Coffee Chats

Coffee Chats are informal meetings of like-minded researchers where participants can discuss problems, brick walls, and successes. They are held on various days and times throughout the month. You can find the dates and times of the various Coffee Chats on the BCGS Calendar of Events page.

BCGS members and members of affiliate societies are welcome to attend.
Not a member? No problem.
We are happy to welcome you to one or two of our chats so you can decide whether you’d like to join us.

Many Coffee Chats run via Zoom on Thursday nights from 7:00pm - 9:00pm. A few others are at different times and/or on days other than Thursday so be sure to confirm the meeting times for the chats you choose.

A few chats, including Kindertech and the BCGS Writers Group, are now held IN PERSON at the BCGS Genealogical Library and Research Centre.

You can register to receive a Zoom invite for most chats by contacting coffeechat@bcgs.ca. The DNA Groups and Chinese Genealogy have their own registration contacts. In-person chats generally do not require registration. Check the specific chat page for details.

Please note that if you have attended a particular coffee chat before you do not need to register again since an invitation will come to you automatically. If you wish to attend a coffee chat for the first time, you MUST request an invitation at least a day ahead. Email any questions to coffeechat@bcgs.ca.

Digital Bulletin Boards are information pages designed to give coffee chat attendees a place to post useful and pertinent information that can be used by everyone. If a coffee chat facilitator has a handout, it will be posted on the digital bulletin board. You can view each of the Coffee Chat Digital Bulletin Boards by clicking on the links below.