Victoria Genealogical Society (VGS)
SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS ~ SIGs
Special Interest Groups (SIGs) are formed by VGS members with similar interests and research objectives, who participate in small, focused meetings and discussions at the VGS Resource Centre. Groups range in size from 4 to 10 or more people.
Most SIGs schedule regular monthly meetings at the VGS Resource Centre from September to June - see the following SIG schedule. Others groups function more as user support networks, and members stay connected via phone and email.
If you are a new member looking for a SIG to join, please contact the SIG Director at , who will put you in touch with the appropriate group leader. If your research interests are not covered by the existing groups let us know and we will do our best to include you in an existing group or create a new one.
VGS SIGs - Monthly Meeting Schedule
VGS SIG meetings are held at the VGS Resource Centre
947 Alston Street, Victoria BC
unless noted otherwise.
The monthly VGS General Meeting is held at the
Gordon Head
United Church Hall -
see our VGS meetings page for details.
Meeting calendar dates or variations are announced at each General Meeting.
| Sept - June | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
| 1st Week | USA 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm |
BC and the West 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm |
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| 2nd Week | Lancashire 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm |
VGS General Meeting 7:30 pm |
Eastern European 10:00 am - noon | ||
| 3rd Week | Celtic 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm |
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| 4th Week | Ontario 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm |
SW England 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm |
SIG & User Group Descriptions
Groups are listed alphabetically.
Dates and times
are summarized on the above schedule.
BC and the West - Major interest is in British Columbia, but this group welcomes
members with interests in Albert, Saskatchewan & Manitoba. Group meets the first
Wednesday in our Resource Centre at 1:00 pm.
- Contact: Kathy Antonson.
Celtic - Meets on the third Tuesday afternoon of each month. Average attendance is eight keen researchers who are tracing their ancestry in Scotland, Ireland, Wales, and England. Celtic research is a challenge and this group has a leader with great expertise.
- Contact: Phyllis Lindsay.
Eastern European Special Interest Group. This group was started in 2009. Countries include Romania, Belarus, Czeckoslovakia, Ukraine, Serbia, Russia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Austria, Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Croatia, Herzagovina. Meetings are the
second Saturday morning of every month at 10:00 am.
- Contact: Sarah Hamster.
Lancashire - Lanky surnames can be exotic: think Postlethwaite, Osbaldeston, Stirzaker or Phizacklea! The Industrial revolution, the cotton industry, migration and the slave trade all affected the county. Our Lancashire ancestors came from remote villages, bustling towns and the great cities of Manchester and Liverpool, all within this large and diverse area of northwestern England. The Lancashire SIG meets to learn, laugh and share together on the
second Tuesday afternoon monthly.
- Contact: Aldyth Hunter.
- Location: TBA.
Ontario - More than half of Society members have family history connections with Ontario. This group meets at 1:00 pm on the fourth Wednesday of each month in the afternoon.
- Contact: TBA.
SW England - Concentrates on the Southwest of England including Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, and adjacent counties. Members pursue specific objectives with meetings at the VGS Library on the fourth Friday
of each month. Projects sometimes involve specific research projects in other
Victoria library facilities.
- Contact: Roberta Carlson.
USA - The meetings are held the first Tuesday of the month at 1:00
pm.
- Contact: Diane Clarke.
USER GROUPS
User groups do not hold regular meetings. Instead they offer help
and support to members, usually via phone or email.
Mac and Reunion Users group does not meet formally, but
does offer support and help to Mac and Reunion users by phone, by email, or in
person as needed.
- Contact: Claudia Boorman
