In the summer of 1903, Toronto had a party—a four-day blowout over the Dominion Day holiday—July 1 to 4. The organizers invited well over 4,000 former Torontonians to “come home” from all across Canada, the United States, and wherever else the organizers could find them. A souvenir edition of the […]
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POST UPDATED JUNE 2023 My ancestors were not listed in anybody’s “blue book.” Nevertheless, blue books or society registers provide a fascinating glimpse into the way the other half lived, and to which my relatives may have aspired. Why blue? Blue seems to have been the colour of choice for […]
I’m pleased to announce that after a one-year hiatus, “Summer Camp” will return this year, starting with a get-together on Sunday evening, June 7, and running until Friday, June 12. Genealogy Summer Campers are on the move every day of this innovative week long program. Each day, participants will travel […]
In my last post, I showed you a sample of the fascinating papers of the Honourable David William Smith[1], Upper Canada’s first Surveyor General, in anticipation of a lecture at the Ontario Genealogical Society Conference 2014. The conference and the talk are now history themselves. As part of the presentation, […]
Very pleased to find a box from Dundurn Press at my door last week—the first copies of my new book Inheritance in Ontario: Wills and Other Records for Family Historians. The book covers wills and related records from 1763 (well before “Ontario” existed) up to current records. For novices and […]
I can’t quite fathom how this much time has passed, but 2013 will be my 20th trip to the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah. A number of my travel mates seem anxious to add to their list of visits, and you’re invited, too. We’ll fly from Toronto […]
The invasion is over! Well, it was a small invasion—ten Genealogy Summer Campers and their camp leaders visited archives and libraries all across Toronto last week. Genealogy Summer Camp started on Sunday, August 12, with a picnic supper in the peaceful quad of the University of Toronto’s Massey College. We […]
Capturing images of original documents at a library or archives has never been easier. There are so many choices of technology it is tough to keep up—for both researchers and the library and archives staff who make policies about their use.* Next week, I’ll be leading Genealogy Summer Camp participants […]