The Ontario Historical Society

City of Ottawa: Billings Estate National Historic Site Historic Cemetery Tours
2021-10-16 18:30, 2021-10-22 18:30, 2021-10-23 18:30, 2021-10-29 18:30, 2021-10-30 18:30, 2021-10-31 18:30, 2021-11-05 18:30 (America/Toronto) | Billings Estate National Historic Site, 2100 Cabot Street, Ottawa, Ontario, K1H 6K1, Canada
Fridays and Saturdays from October 15 to November 13, and Sunday, October 31.
6:30 pm
Registration is required (link is external) and can be completed using the barcodes listed below.
Experience a unique historical tour of the Settler’s Cemetery and the Billings Estate grounds at dusk. Hear true tales of death, burial, and disease from Bytown and Gloucester Township from a knowledgeable interpreter. This 1-hour guided exploration will take you beyond the walls of a typical visit to the museum and offer a glimpse of life and loss in 19th century Ottawa.
Please note:

Recommended for ages 16+. The tour discusses difficult subject matter (e.g. disease, violence, death, etc.) and visitor discretion is advised.
The tour is offered in English. French language tours can be arranged on request (with a minimum of 10 registered participants). Contact the museum for more information: 613-580-2088.
Please arrive 15 minutes before your tour’s scheduled start time.
Tours will take place rain or shine. Dress for weather conditions, wear comfortable shoes, and bring bug spray. The route will include uneven and grassy terrain as well as gravel pathways. If you have questions regarding accessibility, contact 613-580-2088.
Plan for a COVID-wise visit. Tour group sizes have been reduced to allow for physical distancing. Maintain two meters of distance from those who are not a part of your household or social circle. Practice hand hygiene and bring a mask for use indoors or times when physical distancing cannot be maintained.

Barcodes:
Friday, October 15 – 1603594
Saturday, October 16 – 1603595
Friday, October 22 – 1603596
Saturday, October 23 – 1603597
Friday, October 29 – 1603598
Saturday, October 30 – 1603599
Sunday, October 31 – 1603600
Friday, November 5 – 1603602
Saturday, November 6 – 1603601
Friday, November 12 – 1603604
Saturday, November 13 – 1603603
Cost: $15.25 (includes tax)

Culinary Historians of Canada: First Catch your Gingerbread, with Sam Bilton
2021-10-17 13:00 - 14:30 | online
Join food historian and writer Sam Bilton, author of First Catch Your Gingerbread, as she explores the history of this sweet teatime treat.
Did you know that a mistress of a French king was poisoned by a piece of gingerbread? Or that gingerbread men were thought in some quarters to be reminders of the human sacrifices made in bygone days?
Gingerbread has a long and auspicious history in Britain and from there to Canada. From the luxurious sweetmeat of the medieval era to generic biscuit figures found in cafes and shops around the country, gingerbread has been present in our culinary repertoire for centuries. Join food historian and writer Sam Bilton, author of First Catch Your Gingerbread, as she explores the history of this sweet teatime treat. A question and answer period will follow her talk.

Virtual Lecture: Triumph and Tragedy: Building the Welland Ship Canal
2021-10-20 11:00 | online
Presented by Kathleen Powell.
On Zoom – registration is required.

National Trust Webinar: Six Steps to Telling Your Heritage Story
2021-10-20 12:15 - 13:00 | online
FREE
Heritage places are filled with great stories to tell. In this webinar learn how to share and get your message out in a way that engages, compels and inspires – and wins you a wider engaged audience including, visitors, members, donors and supporters.
Hear from historic places that have increased the diversity of their storytelling, by searching for the untold stories and connecting with new partners.
Not sure you can attend? Register and we’ll email you a recording approximately 24 hours after the session.

Mohawk Institute Residential School Virtual Tour
2021-10-20 19:00, 2021-10-27 19:00 | online
Save The Evidence Public Virtual Tour
The Woodland Cultural Centre presents a screening of the Mohawk Institute Residential School as a fundraiser for the Save the Evidence fundraising campaign.
Join us every third Wednesday of the month at 7pm and help us raise funds for this important project.
The virtual tour video was created with local production company Thru the Reddoor, and it follows the guide, Lorrie Gallant, as she gives a tour of the former Mohawk Institute Indian Residential School. During the video Lorrie provides the history of the institution over its 140 year history. Viewers will get to see the different rooms in the school, from the girls’ and boys’ dormitories, the cafeteria, laundry room, and other rooms throughout the building, as well as hear interviews from five Survivors of the Mohawk Institute.
Event Information:
Tickets – $10 donation to Save the Evidence
Virtual Tour Length – 45 Minutes
Q&A Debrief – 15 Minutes

Myseum: Toronto History Trivia
2021-10-20 19:00 - 20:30 | online
An online trivia fundraising event that will test your knowledge on all things Toronto. Pay what you can or attend for free!
Missing the days of trivia nights? Looking for something fun to do with friends, family, or by yourself?
Join Myseum of Toronto for this Toronto History Trivia Night fundraising event!
Come show us what you know about the history of Hogtown and get to know some more tidbits about the T-Dot.
Hosted by Quizmaster Steve Hobbs, this virtual event will test your knowledge of all things Toronto and teach you things you never knew about the 6ix.
Compete solo or in teams of up to 4 people for a chance to win prizes from our community donors: lululemon QSW and Henderson Brewing Company (prizing details below).
Not only will this be a fun-filled night with exciting prizes, you’ll also be supporting a museum that aims to tell the history of our beautiful city and its many communities.
DETAILS

Wednesday October 20, 2021 from 7-8:30pm .

1-4 people per team.

There are two ticket options : PWYC (Pay What You Can) with a suggested donation amount of $10 and FREE.

Don’t forget to brush up on your Toronto knowledge before the big day! (Psst, you might even learn a thing or two by exploring our website and social media).
PRIZING

1st place: 2 $100 gift cards for lululemon
2nd place: 4 $25 gift cards for Henderson’s Brewing Company
Best Team Name: Myseum of Toronto swag

North York Historical Society October 2021 Meeting: “Early History of the North York Area" with Bill Aird
2021-10-20 19:00 - 21:00 | online
Speaker: Bill Aird, Board Member of the North York Historical Society
The land area that is currently known as North York was home to Aboriginal peoples for millennia before the coming of settler populations from Europe.
In the first part, we discuss the process which lead to the exclusion of the aboriginal people from this area by the European authorities.
In the second part we follow the development of the area until the formation of North York as a self-governing entity separate from York County.

There is no need to pre-register. Please join us on the day!
Join the Zoom meeting by computer:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88312479988?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 883 1247 9988
Passcode: [REDACTED]
-or-
Join by phone:
+1 647 374 4685 Canada
+1 647 558 0588 Canada
Find your local number: https://us06web.zoom.us/u/kwaIJzHQ
Meeting ID: 883 1247 9988

Toronto Railway Museum Online Lecture: Through the Window of a Train
2021-10-20 20:00 | online
Join us for our next online lecture, “Through the Window of a Train”, on October 20!
Join us on Wednesday October 20 for the next online lecture in our 2021 online series. If you’ve ever been curious about the lives of people on board a moving train, or wanted to take a nostalgic trip back to the steam era, then you won’t want to miss this presentation!
Relive hilarious, hazardous, historical, and romantic moments as Barbara Lange reads a selection of short stories from Through the Window of a Train: A Canadian Railway Anthology (Borealis Press). Get a glimpse into the lives of railway workers, railway families, and train travelers from the bygone steam era when railways reigned supreme.
Following the presentation, attendees will have the opportunity to speak with the presenter and Toronto Railway Museum historians in a live Q&A session.
Tickets
Tickets are $15. Attendees will get access to our exclusive Zoom meeting room, where they can engage directly with the presenter and museum historians in our post-lecture Q&A. Ticket holders will also receive 1 adult ticket to the Toronto Railway Museum (valid until 12/31/2022) and have a chance to win one of several prizes.

Town of York Historical Society Fall Author Series: Ann Birch ("Settlement")
2021-10-21 19:00 - 20:30 | online
Join us on October 21st for the next evening in our author’s series!
It’s common for people to tell you to write about what you know. But Ann Birch chooses to write—in three of her four novels– about real historical people who lived in York (early Toronto) in the late 1700s and early 1800s. Since she was not living at this time, she has had to learn how to recreate a long-gone world and the people who lived in it.
In this presentation, Ann will share about delving into primary sources like letters and diaries written about and by her main characters. She will also discuss the necessity of turning to secondary sources: the innumerable tomes available on the social history of the times and the people who inhabited this world. But there are many spaces omitted by historians and by the characters themselves, and here’s where an author must be diligent in filling these spaces. Ann will talk about her constant effort to be authentic in her writing of historical fiction about York.

Ontario Women’s History Network AGM & Conference: 30 Years of Advancing the Study of Women’s History
2021-10-22 09:00 - 2021-10-23 15:30, 2021-10-23 09:00 - 2021-10-24 15:30 | online
The Ontario Women’s History Network is holding its Annual General Meeting and Conference, entitled “Ontario Women’s History Network: 30 Years of Advancing the Study of Women’s History” on October 22-23, 2021.
To participate in the conference, please complete the online conference registration form:
https://owhn-rhfo.ca/conference-registration-2021-2/
To view a complete schedule of the conference, please visit the Conference Program page at https://owhn-rhfo.ca/program-for-fall-2021-conference-and-agm/ or download it in PDF format (suitable for printing) at https://owhn-rhfo.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/OWHN-AGM-Program-October-22-23-2021.pdf.

The Ontario Women’s History Network (OWHN) encourages the preservation, production, and dissemination of women’s and gender history in Ontario, with a special emphasis on teaching and study of history. We welcome students, teachers, museum professionals, public historians, professors, archivists, librarians, independent researchers and anyone else interested in women’s and gender history.

Thunder Bay Museum - Walking Tour - East End - Free
2021-10-22 13:00 - 15:00 | McNaughton St. & McTavish St. Thunder Bay, McNaughton St. & McTavish St., Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada
As part of our Ontario Culture Days offerings please join the Thunder Bay Museum for a special free walking tour of the East End neighborhood.
The tour will start at the CPR Railyard Plaque (corner of McNaughton and McTavish Street)
Attendance is free.
The tour is approximately 2km and should last about 120 minutes. Be sure to dress appropriately for the weather.
These tours welcome participants of all ages, but some of the content may not be suitable for small children. Parental discretion is advised.
Guests will be asked to be mindful of COVID-19 and social distancing during the tour.

Woodland Cultural Centre: Teióia’ks iakwateró:roks “We watch movies” Film Series – The Gift by Gary Farmer
2021-10-24 19:00 | online
This short documentary examines the role of corn in the lives of Indigenous peoples in the Americas. Before colonization, corn was widely used as a beverage, a food staple, an oil, and a ceremonial object. It was respected and revered as a critical part of creation. This film explores the powerful bond and spiritual relationship that continues to exist between people and corn.
Combining interviews, dance, and song, The Gift captures the traditional, spiritual, economic, and political importance of this sacred plant.
This online gathering is a chance for us to watch movies together, even when we can’t go to the movies or to an in person film screening.
Make your popcorn at home and cozy up with us every other month for this ongoing series.

Thunder Bay Museum Virtual Lecture: OHT CEO Beth Hanna – The Path to a More Inclusive Narrative: Sharing Experiences
2021-10-26 19:30 | online
This lecture will be presented virtually with no in person component.
CLICK HERE to watch the free webinar!
In recent years the Ontario Heritage Trust has designed programs and partnerships to create a more inclusive discussion of heritage, to expand the historical narrative in Ontario using land protection and stewardship, public programs and its social media platforms to explore new approaches to the work we do. We are working with communities across the province, urban and rural, to share their own stories in their own voices, to celebrate the diversity of experiences, languages, customs and perspectives of different people and different places. Drawing from specific examples of programs and property protection, and sharing lessons learned from collaborations with Indigenous nations and racialized communities, Beth will discuss some thinking on new initiatives along with the joys and challenges of the Trust’s work to design protection practices and interpretation approaches that are more honest and inclusive.
Beth Hanna is Chief Executive Officer of the Ontario Heritage Trust. She has a wealth of experience in the design and delivery of inclusive, multi-faceted public programs and the creation of integrated approaches to the conservation and stewardship of heritage – cultural and natural, tangible and intangible. She is passionate about giving voice to the diversity of experiences, traditions, and histories of Ontario’s peoples and communities.

Hastings County Historical Society Presents, "Indigenous History: Reading Between and Beyond the Lines" with Bill Fox
2021-10-27 15:00 | online
Archaeologist Bill Fox presents a traditional chronological review of archaeological evidence for the millennia of Indigenous occupation across the landscape of what is now known as Hastings County.
He follows this with a reconsideration of archaeological and historical documentation concerning Indigenous-European relations during the seventeenth century.
With an M.A. in Archaeology from U of T, Bill Fox was an archaeologist with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Parks Canada, then was a manager with the Trent-Severn Waterway. Since retirement, he’s an adjunct professor at Trent University’s Anthropology Graduate Program.
Join us for this free Zoom presentation.
Wednesday October 27 at 3:00 p.m.
Register at: president@hastingshistory.ca

The Historical Society of Ottawa: Grandpa Jack - British Home Child
2021-10-27 19:00 | online
Guest Speakers
Emma Kent, B.A. History, Carleton University
Details
Between 1869 and 1932, 100,000 children were sent from Britain and placed with Canadian families, often to serve as cheap farm or domestic labour. Ottawa’s St. George’s Home, in Hintonburg, was one of Canada’s principal “distribution centres” for Roman Catholic children. Emma Kent shares excerpts from her own grandfather’s memoirs to explore what kind of life these uprooted children faced.
This speaker series will take place via Zoom. Register using this link: tinyurl.com/grandpa-hc
All are welcome to attend without charge.

The Historical Society of St. Catharines Online Lecture: “Over 50 Years of Artist-Run Culture in Niagara”
2021-10-28 19:30 | online
Presented by Stephen Remus, Minister of Energy, Minds, and Resources at the Niagara Artists Centre.
Stephen has been volunteering at NAC for over twenty years and has guided the organization through a period of significant growth including ownership of the organization’s facilities on St. Paul Street and the establishment of 14 work and studio spaces for artists.
Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82054978832

14th Annual Coptic Studies Symposium
2021-10-30 09:00 - 15:00 | online
Iconography and Hagiography: Picturing Holiness in Coptic Christianity
Co-sponsored with The Department of Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations, University of Toronto and The Coptic Museum of Canada
REGISTER NOW!
Send your name and email to: cscopticstudies@gmail.com
Deadline: October 25, 2021
SYNOPSIS
The 14th annual symposium will explore the links and particularity of the expression of holiness in Coptic iconography and hagiographical texts from Late Antiquity to modern times. Innovations on the visualization of holiness will be discussed from interdisciplinary and methodological perspectives.
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Dr. Gertrud J.M. van Loon, Research Fellow at the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium. Faculty of Arts, Near Eastern Studies. Will be joined by scholars from Australia, Canada, Egypt, France, Sweden, and the UK.

Virtual Lecture: Treaties & Land Claims
2021-11-03 11:00 | online
Jane Thomas, Laura Heidman & Daniel Laxer from the Ontario Ministry of Indigenous Affairs will speak about Treaties & Land Claims.
On Zoom – registration is required.

Taste Canada x Canada Beef: Sustainability
2021-11-03 19:00 | online
Get the herd together and experience a virtual Zoom chat hosted by Steven Hellmann, founder of The Foodies Group, with panelists Will Stoneman and Kasey Whitwell from First Line Angus cattle farm and Dr. Kim Stanford and Dr. Tim McAllistar, hosts of Cows on the Planet.
Presented by Taste Canada and Canada Beef, join the discussion on Wednesday, November 3rd at 7 PM EST and listen in as panelists tackle topics of sustainability, food waste, and the innovative techniques farmers are using to help reduce environmental impacts within beef farming.

Lundy's Lane Historical Society Presents Sherman Zavitz: "Thomas Hines: A Confederate Soldier at Niagara"
2021-11-04 19:00 | Niagara Military Museum, 5409 Victoria Ave., Niagara Falls, Ontario, L2E 4E2, Canada
The next regular meeting of the Lundy’s Lane Historical Society will be held Thursday November 4th at 7 p.m. at the Niagara Falls Military Museum, 5409 Victoria Avenue. Parking is in the rear.
The speaker for the evening will be Past President of the Lundy’s Lane Historical Society and former City Historian, our own Mr. Sherman Zavitz.
Sherman’s topic for the evening is entitled, “Thomas Hines: A Confederate Soldier at Niagara.” It promises to be an action-packed, high interest tale!
Please bring your mask and be prepared to provide proof of double vaccination and we also suggest you bring your own beverages.
We appreciate your continued support and look forward to seeing you at the Military Museum.

Middlesex County Library Presents The Donnellys of Biddulph Township: Author Visit with John Little
2021-11-04 19:00 - 20:00 | online
Middlesex County Library presents a special author session with John Little. Little is the author of two new volumes on The Donnellys of Biddulph Township, “Vol. I: Powder Keg” & Vol. II: “Massacre, Trial, and Aftermath”.
Vol I & II will be available in the Middlesex County Library collection. To purchase your own copies, the Library has partnered with Bookmarks the Spot, a local bookstore, for a special price for the volumes. As a participant you are eligible to purchase each volume at $20 plus tax.
Everyone is welcome to this free online author talk program on Thursday, November 4 from 7-8pm via Zoom. Registration is required and can be done so through Eventbrite.

Lakeshore Asylum Cemetery Project: “Fall Visit and Clean-Up”
2021-11-06 13:00 | Lakeshore Psychiatric Hospital Cemetery, 231 Evans Ave., Etobicoke, ON, Ontario, Canada
The Lakeshore Asylum Cemetery Project invites you to join us for a distanced “Fall Visit and Clean-Up.”
Saturday November 6, 2021
(Rain or Shine)
1:00pm
To remember and honour in a dignified and respectful way the lives of the 1511 people buried in the Lakeshore Psychiatric Hospital Cemetery and to acknowledge their contributions to our community.
Markers for WW1 Veterans were installed by “Last Post” in 2020.
We will be gathering to do some yard work and freshen up the grounds.
Grass/Hedge clipper and Lawn-edger will be useful. You are welcome to join us. Donations of artificial flowers would also be appreciated.
For more information please contact:
Deb Quiggin at 647-881-7066
Directions to the Cemetery:

TTC – From the Royal York Subway take the #15 Evans bus to the northeast corner of Evans and Horner Avenue where the cemetery is located. From Kipling Subway, take the #44 Kipling South bus to Evans Ave. and walk east.
Cars – The cemetery is just south of the onramp to the QEW where Evans and Horner meet. There is a parking lot on the south side of the Evans Ave.

PLEASE NOTE: The cemetery is not wheelchair accessible; there is little shade, and no water supply
