Sunday, October 21, 2012

Family History Weekend 2012 at Vankleek Hill, Ontario



Two years ago, some friends from Ottawa and I went to Vankleek Hill to take in a Genealogy Fair!

First, we attended pretentions at the Champlain Township Public Library that morning, and later in the afternoon, we went over to the Vankleek Hill Arena/Community Centre to see the such displays as the Tweedsmuir Histories. We also went to the newspaper office of The Review to look at their online digital archives webpage of their website http://thereview.ca/Archive_Landingpage.html, and to talk and be interviewed by the newspaper’s editor, Louise Sproule!

This year, they are doing something a bit different – it will be a two-day affair.

Various venues around town will host the event, which is planned for the weekend of October 27-28.

On Saturday, they plan to have antiques appraisals given by Janet Carlile, who is best known for her work on CBC Television’s "Antiques Roadshow", and Harold MacMillan will give a talk on the Gaelic language at the Vankleek Hill Museum.

On Sunday, Kyla Ubbink, a well-known conservator, will be at the Community Centre to offer a 90-minute workshop, and there will be Walking Tours on Sunday afternoon with Denis Seguin, an architect, who will act as the tour leader and point out the various houses and businesses in the “Gingerbread Capital of Ontario”.

A weekend like this is a great opportunity the share your family history with others. Bring your photos and genealogies, and you can research and talk to others – for FREE! You might even break down a brick wall while you are there!

To contact the Family History Weekend, email the organizers at family@vankleek.ca or call them at 613.678.2323.

The event is hosted by the Vankleek Hill & District Historical Society as a fundraiser for the Vankleek Hill Museum. Visit their website for details www.vankleek.ca.