterloo Region Woodstock, Ontario (virtual) oxford.ogs.on.ca Kitchener, Ontario waterloo.ogs.on.ca Perth County Stratford, Ontario Wellington County perthcountyogs.org , Ontario wellington.ogs.on.ca Quinte Trenton, Ontario York Region quinte.ogs.on.ca Richmond Hill, Ontario york.ogs.on.ca Sault Ste. Marie & District Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario saultanddistrict.ogs.on.ca

Special Interest Groups British Home Child SIG Irish Palatine SIG bhc.ogs.on.ca ip-sig.ogs.on.ca Ireland SIG Scottish SIG ireland.ogs.on.ca scottishsig.ogs.on.ca

202-2100 Steeles Avenue West Concord, Ontario, L4K 2V1 T. 416.489.0734 | F. 855.695.8080 Toll-free: 855.MY.ROOTS (697-6687) [email protected] | ogs.on.ca