United Empire Loyalists’ Association of Canada
The United Empire Loyalists’ Association of Canada (UELAC) is an organization dedicated to enriching the lives of Canadians through knowledge of the past, in particular the history of the United Empire Loyalists and their contribution to the development of Canada.
We are the Hamilton, Ontario branch of that association.
A Reminder to Members:
It’s Time to Renew Your Membership for 2026
To renew your membership, please log in to your account on the UELAC website, and then choose the “ADD/RENEW MEMBERSHIP” icon in the upper right corner of the window. You should see a page of detailed renewal instructions.
If you don’t see that icon (if you are using your phone, for example), you will probably will see three horizontal bars in the upper right corner. Click that to see a drop-down menu which should include “Add/Renew Membership”. Choose that option and then follow the instructions.
News
Our news page is where you can find the latest articles of interest. Here are some recent ones:
| Our Loyalist Ancestors: Philip Embury | Posted November 30, 2025 |
| A Look at Our United Empire Loyalist Monument | Posted July 28, 2025 |
| More About the Mills Family | Posted July 19, 2025 |
| Our Loyalist Statue and the Family Responsible for Its Creation | Posted July 19, 2025 |
| Plaque Placed at Mount Vernon Pioneer Cemetery | Posted June 1, 2025 |
| Our Award-Winning Members | Posted May 6, 2025 |
| Ruth Nicholson UE (1951–2025) | Posted March 16, 2025 |
| HIs Majesty King Charles III Commemorates Our Flag’s 60th Anniversary | Posted February 15, 2025 |
| Our Genealogist Michele Lewis Has Been Awarded the King Charles III Coronation Medal | Posted January 13, 2025 |
| Three Rivers Called Home — A Book by Vicki Holmes | Posted December 3, 2024 |
| A Tribute to David Hill Kanowakeron Morrison UE (1954 – 2024) | Posted November 29, 2024 |
| Hamilton Branch Newsletters Are Now Online | Posted February 9, 2024 |
| Read the Stories of Our Loyalist Ancestors | Posted December 15, 2023 |
Monthly Meetings
| WHERE | All Hamilton Branch monthly meetings (excluding the Christmas luncheon) are held at St. Matthew on-the-Plains Anglican Church 126 Plains Road East Burlington |
| WHEN | The third Thursday of February, March, April, October, and November Monthly meetings start at 7:30 p.m. All are welcome! |
| HOW | We conduct meetings in-person and hybrid for remote attendance. |
| SPEAKERS | See the complete list of 2025 speakers |
Upcoming Events
Annual General Meeting — February 19, 2026
Our Annual General Meeting will be a pie social at the usual place and time.
Monthly Meeting — March 19, 2026
Speaker: To be announced
Topic: To be announced
Past Events
Monthly Meeting — November 20, 2025
Speaker: A branch member
Topic: Majesty of the Marque: The Royal Tour Cars
Our speaker is a member of the Hamilton Branch of the UELAC and a long-time collector of—and world-class expert on—classic automobiles, especially LIncolns. His illustrated talk covers the history of the cars used by Canada’s sovereigns and by royal families throughout the world.
Monthly Meeting — October 16, 2025
Speaker: Debra Honor UE
Topic: To be announced
Debra is a retired elementary teacher, a graduate of the National Institute of Genealogical Studies, and an active member of the Ontario Genealogical Society for 43 years.
She has proven 10 Loyalist ancestors.
Loyalist Day —June 19, 2025
On Thursday, June 19 at 11:00 am, we will be holding a Loyalist Day event at the rock near the parking lot at Dundurn Castle in Hamilton.
Speakers will be Neil Switzer and Lee-Ann Hines-Green, who will talk about the Mills family’s association with their ancestral families.
Please bring a fold-up chair for the ceremony, if required. A picnic lunch will be provided, in the picnic pavilion, to those who reply as “coming” when the email memo arrives announcing this event.
Stoney Creek Reenactment — June 8, 2025
On Sunday, June 8, the Hamilton Branch will have an Outreach table set up at Battlefield Park for the Stoney Creek reenactment.
Contact Catharine Gonnsen, draglakelodge@gmail.com, if you would like to volunteer.
Plaquing Ceremony — Mount Vernon Pioneer Cemetery — June 1, 2025
There will be a plaquing ceremony at Mount Vernon Pioneer Cemetery in Burlington on Sunday June 1 at 2 pm. Clement Lucas Jr., who is buried there, was a United Empire Loyalist first-generation refugee to what is now Canada.
All are welcome. If you have a 1780 Loyalist costume, please wear it to our ceremony. Light refreshments will beserved.
Mount Vernon Cemetery is on Harvester Road, across from the Appleby GO Station in behind the businesses.
Celebration of Life for Ruth Nicholson — April 26, 2025
A Celebration of Life for Ruth Nicholson will be held April 26 at 2:00 p.m. in St. James United Church, Waterdown. It will be followed by a reception at the Legion.
Ribbons will be handed out at the April 17th meeting to those planning to attend the Celebration of Life.
Monthly Meeting — April 17, 2025
Speaker: Timothy Compeau, PhD
Topic: A Political Death in the Family: A Connecticut Loyalist (Joel Stone) in War and Exile
Dr. Compeau is an assistant professor of history at Huron University in London, Ontario and author of many books. He is the project director of Loyalists Migrations in partnership with the United Empire Loyalists’ Association of Canada.
His most recent book is Dishonored Americans: The Political Death of Loyalists in Revolutionary America.
In describing his approach to teaching history, he says, “my aim is to guide students to think critically and historically, to understand how the past continues to shape our present and to uncover and articulate the strangeness, tragedies, and triumphs of the past
Monthly Meeting — March 27, 2025 (NEW DATE)
Speaker: Linda Corupe UE
Topic: Becoming Canadian
The author of over 50 books, Linda Corupe, UE, has researched genealogy and family history in Ontario and Quebec for over 40 years, in collaboration with her husband Gary. The result speaks for itself: valuable historical and genealogical documents that will provide information to researchers for years to come.
You only have to look at one of Linda’s publications to understand the detailed type of work she does. In announcing a newly available book, The Loyalist Gazette said “Linda has a reputation as a careful researcher, so new publications from her are a treat.”
Monthly Meeting — February 20, 2025
Speaker: Dr. Elizabeth Jane Errington
Topic: Loyalist Women Grappling with the Revolution
Dr. Elizabeth Jane Errington teaches the history of colonial North America at Queens University. Dr. Errington explores issues of identity and the creation and development of colonial societies. She has written 3 award winning books and is currently working on two projects: a study of church and charity in the first half of the 19th century; and a study of the making of the Royal Military College. Dr. Errington is also professor emeriti at the Royal Military College of Canada.
Dr. Errington will be joining us virtually by Zoom.