British Columbia Genealogical Society
Near Revelstoke, BC
Photo Courtesy of Chris Albrecht
Welcome to the British Columbia Genealogical Society
We are a registered charitable organization with over 300 members from a variety of backgrounds and, like you, we all have an interest in researching our family history in British Columbia and beyond. We hope you will consider joining our Society.
The BCGS Library is OPEN Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 10AM - 3 PM
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The BCGS Library is OPEN Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 10AM - 3 PM 〰️
The BCGS would like to acknowledge the ceded and unceded Indigenous ancestral territories of BC and Canada. We are grateful for the opportunity to learn the history, culture and traditions of the First Nations Peoples, alongside our personal investigations of familial settler history and encourage everyone to reflect on the Indigenous history of the lands where they reside.
BCGS Activities & Highlights
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** NEW**French-Canadian Coffee Chat
Do you have French-Canadian connections in your family tree? If so, you will want to join our French-Canadian Coffee Chat, which is starting up again on January 30th at 7 pm via Zoom.
The chat will be hosted by Maurice Guibord, who is also the Executive Director of Société historique francophone de la Colombie-Britannique
Email coffeechat@bcgs.ca to request an invitation.
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Members Meeting Feb. 12th 7:30 pm via Zoom
Guest Speaker: Mike Woodcock UE
Loyalists Come West! - United Empire Loyalists in Early British Columbia
United Empire Loyalists (UEL) were members of the thirteen colonies who remained loyal to the Crown during the American Revolution and when the conflict was over, were the first political refugees to come to the northern colonies that eventually became Canada.
After an explanation on the emergence of the Loyalists, Mike will focus on some fascinating early UEL descendants who made their way to Victoria.Join us! Non-members email info@bcgs.ca to receive an invitation.
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BCGS Board of Directors Nominations
The March Members’ Meeting & AGM will be held on Zoom on Wednesday, 12 March 2025, at 7:30 pm. In addition to the regular meeting, elections will be held for a number of positions on the BCGS Board of Directors.
We are particularly looking for two people to stand as directors at large. Duties include attending the monthly Board meetings and taking on responsibility for one or more of our BCGS projects or programs.
We need proactive participation from more of our members, to provide guidance and leadership for the future endeavours of BCGS.
Click here for more information.
Calendar of Upcoming BCGS Local & Zoom Events
February 12, 2025
Members’ Meeting
Members Chat - 7:00 - 7:30 pm
Meeting Starts - 7:30 pm
Guest speaker: Mike Woodcock
Early United Empire Loyalists in BC
For a ZOOM invitation, please contact info@bcgs.ca.
“What’s Up” In Genealogy in BC and Beyond
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Canadian Letters and Images Project
Canadian Letters & Images Project - A digitization project for those who served Canada in conflict or war. Learn how you can contribute and what has already been digitized.
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ProQuest - Online Access to BC Newspapers
ProQuest provides free online access to past issues of the Vancouver Sun (1912-2010), Vancouver Province (1894-2010) and Victoria Times Colonist 1884-2010) for anyone in B.C. or the Yukon.
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Legacy Family Tree Webinars
The world’s most popular webinar website for genealogy and DNA testing, where you can enjoy a robust offering of live and recorded webinars presented by top speakers. Over 2000 webinars to choose from.
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Organizing Your Online Research and Digital Files
Tuesday January 28 at 6:30 pm Presented by the Kelowna & District Genealogy Society, Claire Smith-Burns presenter
One of the biggest concerns for most genealogists is how to organize their paper and digital files. We will look at organizational ideas, from keeping research and correspondence logs to best ways to download and organize digital files, to using genealogical software to link your paper and digital research files. A handout will be provided.
FREE, but registration is required.
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AI & Genealogy - Trouble Ahead, wih Thomas MacEntee
February 3rd 7pm via Zoom, presented by the Kelowna & District Genealogy Society
While AI (artificial intelligence) might be the current “hot” buzz word, the fact is that many genealogy vendors and genealogists have been using this technology for years. The AI industry is at a crossroads and within the next five years, it will permeate almost every aspect of business and society. Learn how AI is currently being used to improve the genealogy experience, and whether or not you should seek out other uses of artificial intelligence for your own genealogy research.
Free for KDGS members, $10 for non-members. Registration is required.
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Writing Your Life Story
February 8th, 1-3 pm at the Burlington Library.
Sponsored by the Skagit Valley Genealogical Society and presented by Annette Burke Lyttle, CG of Heritage Detective. Annette speaks on a variety of genealogical topics at the national, state and local levels and loves helping people uncover and share their family stories. If you can’t make it to the Burlington Library, request a zoom link by emailing genealogy0715@gmail.com
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RootsTech 2025
March 6 - 8, 2025
Registration is now open for RootsTech 2025. A huge learning and sharing opportunity for genealogists from around the world.
Attend in person or online.
Learn more and register via the link below. -
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Scottish Indexes Conference
Saturday March 15, 2025
Interested in tracing your Scottish genealogy? The Scottish Indexes Conference is an opportunity to learn new research skills, discover diverse records and see how others have put these into practice. If you want to trace your Scottish family tree, this is the event for you.
It is a FREE online event.
The button below takes you to the registration page where you can also access their handouts from past conferences and much more.
