On Saturday morning, I attended an exceptionally clear presentation by Kathryn Lake Hogan for the OGS Kingston Branch on the KKK in Canada (Ontario).
Her website, Looking4Ancestors, mentions a four-week winter workshop for genealogists who want “clearer answers, stronger evidence, and a research process that actually works”. Four two-hour weekly sessions start on 5 February. It’s very reasonably priced. Check it out at https://www.looking4ancestors.com/2026/01/smarter-genealogy-strategies-that-go.html
At the end of her presentation, Kathryn was reluctant to estimate the fraction of Ontarians who were members of, or supported the KKK. She did mention one estimate of 5,000 to 10,000 KKK members in Ontario in the 1920s.
Using back-of-the-envelope arithmetic, Ontario had a population of roughly 3 million, half male, 70% of British origin, and 70% Protestant. That’s about 750,000.
The reality is that perhaps one percent of male, British Protestant Ontarians were KKK members. Undoubtedly, a larger percentage would be sympathetic to the KKK, or some of the KKK’s beliefs. By focusing on the minority, let’s take care not to stigmatize the majority.
Yes the majority often is neglected. We have come a long way in our acceptance of diversity. It was a very patriarchal society in the early 1900s. I attended that meeting as well.
I generally dislike Hogan’s work, but this was OK. Cheers, BT
It was a very interesting presentation and no doubt not a large number of Canadians realized that the KKK was a strong presence in Canada in the 1920s-1930s. Kingston held several large rallies over the years.
No surprise to me re KKK in Canada as well…racism is not an American only thing, much as we like to think Canada has always been more enlightened.
I still encounter a variety of racist and bigotted views across the reference desk.
Thank you for taking the time to write such a thoughtful post, John. I appreciated your careful attention to the population context and the importance of avoiding broad assumptions based on raw numbers. That type of analytical framing is exactly the kind of critical thinking genealogists need when interpreting complex historical material.
Best regards,
Kathryn