TBA
2026-06-01 13:00 - 15:00 (America/Denver) | VI Library, 6250 Hammond Bay Rd, Nanaimo, Canada
TBA

Hybrid meeting.

SOS: Searches and Strategies for Your Research Challenges, hosted by Susan Bates, Bronwyn Frazer
2026-06-04 18:30 - 20:00
Join us if you have a brick wall you’d like us to tackle, or if you enjoy solving others’ puzzles, or if you just want to hear some new strategies that might apply to your own research.
Except for this session on January 8, these sessions will be held on the first Thursday of the month: February, March, April, May, and June. Please register once for this January 8 session.

My Ulster Sergeant Ancestors, Tony Green
2026-06-11 18:30 - 20:00
Tony has had some challenges researching his Sergeant family prior to their immigration to Australia. Records abound in family trees online, but few have credible sources cited.

Genealogy Book Club, Terry Hartley
2026-06-18 18:30 - 20:00
Repeated by popular demand! We’re studying Research Like a Pro with DNA by Diana Elder, Nicole Dyer, and Robin Wirthln, and applying their methods to our own research. Each participant will choose a “brick wall” ancestor and work through the techniques outlined in the book to make and document progress. Along the way, members will share updates, receive constructive feedback, and benefit from guidance from both fellow participants and the facilitator.
The book can be purchased online- available in paper or ebook.
The book club sessions will run monthly on the third Thursday through to June of 2026. Register once for all of them.

Coffee Club
2026-06-25 10:00 - 12:00, 2026-09-24 10:00 - 12:00, 2026-10-29 10:00 - 12:00, 2026-11-26 10:00 - 12:00 | Smitty’s, 2980 Island Hwy N, Nanaimo, BC, Canada
Come join our large table for fun and interesting conversation. Held on the last Thursday of the month, 10:00 am to 12 noon at Smitty’s, Rock City, 2980 Island Highway, Nanaimo. We send reminder emails about a week ahead of time and ask for RSVP’s to provide Smitty’s with a number to set up for.

NFHS Executive meeting
2026-08-31 19:00 - 20:30, 2026-09-28 13:00 - 15:00, 2026-10-26 19:00 - 20:30, 2026-11-30 13:00 - 15:00, 2026-12-28 19:00 - 20:30
Location and time to be determined.

Heraldry in Canada by Steve Cowan
2026-09-07 13:30 - 15:00
Heraldry in Canada by Steve Cowan, Heraldic Artisan, C.D., U.E., of Comox, BC.
Zoom presentation only.
Join us as Steve Cowan introduces us to heraldry in Canada with examples of early heraldry going back as far as his U.E. relatives from the American colonies. His presentation includes lots of images and colour from his own works.
After retiring from a career in the air industry Steve pursued his interest in art and painting. He expanded his work into heraldic arts and crafts. From 2012 he has helped clients to design their coats of arms, making digital images of customer heraldry, and making heraldic wall shields, table shields, plaques and bookends.
Steve recently retired as president of the BC/Yukon Branch of the Royal Heraldry Society of Canada, after 10 years of leading the branch. His interests also include genealogy, especially delving into the military history of his family. www.stevecowan.ca

Travelling Back In Time Using Google Earth Pro presented by Marie Palmer
2026-10-05 13:15 - 15:00 | VI Library, 6250 Hammond Bay Rd, Nanaimo, Canada
Monday, October 5, 2026, 1:15 pm – 3:00pm
Marie Palmer will present TRAVELLING BACK IN TIME USING GOOGLE EARTH PRO.
On Zoom only!
Google Earth Pro is a free program that gives you a way to map out your ancestors’ lives and add unlimited visuals and text to the map. It can help us better understand the places where our ancestors lived and sometimes even leads us to answers we’ve been searching for. Kids especially love to “fly” through time and see where their ancestors lived.
Marie has a Master of Science degree in Information Science and Library Management from the University of Northumbria, UK, 2008. She has more recently completed several programs in genealogy, including the Accredited Investigative Genetic Genealogist, July 2025.
Her current work is described on her website
https://www.familyhistoryjourneys.com/

Writing Your Family Story: Why It Matters and How Anyone Can Begin presented by Nancy Penrose
2026-11-02 13:15 - 15:00 | VI Library, 6250 Hammond Bay Rd, Nanaimo, Canada
Writing Your Family Story: Why It Matters and How Anyone Can Begin by Nancy Haight Penrose of Brighton, Ontario
Nancy’s talk will show how family historians transform research into meaningful, engaging narratives that preserve the richness of ordinary lives. The session explains why documenting family stories matters for both emotional and practical reasons, reassures participants that they don’t need writing experience to begin, and offers simple steps for turning records and memories into vivid, readable scenes. Attendees will leave encouraged, equipped, and inspired to start writing—even one small story at a time.
Nancy Haight Penrose is an author and family historian whose work brings to life the extraordinary resilience of ordinary people.
Nancy has written two books about her family. Puritans, Quakers and Witches (2023), traces the spiritual convictions, conflicts, and courage of her paternal ancestors and Between a Rock and a Hard Place (2025), follows the Brown family across continents and generations, illuminating how hope, hardship, and determination forged a legacy of survival and belonging.
Beyond her research and storytelling, Nancy is a dedicated advocate for both people and animals. She volunteers as a wildlife transporter and is an active member of Women for a Humane Canada.
Nancy’s work is rooted in a simple belief: that every family carries stories worth preserving, and that writing them down is an act of honour, connection, and legacy.
In person at VI Library or by Zoom.

NFHS Social
2026-12-07 13:30 - 16:00
Location to be determined.

In person only.

Researching The Mennonites in Canada by Conrad Stoesz
2027-01-02 13:15 - 15:00 | VI Library, 6250 Hammond Bay Rd, Nanaimo, Canada
Researching The Mennonites in Canada by Conrad Stoesz of Winnipeg, Manitoba
Conrad has been the archivist at the Mennonite Heritage Archives since 1999, and is passionate about Mennonite history, archives, and related stories. He has experience working at the Centre for Mennonite Brethren Studies, and is on the board of the Manitoba Mennonite Historical Society and the Mennonite Historical Society of Canada. He is the co-editor of the magazine, Mennonite
Historian, produced together with the Centre for Mennonite Brethren Studies.
