Genealogy Book Club, Terry Hartley
2024-02-08 18:30 - 20:00, 2024-03-14 18:30 - 20:00 (America/Denver)
The book club has been studying “Tracing Your Ancestors Using DNA”, edited by Graham S. Holton. We will continue to focus on this book for 6 more sessions: January – June of 2024. The group shares questions and ideas which arise from reading the book. Everyone interested in the use of DNA for genealogy will enjoy the discussions, regardless of previous experience. The January session will discuss Chapter 4. Note. The print version of the book is only available to order. Try Chapters or Amazon. The ebook is on Kindle and Google.
Register once for all 6 sessions, held on the second Thursday of the month.

Surprising Findings at Newspapers.com, Aleda Spring
2024-02-15 18:30 - 20:00
Aleda has found this website to be very helpful. She will describe some of her surprising and interesting finds there.

NFHS General Meeting & AGM
2024-02-19 19:00 - 21:00
Annual General Meeting, including Election of Officers, followed by AHA moments by members.

by Zoom only

A Midshipman at Crimea, Tony Green
2024-02-29 18:30 - 20:00
Tony’s story is of his ancestor, Charles William Thomas Cookesley, witness after the fact of the Charge of the Light Brigade. Originally from Boulogne-sur-mer, this privileged doctor’s son started as a midshipman in Crimea but failed on the Australian goldfields.

NFHS Executive Meeting
2024-03-04 13:30 - 15:00, 2024-04-01 13:30 - 15:00, 2024-05-06 13:30 - 15:00, 2024-06-03 13:30 - 15:00, 2024-09-09 13:30 - 15:00, 2024-10-07 13:30 - 15:00

Searching for British Ancestors Beyond the Census, Carolyn Kemp
2024-03-07 18:30 - 20:00
Carolyn will provide some examples from her research into less common resources such as apprenticeship papers, poor law records, and others.

NFHS General Meeting
2024-03-18 19:00 - 21:00
Claire Smith-Burns of Kelowna, BC – POINTS TO THE PAST: AN UNDERUSED RESOURCE EXCLUSIVE TO BRITISH COLUMBIANS
This underused website holds a vast collection of digital resources, including newspapers, journals, printed and manuscript material covering a broad range of topics of interest to genealogist and historian alike. There is content from the Americas, the UK and beyond, spanning from the 15th to the 21st centuries! Sponsorship by UBC, SFU and UVic make this collection free to all British Columbians.
by Zoom only

Finding My Taylors … Not Where I Expected! Sharon Davison
2024-03-21 18:30 - 20:00
Sharon outlines her 20-year search for her Taylor family, and the surprising – but not to her father – result. Sharon was the one who was surprised. Her father just said, “I thought that’s where they came from!”

Brick Wall Busting, Donna MacIver
2024-03-28 18:30 - 20:00
Do you have a dead-end on your tree that you’ve been trying to break through? Or are you new to family history research and unsure where to start? Please bring your problems and questions to this session, along with the ideas you’ve already tried. Donna will facilitate a discussion amongst the participants to brainstorm potential solutions and help you on the road to success!
Register once for 3 sessions: January 25, March 28, and May 23.

NFHS General Meeting
2024-04-15 19:00 - 21:00 | Beban Park Social Centre, Room 7, 2300 Bowen Road, Nanaimo,, BC, V9T 3K7, Canada
Marianne Rasmus of Ottawa, Ontario
A Russian Revelation, A family shaped by significant historical events.
We have all hit our fair share of brick walls while doing family history research, but how about an ‘Iron Curtain’? When Marianne Rasmus began exploring her family history, little was known about her maternal grandmother’s ancestry. Her grandmother had died before Marianne knew to ask her about her childhood, her emigration from Communist Russia in 1926, or how she adjusted to life in Canada. Starting with a handful of names, Marianne will reveal the process and sources used to discover a deep maternal heritage about which she knew little, and the circumstances which made it challenging to learn.
Marianne will share how historical events in both Canada and Europe affected her grandmother in a life-altering fashion, and how perseverance and a little DNA shed light on long-unanswered questions.
by Zoom and in person

Finding My Taylors … Not Where I Expected!
2024-04-18 18:30 - 19:30
Finding My Taylors … Not Where I Expected! Sharon Davison
Sharon outlines her 20-year search for her Taylor family, and the surprising – but not to her father – result. Sharon was the one who was surprised. Her father just said, “I thought that’s where they came from!”

Ups and Downs, Joys and Sadness, of Years of Family Research
2024-04-25 18:30 - 19:30
Ups and Downs, Joys and Sadness, of Years of Family Research, Maureen Wootten
Maureen will describe some of the highlights of her many years of research, including getting in touch with an Irish relative of her Young family and attending a Bonnet family reunion in the State of Washington. Participants are invited to bring experiences of their own to share during this session.

My Elusive 3rd Great-grand Uncle
2024-05-02 18:30 - 19:30
My Elusive 3rd Great-grand Uncle, Gail Moore
Gail spent years researching the family of her 3rd great-granduncle Baker Spinks, 1772-1842 from Feltwell, Norfolk, England and his wife, Elizabeth Simmons, 1779-1876. She obtained many church records of baptismal and marriage certificates, but DNA results make her wonder if her research was all in vain!

Genealogy Book Club
2024-05-09 18:30 - 19:30
Genealogy Book Club, Terry Hartley
The book club is studying “Tracing Your Ancestors Using DNA”, edited by Graham Holton. The group will share questions and ideas which arise from reading the book. Everyone interested in the use of DNA for genealogy will enjoy the discussions, regardless of previous experience. The May session will discuss Chapter 9.
Register once for all 3 Spring sessions (only necessary if you haven’t attended before).
Note. The print version of the book is only available to order. Try Chapters or Amazon. The ebook is on Kindle and Google.

NFHS General Meeting
2024-05-13 19:00 - 21:00 | Beban Park Social Centre, Room 7, 2300 Bowen Road, Nanaimo,, BC, V9T 3K7, Canada
Dave Obee of Victoria, BC – AN EVEN FRESHER LOOK AT OLD NEWSPAPERS
Dave advises it has been five years since he gave a talk in Nanaimo on newspaper research. The talk is quite different today.
This meeting is a Hybrid meeting.

DNA for Beginners
2024-05-16 18:30 - 19:30
DNA for Beginners, Susan Bates
The biggest benefit of getting your DNA tested is the opportunity to find matches with previously unknown relatives who can lead you to further discoveries in the search for your ancestors. However, interpreting the information provided with a match can be tricky and ambiguous. What exactly is a “second cousin, once removed”? What relationship might you share with a match of 150 cM? Some basic concepts will be explained to help you stay on the right track(s) as you make the most of your DNA test results.

Brickwall Busting
2024-05-23 18:30 - 19:30
Brickwall Busting, Donna MacIver
Do you have a dead-end on your tree that you’ve been trying to break through? Or are you new to family history research and unsure where to start? Please bring your problems and questions to this session, along with the ideas you’ve already tried. Donna will facilitate a discussion amongst the participants to brainstorm potential solutions and help you on the road to success!
Register once for all sessions: January 25, March 28, and May 23.

Preparing for a Research Trip
2024-06-06 18:30 - 19:30
Preparing for a Research Trip? Ruth Stewart
If this is your first trip or your fiftieth, join us to ask questions or share your experiences and best practices. This is a forum style Mini Zoom where everyone is welcome.

Genealogy Book Club
2024-06-13 18:30 - 19:30
Genealogy Book Club, Terry Hartley
The book club is studying “Tracing Your Ancestors Using DNA”, edited by Graham Holton. The group will share questions and ideas which arise from reading the book. Everyone interested in the use of DNA for genealogy will enjoy the discussions, regardless of previous experience. The June session will discuss Chapters 9 and 10.
Register once for all book club sessions (only necessary if you haven’t attended before).
Note. The print version of the book is only available to order. Try Chapters or Amazon. The ebook is on Kindle and Google.

NFHS General Meeting
2024-06-17 19:00 - 21:00 | Beban Park Social Centre, Room 7, 2300 Bowen Road, Nanaimo,, BC, V9T 3K7, Canada
Terry Hartley (NFHS Member) of Nanaimo, BC – MENNONITES, METIS, AND A SPRIG OF NOBILITY
Terry will share the highlights of a genealogy journey she began in the 1970’s. She will recount her experiences during the “old days” of family history research, identify major challenges in studying Mennonite, Metis, and Royal Ancestry, and reveal some surprising discoveries she made along the way. Tips and techniques applicable to other researchers will be interspersed throughout the presentation.
This is a Hybrid meeting.

Genealogy Book Club Study Group
2024-09-12 18:30 - 20:00
The group meets the 2nd Thursday of every month from September, 2024 to June, 2025. Sessions start at 6:30 pm and run for an hour. The next session is October 10th.

We’re diving into “Research Like a Pro with DNA” by Diana Elder, Nicole Dyer, and Robin Wirthln. Together, we’ll read through this guide and apply its methodology to tackle one of the brick walls in our family trees. Over the course of 10 months, you can expect to make substantial progress on your genealogical puzzle, identify actionable next steps, and perhaps even solve your mystery. This study group offers a unique opportunity to learn about the application of DNA in genealogy and to apply these techniques to your research in a supportive, collaborative environment. Terry Hartley, a graduate of the inaugural session of the Research Like a Pro course (2019) offered by the authors, will share her insights and experiences from the course.

The book is available in paperback from Amazon for $37.99 and $9.99 for the Kindle version. Once registered, you’ll receive information about the readings and other preparatory work for our next session. Embark on this journey with us and enhance your genealogy research skills using DNA!

NFHS General Meeting
2024-09-16 19:00 - 21:00 | Beban Park Social Centre, Room 7, 2300 Bowen Road, Nanaimo,, BC, V9T 3K7, Canada
Dave Obee of Victoria, BC – will be pleased to give a talk that includes ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) and ALGORITHMS, but also some of the other factors, good and bad, affecting genealogy these days.
This is a Hybrid meeting.

Researching in Ireland with Bronwyn Frazer
2024-10-03 18:30 - 20:00
This Special Interest Group (SIG) will meet once a month, on the first Thursday of the month. Ideally, it will attract participants who have some experience researching in Ireland as well as those who are seeking guidance with their own research. Discussions will follow an informal Q and A format. The group will work together to solve queries posed by members, sharing knowledge of existing resources and devising strategies for specific problems.
