Join in person at Ottawa’s Knox Presbyterian Church (Lisgar & Elgin) or online by registering here.
Preserving Family Archives/ 9 a.m. EDT
Presenter: Kyla Ubbink
Family documents, photographs, clippings, works of art, diaries, bibles, trinkets and treasures are the physical evidence that tell the stories of our ancestors. As genealogists, many of these pieces of history wind up in your care and knowing how to preserve them is paramount to ensuring their longevity. Kyla Ubbink will advise on implementing archival principles of preservation to the care of family memorabilia. Current and up to date practices for storing archival materials, how to detect processes of deterioration, and methods of intervention will be shared within the context of practical ‘at home’ application. Topics include proper boxes and enclosures, the use of albums, shelving, climate control, pest and mould prevention, basic cleaning and repair, and introduction to digitization.
Operating a private conservation studio since 2002, Kyla Ubbink began her career through an internship with the Library and Archives Canada’s conservation laboratories in 2000 and subsequent contract positions through to 2005. Her private practice, Ubbink Book & Paper Conservation, provides professional conservation, restoration and preservation consultation services to institutions, galleries, antiquities dealers, collectors, researchers and genealogists. Kyla’s work has been integral to the collections of the Canadian War Museum, Canadian Museum of Natural History, Parks Canada, Bank of Canada, Global Affairs, Crown and Indigenous Affairs, and numerous University, archive, rare book, and art gallery collections.
Kyla was a part time professor of Cultural Preservation for Algonquin College’s Archives and Records Management Program from 2007 through 2019. She has several publications in professional periodicals, is a regular presenter at conservation conferences, and provides workshops and lectures for community groups and heritage professionals. Kyla recently served on a Canadian Standards Review Board to assess and update the standard for “Permanence of Paper for Records, Books and Other Documents”. She has also fulfilled the role of treasurer and secretary for the Canadian Association for Conservation of Cultural Property’s Board of Directors.
https://bookandpaperconservation.com/
Casting the Past: Historical Storytelling / 10 a.m. EDT
Presenter: Pierre Brault
How do playwrights research their historical theatre productions? Ottawa actor/playwright Pierre Brault will describe the process he used to discover background information for his historical works featuring Patrick Whelan, Thomas MacKay and Colonel By, the central figures in three of his plays. Pierre will explain how he uses this information to animate their lives on the stage and will read from some of his most well-known works.
Pierre Brault is a multi-award winning actor/ playwright/ comedian whose solo works have been performed across the globe.
http://www.pierrebrault.com/
The FreeBMD Database was updated on Friday 25 Sepember 2026 to contain 296,707,946 unique records, an increase of 205,328 since August.
Following on from last week, when FMP introduced records from the Royal School of Needlework, come two more small databases between 1889 and 1946.
Using forenames in family history research.