Rachel McAdams (left) and her sister,Kayleen McAdams

The word on the street – and now on the airwaves – is that the Archives of Ontario is the place to go to trace your roots in the province. The Learning Channel (TLC) recently filmed part of an episode of its popular genealogical series Who Do You Think You Are? at the Archives’ site on the York University campus.

Canadian celebrities Rachel and Kayleen McAdams take advantage of the Archives’ exceptional facilities to uncover information on their surprising past. It aired on August 6, but a clip of the episode is available on the TLC website.

It makes for fascinating viewing and highlights the usefulness of patent plans. Over 4,100 of these historic documents, which include the names of settlers who received grants of land from the Crown, have just been digitized for online consultation. They complement the Archives’ incomparable resources for genealogical research.