Click here to register for our 2026 webinar series.

Click here to register for our 2026 webinar series.

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By
Speakers

Janice Nickerson

Historical Records Methodology and Skills Handwriting Miscellaneous O Canada Places and Ethnicities Canada Webinar Shorts Writing and Publishing

Professional genealogist Janice Nickerson loves a good challenge whether it’s identifying elusive ancestors, tracking disappearing descendants or telling richer family stories. In addition to helping her private clients discover the richness of their ancestral heritage, Janice does heir searching, writes and lectures on a variety of genealogical topics. Her specialties include early Ontario research, criminal justice records and using genealogy gifts and games to create a legacy. Her books, Crime and Punishment in Upper Canada: A Researcher’s Guide (2010), and York’s Sacrifice: Militia Casualties of the War of 1812 (2012) were both published by the joint imprint of the Ontario Genealogical Society and Dundurn Press. Janice is a proud 8th-generation Canadian, with English, German, Irish, Welsh and First Nations ancestry. Her company website is UpperCanadaGenealogy.com

Janice's Upcoming Live Webinars (3)

Places and EthnicitiesO Canada
Land Records of Upper Canada 1 of 3: Crown Land Petitions
Janice Nickerson
Fri, June 12 2026: 15:00 UTC
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Land Records of Upper Canada 1 of 3: Crown Land Petitions
Fri, June 12 2026: 15:00 UTC
A comprehensive guide to Ontario land research, including crown land petitions, heir and devisee commission files, and land registry office records. Land was central to our ancestors’ lives. This three-part series covers: (1) Crown Land Petitions, (2) Heir & Devisee Commission Files, (3) Land Registry Office records. Each session uses case studies to demonstrate how these records solve genealogical mysteries.
Places and EthnicitiesO Canada
Land Records of Upper Canada 1 of 3: Crown Land Petitions
Janice Nickerson
A comprehensive guide to Ontario land research, including crown land petitions, heir and devisee commission files, and land registry office records. Land was central to our ancestors’ lives. This three-part series covers: (1) Crown Land Petitions, (2) Heir & Devisee Commission Files, (3) Land Registry Office records. Each session uses case studies to demonstrate how these records solve genealogical mysteries.
Fri, June 12 2026: 15:00 UTC
Register for free
Places and EthnicitiesO Canada
Land Records of Upper Canada 2 of 3: Heir & Devisee Commission Files
Janice Nickerson
Fri, June 12 2026: 16:30 UTC
Register for free
Land Records of Upper Canada 2 of 3: Heir & Devisee Commission Files
Fri, June 12 2026: 16:30 UTC
A comprehensive guide to Ontario land research, including crown land petitions, heir and devisee commission files, and land registry office records. Land was central to our ancestors’ lives. This three-part series covers: (1) Crown Land Petitions, (2) Heir & Devisee Commission Files, (3) Land Registry Office records. Each session uses case studies to demonstrate how these records solve genealogical mysteries.
Places and EthnicitiesO Canada
Land Records of Upper Canada 2 of 3: Heir & Devisee Commission Files
Janice Nickerson
A comprehensive guide to Ontario land research, including crown land petitions, heir and devisee commission files, and land registry office records. Land was central to our ancestors’ lives. This three-part series covers: (1) Crown Land Petitions, (2) Heir & Devisee Commission Files, (3) Land Registry Office records. Each session uses case studies to demonstrate how these records solve genealogical mysteries.
Fri, June 12 2026: 16:30 UTC
Register for free
Places and EthnicitiesO Canada
Land Records of Upper Canada 3 of 3: Land Registry Office Records
Janice Nickerson
Fri, June 12 2026: 18:00 UTC
Register for free
Land Records of Upper Canada 3 of 3: Land Registry Office Records
Fri, June 12 2026: 18:00 UTC
A comprehensive guide to Ontario land research, including crown land petitions, heir and devisee commission files, and land registry office records. Land was central to our ancestors’ lives. This three-part series covers: (1) Crown Land Petitions, (2) Heir & Devisee Commission Files, (3) Land Registry Office records. Each session uses case studies to demonstrate how these records solve genealogical mysteries.
Places and EthnicitiesO Canada
Land Records of Upper Canada 3 of 3: Land Registry Office Records
Janice Nickerson
A comprehensive guide to Ontario land research, including crown land petitions, heir and devisee commission files, and land registry office records. Land was central to our ancestors’ lives. This three-part series covers: (1) Crown Land Petitions, (2) Heir & Devisee Commission Files, (3) Land Registry Office records. Each session uses case studies to demonstrate how these records solve genealogical mysteries.
Fri, June 12 2026: 18:00 UTC
Register for free

Janice's Webinars (15)

17:33
Places and EthnicitiesWebinar Shorts
An Ontario Genealogist’s Gem
Janice Nickerson
204 views
CC
An Ontario Genealogist’s Gem
Following the War of 1812 a charity called the Loyal and Patriotic Society of Upper Canada was founded to provide financial support for the families of men who were injured or died serving in the colonial militia. The report that was published in 1817 is absolute gem for genealogists researching early Ontario families. From dry-as-dust financial tables to heart-wrenching stories of pain and sacrifice, this little-known publication has it all.
Places and EthnicitiesWebinar Shorts
An Ontario Genealogist’s Gem
CC
Janice Nickerson
204 views
Following the War of 1812 a charity called the Loyal and Patriotic Society of Upper Canada was founded to provide financial support for the families of men who were injured or died serving in the colonial militia. The report that was published in 1817 is absolute gem for genealogists researching early Ontario families. From dry-as-dust financial tables to heart-wrenching stories of pain and sacrifice, this little-known publication has it all.
Thu, October 2 2025: 12:00 UTC
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51:32
Historical Records
Seven Sources for Seeking Scoundrels
Janice Nickerson
904 views
CC
Seven Sources for Seeking Scoundrels
Janice loves researching scoundrels and black sheep – they leave behind such wonderful records! This webinar looks at seven types of records family historians rarely use: police records, criminal court records, jail records, coroner’s records, church disciplinary records, divorce records and juvenile reformatory records.
Historical Records
Seven Sources for Seeking Scoundrels
CC
Janice Nickerson
904 views
Janice loves researching scoundrels and black sheep – they leave behind such wonderful records! This webinar looks at seven types of records family historians rarely use: police records, criminal court records, jail records, coroner’s records, church disciplinary records, divorce records and juvenile reformatory records.
Fri, April 4 2025: 1:00 UTC
Register for free
1:11:37
Places and EthnicitiesO Canada
Six MORE free websites for Ontario genealogists
Janice Nickerson
843 views
CC
Six MORE free websites for Ontario genealogists
You loved her last webinar on this topic and requested six more! In this webinar, Janice will introduce you to her next favourite online sources for Ontario family history.
Places and EthnicitiesO Canada
Six MORE free websites for Ontario genealogists
CC
Janice Nickerson
843 views
You loved her last webinar on this topic and requested six more! In this webinar, Janice will introduce you to her next favourite online sources for Ontario family history.
Fri, August 16 2024: 18:00 UTC
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1:11:37
Places and EthnicitiesO Canada
Six AUTRES sites web gratuits pour les généalogistes de l’Ontario
Janice Nickerson
834 views
French
CC
Six AUTRES sites web gratuits pour les généalogistes de l’Ontario
Les sous-titres et la voix de cette vidéo ont été doublés en français à l'aide de l'IA. Vous avez adoré son dernier webinaire sur ce sujet et en avez demandé six de plus ! Dans ce webinaire, Janice vous présentera ses prochaines sources en ligne préférées pour l'histoire familiale de l'Ontario.
Places and EthnicitiesO Canada
Six AUTRES sites web gratuits pour les généalogistes de l’Ontario
French
CC
Janice Nickerson
834 views
Les sous-titres et la voix de cette vidéo ont été doublés en français à l'aide de l'IA. Vous avez adoré son dernier webinaire sur ce sujet et en avez demandé six de plus ! Dans ce webinaire, Janice vous présentera ses prochaines sources en ligne préférées pour l'histoire familiale de l'Ontario.
Fri, August 16 2024: 18:00 UTC
Login to register (for webinar members)
Login to register (for webinar members)
18:11
MiscellaneousWebinar Shorts
How to quickly learn everything there is to know about a very specific historical topic
Janice Nickerson
639 views
CC
How to quickly learn everything there is to know about a very specific historical topic
What if I told you there was an easy way to identify every published book, article or essay, and every unpublished manuscript pertaining to your ancestor’s home town, or occupation, or religious group? Would you be interested? Of course you would. But very few genealogists ever use it. The answer: Academic Theses. This mini-class will show you how to find academic theses that will turbo-charge your family history research.
MiscellaneousWebinar Shorts
How to quickly learn everything there is to know about a very specific historical topic
CC
Janice Nickerson
639 views
What if I told you there was an easy way to identify every published book, article or essay, and every unpublished manuscript pertaining to your ancestor’s home town, or occupation, or religious group? Would you be interested? Of course you would. But very few genealogists ever use it. The answer: Academic Theses. This mini-class will show you how to find academic theses that will turbo-charge your family history research.
Fri, March 8 2024: 9:00 UTC
Login to register (for webinar members)
Login to register (for webinar members)
20:31
Places and EthnicitiesWebinar Shorts
Hudson’s Bay Company Archives Biographical Sheets
Janice Nickerson
302 views
CC
Hudson’s Bay Company Archives Biographical Sheets
Did you know that the Hudson’s Bay Company Archives is the largest private archives in the world? Let me show you one very special resource this archive has made available online: the Biographical Information Sheet. These goldmines provide a window into the HBCA’s records pertaining to 1000s of historical employees.
Places and EthnicitiesWebinar Shorts
Hudson’s Bay Company Archives Biographical Sheets
CC
Janice Nickerson
302 views
Did you know that the Hudson’s Bay Company Archives is the largest private archives in the world? Let me show you one very special resource this archive has made available online: the Biographical Information Sheet. These goldmines provide a window into the HBCA’s records pertaining to 1000s of historical employees.
Fri, November 24 2023: 13:00 UTC
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Login to register (for webinar members)
1:22:54
Places and EthnicitiesO Canada
Six Free Websites Every Ontario Genealogist Needs
Janice Nickerson
1.1K views
CC
Six Free Websites Every Ontario Genealogist Needs
If you watch TV, you might be forgiven for thinking that you need to pay hefty subscription fees to big genealogy companies to research your ancestors. But some of my most exciting finds were found on six free websites. In this webinar I will introduce you to my favourite online sources for Ontario family history.
Places and EthnicitiesO Canada
Six Free Websites Every Ontario Genealogist Needs
CC
Janice Nickerson
1.1K views
If you watch TV, you might be forgiven for thinking that you need to pay hefty subscription fees to big genealogy companies to research your ancestors. But some of my most exciting finds were found on six free websites. In this webinar I will introduce you to my favourite online sources for Ontario family history.
Fri, August 18 2023: 18:00 UTC
Register for free
1:22:54
Places and EthnicitiesO Canada
Six sites Web gratuits dont chaque généalogiste de l’Ontario a besoin
Janice Nickerson
1.1K views
French
CC
Six sites Web gratuits dont chaque généalogiste de l’Ontario a besoin
Les sous-titres et la voix de cette vidéo ont été doublés en français à l'aide de l'IA. Si vous regardez la télévision, vous pourriez être pardonné de penser que vous devez payer des frais d'abonnement élevés à de grandes entreprises de généalogie pour rechercher vos ancêtres. Mais certaines de mes découvertes les plus passionnantes ont été faites sur six sites Web gratuits. Dans ce webinaire, je vais vous présenter mes sources en ligne préférées pour l'histoire familiale de l'Ontario.
Places and EthnicitiesO Canada
Six sites Web gratuits dont chaque généalogiste de l’Ontario a besoin
French
CC
Janice Nickerson
1.1K views
Les sous-titres et la voix de cette vidéo ont été doublés en français à l'aide de l'IA. Si vous regardez la télévision, vous pourriez être pardonné de penser que vous devez payer des frais d'abonnement élevés à de grandes entreprises de généalogie pour rechercher vos ancêtres. Mais certaines de mes découvertes les plus passionnantes ont été faites sur six sites Web gratuits. Dans ce webinaire, je vais vous présenter mes sources en ligne préférées pour l'histoire familiale de l'Ontario.
Fri, August 18 2023: 18:00 UTC
Login to register (for webinar members)
Login to register (for webinar members)
42:35
Writing and Publishing
The Secret to Finding Your Ancestors’ Stories
Janice Nickerson
1.7K views
CC
The Secret to Finding Your Ancestors’ Stories
When it comes time to write the stories of your ancestors' lives, whether you want to write a blog post or a book, you are going to want more than names, places and dates. These lists of facts make for boring reading. This lecture will reveal Janice's secret method to uncovering hidden episodes of our ancestors’ lives that bring their stories to life.
Writing and Publishing
The Secret to Finding Your Ancestors’ Stories
CC
Janice Nickerson
1.7K views
When it comes time to write the stories of your ancestors' lives, whether you want to write a blog post or a book, you are going to want more than names, places and dates. These lists of facts make for boring reading. This lecture will reveal Janice's secret method to uncovering hidden episodes of our ancestors’ lives that bring their stories to life.
Fri, April 14 2023: 0:00 UTC
Register for free
14:41
Methodology and SkillsWebinar Shorts
What’s That Name? Tips for Finding Nicknames, Spelling Variants and Mangled Surnames
Janice Nickerson
768 views
CC
What’s That Name? Tips for Finding Nicknames, Spelling Variants and Mangled Surnames
Names are a genealogist’s bread and butter. But how do you find your ancestors when they didn’t “go by” their proper names, or clerks mangled their names in the records or the transcriber couldn’t read the enumerator’s handwriting? These tips might help!
Methodology and SkillsWebinar Shorts
What’s That Name? Tips for Finding Nicknames, Spelling Variants and Mangled Surnames
CC
Janice Nickerson
768 views
Names are a genealogist’s bread and butter. But how do you find your ancestors when they didn’t “go by” their proper names, or clerks mangled their names in the records or the transcriber couldn’t read the enumerator’s handwriting? These tips might help!
Thu, February 23 2023: 17:00 UTC
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Login to register (for webinar members)
1:25:31
Places and EthnicitiesO Canada
Researching at the Archives of Ontario
Janice Nickerson
885 views
CC
Researching at the Archives of Ontario
The Archives of Ontario (AO) is the foremost repository for Ontario records. It houses all non-active provincial-level government records, many municipal-level government records, and reams of corporate, organizational and private papers. If you haven’t spent many hours at the AO, you haven’t thoroughly researched your Ontario ancestor. This class will introduce you to the AO’s MVRs (most valuable records), and show you how to use the website of the AO to identify relevant records, research historical background and find maps and images for your family history.
Places and EthnicitiesO Canada
Researching at the Archives of Ontario
CC
Janice Nickerson
885 views
The Archives of Ontario (AO) is the foremost repository for Ontario records. It houses all non-active provincial-level government records, many municipal-level government records, and reams of corporate, organizational and private papers. If you haven’t spent many hours at the AO, you haven’t thoroughly researched your Ontario ancestor. This class will introduce you to the AO’s MVRs (most valuable records), and show you how to use the website of the AO to identify relevant records, research historical background and find maps and images for your family history.
Fri, October 21 2022: 18:00 UTC
Register for free
1:05:14
Places and EthnicitiesO Canada
A 19th Century Ontario Enigma – A Case Study
Janice Nickerson
623 views
CC
A 19th Century Ontario Enigma – A Case Study
This is a case study based on five years worth of research into the family of Lorenzo White of Pickering, Ontario. Janice will walk the audience step by step through a very difficult research project that ultimately revealed both a fascinating story and important lessons learned. Audience members will learn about a wide range of Ontario records and strategies for overcoming seemingly impossible research roadblocks.
Places and EthnicitiesO Canada
A 19th Century Ontario Enigma – A Case Study
CC
Janice Nickerson
623 views
This is a case study based on five years worth of research into the family of Lorenzo White of Pickering, Ontario. Janice will walk the audience step by step through a very difficult research project that ultimately revealed both a fascinating story and important lessons learned. Audience members will learn about a wide range of Ontario records and strategies for overcoming seemingly impossible research roadblocks.
Fri, June 17 2022: 18:00 UTC
Register for free
1:30:59
Places and EthnicitiesO Canada
Early Ontario Research
Janice Nickerson
4.2K views
CC
Early Ontario Research
So you have traced your family's history back to an ancestor who lived in Ontario (or its predecessors, Canada West and Upper Canada) before civil registration. Now what? This lecture provides an overview of the six key record groups for pre-civil registration research (before 1869), what information you can expect…
Places and EthnicitiesO Canada
Early Ontario Research
CC
Janice Nickerson
4.2K views
So you have traced your family's history back to an ancestor who lived in Ontario (or its predecessors, Canada West and Upper Canada) before civil registration. Now what? This lecture provides an overview of the six key record groups for pre-civil registration research (before 1869), what information you can expect…
Fri, August 20 2021: 0:00 UTC
Register for free
50:27
Miscellaneous
Genealogy Gifts and Games
Janice Nickerson
2.7K views
CC
Genealogy Gifts and Games
Family historians love to share their research with their relatives, but what if your family doesn't read the book you spent years writing? You don't want all that effort to go to waste, do you? Over the last dozen years or so, I've developed lots of sneaky ways to make…
Miscellaneous
Genealogy Gifts and Games
CC
Janice Nickerson
2.7K views
Family historians love to share their research with their relatives, but what if your family doesn't read the book you spent years writing? You don't want all that effort to go to waste, do you? Over the last dozen years or so, I've developed lots of sneaky ways to make…
Thu, April 8 2021: 0:00 UTC
Register for free
1:25:45
Places and EthnicitiesO Canada
How to locate an ancestor in Ontario, Canada West or Upper Canada (when you don’t know where they lived)
Janice Nickerson
7.3K views
CC
How to locate an ancestor in Ontario, Canada West or Upper Canada (when you don’t know where they lived)
This webinar will provide strategies and resources to help you discover where your ancestor lived in Ontario, Canada West or Upper Canada, when you don’t have a specific place of origin. These include the types of records you should search in your ancestors’ place of later settlement, as well as…
Places and EthnicitiesO Canada
How to locate an ancestor in Ontario, Canada West or Upper Canada (when you don’t know where they lived)
CC
Janice Nickerson
7.3K views
This webinar will provide strategies and resources to help you discover where your ancestor lived in Ontario, Canada West or Upper Canada, when you don’t have a specific place of origin. These include the types of records you should search in your ancestors’ place of later settlement, as well as…
Fri, February 19 2021: 19:00 UTC
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