Research Assistance

While the MGS does have some resources and expertise in researching Metis ancestors, for an official Metis genealogy individuals should seek assistance from Centre du Patrimoine, Société historique de Saint-Boniface, 340, boulevard Provencher, Saint-Boniface, Manitoba R2H 0G7, Canada, (204) 233-4888.

STUCK?  HIT A BRICK WALL?

Just can’t find information on your ancestor? Let us help you!

There may be reasons why you cannot locate the information on your ancestors. Many people think an online search will give them all the answers. Genealogists know that some records are not yet online, and the online world of genealogy research is not always intuitive, easy to find, or even correct!

While, much information is available only through paid subscriptions to searchable databases such as Ancestry, Find My Past, MyHeritage, Newspapers.com and NewspaperArchive.com, there are also numerous free websites providing useful genealogical information.

Our Research Team has several years of genealogy research experience and know where to look for different records—be it in the MGS Resource Library, or online. They know the right questions to ask, and they have the experience to know when to challenge the assumptions we sometimes make based on our family story. And while you do not have to visit the MGS Resource Centre in person to obtain help with your research, it can provide a great opportunity to find out more about what the MGS has to offer.

Members of the Research Team can offer paid research assistance (see pricing above) to help try to answer your questions and break down those brick walls.

The MGS Resource Centre also has many helpful volunteers eager to help find the resources in our Library that may be of assistance. While the amount of time a Library volunteer will be able to help you will depend on the number of people in our Library when you are there, they will try to help point you in the right direction, offer some onsite training on how to use the resources of the centre, and be available if you have follow-up questions.
The Manitoba Genealogical Society is a great place to find genealogical research assistance.

I have absolutely no regrets in almost blindly enlisting the services of the Manitoba Genealogical Society (MGS) to try and ferret out the hidden parentage of my great grandmother. I say “almost blindly” because I had not before heard of them.

Two cousins of mine, as well as a specialist in Métis genealogy, failed over the course of the past several months in attempting to crack this mystery. We found out quite a lot about my great grandmother’s ancestors, but mystifyingly, absolutely nothing could be confirmed about the identities of her parents, both of whom we realized had some Indigenous heritage. One of my two cousins speculated that there seemed to be a missing generation.

Finally, in desperation, I engaged the MGS, and volunteer Kathleen Kristjansson was assigned the project. To my pure delight, the dear lass cracked the case. My cousin had been correct. The couple we had fixated upon, believing them to be my great grandmother’s parents, turned out to be her grandparents.

Garnet Barcelo