On Friday, June 20, Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke MPP Billy Denault met with the Upper Ottawa Valley Genealogical Group (UOVGG) to hear more about the $13,700 grant from the provincial government’s Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) that was used to update the group’s equipment and services. These funds will assist the group’s board in strengthening the offerings to members, make the organization’s services more accessible to current members and attract new members from both the Upper Ottawa Valley and those whose ancestors used to call this home.
“We are grateful to the Ontario Trillium Foundation for making this meaningful investment in our community,” said Billy Denault, MPP for Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke. “This support will empower individuals to discover their family roots, preserve local history, and deepen our community’s connection to its heritage. The project ensures that more residents will have the tools and resources to explore their stories and contribute to the rich historical fabric of our region,”
This grant has enabled the Group to purchase new research and educational support equipment and programs, install a state-of-the art library management program, and launch a new, more comprehensive website.
“This grant has been a life-saver for us, especially in dealing with the ‘pandemic hangover’ that has decimated many organizations similar to our own,” said Larry Schruder, current UOVGG board chairman. “Moving a good portion of our reference collection into an electronic format available online is an important recognition that some of our elderly members are less able to visit our library in person – and that a significant portion of our members live in other parts of Canada and beyond. Moving into the digital world with some of our records and education programs will enable these two groups, and many others, to more easily complete their genealogical journey.”
For the past 35 years, The Upper Ottawa Valley Genealogical Group (UOVGG) has served as a non-profit organization to foster the study of the genealogy of the families who live, or lived, in the Upper Ottawa Valley.
The UOVGG’s objectives are to collect and preserve local genealogical records including census recordings, births, marriages and deaths, obituaries, cemetery transcriptions, family histories, charts and pedigree charts.
The group shares genealogy information with its members and the public and publishes a newsletter, TIMBERLINE, on a regular basis.
The UOVGG maintains a reference library for members and encourages ethical principles and effective techniques of genealogical research with primary interest in the Upper Ottawa Valley.
The Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) is an agency of the Ontario government with a mission to build healthy and vibrant communities across the province. Last year, OTF invested nearly $105M into 732 community projects and multi-sector partnerships. Projects aim to enhance economic well-being, foster more active lifestyles, support child and youth development, provide spaces for people to come together and connect, and create a more sustainable environment. Visit otf.ca to learn more.