Thunder Bay District Branch, OGS

02/26/2025

Spring is around the corner!
Join us for our next meeting on March 19th for an interactive evening of sharing! Tell us about your favorite ancestor and hear others' stories too.

Zoom link to follow soon… See you there! :)

02/20/2025

Double thumbs up to Carol and Dawn for an incredible presentation last night! 👍👍 We had a great time exploring the stories from New France, discovering valuable online research resources, and of course, enjoying a lively discussion afterward! :)

Gearing up for next month’s event, where we’ll have a "10-minute Ancestor" presentation on March 19th, giving everyone the chance to share their favorite ancestor's story! Can’t wait to hear them! (More details to follow.)

02/19/2025

Happy Meeting Day, Everyone!
Just a quick reminder to tune in tonight for Carol and Dawn’s exciting talk on New France. They’re incredible storytellers, and you won’t want to miss it! Looking forward to seeing you all there! :)

Send a message to learn more

02/12/2025

Next week people! Tune in February 19th from 7 to 9 p.m. to hear wild stories from New France and how they were revealed.
Click here to register:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/mtMr_LfYSmyPIp7m3t1NBg

March 19th we give you a chance to tell us your own wild story with "Ten minute Ancestors" and after that ... April 16th, Elizabeth Briggs is back to do a deep dive into medical history!

Everyone welcome! :)

01/20/2025

A big thank you to Michael de Jong for the VIP tour of the Thunder Bay Museum at our last meeting! We enjoyed learning how to use the research room and were lucky to catch the "Journeys" exhibit, featuring the works of Sheila Burnford and Susan Ross.

Next, we’re excited to welcome Carol Ufford and Dawn Kelly for their final talk in a series focusing on stories of New France. Join us on February 19th for more amazing tales from the past—via Zoom! Everyone is welcome!

Click the link below to pre-register for this virtual event:

You’re invited to a Zoom meeting.

When: February 19, 2025, at 7:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/mtMr_LfYSmyPIp7m3t1NBg

After registering, you’ll receive a confirmation email with details on how to join.

We look forward to seeing you there!

01/14/2025

🎶 Oh baby, it's cold outside🎵... but it's warm in the Thunder Bay Museum! Join us tomorrow evening from 7-9pm for a tour of their research facilities with curator Michael De Jong and a chance to view the exhibits! See you there! ;)

01/09/2025

Tracing your ancestors in Britain? Our friend, Elizabeth Briggs in Winnipeg can help with research. Tune in to her Zoom presentation on Wednesday, January 29th to hear more. (5:30 - 7:30p.m. CST - 6:30 - 8:30p.m. EST)

01/07/2025

Join us next Wednesday (January 15th) from 7-9pm at the Thunder Bay Museum to tour their research rooms and catch the exhibits! See you there! :) - 425 Donald St. E.

01/02/2025

Happy New Year, everyone!

This month, we’ll be meeting at the Thunder Bay Museum to tour their research facilities and explore the exhibits.

We’re also excited to announce a new project! We’re collaborating with the Museum to develop a Cemetery Walking Tour at the Mountain View/St. Pat's Cemetery, and we need your help.

Do you know an interesting individual interred at Mountainview? Do you have some time to research and write a brief biography for one of the stops on the tour?

We’ve already identified 32 prominent citizens, and we’re looking for volunteers to write a short, engaging summary of their stories. Whether you're local or remote, if you're interested, send us a message and we’ll share more details with you.

We can also discuss this in person when we see you on the 15th at the Museum! :)

12/18/2024

Season's Greetings Friends! Join us tomorrow night -December 18th - from 7-9pm to hear what's new at the library. Amy Ongaro will spend the first hour with us, and afterward, there will be plenty of time to chat and share Christmas plans. Bring your eggnog! ;)
See you there!

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMkdu2gpj0iGNPrAx-zVTe19nrmcgEqLd9b

Photo courtesy of;
Owen.outdoors https://www.pexels.com/photo/festive-christmas-carol-with-holiday-baubles-29756514/

12/04/2024

When researching your family tree in Thunder Bay, the Brodie Library should be your first stop! Most of us are familiar with those darned microfilm machines and the newspaper file cabinets! We’re excited to have Amy Ongaro, Research Librarian, join us on December 18th to review the familiar and update us on what’s new and "in the works." We look forward to seeing you there! Everyone is welcome!

Please pre-registerfor this Zoom presentation - https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMkdu2gpj0iGNPrAx-zVTe19nrmcgEqLd9b

11/21/2024

Wow, what a great presentation! Thank you so much to Janice Nickerson for her fascinating talk last night on Ontario jail records, and thanks to everyone who tuned in! I’ve already sent an email to the Archives, loaded with new terminology to check for my ancestor in the Fort William Gaol registers and calendars!

Next up, we’re excited to welcome Amy Ongaro from the Thunder Bay Public Library, who will revisit the genealogy section, update us on the research department, and dive into "The Brodie Files." See you there!

Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMkdu2gpj0iGNPrAx-zVTe19nrmcgEqLd9b

11/19/2024

We can't all have nobles and heroes in our family tree! Tune in tomorrow night, (7 to 9pm) to hear Janice Nickerson from Upper Canada Genealogy, a professional genealogist, explain why most incarcerated folks in the 19th century weren’t so bad after all—and how you can uncover valuable information in these records.

Pre-register for this meeting here:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEpd-qsrjojHtLnPPFy8YgRwKkXbr5xDEt2

For more information about Janice and Upper Canada Genealogy, visit:
http://www.uppercanadagenealogy.com/aboutus.html

photo courtesy of: https://www.pexels.com/photo/entrance-to-abandoned-warehouse-14300515/

11/13/2024

Save the date, set an alarm & clear your calendar!
One week from today, November 20th from 7 to 9pm, we’ll meet with Janice Nickerson, who will teach us how to explore Ontario jail records. You might be surprised who you’ll find in these files! Digging through Ontario jail records could unlock some wild family secrets and give your ancestry a whole new twist.

See you there.
Everyone is welcome! :)

Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEpd-qsrjojHtLnPPFy8YgRwKkXbr5xDEt2

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

11/04/2024

We’re looking forward to our upcoming meeting on November 20th with Janice Nickerson, who will be presenting on Ontario Jail Records. Then, in December, we’ll have an exciting update on all the happenings at the library!”

10/19/2024

Thanks to everyone who attended our last meeting, and a huge 'thank you' to Blaine Bettinger for guiding us through the tools on AncestryDNA. I think everyone, from beginners to experts learned a thing or two.
Next up we have Janice Nickerson from Upper Canada Genealogy, who will spend the evening revealing the secrets hidden in Ontario Jail Records. See you there!
Everyone welcome! :)
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Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEpd-qsrjojHtLnPPFy8YgRwKkXbr5xDEt2

10/09/2024

Hey! What are you doing next Wednesday? Join us for our October meeting, where you can meet Blaine Bettinger, The Genetic Genealogist. Blaine has been tracing his own family history for over 20 years, starting just like many of us by taking a DNA test. See you there!

Click here for Blaine's website - https://thegeneticgenealogist.com/

Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcvdumrqjIsGtO5GF4-K6-h9twJ4pJSyHSR