CONFERENCE SCHEDULE

Tim Gay, President of the Genealogical Association of Nova Scotia will welcome conference participants. 

Certified Genealogist Nathaniel Smith will provide an overview of the basics of Nova Scotia Genealogy.

Dr. Clint Bruce from Université Sainte-Anne will present on the founding Acadian Families of Baie Sainte-Marie (St. Mary's Bay) in the modern municipal district of Clare in Digby County. What were the experiences of the Acadian founding families of St. Mary's Bay during the Deportation? We'll follow some of their journeys, drawing from new research and recently discovered sources.

Enjoy your lunch while watching a presentation from Timothy Gay, President of GANS, regarding the on-going projects which GANS is supporting, from geo-genealogy to a new database module for helping you find new ancestral clues.

Hear also from Nat Smith, Registrar of the Genealogical Institute of the Maritimes (GIMS), on how to obtain your certification in genealogy or record searching in one of the four Atlantic Provinces.

Keenan Sutherland will present on how GIS technology can assist genealogists in their research, including a live demonstration of how to find the location of a 240-year-old Crown Land petition using GIS and genealogical techniques.

Joanne McCarthy O'Leary will share the basics about researching obituaries and death notices published in Nova Scotia newspapers. This workshop will provide an overview of the most popular newspapers to research, and introduce participants to a variety of published and online surname indexes.

Get up and stretch your legs.

Before 1871, Nova Scotia was defended by the British Army and Navy. Military historian and genealogist Paul Milner will share how you can learn about the organization of the British Army, and the procedures for tracing officers and enlisted men. Case studies include an officer who served in Halifax, Nova Scotia and an enlisted soldier who fought at the Battle of New Orleans and at Waterloo, and will highlight what records are online and which are not. See the wealth of information that can be found on your military ancestors.

End Day One with an enlightening panel discussion that will explore the Future of Nova Scotia Genealogy. Panelists will include renowned Nova Scotia genealogist Dr. Allan E. Marble, C.G., technology and DNA expert Kevin Borland, BS, JD, LLM, and The Maritime Historian Kirby Ross, M.A.