British Isles Family History Society of Greater Ottawa
Schedule of Monthly Meetings,
Seminars and Workshops


BIFHSGO Meeting
13 March 2010 10:00 a.m., at Library & Archives Canada, 395 Wellington Street, Ottawa
Constable George Johnston's Road to Recognition By Gibson Glavin
This talk will describe the journey of oral and documentary research taken by the great grand nephew of Constable George Johnston (NorthWest Mounted Police) to see the tragic death of Constable Johnston, in 1882 at Fort Walsh, officially recognized by the RCMP.
Constable George Johnston was born near Billings Bridge, Ontario in 1860. He was one of the Johnston(es) clan who had immigrated to Ontario from Northern Ireland a few years earlier. He joined the NorthWest Mounted Police in 1879 and was posted to Fort McLeod, NWT. He lost his life after the accidental discharge of a rifle in the hands of another Constable. His death went unrecognized by the Mounted Police until 2009.
About the Speaker:
Gibson Glavin is an Inspector with the RCMP with 23 years of service both within Canada and Europe. He is currently posted to the RCMP's National Headquarters in Ottawa as a Staff Officer in the Office of the Senior Deputy Commissioner.

Monthly Meetings are held at 10:00 a.m. usually the Second Saturday of Each Month (except July & August)
at Library and Archives Canada, 395 Wellington Street, Ottawa.
Free Parking is available in the lots east of the building only on Saturday & Sunday.
Please DO NOT use the lot west of the building.

Speakers present informative talks on family history and resources. The talks are free, and begin at 10:00 a.m. From time to time an earlier "Before BIFHSGO" talk is given between 9 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. that covers a subject related to, or complimentary to, the main speaker's topic. For more details see the Education page.

At each meeting, experts in English, Irish, Scottish and Welsh resources host Discovery Tables, discuss new and improved research resources, impart information on activities and events, and guide and counsel members on individual efforts, particularly with research problems.

Society publications, including annals from previous conferences, and back issues of Anglo-Celtic Roots, are available for sale at our monthly meetings.
Come early at 9:30 a.m.
Browse our Discovery Tables on England, Ireland & Scotland.
Meet with family history experts.
Enjoy a cup of coffee or tea and a cookie.

10 April 2010, BIFHSGO Meeting
Getting Them Back to England - What I did on my "Somers" Vacation by Jane Down
When Jane started to search for her great-grandmother, Mary Jane Somers, she knew very little about her. This talk will describe the journey of discovering Mary Jane's family and where they came from in Ontario and in England using various genealogy tools such as tombstone inscriptions, the Ontario Cemetery Finding Aid, censii, Ontario vital records, Rootsweb World Connect, Find My Past, Devon Family History Society databases, parish records, newspaper obituaries, and communications with new-found cousins.
About the Speaker
Jane Down, current Program Director for BIFHSGO, has been researching her family roots in Ontario and England since 1975. She has won several genealogy contests and awards including the Seminar 2007 OGS Photo Contest, 2006 OCAPG Essay Contest, 2001 OGS Marion Keffer Award (Honourable Mention) for her article on the Richmond Ledger for the Ottawa Branch News, and the 1994 Ottawa Branch OGS Gen-O-Rama Ancestor Exhibit Competition for her book on the Bradfords of Eastbourne. In real life, Jane is a Senior Conservation Scientist at the Canadian Conservation Institute where she carries out research on adhesives that are used to conserve works of art.

8 May 2010, BIFHSGO Meeting
Changing Canadian Attitudes to the Settlement of British Home Children, 1869-1928 by Patricia Roberts-Pichette
Canadians generally welcomed the home children settled in Canada by the British volunteer agencies starting in 1869. The first British (Doyle) report, released in 1874, criticized Canadians for their treatment of children. It was publicly rejected in Canada, although it spurred some governmental changes. In 1924, after about 85,000 children had been settled in Canada, the second and positive British (Bondfield) report on home children in Canada was released. In 1925, the restriction of juvenile immigrants to ages 14-17 and long-standing pressure from primarily urban-based and educated leaders meant massive program changes for the agencies. This presentation will discuss how world events, the Canadian policy change for juvenile immigrants (medical inspection, selection in England and inspection in Canada), and the evolution of social understanding, provincial education and labour laws, signalled the program's demise.
About the Speaker
Patricia Roberts-Pichette, as Associate Director for Research and Projects in 2001, became the coordinator of BIFHSCO’s Middlemore Project responsible for preparing the Middlemore Index on the Society’s website (now being checked and updated). The information so intrigued her that she is now preparing a book on Middlemore’s agency.

19 June 2010, BIFHSGO Meeting (Great Moments and AGM)
"Miracles Do Happen!" by Shirley-Ann Pyefinch
A quest of discovering paternal ancestors lead Shirley-Ann to a miraculous discovery! They say timing is everything and it certainly was for this Great Moment!
About the Speaker:
Shirley-Ann Pyefinch is an Information Management Specialist who graduated from the Archives and Records Management Program at Algonquin College. She serves as Director for the Ottawa Ontario Stake Family History Centre for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She enjoys doing genealogical research, traveling with her family and listening to Great Moment talks at BIFHSGO meetings!

"Finding Uncle Bernard or How NOT to Do Genealogy" by George Swift
This talk concerns the author's search for his maternal grandmother's missing brother and all the missteps he made on the way to finally uncovering his story.
About the Speaker:
George Swift has been doing genealogy for 25 years, concentrating on his Irish and Belgium roots. He has been a member of BIFHSGO for 10 years and given previous talks to our group on his research.

"Lily, Thistle, Fur and Feather: The Ancestry of Flore Couvrette" by Carol Annett
A search for French-Canadian roots turned up ancestors who were Scottish fur traders and more. About the Speaker:
Carol Annett joined BIFHSGO in 2006. A member of the Writing Group, she enjoys telling the stories of her ancestors.

"The Importance of Being Ernest" by Chris MacPhail
The search for a great-aunt has led to some surprising revelations. About the Speaker:
Chris MacPhail is a semi-retired engineer whose interest in genealogy was sparked by learning that his grandfather had been a Home Child. He is the current editor of Anglo-Celtic Roots and past Program Chair for the BIFHSGO conference.

"Albert Edward Weir, Adopted Son - The Search for his Parents" by Patricia McGregor
Research on the Weir family of Cobourg and Peterborough began in earnest about 15 years ago and has unearthed descendants in Ontario, British Columbia, Wisconsin, North Dakota, California, Michigan, Illinois and Minnesota. A wealth of information has been uncovered and while some mysteries remain, many great genealogy moments have occurred. The focus of this talk will be on the family of Patricia's great great grandparents, Robert Weir (ca 1830-1905) and Mary Ann Brooks (ca 1832-1910), and the methodology and sources used to identify the biological parents of the adopted son listed with them in the 1891 census.
About the Speaker:
Patricia McGregor has been addicted to genealogy for close to 20 years. In addition to tracing her own roots, she has developed the course material for the advanced course in Canadian Immigration Records offered by the National Institute for Genealogical Studies and has spoken on the subject at both BIFHSGO and OGS annual conferences. She operates a small business in antiques and collectibles with a specialized focus on Canadiana books and ephemera. She also works full time as a Human Resources Officer in the federal government.

Future BIFHSGO Meetings
at Library & Archives Canada, 395 Wellington Street, Ottawa
  • Conference: 10-12 September 2010
  • 25 September 2010
  • 9 October 2010
  • 13 November 2010
  • 11 December 2010
  • 9 January 2011
  • 12 February 2011
  • 12 March 2011
  • 9 April 2011
  • 7 May 2011
  • 11 June 2011
  • 10 September 2011
  • Conference: 16-18 September 2011
  • 8 October 2011
  • 12 November 2011
  • 10 December 2011
Several specialized Workshops and Seminars are planned throughout the year. These generally require all individuals to register in advance and pay the required fees.
List of speakers from previous monthly meetings