With so many family history records becoming available online now, it is easy to overlook the unique resources and expertise available to us in Toronto at our libraries and archives. Take this opportunity to hear presentations from archives and library staff and your fellow researchers—all in one information-filled day. There'll be sessions for all skill levels. There will also be displays and literature available from other repositories. Toronto Branch workshops are casual and relaxed, but they do fill up quickly. Be sure to register early!

9:00–10:00 Registration and Coffee

10:00–11:15
Session A: Getting Your Hands on Archival Gold - An Introduction to the Archives Association of Ontario and its Resources
The Archives Association of Ontario (AAO) is the provincial association for archivists and archives. This presentation is an archivist's guide to getting the most out of visiting archives: what they offer to genealogists, what to expect when you're in the archives and how to make the most of your visit. The talk will also provide an introduction to the AAO's online resources for users of archives, including Ontario's archival information service, Archeion.

Speaker: Amanda Hill started her career as an archivist at Canterbury Cathedral
Archives in England. She worked in a range of local and university archive services in the UK before moving to Canada in 2007. She is now an archival consultant for Hillbraith Ltd. Her current roles include providing the archives service for the Town of Deseronto in Eastern Ontario and managing the online Archeion service (www.archeion.ca) for the Archives Association of Ontario.

11:30–12:30 Concurrent Sessions

Session B: University of Toronto Libraries and Archives: Unexploited “Gold” in Toronto
When family historians think of libraries, they often forget university libraries and archives, which contain much of interest for those researching family. This presentation will explore what the University of Toronto Libraries offer to genealogists, in terms of books, newspapers, databases, and archival material. The discussion of archives will include not only the main university archives, full of material on former students, but also the various affiliated college archives, many of which have extensive biographical information.
Speaker: Marian Press, MLS, MA, is a retired academic librarian who has been tracing her roots for over 25 years. She is a frequent speaker at genealogical workshops and conferences, teaches courses for the Toronto Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society and writes regularly for Internet Genealogy and Family Chronicle. She recently published Education and Ontario Family History: Resources for Genealogists and Historians, OGS/Dundurn Press, 2011.

Session C: Catholic Archives: Family History Revealed Through Faith
For many of Toronto’s early inhabitants, the Church was the center of the community, and important life milestones such as baptism, marriage and death were celebrated at local parishes as early as 1822. This presentation will offer practical advice for using records of these events (sacramental registers) at the Archives of the R.C. Archdiocese of Toronto (ARCAT) as well as giving an overview of other Catholic resources for genealogists in Ontario, Canada and the US. Participants will learn how to prepare for research in Catholic institutions and about access policies and laws. Secondary and online sources will also be discussed.
Speaker: Marc Lerman is the Director of Archives for the Archives of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Toronto (ARCAT). He has worked at ARCAT for 28 years and became Director in 1994.

12:30–1:30 Lunch
There are several food outlets and restaurants close to the Library, or bring a lunch.

1:30–2:00 Annual Meeting of Region V of the Ontario Genealogical Society
Any member in good standing of the Ontario Genealogical Society's Halton-Peel, Simcoe County, Toronto, or York Region branches or any OGS member who lives in the region is welcome to attend the annual meeting free of charge, whether or not they have registered for the workshop. A tour of the adjacent Canadiana Department, North York Central Library will be conducted concurrently for registrants who are not members of Region V, OGS.

2:15–3:15 Concurrent Sessions

Session D: Panning for Genealogical Gold in the Loretto Abbey Archives and other Toronto Schools and Private Institutions
The aim of this session is to encourage researchers to consider looking at new lines of inquiry by filling in gaps related to specific experiences in their relatives’ lives. Loretto Abbey Archives is just one example of a private, smaller Toronto-based archive with holdings that can shed light on genealogical research. Following an overview of its collection, other Toronto-based education and private institutions will be briefly explored.
Speaker: Michelle Anitra Pariag is a graduate of the Master of Library and Information Studies Program at the University of Western Ontario. In her current role as archivist of the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Toronto (IBVM, Loretto), she handles all genealogical inquiries related to the Institute. Her own research interests focus on post-colonial archives/indentureship and she has been working on her own family history for the past five years.

Session E: Toronto Public Library Canadiana Collection
The Canadiana Collection at North York Central Library specializes in Canadian genealogy, Ontario local history, and North York history. The Canadiana Collection also holds the library collections of six genealogical and historical societies, including the OGS provincial library. This presentation will focus on the Collection’s many valuable resources not available online, including city and town directories, histories of Ontario communities, schools and churches, Ontario community newspapers, family histories, and cemetery transcriptions.
Speakers: Andrew Lofft, Andrew Lowe & Frances O'Regan.
Andrew Lofft has been Department Head of the Canadiana Department at Toronto Public Library since 2009 and has spent 25 years in various roles with TPL. He has been involved in the library's digitization and online digital collections projects, including the award-winning Ontario History Quest and Ontario Time Machine websites.

Andrew Lowe holds a Bachelor of Arts (History and English Majors) and a Master of Information Studies degree from the University of Toronto. He has worked as a Librarian for Toronto Public Library since 2002 in various capacities in public service, outreach, collection development and teaching computing skills to both the public and staff. He began working at the Canadiana Department in May 2010.

Frances O’Regan MISt holds a Hon BA in Celtic Studies (specializing in medieval Irish history and genealogy) and a Master of Information Studies in Archives and Records Management from the University of Toronto. Frances has been diligently tracing her roots in Ontario, Ireland, England and Wales for the past 20 years. She has been the Librarian for the OGS Provincial Office since June 2012.

Session F: Resources in the Toronto Family History Centre
This presentation will provide an overview of the materials available in the Toronto Family History Centre and will demonstrate how the Centre's collections add to and complement the collections in other repositories throughout the GTA as well as facilitating the use of the extensive holdings of the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. Other resources such as the availability of expert advice and an informative weekly email bulletin will also be described.
Speaker: Gwen Armstrong remembers visiting her local Family History Centre when she was just 10 years old. To keep her busy and quiet, her mother sat her at microfilm reader and gave her a name to search for in the 1861 census. Mom’s interest in family history soon faded but Gwen was hooked. She considers herself typically Canadian and has spent the last 30 years searching for Scottish, Irish, American and Germans from Russia branches on her family tree. For the last 20 years Gwen has worked in the Toronto Family History Centre and, until her husband's recent death, served as co-director with him.

3:30–4:30 Concurrent Sessions

Session G: Building History: Visiting the Archives of Ontario
Find out why it’s worth the trip to the Archives of Ontario! Our purpose-built facility, opened in 2009, is helping protect and showcase the province’s documentary memory like never before. Even the most seasoned researcher can experience the thrill of discovery with an onsite visit. Learn all about how you can interact with our collections in unique ways, including our Reading Room and gallery exhibits, our new local Vital Statistics database, and much more.
Speaker: Stewart Boden joined the Archives of Ontario in 2001. He spent five years as a Reference Archivist specializing in photographs, maps and architectural records. His passion for archival advocacy led him to his current position of Outreach Officer, where he coordinates tours of the building, curates online and in-house exhibits, and delivers presentations around the province.

Session H: Toronto’s Wonderful Map Collections
This lecture will introduce the map collections of the Toronto Reference Library, North York Central Library, the university libraries, the Archives of Ontario and the City of Toronto Archives – all of which include highly useful maps and sets of maps not online.
Speaker: James F.S. Thomson has designed and taught over a dozen very popular advanced and expert-level family history courses co-sponsored by Toronto Branch OGS and the Toronto Public Library. For these courses and in his articles and presentations at conferences and workshops, as well as in his capacity as a University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies instructor, James draws on over thirty years of experience of family and local history research.

Session I: Remarkable People, Places and Stories from the City of Toronto Archives
The places where we grow up shape our lives. Using her favourite documents and stories from the City of Toronto Archives, Jessica will show how municipal archival records can help us discover the homes, neighbourhoods and communities where our ancestors lived. Uncover the story of one home at 21 Elizabeth Street by examining city directories, tax assessment rolls, maps and photographs. Discover the amazing story of the Durie Family, of 306 St. George Street, and see reproductions of the rare and special documents in the Durie Family Collection. Learn about the City of Toronto Archives' remarkable collections, and how they can be used to discover more about your own family's story.
Speaker: Jessica Ehrenworth. Hailing from Owen Sound Ontario, Jess Ehrenworth has worked in the City of Toronto's heritage sector for over 10 years. A graduate of fine art history at the University of Toronto, Jessica began her career at Spadina Museum Historic House & Gardens, and for the past three years has worked in exhibits and outreach at the City of Toronto Archives. She is passionate about connecting people with the remarkable stories and resources in the City of Toronto Archives' collections.