30 July 2014

Colonel By Day - Ottawa Branch will be there

Colonel By Day is a free, one-day, family-friendly heritage celebration which commemorates Lt-Colonel John By and the builders of the Rideau Canal. This fun-filled day boasts a wide variety of heritage-themed events and entertainment, including blacksmithing, lace making, and musketry demonstrations, interactive tabletop exhibits, costumed characters, free admission to the Bytown Museum, and more! The event has grown enormously since its inception in 1995, and since 2008 has attracted an average of over 5,000 visitors annually!

Colonel By Day is held on the August Civic Holiday Monday in order to commemorate the Colonel’s birth date of August 7th, 1779. The event runs Monday August 4, 2014 from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM, at the entrance locks to the Rideau Canal in downtown Ottawa (beside the Bytown Museum, between and below Parliament Hill and the Fairmont Chateau Laurier).
Costumed characters at Colonel By Day
Live entertainment is presented throughout the day, including performances by local musicians, dancers and costumed characters. Games, crafts, and era-appropriate toys are available for children to experience. Visitors can take place in guided walking tours which explain the history of the site and neighbouring landmarks. At 2:00, visitors are invited to witness the re-dedication of the Celtic Cross, which commemorates the over 1000 workers who died helping to build the Rideau Canal. Colonel By Day also features a large exhibitors and vendor area, where local heritage organizations have the opportunity to provide interactive tabletop displays showing off their activities, programs, and heritage-related products. Almost 30 community heritage organizations participate in Colonel By Day annually, taking advantage of the opportunity to reach out to the general public and to promote Ottawa’s local heritage.

Colonel By Day is presented by the Council of Heritage Organizations in Ottawa (CHOO/COPO) in partnership with Parks Canada and the Bytown Museum. The event has been running continuously since 1995, and has attracted a dedicated following of volunteers, participants, and visitors, who return year after year.

Come to our table and talk genealogy!!

14 July 2014

Ontario Genealogical Society Monthly Webinar Series 2015 Call for Paper



The Ontario Genealogical Society is now accepting proposals for the OGS Monthly Webinar Series 2015. We are looking for interesting one-hour webinar presentations.
Topics of interest
We invite proposals on a wide range of topics, in particular:
    Ontario-specific topics (laws, records, land, history, etc.)
    Ethnic research (Scottish, Irish, English, African-Canadian, German, etc.)
    Canadian military research
    Loyalist research
    Ontario land research
    DNA/genetic genealogy
    Methodology and skill-building
    Technology and trends in genealogy
    Interesting case studies (Ontario specific)
    Organization and project/time management

Submission guidelines
Each submission should include:
    Speaker’s name, address, phone number, and email address
    Lecture title and a brief but comprehensive outline (single page maximum)
    Lecture summary for conference brochure (25 words or less)
    Suggested audience level: B, B/I, I, I/A, A, or All
    Brief speaker biography (50 words or less)
    Resume of prior speaking experience

Please submit proposals in PDF or Microsoft Word format.
Use your last name and shortened title as a file name. Speakers may submit up to four proposals for consideration. Submit each proposal via email to webinar@ogs.on.ca no later than August 15, 2014.
Selected speakers will be notified in September. Further information will be provided at that time.
Compensation
Selected speakers receive an honorarium for each webinar presentation.
About the Ontario Genealogical Society
The Ontario Genealogical Society, founded in 1961, is the leading society in all aspects of Ontario related family history research, preservation and communication. Our mission is to encourage, bring together and assist those interested in the pursuit of family history and to preserve our Ontario genealogical heritage. The Ontario Genealogical Society is the largest genealogical society in Canada. Visit us at www.ogs.on.ca