At MGS, we highly recommend you join one or more of our branches–we have three. Dauphin Branch, Southeast & Winnipeg Branch, and South West Branch (Brandon). A MGS membership is $60 for 365 days from signup and the branches each have their own fees as shown below. You must be a MGS member to get a branch membership. For the small fee that branch memberships cost, many MGS members choose to support the branches by becoming a member of all of them—for $100 you are supporting genealogical work in Manitoba, as well as getting many webinars and events to attend at no additional cost.
One of the best things about an MGS membership is accessing help from member volunteers who have spent many years researching and have knowledge and know-how. Of course, we have our MGS Resource Centre, over 10,000 genealogy books, MANI (Manitoba Name Index database), online research subscriptions, Vivid-Pix photo restore software, and much more. But it is our people and our community that is our greatest asset, and they are very friendly and helpful.
Our research focus is primarily on Manitoba, other Canadian provinces and to a lesser extent the USA and the United Kingdom. However, if you are researching Ukraine, Congress Poland, Lithuania, England, USA, Volhynia, Russia, Metis, Finland, etc. we have people who have been doing that for years to whom you can be referred by appointment! They can help you.
We may be the Manitoba Genealogical Society, but we all came from somewhere. Our Resource Centre holdings may focus on Manitoba and have obscure Manitoba records not online, but our member expertise ranges over many countries. You just need to ask to be referred to the
appropriate person to get some help.
MGS has three branches:
Dauphin Branch (local events and branch library in Dauphin)
Southeast & Winnipeg Branch (regular monthly presentations, and newsletter)
South West Branch (monthly meetings, regular presentations, newsletter and branch library in Brandon)
DAUPHIN BRANCH ($10)
If you have ancestors from this region, this is a great branch choice. The Dauphin members have a lifetime of local knowledge and can help you with your genealogy. They maintain a branch library and they are very active in community events, always having a table and sharing knowledge. They work with local groups on various regional genealogical projects. They often have visitors to Dauphin who want to do some research, and if you contact them, they will do some preparatory work and guide you through your research. For $70 you get MGS member benefits and the expertise of long time Dauphin residents who are avid genealogists.
SOUTHEAST & WINNIPEG BRANCH ($15)
The SE & Wpg Branch has their lineup of 12 Zoom webinars set up for the Sep 2024 to May 2025 season–that is 1 or 2 webinars per month. They have an excellent track record of quality webinar speakers from central and western Canada and this coming season does not disappoint! For a total of $75 (MGS & Branch membership) for at least 12 webinars and the MGS Resource Centre full of helpful volunteers, genealogy books and more, you can’t go wrong.
SOUTH WEST BRANCH ($15)
The South West Branch has a library in Brandon, MB. The library has everything from books to local obituaries, a computer with access to Vivid-Pix Photo Editing Software and much more. They meet monthly and have a regular lineup of speakers. When the seasons are favourable, the branch has outdoor events in Brandon like Coffee Chats, picnics, dinners and local history tours. Their members are very familiar with the Brandon region and can give you first hand information about the area. For a total of $75 (MGS & Branch membership) you get many events and social activities where you can discuss your hobby with others—not to mention tapping into their local expertise. A great deal by any standard.
Not A Member?
JOIN US
If you are a member, please contact the MGS Membership Chair at membership@mbgenealogy.com to add 1, 2 or 3 branches to your subscription. We appreciate your support.
