Distributed free of charge to interested subscribers and former members.

 

 

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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Family Tree Maker Ambassador Mark Olsen is looking forward to putting on the following Zoom event with the Victoria Genealogical Society. This is a great opportunity for you to learn about the great features, tools, and abilities of Family Tree Maker software today, and the new features of the soon-to-be-released FTM 2024. The workshop will be run as if it was a Family Tree Maker User Group with lots of tips, tricks and Q&A.

Mark Olsen is the Family Tree Maker Ambassador to historical and genealogical societies around the world working to support their members as they use Family Tree Maker software. Mark is a graduate of Brigham Young University and holds a bachelor's degree in Family History with a Spanish records emphasis. He has been working in the genealogy industry since 2007.

 

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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Join four leading genetic genealogy experts for an exciting DNA Day seminar. Discover how to transform your family history research using the power of all three DNA testing types: Autosomal DNA, Y-DNA, and mitochondrial DNA. Plus, learn how to run your own DNA project at Family Tree DNA.

Don't miss this excellent opportunity to learn from these highly respected educators: Blaine Bettinger, Jim Brewster, Mags Gaulden, and David Vance.

Date: Saturday, April 26, 2025

Time: 9 am - 2:30 pm PT

Location: This is event is by zoom only

Note: Video recordings of this event will be available online for 30 days to registered attendees only

For more information or registration visit REGISTER HERE

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