Nanaimo Family History Society

Coffe Club
2026-03-26 10:00 - 12:00 (America/Denver) | 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.

Genealogy Book Club, Terry Hartley
2026-03-19 18:30 - 20:00, 2026-02-26 18:30 - 20:00, 2026-01-15 19:30 - 20:00 | BC
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.

The Scandal of John Bowman, Ardelle Holden
2026-03-12 18:30 - 20:00 | BC
Who doesn’t love a good scandal? Well, perhaps not the persons involved! Ardelle will tell the story of her great grandfather, John Bowman.

SOS: Searches and Strategies for Your Research Challenges, hosted by Susan Bates, Bronwyn Frazer
2026-03-05 18:30 - 20:00, 2026-02-05 18:30 - 20:00, 2026-01-08 18:30 - 20:00 | BC
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.

Eunice Robinson of Vancouver, BC – speaking on Ireland
2026-03-02 13:00 - 15:00 | VI Library, 6250 Hammond Bay Rd, Nanaimo, Canada
Additionally, information to follow.

Hybrid meeting.

Coffee Club
2026-02-26 10:00 - 12:00, 2026-01-29 10:00 - 12:00 | Smitty’s, 2980 Island Hwy N, Nanaimo, BC, Canada

NFHS Executive meeting
2026-02-23 19:00 - 20:30, 2026-01-06 19:00 - 20:30 | BC
Location and time to be determined.

Annual General Meeting
2026-02-16 19:00 - 20:30 | BC
Annual General Meeting and Executive Elections
After our AGM, Ruth will talk about our new meeting location, change of dates and meeting times. She will also and discuss the benefits of the library, membership etc.
Once she has completed her update the meeting will be open to members to talk about their AHA moments during their recent or past research.

Zoom presentation only

Report on a Photo Workshop, Bronwyn Frazer
2026-02-12 18:30 - 20:00 | BC
Postponed from January 29

What are you planning to do with all those print photos you can’t bring yourself to throw away? Bronwyn will report on the highlights of a photo workshop she’s attending. Topics will include scanning and organizing your photos.

NFHS Executive Meeting
2026-02-02 13:00 - 15:00, 2026-01-05 19:00 - 20:30 | BC

Report on a Photo Workshop, Bronwyn Frazer
2026-01-29 18:30 - 20:00 | BC
What are you planning to do with all those print photos you can’t bring yourself to throw away? Bronwyn will report on the highlights of a photo workshop she’s attending. Topics will include scanning and organizing your photos.

Coffee Club
2026-01-29 10:00 - 12:00, 2025-11-27 10:00 - 12:00 | BC

Full Text Searches, Ruth Stewart
2026-01-22 18:30 - 20:00 | BC
Family Search has recently added a feature called a “Full Text Search”. Ruth has had good results trying out this feature in her own research. She’ll explain why and how to use a Full Text Search, using examples.

Two Canadians from Nanaimo - Srgt. Dodson Mah and Sapper Kam Fong “Henry” Cheng
2026-01-19 19:00 - 20:30 | BC
Linda Yip of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Join us on January 19th for a special genealogy story of how two Canadians from Nanaimo – Srgt. Dodson Mah and Sapper Kam Fong “Henry” Cheng – joined the elite Second World War Special Operations Executive under Churchill. They would undergo intense paratrooper training, suffer from heat and flies, and be dispatched to international destinations in service of the Allies, only to return to Canada post-war to fight injustice and help win their community’s fight for civil rights.

Zoom presentation only

Genealogy Book Club, Terry Hartley
2025-12-18 18:30 - 20:00 | BC
Repeated by popular demand! We’ll be 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.

TBA
2025-12-14 08:00 - 17:00 | BC
TBA

Zoom presentation only.

Elizabeth Who? — Thomas Where and When? by Carolyn Kemp
2025-12-11 18:30 - 20:00 | BC
Using UK Wills and Land Records: A Case Study, Carolyn Kemp
Carolyn will explore how UK wills and land records assisted her exploration of her Sussex Agate family. This presentation will also provide details about how these important genealogy sources can be found online, including a number of free sources from numerous UK databases.

NFHS Social
2025-12-08 13:30 - 16:00 | BC

SOS: Searches and Strategies for Your Research Challenges, hosted by Susan Bates, Bronwyn Frazer
2025-12-04 18:30 - 20:00 | BC
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.
These sessions will be held on the first Thursday of October, November and December.

NFHS Executive Meeting
2025-12-01 13:00 - 15:00 | BC
TBD

Show and Tell: War Stories and Mementos from Our Ancestors, co-hosted by Susan Bates, Bronwyn Frazer, Tony Green
2025-11-27 18:30 - 20:00 | BC
This mini zoom session will appeal to members who have stories, letters, photos, medals, etc. from their families’ war experiences that they’d like to share with the group.
