Have Canadian ancestors? There are so many online resources for researching your Canadian ancestors, whether they are like mine and hail from Quebec or they were immigrants to Alberta. If you’re just getting started, consider using these finding aids to lead you to learning more about your family history.

1. CanGenealogy 

CanGenealogy, compiled by Dave Obee, is a list of resources categorized by region or subject. I suggest starting with a search by region and then scrolling down to find links for various records such as census, birth, and land. Near the bottom of the page, you'll find links for genealogy societies. I highly recommend you click on those. Many of those societies will have online databases and membership privileges to benefit your research.

2. Library and Archives Canada – Genealogy Topics 

If you've done any Canadian genealogy at all, you know Library and Archives Canada is a must. But beyond just searching for records or databases, have you looked at the educational information they provide? The Genealogy & Family History Topics page includes genealogical topics that can you learn more about such as a particular record set like Voter Lists, Maps, and the 1940 National Registration. You may also want to check out their Browse by Topic page for other genealogically related topics and resources. Don't forget to check their blog frequently to learn more about their collections.

3. Olive Tree Genealogy – Canadian Genealogy 

Thank goodness for genealogists like Dave Obee (mentioned above) and Lorine McGinnis Schulze, the woman behind Olive Tree Genealogy. Her Canadian Genealogy page includes links for resources for each province and databases for immigrants arriving via ship before and after 1865. "Olive Tree Genealogy has more than 1,900 pages of free genealogy records to help you find your brick-wall ancestors and build your family tree." Make sure to take the time to click around various links to see all that the website has to offer your genealogy, including resources for Canadian and American family history, how-tos for the beginner, and links to other free websites.

Keep Looking for Canadian Resources

I only went over three websites you need to be well-acquainted with, but there are others including the more familiar, such as FamilySearch.

The FamilySearch Research Wiki Canada Genealogy page is an excellent place to start, but don't forget to click on the map to go to a specific province. These pages provide essential tools for learning more about relevant record types and finding tools such as maps, gazetteers, and genealogy word lists (for those researching Quebec).

Using websites that provide links to other resources can help you ensure that you conduct an exhaustive online search before you make plans to write or research in person other repositories.

Gena Philibert-Ortega is an author, instructor, and researcher. She blogs at Gena's Genealogy and Food.Family.Ephemera. You can find her presentations on the Legacy Family Tree Webinars website.

Every Friday we're pleased to offer Legacy Family Tree Webinar members a new, short ten minute or less TechZone video just for them! This Friday enjoy "Adding a Video to a Microsoft Word Document" by Gena Philibert-Ortega.

Adding a Video to a Microsoft Word Document

Did you know you can add videos to your Microsoft Word documents? In this video Gena Philibert-Ortega will show you two ways to add videos - 1) from a video stored on your computer and 2) from a video that is found online.

About the Presenter

In 2021 MyHeritage and Legacy Family Tree Webinars brought you 240 genealogy webinars. 240 ways of finding your ancestors. Wow! We hope you've been able to find an ancestor or two and that you've enjoyed our Webinar Wednesdays, our 2nd annual Genealogy Webinar Marathon, Webtember, TechZone videos, the Reisinger Memorial Lecture Series, the MyHeritage Webinars series, the African Diaspora series, the Board for Certification of Genealogists webinar series, and everything else we've brought you in 2021.

We also brought you the final lectures for three amazing educators: Elizabeth Shown Mills (retired from speaking), Pam Sayre (retired from speaking) and Debra Renard (passed away in December).

Thank you for being part of our webinar family. My family. While every single webinar was fantastic, here's the list of the top most-watched webinars in 2021.

The Top 10 for 2021

1. Navigating Your Way Through FamilySearch by Cyndi Ingle

2. Another 50 Websites Every Genealogist Should Know by Gena Philibert-Ortega

3. Ten Databases You Need to Know About by Shannon Combs-Bennett

4. 'What are the Odds?' An online tool that can help solve DNA puzzles by Jonny Perl

5. An Introduction to DNA Painter by Jonny Perl

6. Comparing the Genealogy Giants 2021: Ancestry, FamilySearch, Findmypast, and MyHeritage by Sunny Morton

7. Context: A Powerful Tool for Problem Solving by Elizabeth Shown Mills, CG, CGL

8. FamilySearch.org – 10 Links You Have to Try by Devin Ashby

9. Four ways DNA Painter can help with your family history research by Jonny Perl

10. Building Family Trees for Your DNA Matches by Mary Eberle, JD

The Runner-Ups

11. Me and My 1000+ DNA Cousins by Diahan Southard

12. Genealogy Escape Room by Thomas MacEntee

13. Four Factors Influencing Your DNA Ethnicity Results by Diahan Southard

14. They Had Names: Identifying Children Represented by Tick Marks in Pre-1850 Censuses by Denise E. Cross, MSLIS, CG

15. Record As You Go, Cite As You Go, & File As You Go by Cyndi Ingle

16. Do You Have an Artificial Brick Wall? by Robyn Smith

17. Cluster Research: Using Groups of People to Find Your People by Robyn Smith

18. Fifty Overlooked Genealogical Resources in Fifty Minutes by Diane L. Richard

19. DNA Downer: Strategies for Dealing with DNA Fatigue by Blaine Bettinger, Ph.D., J.D.

20. My ancestors were Irish – or were they? by Natalie Bodle

The 2nd Runner-Ups

21. Discover the new Legacy Family Tree 9 by Geoff Rasmussen

22. Solving a Brick Wall with DNA – A Case Study by Larry W. Thomas

23. Tech with Thomas by Thomas MacEntee

24. Nurturing Your Family Trees: Online or On Your Device (or Both)? by Cyndi Ingle

25. Learning More about American Female Ancestors Prior to 1850 by Gena Philibert-Ortega

26. Uncovering the lives of your London (England) ancestors by Cathie Sherwood

27. Organization: The Key to Successful Research by Teri E. Flack, M.A. (Public History), M.B.A.

28. British Genealogy Online: The Top English & Welsh Family History Websites by Rick Crume

29. Investigative Genetic Genealogy – the Use of DNA for Law Enforcement by Diahan Southard

30. Where else to look? When matches don’t reply by Michelle Patient

Geoff's Personal Favorites

Although I loved every ... single ... webinar this year, these six were my personal favorites:

• Context: A Powerful Tool for Problem Solving by Elizabeth Shown Mills, CG, CGL - this webinar was the highest-rated webinar we've ever had!
• Investigative Genetic Genealogy – the Use of DNA for Law Enforcement by Diahan Southard - Diane filled in at the last minute for Debra Renard and was phenomenal.
• Tracing Your 20th Century English Ancestors by Paul Milner - I learned just what I needed to find my wife's ancestors in England.
• Looking Back & Peeking Ahead: 2021 at MyHeritage by Daniel Horowitz - this showed how much MyHeritage listens to their users, and how bright the future is here at MyHeritage
• That Scoundrel George by Judy G. Russell, JD, CG, CGL - excellent methodology that we can each apply to our own research
• The Time of Cholera: A Case Study about Historical Context by Alison Hare, CG - again, incredible methodology and one of the highest-rated webinars ever
• Court Records for People of Color Family History Research by Nicka Smith - another of the highest-rated webinars ever

Well, my "personal favorites" list started out as "Geoff's Top 3" and the more I review the catalog the longer the list is getting so I'd better stop. All 240 webinars in 2021 are certainly worth the replay.

Geoff's classes

They didn't make the top 30, but I really enjoyed presenting these classes this year:

• The new and improved Legacy Family Tree Webinars website
• FAN Club in Action: a Simple Case Study
• 1 Step to Faster Internet at Home

Access to classes in the Legacy Family Tree Webinar library are available with an webinar membership. Not a member? Become one! Or watch one of our free classes here.

Here's to a fruitful 2022 - may we all make progress on our family trees!

MyHeritage and FamilyTreeWebinars.com are pleased to announce that registration is now open for its 2022 Legacy Family Tree Webinars series, now in its 13th year. Choose from 120 classes from genealogy's leading educators on topics ranging from the 1921 U.K. census to the 1950 U.S. census, from Greece and China to Prussia and Nova Scotia, from Backblaze and Instagram to Airtable, from organizing your papers to printing books on MyHeritage, and from organizing your DNA with the Leeds method to the madness of 'Mc' surnames. We are also introducing the brand new Mexico research series AND the brand new monthly online genealogy conferences.

Click here to register (free).

Mexico series

The year 2022 brings the addition of the Mexico research series to our live broadcast lineup.

The Mexico research series will broadcast live the third Friday, every other month, and will deliver educational webinars geared toward Mexican-ancestored people in the United States and around the world. Speakers for the 2022 series include Colleen Robledo Greene, MLIS; Henrietta Christmas and Lisa Medina. Click here for the entire lineup.

Monthly Online Genealogy Conferences

Treat yourself to an online genealogy conference (all free!) nearly every month. Conference themes include Organization (January), African-American research (February), Ireland (March), 3rd annual genealogy webinar marathon (April), Germany (May), BMDs/vital records (June), Military (July), New England (August), 2nd annual Webtember event (September), Writing and Publishing (October), Census (December). Watch this blog for upcoming information.

In addition to our weekly Webinar Wednesdays, we will continue to offer other unique classes.

We are proud to once again host the monthly webinar series for the Board for Certification of Genealogists where we will learn from board-certified genealogists Beth Stahr, Alice Hoyt Veen, David Rencher, David Ouimette, Mark Wentling, Denise E. Cross, Carolyn L. Whitton, Jennifer Zinck, Julie Miller, Pam Stone Eagleson, Nicole Gilkison LaRue and Anne Morddel. Click here for the entire lineup.

	And for the sixth year, we will be the host of the exclusive webinar series, MyHeritage Webinars, where we will learn about the brand new DNA labels, photo enhancing tools, recording memories in the mobile app, identifying common ancestors with DNA, learn about all the new historical records, and much more. Click here for the entire lineup.
	The Down Under series continues into its fourth year! This series of webinars is designed for genealogists in Australia and New Zealand - at 12pm (noon) on the first Wednesday of each month (Sydney time). They'll have their very own Webinar Wednesday with convenient timing. Click here for the entire lineup.
	The African Diaspora series, in its second year, will broadcast live the first Friday of each month and will deliver educational webinars geared toward African-ancestored people in the United States and around the world. Speakers for the 2022 series include Shelley Murphy, Nicka Smith, Ari Wilkins, Renate Yarborough Sanders, Calvin Dark, Char McCargo Bah and Janice Lovelace. Click here for the entire lineup.
	The O Canada series, also in its second year, will broadcast live the third Friday of every other month and will present educational classes with a focus on the broad range of ancestries found in Canada. Speakers for the series include Dave Obee, Ann G. Lawthers, Janice Nickerson and Lianne Kruger. Click here for the entire lineup.

Closed Captioning

Every webinar recording will be captioned in English for the hearing impaired. We really are striving to serve the entire world!

How to register

Sign up (it's FREE!) for one or for all of them today and you will receive a reminder email both one day and two hours prior to the live event.

Webinar Brochure

Print the webinar brochure to share with your friends, genealogy society, or Family History Center.

FamilyTreeWebinars.com memberships

All live webinars are free and their recordings are free to watch for the first 7 days. With a webinar membership you get these additional benefits:

• Access to 1) all the existing 1,600+ classes in the library, 2) plus the 180+ webinars that will be added during the 2022 season, 3) plus any additional bonus members-only webinars (hundreds of these so far) – all available for the duration of your membership
• Access to all 6,100+ pages of instructors' handouts plus the new handouts of the 2022 season
• Chat logs from the live webinars
• Chance for a bonus subscribers-only door prize during each live webinar
• Advanced navigation of videos with playlists and chapters
• Exclusive section for all webinars you've registered for
• Option to bookmark your favorites
• Additional 5% off anything at FamilyTreeWebinars.com

It's just $49.95/year.

Learn more or join.

Nowhere else - on land, at sea, or online - will you find genealogy courses as comprehensive, diverse, or as numerous as you will find at FamilyTreeWebinars.com.

Add it to your Google Calendar

Click here to add the Legacy Family Tree Webinar Series to your Google Calendar.

2022 Speakers

Lots of brand new speakers join many of your favorites for 2022. One of them may be the one to help you break down your genealogical brick wall. Don't miss even one week! We welcome these new speakers to our webinar series:

• David Rencher, CG, AG, FUGA, FIGRS
• Dana Leeds
• Beth A. Stahr, CG
• Gregory Kontos
• Ann G. Lawthers, Sc.D.
• Andy Klein
• Dave Obee
• Ari Wilkins
• Brenda Hudson, Ph.D.
• Shauna Hicks
• Anthony King
• Denyce Porter Peyton
• Calvin Dark
• Irene Heffran Monley
• Mark A. Wentling, CG
• Seema Kenney
• Janet Thomson, Ed.D.
• Carolyn L. Whitton, CG
• Jennifer Zinck, CG
• Billie Fogarty
• Sharon Batiste Gillins
• Nicole Gilkison LaRue, CG
• Francine Crowley Griffis, CG
• Lisa Medina
• Anne Morddel, CG

Click here to register.

The recording of today's webinar by Ugo Perego, PhD, MSc, "Our Neanderthal Genetic Ancestry" is now available to view at www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com for free for a limited time.

Webinar Description

If you could not make it to the live event or just want to watch it again, the 1 hour and 29 minute recording of "Our Neanderthal Genetic Ancestry" is now available to view in our webinar library for free for a limited time.

Webinar Memberships/Subscriptions

Webinar Members get:

• On-demand access to the entire webinar archives (now 1,663 classes of genealogy education)
• On-demand access to the instructor handouts (now 6,161 pages)
• On-demand access to the live webinars' chat logs
• 5% off all products at www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com (must be logged in at checkout)
• Access to all future recordings for the duration of their membership
• Chance for a members-only door prize during each live webinar
• Access to register for bonus members-only webinars
• Ability to view which webinars you are registered for
• Use of the playlist, resume watching, and jump-to features

Introductory pricing:

• Annual membership: $49.95/year

Register for our upcoming webinars (free)

Print the 2021 webinar brochure here.

 

Test Your Webinar Connection

To ensure that your webinar connection is ready to go, click here.

Can't make it to the live event?

No worries. Its recording will be available for a limited time. Webinar Subscribers have unlimited access to all webinar recordings for the duration of their membership.

About the presenter

Dr. Ugo A. Perego is the owner of the Genetic Genealogy Consultant services, which specializes in helping genealogists with all their DNA needs. He is also a visiting scientist affiliated with the DNA laboratory of Professors Alessandro Achilli and Antonio Torroni at the University of Pavia in Italy, working on human population genetics. He has previously worked for more than a decade as a senior researcher with the Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation and GeneTree.com both based in Utah. Ugo earned a BSc and an MSc in Health Sciences at Brigham Young University (Provo, Utah) and a PhD in Genetic and Biomolecular Sciences at the University of Pavia, Italy. Ugo has contributed numerous lectures and publications on DNA and its applications to population genetics, genealogy, ancestry, forensics, and history. With his family he currently resides in Rome, Italy.

With our Google Calendar button, you will never forget our upcoming webinars. Simply click the button to add it to your calendar. You can then optionally embed the webinar events (and even turn them on and off) into your own personal calendar. If you have already added the calendar, you do not have to do it again - the new webinar events will automatically appear.

Webinar time

The webinar will be live on Wednesday, December 22, 2021 at:

• 2pm Eastern (U.S.)
• 1pm Central
• 12pm Mountain
• 11am Pacific

Or use this Time Zone Converter.

Here's how to attend:

1. Register at www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com today. It's free!
2. You will receive a confirmation email containing a link to the webinar.
3. You will receive a reminder email both 1 day and 1 hour prior to the live webinar.
4. Calculate your time zone by clicking here.
5. Check your GoToWebinar connection here.
6. Click on the webinar link (found in confirmation and reminder emails) prior to the start of the webinar. Arrive early as the room size is limited to the first 1,000 arrivals that day.
7. Listen via headset (USB headsets work best), your computer speakers, or by phone. 

We look forward to seeing you all there!

 

Test Your Webinar Connection

To ensure that your webinar connection is ready to go, click here.

Can't make it to the live event?

No worries. Its recording will be available for a limited time. Webinar Subscribers have unlimited access to all webinar recordings for the duration of their membership.

About the presenter

Dana Palmer, CG, CGL has been a genealogy instructor at Sinclair Community College since 2010. She has spoken at national, state, and local genealogy events and conferences including RootsTech (2020); NGS (2020, 2018); FGS (2020, 2013); and frequently at OGS. She specializes in lineage society applications, publishing family books, Midwestern research specifically Ohio, but she also has experience in Germany, Denmark, and the U.K. She has received numerous awards for her books and volunteer efforts. She belongs to several lineage societies including DUP, DAR, USD 1812, and Colonial Dames (pending). She loves problem solving and tracking down those elusive ancestors.

With our Google Calendar button, you will never forget our upcoming webinars. Simply click the button to add it to your calendar. You can then optionally embed the webinar events (and even turn them on and off) into your own personal calendar. If you have already added the calendar, you do not have to do it again - the new webinar events will automatically appear.

Webinar time

The webinar will be live on Tuesday, December 21, 2021 at:

• 8pm Eastern (U.S.)
• 7pm Central
• 6pm Mountain
• 5pm Pacific

Or use this Time Zone Converter.

Here's how to attend:

1. Register at www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com today. It's free!
2. You will receive a confirmation email containing a link to the webinar.
3. You will receive a reminder email both 1 day and 1 hour prior to the live webinar.
4. Calculate your time zone by clicking here.
5. Check your GoToWebinar connection here.
6. Click on the webinar link (found in confirmation and reminder emails) prior to the start of the webinar. Arrive early as the room size is limited to the first 1,000 arrivals that day.
7. Listen via headset (USB headsets work best), your computer speakers, or by phone. 

We look forward to seeing you all there!

Every Friday we're pleased to offer Legacy Family Tree Webinar members a new short ten minute or less TechZone video just for them! This Friday enjoy three videos on "How to Download Your Raw DNA Data" by Paul Woodbury.

How to Download Raw DNA Data from MyHeritage

There are multiple reasons you might want to download your raw DNA file from MyHeritage. Paul Woodbury explains why and how to do it.

How to Download Raw DNA Data from 23andMe

There are multiple reasons you might want to download your raw DNA file from 23andMe. Paul Woodbury explains why and how to do it.

How to Download Raw DNA Data from AncestryDNA

There are multiple reasons you might want to download your raw DNA file from AncestryDNA. Paul Woodbury explains why and how to do it.

About the Presenter

The recording of today's webinar by Paul Milner, "Effective Use of England’s National Archives Website" is now available to view at www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com for free.

Webinar Description

If you could not make it to the live event or just want to watch it again, the 1 hour and 31 minute recording of "Effective Use of England’s National Archives Website" is now available to view in our webinar library for free.

Webinar Memberships/Subscriptions

Webinar Members get:

• On-demand access to the entire webinar archives (now 1,661 classes of genealogy education)
• On-demand access to the instructor handouts (now 6,157 pages)
• On-demand access to the live webinars' chat logs
• 5% off all products at www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com (must be logged in at checkout)
• Access to all future recordings for the duration of their membership
• Chance for a members-only door prize during each live webinar
• Access to register for bonus members-only webinars
• Ability to view which webinars you are registered for
• Use of the playlist, resume watching, and jump-to features

Introductory pricing:

• Annual membership: $49.95/year

Register for our upcoming webinars (free)

Print the 2021 webinar brochure here.

 

Test Your Webinar Connection

To ensure that your webinar connection is ready to go, click here.

Can't make it to the live event?

No worries. Its recording will be available for a limited time. Webinar Subscribers have unlimited access to all webinar recordings for the duration of their membership.

About the presenter

Paul Milner, a native of northern England, is a professional genealogist and internationally known lecturer with 30 years’ experience, specializing in British Isles research.

Here’s the backstory about Paul:

Paul was raised on the West Coast of northern England. A mining engineer with a degree from the Cambourne School of Mines in Cornwall, England, he came to the U.S. in 1975 to get his graduate degree at the University of Wisconsin. He has been in the U.S. ever since, and in 2008 he became a dual citizen of both countries. In the intervening years, Paul received two graduate degrees and traveled widely throughout the world.

Paul has been designing genealogy workshops, writing books, and lecturing for over 35 years. He holds an advanced degree in Theology and is particularly knowledgeable about the church and its role in record keeping. As a genealogist he speaks on a variety of topics relating to research in the British Isles, migration to North America and research methodology.

He is the 2018 recipient of the Utah Genealogical Society Fellow Award.

He is currently the book review editor of the British Interest Group of Wisconsin and Illinois Newsletter (BIGWILL) and is the former book review editor of the FGS FORUM.

Paul is a past board member of the Association of Professional Genealogists, the Federation of Genealogical Societies, the Genealogical Speakers Guild, and the British Interest Group of Wisconsin and Illinois.

With our Google Calendar button, you will never forget our upcoming webinars. Simply click the button to add it to your calendar. You can then optionally embed the webinar events (and even turn them on and off) into your own personal calendar. If you have already added the calendar, you do not have to do it again - the new webinar events will automatically appear.

Webinar time

The webinar will be live on Friday, December 17, 2021 at:

• 2pm Eastern (U.S.)
• 1pm Central
• 12pm Mountain
• 11am Pacific

Or use this Time Zone Converter.

Here's how to attend:

1. Register at www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com today. It's free!
2. You will receive a confirmation email containing a link to the webinar.
3. You will receive a reminder email both 1 day and 1 hour prior to the live webinar.
4. Calculate your time zone by clicking here.
5. Check your GoToWebinar connection here.
6. Click on the webinar link (found in confirmation and reminder emails) prior to the start of the webinar. Arrive early as the room size is limited to the first 1,000 arrivals that day.
7. Listen via headset (USB headsets work best), your computer speakers, or by phone. 

We look forward to seeing you all there!