Welcome to the website of the Nanaimo Family History Society. Our society was formed in 1981 and is one of the oldest family history societies in British Columbia.

Our society strives to create a friendly atmosphere where people interested in genealogical research and family history, not only in Nanaimo, but also across Canada and around the world can come together. We promote, foster and encourage members to learn the principles, methods and effective techniques of genealogical research. We also collect, preserve, display and share information that may lead to a greater understanding of genealogy.

Our meetings are held on the first Monday of each month (except July and August) at 1:00 p.m. or unless stated differently in our events section.  If a statutory holiday falls on the first Monday our events tab will have the updated information in regards to date/time.  All our meetings are presented on Zoom and are hybrid (in person) for the months of March, April, May, June, September, October and November unless otherwise stated.  Our hybrid meetings are held at the Vancouver Island Regional Library @ 6250 Hammond Bay Rd, Nanaimo BC in the meeting room.  If you are interested in an upcoming zoom or live presentation please contact us on our Contact page.  Guests can participate in one session for free.  

We hope you enjoy your visit to our site.

Our next presentation is on Monday, April 6, 2026 – Happy Easter Monday

Andrea Lister

Prison and court records can tell you a lot about your ancestors and their lives. Whether documenting legal battles or criminal activity these records will provide a wide variety of color and detail. We will look at records on everything from petty theft to illegal poaching to declaring someone’s husband dead. The scope includes Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and North America. 

Zoom presentation. Non NFHS members please contact us at NFHS e-mail