Events

Drop in to The White Pine Café at Arlington Woods Church at 225 McClellan Road, off Greenbank Road. It’s an opportunity chat with BIFHSGO friends over a coffee and a sweet treat.

This is a hybrid meeting:

• Join us in person at Knox Presbyterian Church (Lisgar & Elgin) in Geneva Hall.  Please use the Garden Entrance on Elgin Street. Limited free street parking is available on Saturdays, and the City Hall Parking Garage is available for $2.00.
• Join online by registering here. The registration covers both events.

Exploring the Official Government Newspapers: the Gazettes of the UK / 9 a.m. EST

Presenter: Ken McKinlay

The official newspaper of the government, the Gazette, might not seem to be something we would use in our genealogy and family history research. However, possibly you have military service files that states an ancestor was gazetted or was an officer who received a promotion. Maybe you found that your ancestor was presented with an honour from the Crown? Did your ancestor become a naturalized citizen or even change his or her name? You will often find those sorts of announcements in the Gazette. In this presentation we will explore the various government gazettes in England, Scotland, and Ireland to learn how to search them online and discover what they hold for our research.

Embarking on a genealogical adventure over two decades ago, Ken McKinlay's quest began with a mission to confirm or debunk three family stories. Despite uncovering the truths behind those initial tales, Ken's passion for delving into his family's past remains steadfast, fueled by a constant stream of new questions. As a sought-after speaker by branches of Ontario Ancestors, the British Isles Family History Society of Greater Ottawa, and other genealogy societies across Canada, Ken McKinlay shares his expertise through engaging talks and workshops. His topics have included researching those who have fought for Canada in the world wars, exploring the Canadian censuses, delving into the mysteries of Ontario Land Records, and an eight part series covering "Back to Basics" research for the British Isles. His presentations also focus on genealogical methodologies and overcoming genealogy brick walls. Beyond public speaking, Ken shares his insights on his blog, Family Tree Knots (https://familytreeknots.blogspot.com/), providing a valuable resource for fellow enthusiasts.

Ripped from the Headlines: Death on the Forest / 10 a.m. EST

Presenter: Marianne Rasmus

“Manslaughter at the Races” —This newspaper headline from July 1857 about a death at the Nottingham races proved to be the catalyst for breaking down a brick wall on Marianne Rasmus’ maternal grandfather’s line that had plagued her for more than 10 years.

Newspapers can hold a wealth of information and can be an incredible resource when putting flesh on the bones of our family stories. In this presentation, Marianne will share the research journey that led to the discovery of the news story; recount how it, along with several other articles, shed light on a fascinating family and an event that had been lost through time; and explore life, and death, in 19th century industrial Nottingham.

After reluctantly taking Canadian History as a “filler” course in college, Marianne Rasmus discovered her passion for history. It became an obsession when she began researching her family history in 2008 and uncovered long-forgotten stories in her family tree, as well as her husband’s. Now, she strives to find interesting ways to share these family stories by weaving both historical context and methodology in her talks.

Born and raised in Vancouver, Marianne had spent her life in BC, but when the opportunity for a mid-life adventure presented itself, Marianne and her husband, Bill, took the plunge and moved to Ottawa in 2013. Marianne became a member of BIFHSGO in 2014. She has given several presentations, served on the Board and Conference Planning Committee, and is facilitator for the British Colonial America SIG.

This is a hybrid meeting:

• Join us in person at Knox Presbyterian Church (Lisgar & Elgin) in Geneva Hall.  Please use the Garden Entrance on Elgin Street. Limited free street parking is available on Saturdays, and the City Hall Parking Garage is available for $2.00.
• Join online by registering here

. This registration covers both events.

(30th Anniversary Spotlight) Introduction to No. 1 Canadian Casualty Clearing Station Project / 9 a.m. EST

Presenters: Nigel Lloyd and Sheila Dohoo Faure

Just over 10 years ago, BIFHSGO launched a new research project: transcribing the 879 World War I soldiers’ death records appearing in a diary maintained by chaplains at No. 1 Canadian Casualty Clearing Station. The diary’s information on these deaths was transcribed and added to BIFHSGO’s online Name Index. As a tribute to the centenary of WW I, BIFHSGO volunteers began writing biographies of the 879 soldiers. Nigel Lloyd will present the background and approach to this project, while Sheila Dohoo Faure will identify some of the more interesting soldier stories and present one soldier’s life. 

Nigel Lloyd has been a BIFHSGO member for 10 years and has been writing soldier biographies for the No. 1 CCCS project for seven of those years. He gave a Great Moments talk about his great-great-grandfather, Edward Lloyd, for which he won the Best Great Moment Talk award for 2018–19. Sheila Dohoo Faure is the project manager and main contributor for the No. 1 CCCS project, a member of the Hall of Fame and the BIFHSGO webmanager. She has been a BIFHSGO member for 14 years.

(30th Anniversary Spotlight) Research and Projects / 10 a.m. EST

Presenter: Sue Lambeth

Sue will present the 30th Anniversary Spotlight on BIFHSGO's research and projects.  She will describe initiatives undertaken over the past 30 years that highlight our collective achievements and the important work of our many volunteers. She will also reflect on how past and current initiatives are helping us to develop new innovative projects and connections with others.

Sue Lambeth has been BIFHSGO's Director of Research and Projects since June 2023. Over the past two years, she has been working with a group of 12 active volunteers on projects that were started under the coordination of John Sayers, as well as on the development of new research initiatives.

This is a hybrid meeting:

• Join us in person at Knox Presbyterian Church (Lisgar & Elgin) in Geneva Hall.  Please use the Garden Entrance on Elgin Street. Limited free street parking is available on Saturdays, and the City Hall Parking Garage is available for $2.00.
• Join online by registering here. The registration covers both events.

(From the Vaults) Copyright for the Family Historian / 9 a.m. EST

Presenter: Marnie McCall

Marnie will reprise the talk she gave in December 2016. It will cover the basics of copyright, the meaning of public domain, copyright in your own work, using copyright material of others in your research or presentations, and copyright in family photos and letters.

Marnie McCall joined BIFHSGO at the 2005 Conference when the theme was Scotland. Before going to the Rededication of the Vimy Memorial in 2007, she wanted to find out where her paternal grandfather, John McCall, had served in World War I.  She served on the Board of BIFHSGO for several years as Treasurer, is currently filling an unexpired term on the Board, and also is an ACR proofreader.  She became interested in copyright issues in 1972 and has followed the subject closely for many years.

Rebuilding the Body After the First World War / 10 a.m. EST

Presenter: Kristen den Hertog

At the end of the First World War, wounded soldiers were returning to Canada in huge numbers, and the country was scrambling for space to treat them all. By 1919, near the corner of Christie and Dupont streets in Toronto’s west end, a military hospital opened in a renovated cash register factory. It was meant to be a temporary space, but in fact was still there when the next war began, and another generation of soldiers crowded into its wards.

In this presentation, author Kristen den Hartog will give us a glimpse of the fascinating work that went on at the Christie Street Hospital, and some of the people who were its patients and staff: a Liverpudlian home child who likely enlisted with the hopes of seeing his family again; a Scottish tuberculosis patient who married his nurse; a sculptor from Nottingham who became known as a "facial architect," making masks for men with facial wounds. Many of these people were new Canadians when war broke out, and they suddenly found themselves crossing the ocean again. With the help of old letters, diaries, newspapers, and military service records, den Hartog will explore the aftermath of war for some of Christie Street's men and women, and how they dealt with the ways war changed them.

Kristen den Hartog's highly acclaimed new book The Roosting Box: Rebuilding the Body After the First World War was shortlisted for 2024 Toronto Book Awards. She is also the co-author of two family memoirs, The Occupied Garden and The Cowkeeper’s Wish, praised by Canada’s History for its “meticulous research on a stupendous scale.” Work on these intimate histories of ordinary families sparked the writing of The Roosting Box and den Hartog’s ongoing interest in how war changes people’s lives so dramatically. Originally from Deep River in the Ottawa Valley, she lives in Lyndhurst, Ontario, and in Toronto, not far from the site of the former Christie Street Hospital.