VGS Genealogy News & Events
Victoria Genealogical Society
No. 210 November 1, 2026 |
Distributed free of charge to interested subscribers and former members. |
In this newsletter:
- Upcoming VGS Events includng Workshops, Seminars, Heritage History Hours and Genealogy Coffee Chats
- VGS 2026/27 membership drive is underway: fee discounts, free discussion groups, and much more
- New to genealogy research? 3 Steps for beginners
- VGS Social Media channels
Scroll down to read these articles.
VGS is a non-profit and you can help us by forwarding this newsletter to your friends | Upcoming VGS Events
Upcoming VGS workshops, seminars, Heritage History Hour presentations, Genealogy Coffee Chats and more are listed below and also available online at VGS Calendar of Events | | Date: Wednesday, November 4, 2026 | VGS IN THE COMMUNITY: FREE GENEALOGY COFFEE CHATS | | No longer just a summer event, the VGS Genealogical Coffee Chats are now being offered year round. For your convenience, VGS is holding these and other events at various community locations. Please join us and let us know what you think of this new community focus.
For the past three years the VGS has offered Genealogical Coffee Chats (GCCs) as a summer event to keep members engaged, tell stories, meet up with other members and non-members and learn about the VGS environment while asking questions. They've proven to be so popular that VGS is now offering them year round.
How do the GCCs work? There is no agenda or format. People arrive with books, binders, papers and some come with just a coffee. Anything goes. Questions are asked and a dozen people will join in with thoughts, solutions, websites and personal information. One session had our laughter drowning out the daycare across the hallway! | | | As the number of hosts increased, the scope of the GCCs evolved and every session gave attendees a new perspective. The hosts have commented on how much fun they had and all have asked if they can host again.
The big news! We can confirm VGS has booked the Saanich Centennial Community Room (G R Pearkes Centre, Tillicum) from 1:00-3:00 pm on:
• October 7 and 21
• November 4 and 18
• December 2 and 16
Dates and places from January through June will be announced as the sites are booked and hosts are confirmed.
Lois Thompson, VGS Member
| | Date: Thursday, November 12, 2026 | A HERITAGE HISTORY HOUR PRESENTATION: CONNECTING FAMILIES TO THEIR LOST SOLDIERS, PRESENTED BY MAGS GAULDEN | |
ATTENDANCE IS VIA ZOOM
Join genetic genealogist Mags Gaulden for a compelling look at how modern research is helping to restore names and stories to Canadian service members who died without a known grave. Discover how the Canadian Armed Forces’ Casualty Identification Program brings together historical records, forensic science, archaeology, and DNA evidence to identify the missing.
| | | Mags Gaulden is a Professional Genealogist specializing in Genetic Genealogy as a founder of Grandmas Genes in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. She is also the founder of mitoYDNA.org, a free and accessible YDNA and mtDNA database. As a sought-after international speaker and workshop coordinator, Mags has continued to share her expertise on a range of topics related to genetic genealogy and family history research. Her talks are known for their easy flow of technical terminology and knowledge, combined with a down-home, relaxed, and humorous style that connects with audiences. She is a member of the International Society of Genetic Genealogy, among other organizations.
Date: Thursday, November 12, 2026
Time: 7:00 PM until 8:30 PM Pacific Time
Presenter: Mags Gaulden
Location: via Zoom
REGISTER HERE
The ZOOM link will be emailed to registrants following registration.
Note: Video recordings of this event will be available online for 30 days to registered attendees only | | Date: Saturday, November 21, 2026 | WORKSHOP: 9 PITFALLS OF ENGLISH GENEALOGY, PRESENTED BY KAREN KOWALLIS | |
ATTENDANCE IS VIA ZOOM
English research has a way of humbling even experienced family historians. A name spelled three different ways, an age on a census that doesn't quite add up, a parish that suddenly belongs to a different county. Surprises like these can send a research trail in the wrong direction entirely.
| | | In this session, accredited genealogist Karen Kowallis draws on nine of the most common traps English researchers fall into, showing how an unquestioned assumption, a same-named cousin, a mistrusted index, a wrong turn at a shifting parish boundary, can result in a family tree built on shaky ground. She'll share the habits that catch these errors early, helping you learn how to read what a record actually says, rather than what it appears to say.
You'll leave with a sharper eye for the assumptions that can derail your research.
Karen Kowallis is an Accredited Genealogist® professional specializing in English and United States research. Accredited in the England region, she also serves as a Commissioner for the International Commission for the Accreditation of Professional Genealogists (ICAPGen?).
A former mathematics educator, Karen brings a teacher’s approach to genealogy, helping researchers understand complex records, jurisdictions, laws, and historical context. She especially enjoys the problem-solving side of genealogy and piecing together clues from challenging records. Outside of genealogy, Karen enjoys traveling, communing with nature, spending time with her family, and solving puzzles. She currently lives in New York City.
Date: Saturday, November 21, 2026
Time: 10:00 AM until 12:00 PM Pacific Time
Presenter: Karen Kowallis
Location: via Zoom
For more information or registration visit REGISTER HERE
The ZOOM link will be emailed to registrants following registration.
Note: Video recordings of this event will be available online for 30 days to registered attendees only
| | Date: Saturday, December 5, 2026 | WORKSHOP: LINKING THE GENERATIONS WITH COURT AND LAND RECORDS, PRESENTED BY JUDY G. RUSSELL | |
ATTENDANCE VIA ZOOM
It’s the single biggest issue genealogists face: how do we connect one generation to the next with evidence we can rely on? Vital records are excellent documentation, but they often don’t exist for the time and place we’re researching. That’s when we have to find workarounds to make sure we’re not simply putting people into family lines because they share the same names. Using court and land records, we can often find the evidence we need to link the generations accurately. | | | Judy G. Russell, The Legal Genealogist®, is a genealogist with a law degree who provides expert guidance through the murky territory where law and family history intersect. An internationally-known lecturer and award-winning writer, she holds credentials as a Certified Genealogist® and Certified Genealogical Lecturer® from the Board for Certification of Genealogists® and is a Fellow of the Utah Genealogical Association. Her blog is at https://www.legalgenealogist.com.
Date: Saturday, December 5, 2026
Time: 10:00 AM until 12:00 PM Pacific Time
Presenter: Judy G. Russell
Location: via Zoom
For more information or registration visit REGISTER HERE
The ZOOM link will be emailed to registrants following registration.
Note: Video recordings of this event will be available online for 30 days to registered attendees only
| | Date: Thursday, December 10, 2026 | A HERITAGE HISTORY HOUR PRESENTATION: CRAIGDARROCH CASTLE - A TALE IN EVERY DETAIL, PRESENTED BY JENNY SEEMAN | | Date: Thursday, December 10, 2026
Time: 7 PM until 8:30 PM, PT
Location: via Zoom
For more information or registration visit REGISTER HERE
The ZOOM link will be emailed to registrants following registration. | | | | Date: Saturday, January 9, 2027 | FREE WORKSHOP FOR VGS MEMBERS - JOIN TODAY TO ENJOY THIS AND OTHER BENEFITS OF A VGS MEMBERSHIP | | WORKSHOP - GENEALOGY AND FAMILY HISTORY WITH LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES CANADA
PRESENTED BY:
JEANNIE BUCHANAN BREIT, ORIENTATION AND ARCHIVAL TECHNICIAN, LAC, OTTAWA
AND MEAGHAN BULGER, ARCHIVIST, LAC, HALIFAX.
Date: Saturday, January 9, 2027
Time: 10:00 AM until 12:00 PM Pacific Time
Location: via Zoom
For more information or registration visit REGISTER HERE
The ZOOM link will be emailed to registrants following registration.
| | | | Date: Thursday, January 14, 2027 | A HERITAGE HISTORY HOUR PRESENTATION: WEAVING PRIVATE LIVES INTO PUBLIC HISTORY - YVONNE VAN RUSKENVELD | Date: Thursday, January 14, 2027
Time: 7 PM until 8:30 PM, PT
Location: via Zoom
For more information or registration visit REGISTER HERE
The ZOOM link will be emailed to registrants following registration. | | | | Date: Saturday, January 16, 2027 | WORKSHOP: INTERPRETING AND EVALUATING NAME LISTS, PRESENTED BY DAVID E. RENCHER | | Date: Saturday, January 16, 2027
Time: 10:00 AM until 12:00 PM Pacific Time
Location: via Zoom
The ZOOM link will be emailed to registrants following registration.
| | | | Date: Saturday, February 6, 2027 | WORKSHOP: ALL ABOUT NEW YORK ARRIVAL RECORDS, PRESENTED BY ALEC FERRETTI | | Date: Saturday, February 6, 2027
Time: 10:00 AM until 12:00 PM Pacific Time
Location: via Zoom
For more information or registration visit REGISTER HERE
The ZOOM link will be emailed to registrants following registration. | | | | Date: Thursday, February 11, 2027 | A HERITAGE HISTORY HOUR PRESENTATION: JAPANESE CANADIANS 1940s FORCED DISPOSSESSION - PRESENTED BY MICHAEL ABE | Date: Thursday, February 11, 2027
Time: 7 PM until 8:30 PM, PT
Location: via Zoom
For more information or registration visit REGISTER HERE
The ZOOM link will be emailed to registrants following registration. | | | | Date: Saturday, February 27, 2027 | WORKSHOP: CAPTURING FAMILY MEMORIES - CREATE HEARTFELT VIDEOS WITH POWER POINT, PRESENTED BY LIANNE KRUGER | | Date: Saturday, February 27, 2027
Time: 10:00 AM until 12:00 PM Pacific Time
Location: via Zoom
For more information or registration visit REGISTER HERE
The ZOOM link will be emailed to registrants following registration. | | | | Date: Saturday, March 20, 2027 | WORKSHOP: LEAVE NO STONE UNTURNED - FIND ELUSIVE ANCESTORS ON FAMILYSEARCH, PRESENTED BY DEBBIE GURTLER | Date: Saturday, March 20, 2027
Time: 10:00 AM until 12:00 PM Pacific Time
Location: via Zoom
For more information or registration visit REGISTER HERE
The ZOOM link will be emailed to registrants following registration. | | | | Date: Thursday, April 8, 2027 | A HERITAGE HISTORY HOUR PRESENTATION: THE SECRET LIFE OF CON JONES - JOHN FULLER | Date: Thursday, April 8, 2027
Time: 7 PM until 8:30 PM, PT
Location: via Zoom
For more information or registration visit REGISTER HERE
The ZOOM link will be emailed to registrants following registration. | | | 2026/27 MEMBERSHIP DRIVE UNDERWAY | Enjoy event discounts, free SIG discussion groups and much more
The 2026-2027 Memberships are effective from June 1, 2026 through May 31, 2027. The VGS has just completed another successful year therefore membership prices are not being increased this year.
The following annual membership types are now available: Single Membership $65 (for a person over the age of 25 years); Family Membership $90 (two or more annual memberships for people living at the same address); Youth Membership $35 (25 years or younger).
This great membership value includes:
1. Price discounts for our popular workshops and seminars;
2. Free Special Interest Groups – SIGs are one of the most valuable resources available to VGS members and are free as a benefit of membership. SIG meetings are an opportunity to discuss your genealogy experiences and challenges with members who are interested in the same kind of research that you are. Our SIG leaders have genealogical expertise on the specific SIG focus area. SIG members help point you in the right direction and give you new ways to think about your family history challenges. With your membership you can join any number of the SIG's available: DNA; England; Ireland; Netherlands / Belgium / New Netherland; Ontario; Scotland; Nordic;
3. Free bi-weekly VGS Members Update e-newsletter offers information on upcoming VGS events as well as events hosted by other related societies. Meet our vounteers and Members Tips and Tricks are popular as is VGS business updates, and more;
4. Free Heritage History Hour – our free monthly on-line video conference evening presentation on a genealogical, heritage or history topic;
5. Free assistance from our volunteer Genie Buddies at the VGS Genealogy Learning & Research Centre. Our library is stocked with a unique collection of paper-based resources, searchable using our VGS online Library Catalogue; 6. Our website offers free 'members only' access to the minutes of our latest VGS board meeting, finance statements, past AGM materials, along with our VGS constitution and bylaws, and more;
7. Benefits of being part of a community of common interests include volunteering opportunities and more; and,
8. Voting rights at the VGS Annual General Meeting (AGM).
| New to genealogy research?
3 Steps for Beginners
The VGS offers several benefits of membership for those new to genealogy research and for those who would like to brush up on their skills. Check these 3 easy steps below:
Step 1 - The Centre. If you haven't already visited our Genealogy Learning & Research Centre, we recommend you do. It's a great place to start and our friendly and experienced volunteers are available to help you with your questions and show you the basic research tools, techniques and resources. For a modest fee volunteers can provide various personal research services which can be viewed at RESEARCH SERVICES. The Centre is located in Royal Oak Shopping Centre and is free for members. Non-members are welcome and their first visit is free with a nominal fee of $5 for subsequent visits. Free parking, free wifi, free computers, a large library collection, and access to Ancestry library edition. Check our LOCATION page for open hours. *** New: we have updated our online library catalogue which can be searched HERE.
Step 2 - Family History 101 Seminar and SIG are a great place to start. After becoming oriented to genealogy research at the Centre, members may find themselves prepared to register for our annual Family History 101 half day Seminar. Members may also enjoy further supports by joining a discussion group that focuses on their area of research. We call these Special Interest Groups or SIGs for short. Currently there are 9 SIGs that meet regularly either by zoom, in person or in combination. The Family History 101 SIG is designed for those who are new to genealogy. Once you get basics in the Family History 101 you may want to start signing up for one or more of the other SIGs. They are all free to members. Click on SIGs to learn more about them.
Step 3 - Workshops, Seminars and Heritage History Hour. Another benefit of membership is the price breaks for our regular workshops and seminars, and access to our monthly Heritage History Hour presentations. These events not only offer the opportunity to learn about a topic, but they also provide members the opportunity to meet other members who may be researching in the same geographic area or the same surname. These are important networking opportunities and often prove useful in breaking down research brick walls. To learn more, go to our Events Calendar.
Never mind surfing the web - follow these 3 steps to learn genealogy research tools and techniques. For membership details, please go to Membership Options. | VGS social media channels
VGS FaceBook private group with almost 500 members to help you with your genealogy related questions; join the discussion at VGS Facebook Group.
VGS FaceBook public page: click Follow (over 600 followers) for event notices and other VGS news at: vicgs.
VGS Bluesky Social - find us at https://bsky.app/profile/victoriags.org (over 350 followers) for event notices and more (Coordinator needed; become a member and volunteer)
VGS Instagram: click Follow (over 200 followers) for event notices with a twist at: https://www.instagram.com/victoriagenealogicalsociety/ (Coordinator needed; become a member and volunteer)
Try clicking on our social media icons at the bottom of this newsletter.
Free accounts with these social media sites may be required.
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| Copyright © 2026 Victoria Genealogical Society, All rights reserved.
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