Greetings! I'm Gale Bellew, your enthusiastic coordinator of the French-Canadian Special Interest Group. My deep Canadian roots, with 100% of my ancestry tracing back to the early French settlers of New France, fuel my passion for this group. Although I'm a second-generation American, French was my first language, which adds a personal touch to our gatherings! I'm thrilled to work alongside French speaking co-ordinator Laney Waller, a certified Photo Manager with experience in Montreal, who provides invaluable tools for digitizing, archiving, and sharing our cherished family legacies.

Join us every fourth Monday of the month from 10:00am to 11:50am. at the Chula Vista Recreation Center. Bring your laptops equipped with your family tree information or learn how to get started with an established tree that is free to use, and any relevant resources you'd like to share related to each month's topic. Our meetings run from October through May.

Our primary goal is to create a vibrant space for members to connect with one another and uncover family ties as we explore the rich historical events that shaped New France into the dynamic French-speaking community in Quebec today. We will also delve into the significant impacts on our ancestors from Acadie, present-day Nova Scotia, following the British invasion in the mid-1700s.

We'll shine a spotlight on the early French colonizers of New France! Our engaging presentations will cover a variety of topics, including valuable resources that help you trace your earliest French-Canadian ancestors, such as settler known as Filles a Marier, Filles du Roi, and Carignan Soldiers. For those with Acadian roots, we'll dedicate time to "Le Grand Derangement", focusing on the mass deportation from Acadie in the mid-1700s and so much more!

To keep everyone informed and involved, we'll post meeting agendas in advance, encouraging all interested members to dive into research topics close to their heritage. For the latest updates on coming event and meeting agendas, check the Coming Events calendar on this website. If you have any questions about our Special Interest Group, feel free to contact me via email by clicking HERE.

** You are warmly invited to attend one meeting as a guest. Just remember, to participate in future gatherings, you will need to become a member of The Villages Genealogical Society. If you are not a member but would like to be, visit the VGSFL Membership page on our website for information and to join online.

Meeting Location

Chula Vista Recreation Center, 1011 Rio Grande Avenue