Victoria Genealogical Society (VGS)
NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

News bulletins and announcements from VGS and beyond.

 

DAVE OBEE’S UPCOMING PRESENTATION AND BOOK SALE

Posted  10 May 2021

On Thursday evening, May 13, Dave Obee will be our guest speaker for the monthly Speaker Series meeting. His talk, "SQUIGGLY LINES AND SPIT: How DNA is Changing Family History Research", will use examples from his own family, and the finds he has made because of genetic genealogy.

Registration is required for this free private event; a registration link is provided to VGS members and subscribers in our weekly VGS email bulletins.

Dave also has books for sale to VGS members. The selection includes his own books and some that you might not have seen before (including some on DNA). Once again, he is offering contact-free pickup, and will donate $1 to the VGS for every book sold this week. To check the list of books available, go to http://www.daveobee.com/vgs.html

 

TWO MORE VGS WORKSHOPS NOW SCHEDULED FOR JUNE

Posted  10 May 2021

A MESSAGE FROM OUR AWESOME VGS EVENTS TEAM

Much of the past year has been unusual to say the least. And the last workshops for the VGS this season are following that trend! Due to some scheduling issues, we have an unusual lag until our final two VGS workshops for the season. The next few weeks will not have workshops but we'll be back to offer the final two on June 12 and June 26.

One is a perennial favourite - Gerry Poulton's Ancestry.com Search Strategies which we manage to fill over and over due to its popularity! The other is a brand new offering to the VGS - Diane Rogers' Saving Time & Energy in Cyberspace: Free Tools & Strategies for Managing, Sharing and Preserving your Genealogy Online and Off.

Both workshops are being given by veteran presenters and will provide a wealth of information and hints for getting the most out of your research.

The society will then take a break on workshops for July and August, but we will be back at it in the fall so keep an eye on the website and newsletters! Thank you for all your support of the Victoria Genealogical Society.

 

NEW VGS MEMBERSHIP OPTIONS NOW AVAILABLE

Posted  3 May 2021

It's membership renewal time, and there has never been a better time to join the Victoria Genealogical Society.

The VGS is proud to offer annual memberships to suit a variety of needs and interests. Memberships are effective from June 1 through May 31 of next year.

On top of our regular single and family memberships, the VGS is now offering DNA Memberships as well. This innovative new membership package was created to support the explosion of interest in DNA-related genealogy research.

Through an exclusive partnership with Ancestry Canada, the VGS is now able to offer a 30% discount for this membership. The DNA Membership includes: an annual VGS membership, an ancestry DNA kit, and two workshops designed to support new DNA researchers with submitting and using their first Ancestry DNA kit.

If you’ve always wondered how to get started with DNA-based research, this is a fantastic way to get started. This membership is for both new and renewing members who are interested in augmenting their genealogy research with their first DNA kit.

The DNA membership is a limited time offering, so order this membership today.

Click here to order or renew your VGS membership today.

 

OUR NEW MEMBERSHIP YEAR IS FAST APPROACHING

Posted  12 Apr 2021

Mark Thompson, our new VGS Director responsible for memberships, has asked me to remind all VGS members that it is nearly time to renew your VGS membership for next year.

Membership renewals are beginning in a few weeks, at the start of May. This will give existing members a full month to renew their membership for next year before they expire at the end of May.

People interested in joining the VGS for the first time will be invited to purchase their membership at the same time.

The workshop schedule for next membership year is already filling in, with many great learning opportunities for people of all experience levels.

While the VGS looks forward to having in-person workshops start up again, we have decided to continue to offer workshops by Zoom. This will not only keep us all safe and healthy in the short term, it will also allow us to continue to offer workshops to both members and non-members who live outside of Victoria.

The VGS is planning some great new deals for our members next year that we can’t wait to tell you about. Please watch the VGS newsletter for the full details.

APRIL 8 2021 REVISED SPEAKER AND TOPIC

Posted  31 Mar 2021

Our free monthly VGS presentation scheduled for April 8th has a new speaker and topic.

The original speaker and topic for April 8 has been cancelled, so IF you previously registered for that event, you will now need to re-register.

You can find further details and the  link to register for this private free event in your recent VGS email newsletters.

We are grateful to VGS Member Lois Thompson for rescheduling her presentation "Gross Ile and the Celtic Cross", to be presented Aug 8, 2021 VIA ZOOM :

Grosse Ile was Quebec City's quarantine station for 105 years and saw over 4,000,000 immigrants prior to their embarking on a new life. The island was the last barrier to stop infectious diseases from entering Canada. Lois will walk you through the history of Grosse Ile, the tragic year of 1847 and how the quarantine station adapted as new ideas regarding infection control were accepted.

Lois will lean on her personal experience to add a unique perspective to a part of history that touched two-thirds of all European immigrants coming to Canada between 1832 and 1937. Grosse Ile is also home to the largest Celtic cross in North America as well as to the largest Irish famine burial site outside of Ireland. The site is run by Parks Canada and is twinned with the Famine Museum in Dublin, Ireland.

Lois Thompson has been a member of the Victoria Genealogy Society for over 10 years. She is an avid student of history and enjoys mixing travel with family history. During her working life, she was a public speaker and presenter for numerous organizations including Tourism Victoria.

 

 

SPECIAL OFFER FOR FIRST TIME MEMBERS

Posted  19 Jan 2021

If you have never been a VGS member, we hope this
special VGS Trial Membership offer will appeal to you.

VGS Memberships at Reduced Rates
SINGLE: $30 ~ FAMILY: $45
and your membership will be valid until May 31, 2021.

It's an excellent opportunity for you to experience the
many benefits of joining the Victoria Genealogical Society!

WE WOULD LOVE TO WELCOME YOU TO OUR SOCIETY.
Take advantage of this special trial membership
for first time members.

PLEASE VISIT OUR VGS MEMBERSHIP SIGNUP PAGE

 

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NEW  EVENT REGISTRATION PROCESS AT A GLANCE

Posted  20 Sep 2020

 

HERE ARE THE LINKS:

PAID EVENTS: VGS EventBrite events page
Members: get your discount PROMO CODE in your green VGS Member's e-Newsletter.

FREE EVENTS: Event Information on the VGS Website Meetings Page

MEMBERS ONLY SPECIAL EVENTS:
Get your registration link in your green VGS Member's e-Newsletter (bi-weekly).

WANT TO BECOME A MEMBER?  Visit our VGS Website Membership page.

 

New Workshop Fees  and Eventbrite Payment System Announced

Posted  29 Aug 2020

The Victoria Genealogical Society continues to work hard to adapt to the new requirements we all face today. To this end, the society is embracing technology that will allow us to grow and improve our services to our members and others in an increasingly virtual world.

For our VGS online workshops and other events, we have now implemented the online EventBrite registration and event management service, in combination with Zoom to host the online meetings. This enables us to automate registration, payment, attendance and reminder notice processes, and to reach more potential attendees. The old workshop registration form has been removed from our website.

Over the summer we have held numerous FREE ONLINE VGS EVENTS including workshops and speaker meetings, thanks to the combined efforts of our Events Team, our Zoom Team, our Website Team and Correspondents. This has been amazingly successful, and has also allowed us to hone our skills and procedures surrounding Eventbrite registrations and Zoom content delivery.

FEES FOR VGS WORKSHOPS ARE IN EFFECT STARTING SEPTEMBER 1st.
We will now be using Eventbrite to securely process your event payments online during the online registration process. Payments can be made online by credit card, debit card, or PayPal account.

• Online Workshop Fees for VGS Members: $12.00 + service fee  (PROMO CODE REQUIRED)
• Online Workshop Fees for Non-Members: $20.00 + service fee

Members MUST enter a coupon or “PROMO CODE” to receive the reduced member rate.

PLEASE REGISTER AND PAY FOR WORKSHOPS ON OUR VGS EVENTBRITE EVENTS PAGE.

We have prepared detailed instructions on
how to register and pay for VGS Events using Eventbrite.

IMPORTANT: You do NOT need to set up your own Eventbrite account (with a username and password) to REGISTER and PAY for an event, but many Eventbrite prompts will encourage you to do so. There are benefits to having your own Eventbrite account but it is NOT required.

An Eventbrite TICKET for an ONLINE event is simply a page that contains a link to the Zoom meeting. As we will be including this link in subsequent emails to you, you do not need to access an Eventbrite account to get your "ticket".

During this time of COVID-19 restrictions, and likely beyond, we will continue to offer our events online to a potentially wider audience. Thank you for joining us in this exciting journey.

 

VGS FREE Summer Events & Eventbrite Implementation

Posted  30 Jul 2020

VGS has been VERY busy this summer as we continue to offer FREE ONLINE workshops and events  for the benefit of both VGS members and non-members . We are hosting these meetings using the popular ZOOM online meeting software. The response so far has been truly amazinng, thanks to the large number of you who attended, and to our hard working volunteers who make it all happen.

More FREE events are scheduled for August 8th, 13th, 22nd and 29th.  Check out the details on  our new VGS Eventbrite page OR in our VGS e-newsletters.  REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED for all posted events.  Don't miss this opportunity!

For our VGS  online workshops and other events, we are now using our new EventBrite registration and event management service online (in combination with Zoom to host the online meeting content).  The old workshop registration form has now been removed from the website.

Our Eventbrite registration process has now been further improved after experiencing some glitches with our July 18th delivery.  We apologize for any confusion and inconvenience this may have caused you.  It's a learning curve for everyone.

Here's how our updated Eventbrite registration process now works:

• REGISTRATION LINKS - People wanting to attend one of our VGS events will now click on a registration link provided in one of our VGS e-newsletters OR on this website OR on our VGS Eventbrite page. This takes you to the registration page for a specific VGS  event, scheduled in our VGS Eventbrite account.
• REGISTER ONLINE FOR EVENTS - The first registration page provides the event details, so you can check that you have the right event.  Press the REGISTER button.  On the next page, enter your name and email address (perhaps twice) to identify yourself and to order a ticket for this event.  It is possible to buy a ticket for someone else.  Press this second REGISTER button.
  
  NOTE: When applicable, your PAYMENT will also be handled by Eventbrite (on our behalf) during this stage. 
  NOTE: You do NOT need to set up an Eventbrite account (with a user name and password) to REGISTER for an event, but many prompts encourage you to do so. And there are benefits to doing so.
  NOTE: A TICKET" for an ONLINE event is simply a page that contains a link to the Zoom meeting.  As we will be including this link in subsequent emails to you, you do not need to access an Eventbrite account to get your "ticket".
  
• THANK YOU PAGE - Upon successful registration, you will be taken to a Thank You page. PLEASE DO NOT CLICK ON ANY OF THE LINKS IN THIS PAGE.  Instead, please follow the "IMPORTANT" instructions near top of this thank you page: WAIT FOR YOUR CONFIRMATION EMAIL.
• ORDER CONFIRMATION EMAIL - Go to your email program and look for an confirmation notice from orders@eventbrite.com.   Open but DO NOT CLICK ON ANY OF THE LINKS that are automatically included in this letter. Instead, SCROLL ALL THE WAY TO THE BOTTOM  where you will find your Zoom Meeting link or address (no need to click on it yet).   Optionally, you can copy/paste this Zoom address into your online calendar or safe location of your choice for easy reference on meeting day.
• REMINDER LETTER #1 - This will be sent to you 24 hours before the event and will include your Zoom meeting link and details.
• REMIINDER LETTER #2 - This will be sent to you 2 hours before the event and will again include your Zoom meeting link and details.
• JOIN THE ZOOM MEETING -  Find your Zoom Meeting links in one of several places (as discussed above).  The Zoom meeting is now  just one click away!  We suggest you join in 10 or 15 minutes early to verify your connection.  If you encounter problems at this stage, our Zoom Team is ready to assist.

We appreciate that new technology can be challenging for many. So we will continue to learn and grow as we make further improvements to our new event management process, to make this new online reality work for us all.  This is an important step forward for our society.

Why not register today for an online VGS learning experience!

 

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VGS SIG MEETINGS GO ZOOM!

Posted   6 Jun 2020

One of the many advantages of membership in VGS is the networking opportunities with other like-minded VGS members.  This is especially evident at our VGS Special Interest Group (SIG) meetings.  And during these times of social distancing when online video meetings is the new norm, interest in our VGS SIGs is on the rise.  Dates are sometimes changing, frequency is increasing, and the number of topics is growing in number.  People are staying connected, sharing tips and ideas, and continuing to learn and research.

Attending a ZOOM meeting is as easy as click on an invitation link in an email.  If it is your first time using ZOOM, you will be prompted to download and install a small ZOOM app to your device.  In order to receive a meeting link, you must be a current VGS members AND be on the mailing list for each SIG you are interested in.

VGS members who want to try out any of our SIGs, please send a email to our SIG Director at vgssig@gmail.com and she will forward your request to the appropriate SIG leader(s).

Here's a quick list of VGS SIG meetings being offered via ZOOM THIS MONTH. 

>>>  JUNE  2020  LINEUP  <<<

Current Zoom SIG meetings FOR VGS MEMBERS ONLY:

• USA ........... June 8 & 22 at 10:00 am (Monday)
• Irish ............ June 5, 12, 19 & 26 at 10:30 am (every Friday)
• DNA ........... June 1 & 15 at 1:30 pm (Monday) - includes DNA Adoption SIG
• CSI ............. June 16 at 7:00 pm (Tuesday)
• England ...... June 10 & 24 at 2 pm (Wednesday)
• Ontario ....... June 17 at 10:30 am (Wednesday)
• Scottish ...... June 2 & 16 at 10:30 am (Tuesday)

Why not give them a try?

 

THIS WEBISTE IS UNDERGOING CHANGES

Posted   1 Jun 2020

WE APOLOGIZE FOR ANY PROBLEMS YOU MAY ENCOUNTER
WITH THE FUNCTIONING OF THIS WEBSITE.

IF ANY OF THE CONTACT OR REGISTRATION FORMS FAIL TO WORK,
PLEASE SEND AN EMAIL WITH DETAILS DIRECTLY TO
vgswebmaster@gmail.com
AND IT WILL BE FORWARDED TO THE APPROPRIATE PERSON FOR RESPONSE.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR UNDERSTANDING AND PATIENCE.

 

VGS Centre Opening "By Appointment Only" Starting 19 May 2020

Posted  18 May 2020

Ever mindful of the necessary COVID-19 restrictions and evolving guidelines to keep our members safe, the VGS Board of Directors has approved a limited opening of our VGS Centre BY APPOINTMENT ONLY.

LOCATION: VGS, The Genealogy Learning and Research Centre
209-4475 Viewmont Avenue
Pennbridge Building, Royal Oak Shopping Centre
Victoria, BC Canada V8Z 6L8

TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT, CONTACT: vgslibrarian@gmail.com
START DATE: Tuesday, May 19, 2020
TIME RANGE: 12:00 noon - 2:00 pm
DAYS OPEN: Depends on availability of Genie Buddies and desired bookings.

For your safety and the safety of our Genie Buddies, appointments will be restricted to 2 individuals or couples, so that we can maintain adequate social distancing.

Only 1 or our 2 computers is available for use due to their proximity, so it's best if you can bring your own laptop or device.

Bring your own beverages if desired, as none will be offered at the Centre.

The Centre will be carefully sanitized after each visit.

It's good to be back!

 

COVID-19 Update - Continuing Closures

Posted  19 Apr 2020

COVID-19 is causing unprecedented uncertainty in our world. Daily bulletins and announcements identify the changes in society that we are all required to make in response to this pandemic. The Victoria Genealogical Society continues to support wellness and safety in our community:

• The Genealogy Learning and Research Centre will remain CLOSED until further notice.
• ALL workshops, webinars, etc. are CANCELLED until further notice.
• All general members’ meeting at St. Aidan’s United Church CANCELLED until further notice.
• All SIG group members should check with your SIG leader – some online group meetings have been possible.

Additional information about the following will be available as soon as possible:

• The AGM meeting, usually held in June, has been POSTPONED. Meeting details will be announced.
• Membership renewal details for 2020-2021 will be announced.
• Online meeting technology, for large and small groups, is being investigated.
• Upgrades to our website and email are ongoing. Access may become temporarily interrupted, but we will try to keep down time to a minimum.
• Thrifty’s Smile Card Program continues until April 25th, 2020. If you are stocking up on groceries, please continue to use your VGS Thrifty’s Smile card.
• We will be constantly reviewing the situation and continuing to provide up to date information as we can.

Thank you for your continued understanding and patience at this time.

Pat Acton
President, Victoria Genealogical Society
email: vgspresident@shaw.ca

 

COVID-19 and Victoria Genealogical Society Closures

Posted  17 Mar 2020

The Victoria Genealogical Society is committed to providing a safe research and volunteer environment. Unfortunately, the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) is presenting unparalleled conditions and circumstances that we must take very seriously so that we all stay well and safe.

EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY

To support wellness and safety, we are initiating the following CLOSURES and CANCELLATIONS which will be in place UNTIL AT LEAST April 14th (after the Easter weekend). We will resume activities as soon as it is safe to do so.

• The Genealogy Learning and Research Centre is CLOSED. The first day of closure is Tuesday, March 17th.
• ALL workshops, webinars, etc. are CANCELLED effective Saturday, March 21st.
• The April 9th general members’ meeting at St. Aidan’s United Church is CANCELLED.
• All SIG group meetings are CANCELLED effective Tuesday, March 17th. (unless you have been otherwise advised – please check with your SIG leader)

We will be constantly reviewing the situation and continuing to provide up to date information as we can.

If you have questions please use the contact form provided on the VGS website. This email account is monitored.

Please Do NOT phone the Centre as there will be no one there to take your call or questions.

COVID-19 Trustworthy Sources

A note about COVID-19 information sources: While the media has been quick to provide real-time updates on the spread of the virus, we highly recommend you rely on trusted and respected health services when researching and communicating about the novel coronavirus. These include:

• BC Government COVID-19 go to website - http://covid-19.bccdc.ca/
• Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) - https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health.html
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) - https://www.cdc.gov/
• World Health Organization (WHO) - https://www.who.int/

Thank you for your understanding and patience at this time.

Pat Acton
President, Victoria Genealogical Society
email: vgspresident@shaw.ca

 

VGS Learning Centre Closed During Snowy Weather Conditions

Posted  14 Jan 2020

Due to snowy road conditions, our Learning Centre is closed at least for today - Tuesday, 14 Jan 2020.

 While these poor weather conditions last, please call ahead if you're planning to visit us to ensure we're open. Safety of you and our volunteers comes first. 250- 360-2808.

 

Happy New Year - Join In The Fun!

Posted  3 Jan 2020

Here at VGS we're ramping up for the New Year with an exciting lineup of genealogy events for the Winter and Spring season.  Please join us.

We are very happy to welcome back the dynamic speaker Kate Humble for your January 9th meeting.  She will regale us with tales of past "Egos and Eccentrics" from the Oak Bay area of Greater Victoria. More details can be found on our VGS meetings page.

Our Saturday workshop schedule is filling fast, starting on January 11th when Melanie will share her extensive knowledge of Quebec research to beginners and experienced researchers alike.  If your tree contains relatives who lived in or passed through Quebec, Canada, you'll want to join Melanie Arscott as she helps introduce you to a variety of English records available for researchers, and some of the key words that will help decipher the clues in the French records. The emphasis will be on the English population along the Saint Lawrence River. To register, or learn about our full workshop lineup, please visitt our VGS  Workshop page for our full workshop lineup.

Our Learning Centre reopens on Saturday January 4th, resuming our regular schedule after the holiday break.  We encourage VGS members to consider volunteering at the Centre.  You'll be able to  meet and help visitors, socializing and sharing your knowledge and experiences with them.  Or perhaps you would be willing to help out in other ways?  Visit us at the Centre our contact our Learning Centre Director to discuss the possibilities.

Wishing you all success in your family research in 2020.

 

VGS Christmas Party on Dec 12 ~ What is CSI?

Posted 10 Dec 2019

We're hoping that you're all planning on attending our annual Christmas Social at our upcoming Speaker Meeting on Thursday, Dec 12 at St Aidans Church Hall.  Doors open at 7pm..  And we also hoping you can bring some finger foods (appies or desserts) to share. 

You also won't want to miss our presentation by our very own Melanie Arscott, who will speak about "Home for the Holidays: Stories From the CSI Special Interest Group".  It has come to my attention that not everyone knows what "CSI" means, and I didnt have to got further that our VGS Facebook Group page to find the answer from Melanie herself:

Question: What does CSI stand for in your SIG?

Answer from Melanie:
It's "Crowd Sourced Intelligence" (brainstorming and thinking outside of the box so to speak).
We bounce ideas around and get group discussions going to solve problems.
Our focus at the moment is on researching found objects with the aim of rehoming them.

This group of enthusiastic VGS members has had some heartwarming successes in returning family treasures and information to their rightful families.  And Melanie will share some of these stories with us on Thursday.  Do come!

Visit our VGS meetings page for more details about this meeting.

 

 

Remembrance Day and VGS Meeting November 14th

Posted 9 Nov 2019

Do you have ancestors or relatives who fought and perhaps died during military conflicts?  Who will you be honouring this coming Remembrance Day?

Be sure to join us on Thursday evening on Nov 14, 2019, for a special military speaker.  In honour of October’s Women’s History month and of Remembrance Day, we are very fortunate to welcome Commander Cynthia to speak to the VGS about women in the Forces.  As usual, this meeting will be held at St Aidan's Church Hall, with doors opening at 7pm.  Further details on this meeting and location can be found on our VGS Meetings page.

Members and non-members are welcome (with a small donation appreciated by non-members).  Hope to see you there!

 

PLEASE Help Us Improve Our VGS Website - Take Our Survey

Posted 23 Sept 2019

The Victoria Genealogical Society is undertaking a review and upgrade of the VGS website, and we need your input. The purpose of our survey is to gather your feedback about the current website and to guide in the development of the updated site.

This survey should take less than 15 minutes of your time. No personal data is collected and you may withdraw at any time.

Please participate by clicking on this Website Update Survey link.

We will be closing this survey on October 14, so don’t delay!  Your response is greatly appreciated.

 

Early Bird Ticket Deadline Extended for VGS 2019 Seminar

Posted 21 Sept 2019

Ticket sales for our 2019 VGS Annual Genealogy Seminar are now well underway.  We're excited to welcome two wonderful speakers - Brenda L Smith and Diane Rogers - who will present 4 sessions on the theme of "Family Finding, from the Paper to the Science".

The Seminar will be held on 26 Oct 2019 at the St. Leopold Mandic Croatian Church in Victoria (Saanich), BC.  Save on your ticket price when you buy before our early bird deadline of 5 October 2019.

Please tell your friends and spread the word about this wonderful learning opportunity!

To register and get more details about this seminar, visit our seminar page.
Download a full sized version of our 2019 VGS Seminar poster in pdf format.

 

Getting Ready for our Fall Season

Posted 23 Aug 2019

Summer break is nearing an end and we are gearing up for another busy and exciting genealogy season at the Victoria Genealogical Society.

Our new membership year went into effect last June 1, and the VGS Board of Directors for the 2019-20 year was established at our June Annual General Meeting.  For those who haven't yet renewed their VGS membership or haven't yet joined our Society, now would be the time!

Our VGS Learning Centre remained open during the summer months thanks to our dedicated volunteers,.  We welcomed VGS members and visitors eager to do research or to see what we're all about.  And of course the Centre volunteers will continue to welcome you there year round.   September heralds the start of our monthly Speaker Meetings at St Aidan's Church, Hall, and a wealth of  weekly workshops at our VGS Learning Centre in the Royal Oak Shopping Centre.  Monica has been very busy creating wonderful lineups for both these event series - more information can be found in the side bar on the right, or on our VGS meetings and VGS workshops pages.  Our monthly Special Interest Groups (SIGs) meetings for members will also resume in September.

Plans are still being finalized for our annual genealogy Seminar scheduled for 26 October 2019 .  More will be posted on our seminar page as soon as available.

So get ready to join in the fun!

 

VGS Volunteers a Success at Highland Games

Posted 21 May 2019 by Merv Scott

Smiling VGS Volunteer at the Victoria Highland Games -
they didn't let the rain dampen their enthusiasm!

This past holiday weekend the VGS was again invited by the VHGA to participate at their Victoria Highland Games and Celtic Festival. This was their 156th edition of the Games which is an incredible accomplishment and they did themselves proud yet again. The Victoria Genealogical Society had a tent set up in Heritage Row where VGS volunteers offered free ancestor searches on Find My Past, Scotland’s People and Family Search all weekend.

Last year the Games reported over 20,000 people attended the Games, and this year's numbers would have easily surpassed that if not for a soggy Monday. I haven't heard what the final numbers were but I've never seen such a busy day as Sunday was. Wow!

Last year the VHGA approached VGS to provide online lookups during the Games of genealogy records and it was so popular they asked us to do the same again this year. I can report we pulled it off again this year but only because of the support of a wonderful team of volunteer (which I hesitate to list here because I haven't asked their permission).

ScotlandsPeople came through again this year with free search credits which made the online lookup service possible. This year we added a new sponsor in findmypast who not only gave us free access to their records but also provided 2 door prizes - 12 month Ultimate subscriptions. Thanks to both of our wonderful sponsors.

Thanks to our volunteers, our computer technology was improved upon this year which is the critical component to offering any online service. Other new services and products our volunteers developed this year all proved to be very helpful. Wonderful new graphics for signage proved very popular especially engaging for passerby's was the new slogan 'Who's your Daddy's Daddy?' Lots of photos taken of that sign! New map of Scotland also protected in plastic was a big draw as people tried to find their clan there. New VGS Genealogy Tip Sheets for Irish and English research were produced; new volunteer name badges with eye catching VGS lanyards; new VGS logo embossed business cards proved popular; VGS logo embossed pedigree charts and family group records flew out, and a few new books were added to the resources. And there was more.

This was the final and largest event of the year where VGS hosted an information booth. My thanks to all our volunteers who helped out this past season.....you're great!

View more of our photos from these 2019 Victoria Highland Games.

Editor's note: A huge thank you to Merv Scott who once again spearheaded VGS's participation in this annual event, and who twice presented his talk on "DNA Testing and Scottish Genealogy Research".  Super job Merv!

 

Different Location for March 30th VGS Workshop

Posted 29 Mar 2019

DIFFERENT LOCATION: Juan de Fuca meeting room at the
Juan de Fuca branch of the Victoria Public Library.

For those of you registered for tomorrow's VGS Worshop title "Never Seen Again ...: Where to Look When An Ancestor Disappears" presented by Brenda L Smith, this is a reminder of the change of location for this workshop only. 

Due to the high popularity of this topic and speaker, we have expanded our capacity by renting the Juan de Fuca meeting room at the Juan de Fuca branch of the Victoria Public Library.

Please get there by 10am when the Library opens so we can get started as soon as possible.

For further information on this and other VGS workshops, visit our workshop page.

Pre-registration is required. If you are NOT already registered, please check availability by contacting workshop@victoriags.org

 

VGS MONTHLY SPEAKER MEETING CANCELLED - 14 FEB 2019

Posted 11 Feb 2019

And the snow keeps on coming! 

 For everyone's safety, the executive decision has been made to CANCEL this month's Speaker Series meeting planned for Thursday, 14 Feb 2019.

 

More Snow Keeps VGS Centre CLOSED - 11 FEB 2019 +

Posted 11 Feb 2019

On  Monday 11 Feb 2019, and potentially in the coming days, our VGS Learning Centre will be closed due to recent snowfalls and bad road conditions.  More snow is forecast for later this week as well.  The safety of our members, volunteers and visitors must come first.

 

VGS Learning Centre CLOSED SATURDAY 9 FEB 2019

Posted 8 Feb 2019

Due to snow and generally nasty weather, our VGS Learning Centre will be CLOSED on Saturday Feb 9th 2019 for the safety of all.  And as a result the VGS SATURDAY WORKSHOP on Feb 9th IS ALSO CANCELLED.

 

VGS Membership - SPECIAL OFFER FOR FIRST TIME MEMBERS

Posted 1 Feb 2019

Effective February 1, 2019, first time members of the Victoria Genealogical Society qualify for:

A Trial 4 month VGS membership
for the period of Feb 1 to May 31, 2019
at the reduced rate of
$30 for individuals    OR
$45 for family memberships (2 or more in same household).

First time members can now register and pay these reduced rates online by visiting our updated  membership page.

 There are lots of reasons to join in the fun!  This is your chance to experience first hand all the benefits of membership in our Society, including:

• Meet people who truly care about history and families; people who can teach you wonderful lessons about research and history. You can work directly with these people, learn from them, and help each other as you search for your family.
• Free access to the VGS genealogical Genealogy Learning and Research Centre and its collections. Further information on our collections can be found on our resources and queries pages.
• Free access to the Ancestry and FindMyPast library edition databases at the VGS Genealogy Learning and Research Centre.
• Free wireless connection to the internet (bring your laptop and your flash drive) at the The Genealogy Learning and Research Centre.
• Monthly Speaker Series events featuring speakers on a variety of topics concerning genealogy, history, and heritage and related topics.
• Free parking at our Learning Centre and for our monthly Speaker Series events.
• Contact with other researchers who will share information and ideas.
• Opportunity to join one or more of our SIGs - Special Interest Groups - where members with similar interests and research objectives participate in small, focused meetings and discussions.
• Vote at the Annual General Meeting for the VGS Executive (volunteer positions filled from the general membership) - we are a volunteer run organization.
• Receive our VGS Journal (available in digital pdf format) and member e-bulletins. Members are encouraged to submit stories about their family research.
• Reduced fees for Seminars and Workshops offered by VGS

Our next VGS membership year will start on June 1, 2019 when our annual rates will again be in affect for both new and returning members.

Any questions? Contact our VGS Membership Director for more details.

 

Happy New Year!  Brighten Your Family Trees in 2019

Posted 1 Jan 2019

The new year has just arrived, full of promise and expectations. We at the Victoria Genealogical Society wish you successful family research in the coming year.  We hope that you brighten your family trees in 2019 by discovering new stories and details about your relatives, past and present.  And enhance your trees by discovering new people and adding new branches.

To help you on your research journey, VGS offers genealogy workshops and hosted webinars, plus monthly speaker meetings and annual seminars.  As a benefit of membership, you can also join our monthly Special Interest Group (WIG) meetings on various subjects.  Our Learning Centre contains both digital and paper resources and is staffed by helpful Genie Buddies.  All these learning opportunities allow you to network with fellow genealogy enthusiast and benefit from their experiences.

Join in the fun and visit us in 2019.

 

Previous Years of VGS news:   2017 - 2016 - 2015 - 2014 - 2013 - 2012 - 2011 - 2010

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