Distributed free of charge to interested subscribers and former members.

 

Shawnigan Lake - All Aboard for Mile 28!

In 1886, the last spike of the E&N railway was driven at Mile 25 - Cliffside, Shawnigan Lake. Six months later, the first hotel opened on the waterfront in a choice spot along the rail line. It didn’t take long for Shawnigan Lake to become the destination for well-to-do merrymakers from Victoria.

It was suddenly very accessible for people from Victoria to enjoy the pristine beauty of Shawnigan. The train regularly brought hundreds of visitors to Shawnigan on the E&N Railway for dances, regattas, rowing competitions, special excursions and picnics. With this surge in popularity, Victorians started buying large tracts of waterfront for summer homes early in the Century, many of which have been passed down through generations.

Lori Treloar is the Executive Director for the Shawnigan Lake Museum. Lori grew up in Victoria, and when she was nine, her Grandmother bought a cottage for the family at Shawnigan Lake. It was love at first sight!

She moved to Shawnigan permanently in 2002. When Lori visited the Museum to volunteer, as she had a background in education, she suddenly became the person in charge. That was 20 years ago. Her passion for Shawnigan has led to contributing to the community on multiple committees, projects and the production of Shawnigan’s monthly newspaper.

 

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Presenters: Pat Acton, Sarah Hamster, Gerry Poulton and Mark Thompson

Date: November 2, 2024

Time: 9 AM until 2:30 PM PT

Location: VGS Genealogy Learning & Research Centre

 

This seminar includes four 1-hour sessions. Session-specific handouts, prepared by each speaker, will be provided at the beginning of the seminar. Refreshments will be provided; lunch will not be provided.

 

This is an in-person ONLY event with a maximum of 15 registered attendees.  Recordings will not be made of this event. Register now to avoid disappointment; visit REGISTER HERE 

 

Special discount offer: attending non-members, who also register as VGS members on the day of the seminar, will be given a one-time $20 discount off their annual VGS membership.

 

 

Get your family history journey off to a great start! Join four experienced family historians on an engaging half-day journey through the most important topics and tools in family history. They will help you build good habits early that will set you up for success for years to come.  This seminar is designed specifically for people new to family history and for people returning to family history after a break from their research. No prior experience is required.

Session Descriptions

Session 1: Start Your Family History Research Off Right – Pat Acton
Pat will cover the most important topics you need to know to get your family history research started in the right direction.

Session 2: Find and Use the Most Important Genealogy Records – Gerry Poulton
Vital records are the cornerstone of successful family history research projects. Gerry will introduce you to key examples of vital records and show you how to find and effectively use them in your family history research.

Session 3: Organize Your Genealogy Information for Success – Sarah Hamster
Keeping you and your records organized will be a critically important part of your genealogy success. Sarah will show you how to organize your family history information so that it is at your fingertips when you need it most.

Session 4: Use DNA To Help Build Your Family Tree - Mark Thompson
One of the most useful clues to figuring out your family history is inside of you right now. Mark will introduce you to DNA testing and show you how this cutting-edge technology can help you shed light on your family histories and mysteries.

Speaker Bios

Pat Acton
Pat Acton is the current Librarian and Past President of the Victoria Genealogical Society. Her genealogical journey spans over 20 years and covers research from Saskatchewan to Scotland and Ireland to Prussia. Patricia has exceptional knowledge to share, bolstered by her completion of about 50 classes from the Institute of Genealogical Studies, associated with the University of Toronto. Beyond her formal education, Patricia also shares her insights and discoveries through her blog, TheirOwnStories.com, and has penned several family histories.

Gerry Poulton
Gerry Poulton began genealogy research over thirty years ago in the days of microfilm. Gerry is now a member of several genealogical societies and volunteers at the Victoria Genealogical Society’s Learning and Research Centre. Gerry has presented workshops on a variety of genealogy topics for more than fifteen years. Gerry’s research specialties are the lands where his own ancestors hailed from: England, Ireland, Germany, and Ontario. Gerry was born and raised in Saskatchewan and taught Chemistry at the University of Victoria for nearly 40 years.

Sarah Hamster
Sarah Hamster is a veteran genealogist with over 30 years of experience. She has been an active member of the Victoria Genealogical Society for over 20 years. Sarah is recognized for her expertise in organizing genealogical records, helping bring order to the often-chaotic pursuit of family history. Currently, Sarah is elevating her skills by pursuing a certification in Eastern European genealogy from the International Institute of Genealogical Studies.

Mark Thompson
Mark is a professional genealogist, the President of the Victoria Genealogical Society (VGS), and the chair of the VGS DNA Special Interest Group. He is also a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists. Mark uses genetic and traditional genealogical research methods, combined with a deep understanding of information technology and analysis, to help his clients shed light on their family histories and mysteries. Mark speaks regularly on a variety of genealogy-related topics. Mark’s blog can be found at MakingFamilyHistory.com.

 

 

 

The Bay Street Armoury opened in 1915, a “Castle on Bay Street”, remains a mystery to most people living in Greater Victoria. John Azar, long time VGS member, will share images and explain the design and construction of the building, its use as a military establishment and the significant role the building has played in the community life of Greater Victoria. He will also explain how VGS members can engage with the two regimental museums for genealogical research on ancestors who may have served at the armoury.

John Azar is an avid amateur military historian and commemoration advocate. As well as being a VGS member, he is a volunteer with the The Canadian Scottish Regiment and conducts military history tours for The Old Cemeteries Society of Victoria. He also belongs to several military affairs and military history-related organizations. John was a principal organizer of the Bay Street Armoury 100th anniversary open house in November 2015 for which his slide show was originally created.

 

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Quebec Genealogy: Beyond the Basics

This engaging workshop will show you the best resources and proven techniques for tracing your Quebec ancestors. Whether you're just beginning your family history journey or seeking to deepen your research, this workshop will show you how to identify and document your Quebec family story. We’ll start with the basics, church records, census records, naming conventions then we’ll explore less known records to give deeper insights into our ancestor’s lives, such as

· Immigrant records
· Notary records for marriage contracts, wills, employment contracts, etc
· Guardianship records
· Land grants
· Newspaper collections
· BAnQ numérique website for a wide variety of digitized records

Denis Fortier has been pursuing genealogy for about 15 years. He is currently a member of the VGS, Ontario Ancestors and UELAC. He serves as the Victoria UELAC branch genealogist. Denis was born in Quebec and most of his own family research centers on that Province. Branches of his family trace back to early settlers of New France, including Louis Hébert who is the very first settler to bring his family to New France (in 1617). Much to his surprise, Denis also discovered he had Acadian, Scottish, English and American Loyalist ancestors, all of whom settled in the Province of Quebec.

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The Netherlands through the ages has been known by different names such as the Low Countries, The Republic of the Seven United Netherlands, United Kingdom of the Netherlands. As the names varied, so did the borders. The Special Interest Group, or SIG for short, will focus on the Netherlands and Flanders (now part of Belgium) and also the New Netherlands (now New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Connecticut, and Delaware). The Netherlands SIG welcomes all members who are researching their family history in these locations. Our thanks to VGS member Frans Compeer who will be the coordinator for this new SIG.

 

Along with the Netherlands/Belgium/New Netherland SIG we also offer discussion groups on the following topics:

Family History 101

CSI (Crowd Sourced Intelligence)

DNA

Eastern Europe

England

Ireland

Ontario

Scotland

 

Also, the United States SIG welcomes all members who are researching their family history in the USA. USA SIG meetings are not regularly scheduled but one-off meetings will be held if there is enough interest.

SIG schedules are listed on the Events Calendar.

 

For more information visit Special Interest Groups. 

I facilitate two Special Interest Groups. One is Family History 101 and the other is Eastern Europe.

Family History 101 started as a group to help people get started on their genealogy. All were welcome, the newbies, people who had “lost their way”, and the curious. This started out as a weekly meeting, but soon morphed into a monthly SIG. We have a steady group and have drop-ins. We always welcome members with new problems, or as I like to call them, new adventures.

Eastern Europe started up again last September. With the war in Ukraine, people have begun to re-think their ancestry. DNA has given us all a wider scope for our searches. This group tries to dig deeper into their heritage. There are lots of problems with languages, shifting borders, wars, finding documents.

Both groups are very interactive, helping each other. We all bring something different to share with others. We always look forward to meeting new people. Any VGS members who would like to join us are welcome to attend.

 

Learn more about all special interest discussion groups at SIG

- Sarah Hamster, SIG Leader