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Toronto Branch, Ontario Genealogical Society

An organization of family historians, some with Toronto roots, others who live in Toronto, we have ancestors around the world.

Toronto Branch, Ontario Genealogical Society

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Sandy cliffs of the Scarborough Bluffs with Lake Ontario in the foreground
Houses on brow of hill overlooking Withrow Park.
Roofline of the south St. Lawrence Market building
Gothic arches of the main door of the yellow brick Cathedral Church of St. James.
Light filtering through mature trees on a wide variety of grave markers in St. James Cemetery and Crematorium.
Skyline of downtown Toronto from Riverdale Park in evening light. Shows CN Tower and skyscrapers.
Red and white streetcar passing under the steel superstructure of the bridge at Queen Street and the Don River. The superstructure has a big clock and a sign that says: This river I step in is not the river I stand in.
head shot

The first monthly Toronto Branch meeting of 2026 took place on Monday January 26, via Zoom. Our main speaker, Linda Reid, has been researching her British and Irish roots for decades, and for the past 15 years, has focused on confirming the paper trail with DNA evidence… with great success! In her presentation, Why I am (a bit of) a contrarian in genetic genealogy, she shared her views on making effective use of DNA […]

January 2026 meeting—online

Screenshot of webpage

Toronto Branch hosted a celebration in January and you can still join in the fun by listening to the recorded sessions! Almost 50 years ago, in 1979, staff of the Archives of Ontario created the Ontario Land Records Index—a massive index connecting settlers who were allocated Crown land in Upper Canada/Canada West/Ontario to specific properties. Until the fall of 2025, this wonderful research aid was only found on microfiche in a few locations. But now, […]

Join our OLRI celebration!

Postcard illustration of large department store

The online Toronto Branch database of war memorials has grown again. We’ve now added three more memorials to the For King and Country collection, all tied to city landmarks.  A long and memorable chapter in Canadian history came to an end in 2025 when the Hudson’s Bay Company closed its doors. Many of its outlets, including the one at the corner of Queen and Yonge Streets in Toronto, had previously belonged to another of […]

For King and Country—honouring the dead

Silhouettes of people jumping

It’s November, and that means it’s time once again to celebrate our own members’ adventures in family history… On Monday November 24, eight Branch members shared some of their Great Moments in Genealogy! The meeting was recorded. Get set for some intriguing, thought-provoking and heart-stirring stories: Ann Brown—Dear Wife—Letters from the Front Beth Adams—A brick wall has fallen! Carol Ufford—Tracing troubled roots Melanie Parker—The Underhills of Hillsdale Avenue Mike Loader—The myth of the three […]

November 2025 meeting—great moments!

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Related organizations

  • Jewish Genealogical Society of Toronto
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  • United Empire Loyalist Association of Canada

Toronto Branch Meetings

Feb
23
Mon
7:30 pm Top 10 Tips For Being a Better R...
Top 10 Tips For Being a Better R...
Feb 23 @ 7:30 pm
Top 10 Tips For Being a Better Researcher @ Online webinar
In this presentation, we’ll explore Ken McKinlay’s top ten tips and strategies for uncovering our ancestors’ stories. Instead of focusing on individual sites or specific search techniques, Ken highlights a broader approach our genealogy research,[...]
Apr
11
Sat
1:00 pm Eureka Moments in (Genetic) Gene...
Eureka Moments in (Genetic) Gene...
Apr 11 @ 1:00 pm – 4:15 pm
This spring you’ll want to attend Eureka Moments in (Genetic) Genealogy: How you can achieve family history success with proven DNA strategies. This special fast-paced in-person meeting will be hosted by the Branch and presented[...]
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Recent posts

  • January 2026 meeting—online
  • Join our OLRI celebration!
  • For King and Country—honouring the dead
  • November 2025 meeting—great moments!
  • October 2025 meeting—online
  • Ontario Land Records Index—now online!
  • September 2025—fall launch!

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Accessibility Statement: Toronto Branch is committed to making this website accessible to all. We welcome your comments on how we can better meet your needs. If you have difficulty accessing materials on this site, please e-mail our accessibility coordinator and tell us: the page where you had the problem (URL in your “address bar”); what the problem was; and how we can contact you. We'll do our best to fix the problem or give you the information in another format as soon as possible. To report broken links or other issues relating to use of the website, please e-mail our webmaster 

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Toronto is situated on Indigenous land. This is the traditional territory of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, the Wendat, and the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation. This land is also part of the Dish with One Spoon territory, a treaty between the Haudenosaunee Confederacy (aka Six Nations Confederacy), the Anishinaabek and allied nations, to peaceably share and care for this land, its waters, and all of the biodiversity in the Great Lakes region. We are all responsible for honouring this treaty in the spirit of peace, friendship, and respect.

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