CONFERENCE SCHEDULE
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This presentation on land and deed research in Nova Scotia is geared towards beginner and intermediate genealogists. It will cover the fundamentals of land title searching and the history of land records in Nova Scotia, and demonstrate how modern digital tools can enhance genealogical research.

The presentation will begin with an introduction to land title searching and the types of records genealogists encounter. Then it will provide the historical context of land grants and property ownership in Nova Scotia, including the transition from the registry-based system to the modern land titles system.

Next, the presentation will guide attendees through navigating Nova Scotia's land records, including the use of Service Nova Scotia, ViewPoint.ca, and Property Online. Practical applications for genealogists will be provided along with case studies and examples. The presentation will conclude by suggesting search strategies and best practices, as well as additional resources for expanding land research.

This session, led by two expert genealogists from the Isle of Harris, explores strategies for tracing ancestors with roots in the Western Isles of Scotland, even when records are scarce. The talk will provide historical context, covering the early influence of the Vikings, the economic and social impact of the kelp industry, and the waves of emigration—why families left, when they departed, and where they settled.

Attendees will gain insight into the unique challenges of researching Scottish island ancestry, including the reliance on oral traditions, the importance of croft histories, and the use of available formal records such as parish registers, censuses, and estate documents. The speakers will also highlight the role of community memory and how resources like Hebrides People can help bridge gaps in documentary evidence. Looking ahead, they will discuss the future of genealogical research in the Hebrides, including digitization efforts and evolving research methodologies.

This lecture describes the immigrants from France who first settled along the Bay of Fundy region in the early 1630s, laying the foundation of the future Acadia. It follows their progress in establishing communities across the region and their later plight when they found themselves at the mercy of the British, who deported them from their lands in 1755 and 1758. Scattered far and wide across North America and Europe, most Acadians later returned to Canada and did so by 1800. The lecture describes their newly established settlements in the Maritime Provinces, giving prominence to Nova Scotia.

During lunch hour pre-recorded presentations will run highlighting the work of local Nova Scotia genealogical and historical societies and organizations.

​​This topic begins in the 1790's in Co. Cork, Ireland. It is the life journey of the presenter's immigrant ancestors from their birth in a land still feeling the effects of Oliver Cromwell's theft of their country in August 1649, to the well documented struggles for freedom in the 1798 rebellion, growing up in abject poverty, being taught in secret hedge schools while hiding from English soldiers, and the economic down turn at the end of the Napoleonic Wars. Learning a trade, falling in love, and making a decision to chance a hazardous month-long voyage in a leaking sailing vessel to start a new life in Nova Scotia.

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It is 1783 and Sir Guy Carleton has just been made the commander-in-chief of British forces in North America. Rather than overseeing military actions against the American rebels, Carleton has been given the task of seeing to the safe evacuation of thousands of British troops and almost 60,000 white and Black Loyalists in the wake of the Patriots’ victory. And he only has months to see that everyone reaches a place of refuge. Stephen’s presentation will examine all that was involved in what Carleton described as “the great and complicated business” of arranging transportation and securing places of sanctuary. A man of principle, Carleton’s actions threatened to destroy the peace agreements made in the Treaty of Paris as he stood by Britain’s promise to emancipate all former slaves who had joined the British forces during the American Revolution. Leaving posterity with primary documents such as correspondence with persecuted loyalists, passenger lists for evacuation vessels, and the Book of Negroes ledger, Carleton oversaw the largest relocation of refugees in North American history.

This session will guide participants through key resources available to genealogists on the Nova Scotia Archives website including the Nova Scotia Births, Marriages, and Deaths database, which offers over one million fully searchable and digitized records.

Attendees will also hear about the Genealogy Guide, and Virtual Archives and Databases featuring collections such as church registers, cemetery records, and census data. He will also discuss the Land Petitions and Crown Grants collection, a crucial resource for tracing early settlers, and the Historical Newspapers collection, which provides access to obituaries, marriage announcements, and community news.

A half hour will also be reserved to answer your questions about the Nova Scotia Archives - submit your queries ahead of time here!

Get up and stretch your legs.

Learn about the history of one of the first Islamic institutions in Canada, located in Bible Hill, Colchester County, Nova Scotia. 

Historian and educator, Waleed Kadray, has been conducting oral history research on the Bible Hill Muslim Cemetery, established in the 1930s for a number of years. 

Join him to learn about the experiences of early Muslim immigrants to Nova Scotia, their trials and tribulations, and their attempts to preserve their religious and cultural identities.

We are pleased to re-offer one of our most popular features: a Nova Scotia Brick Wall Busters session! Three luck registrants will be selected at random to have the Nova Scotian Ancestor Mystery Investigated further by our team of Nova Scotia Certified Genealogists. However you must have registered by March 18 to be selected. Find out more details here!

Brief farewell remarks and "thank you"s to all of our attendees and presenters!