Events

This is a online meeting only. Join by registering here. The registration covers both events.

Excel and Family History: How they can work together / 9 a.m. EST

Presenter: Paul Cripwell

Spreadsheet technology has come a long way since the advent of VisiCalc on the earliest PCs. Its application to genealogy and family history is appropriate for many areas of tracking and analysis. The average user is generally familiar with the basic capabilities but may not know about some of the more powerful functionality of this software. In this demonstration Paul will take us through a couple of examples of his use of Excel.

Paul Cripwell started his family history journey after retiring from NavCanada in 2018. For 14 years at Nav he was responsible for the analysis of air traffic and the revenue that accrued, and then forecasting the future revenue of the corporation. He made extensive use of data analysis software and Excel was the main tool used to summarize and report all the findings. After retiring, Paul used this extensive experience with Excel and applied them to the many problems that family history presents.

E.F. Kelly and The Champagne of Ginger Ales / 10 a.m. EST

Presenter: Dawn Kelly

Dawn Kelly’s Irish immigrant great-grandfather, Edward Francis Kelly, was a serial entrepreneur.  After relocating from North Onslow, Quebec, he started out as a grocery store owner in Arnprior, then moved to Renfrew where he established a series of businesses before launching a ginger ale business in Montreal. Dawn set out on a mission many years ago to determine if the story her mother heard when she married into the family was true. Did E.F. lose a battle with Canada Dry over the slogan "The Champagne of Ginger Ales"?

Along the way Dawn acquired a mass of newspaper articles, documents on bankruptcy filings, an earthenware jug with Kelly's Wine and Spirits on it, and a deep appreciation for an ancestor determined to be a successful businessman.

Dawn Kelly retired last July after 39 years of writing and reading the news on the radio. She spent the last 26 years of her career as a national newscaster at The Canadian Press.  Her first post-retirement vacation was a genealogy road trip to Ottawa, the Ottawa Valley, Gatineau and Pontiac County, Quebec.  Dawn started tracing her Kelly family back in the 1980s and discovered that the families the Kellys married into in western Quebec gave her deep French-Canadian roots.  She is serving a second term as vice-chair of the Toronto Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society and has given several talks on her French, Irish and English ancestors as well as her 30-year search for her mother's birth parents.

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.