Day One
Saturday, April 22, 2023
Note: All Times are Atlantic Daylight Time (UTC-03:00)
​
9:30 AM/ Welcome and Introduction
Tim Gay, President of the Genealogical Association of Nova Scotia will welcome conference participants.
10:00 AM/ Nova Scotia Genealogy 101
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.
12:00 PM/ Lunch: On-going Projects at GANS / Introduction to GIMS
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.
1:00 PM/ Applying Geographical Information Systems (GIS) to Genealogy
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.
2:00 PM/ Newspaper Obituaries: A Guide to Nova Scotia Resources
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.
3:00 PM/ BREAK
Get up and stretch your legs.
3:15 PM/ Tracing Your Pre-WWI British Soldier
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.
4:15 PM/ Panel Discussion: The Future of Nova Scotia Genealogy
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.
Day Two
Sunday, April 23, 2023
10:00 AM/ Tracing the Men of the 71st Fraser Highland Regiment: from Scotland, to America, to Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia's connections with the British military run deep and have influenced the settlement of our province. Ed Brumby will share his 30 years of research on the men of the 71st Fraser Highland Regiment during the American Revolutionary War, how they were granted land in Guysborough County, and what became of them.
11:00 AM/ Detecting and Mapping Unmarked Cemeteries with Archaeological Geophysics
Old cemeteries are frequently lost. Memories are short, and most of the living are not terribly concerned with those who came before. But suppose we wanted to investigate the presence of unmarked burials. How would we begin, and what methods might we adopt? In this illustrated talk, archaeologist Dr. Jonathan Fowler answers these questions with examples from cemeteries and mass graves in Nova Scotia.
12:00 PM/ Lunch: Local Genealogical Organization Presentations
During lunch hour pre-recorded presentations will run highlighting the work of the following local Nova Scotia genealogical and historical societies and organizations:
1:00 PM/ African Nova Scotian Genealogical Research
What should you know specifically when trying to focus on African Nova Scotian genealogical research? Allister J. Barton, an eighth-generation African Nova Scotian, will share his encounters with family tree research.
2:00 PM/ Genealogical Resources at the
Halifax Municipal Archives
Municipal Archivist Susan McClure will share what genealogical resources are available in the Municipal Archives of the Halifax Regional Municipality. Discover how to use government records such as Poor House/Farm registers, police/jail registers, school board and property records to research family history in Halifax County, Dartmouth and Halifax areas.
3:00 PM/ Break
Get up and stretch your legs.
3:15 PM/ Lunenburg’s Foreign Protestants Origins in the Holy Roman Empire (Germany)
The Foreign Protestants (including the Montbéliardais) came from the Holy Roman Empire which mostly corresponds to modern Germany. Dr. Ken Paulsen's talk will explain the Holy Roman Empire in relation to placing your ancestors on the map. Places of origins for families will be identified within the Holy Roman Empire (1750s) and Germany and environs (2020s).
4:15 PM/ Brick Wall Busters
Got an ancestor who you can't quite figure out? Stuck on a branch of your family tree? The Brick Wall Buster is your opportunity to see if experts in Nova Scotia genealogy can help you sort it all out.
​
Using conference attendee-submitted problems, Genealogist Ginny Clark and conference organizers Neal Cody and Nathaniel Smith will share their insights in how to potentially break down those pesky walls.
​
Stick around to the end to see if your name will be drawn for one of the three research consultations with a Nova Scotia Certified Genealogist
​