Details of Edmonton Family History Fair

 https://www.edmontongenealogy.ca/edmonton-family-history-fair

Edmonton Family History Fair 2025
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Alberta Genealogical Society Edmonton Branch have collaborated to present a one-day FREE Family History Fair on Saturday, October 25th from 9:00 am to 4:10 pm, at the Church located at 14325 – 53 Ave NW, Edmonton.

An exciting lineup of classes over a variety of topics presented by experienced researchers will provide valuable and helpful direction for your genealogy journey.

Workshops
There will be some workshops during the day. They are half-hour focused sessions with hands-on learning. Registration for workshops is not expected. You may drop in as you wish. The schedule will indicate what, where, and when.

FamilySearch Centre
One-to-one assistance will be available all day at the FamilySearch Centre. Please drop in with your questions.

Lunch
Please note that there are no food establishments within walking distance. Bring your lunch. Water bottles will be available.

Parking
Limited parking is available onsite with overflow parking on the neighbourhood streets. Please be aware that the parking lot is shared with the Edmonton Temple building, and some areas are reserved for their use only. Consider having a family member or friend drop you off.

Guest Speaker: Eileen Bell, News Manager and Anchor 880 CHED

NOTE: Classes and presenters are subject to change.

Class Descriptions
Block One 10:10-11:10

Genealogical Gold – An Introduction to Genealogical Resources at the Provincial Archives of Alberta (PAA) (Provincial Archives of Alberta staff)

FamilySearch Catalog. The Sears Christmas Catalog for Genealogists (Lianne Kruger)

Ukrainian Genealogy 101: Getting Started (Elaine Kalynchuk)

Your Ancestor’s Journey to the Temple (Fran van Bruggen)

Block Two 11:20-12:20

Getting Started with DNA: Finding Family in Your Genes. (Ellen Thompson-Jennings)

New to Family History – Where to Start (Shannon O’Flynn)

Mental Health and Family History Go Hand in Hand (Kevin Hatch)

Enhance your Family History research with the FamilySearch Research Wiki (Nestor Martinez)

Block Three 12:50-1:50

Working Your DNA Matches Like a Pro (Ellen Thompson-Jennings)

Backup Tips for Genealogy Data (Kelcey Carlisle)

Your life story - A gift to generations. (Bob Layton)

Find a Grave and Alberta Cemeteries (Alison Glass)

Block Four 2:00-3:00

Harnessing Artificial Intelligence for more Effective Genealogical Research & Storytelling (Jean-Yves Vanier-Verbeek)

Cousins: Your Secret Clues (Bradley Pierson)

It's Gonna Be a Reel Good Time! Your Epic Tour of Library and Archives Canada (Lianne Kruger)

Bringing Our Ancestors to Life (Leomi Jeffrey)

Block Five 3:10-4:10

Helping Hands and Resources at the Alberta Genealogical Society Edmonton Library (Virginia Crawford)

Protecting Sensitive Family Information in Genealogy (Kelcey Carlisle)

What’s in Store for Your Digital Genealogy Legacy? (Art Taylor)

Researching Your Family Tree in England & Wales (Lynn Fogwill)

Only register if you plan to attend. Click here to register.

My great grandfather's story

 When registering for the Edmonton Family History Fair, I was asked to submit the story and a photo of an ancestor. This is what I submitted.

I can appreciate the power of stories! When I was about 9 years old, my father and his brother told me how their grandfather John Buchanan, as a teenager had come to Canada in a wooden sailing ship with his parents and siblings, fleeing the great Irish famine. The ship nearly sank in a storm and had to return for repairs. On their second attempt, a plague of "immigrant fever" broke out and many people died, including two family members. When they arrived virtually penniless in Canada, they settled in a dense wilderness of large trees, building homes with their own hands. Who wouldn't want to know more? I was hooked on family history from that point!

(And this was before I heard the stories of John being a gold miner in Nevada and a pioneer settler in Manitoba.)

Here is a longer version of his story, which I used with an animated version of his photo. (Deep Story at myHeritage.com) 

Hi, I'm John Buchanan.

Let me tell you my story.

I was born on August 10 1829, in County Tyrone Ireland.

My father Andrew Buchanan and my mother Jane were both born in Ireland, I had 7 siblings: Robert, Charles, James, William, Andrew, Samuel and Jane.

In 1847 the family decided to escape the great Irish Famine by emigrating to Canada. We traveled north to the sea port of Londonderry, and booked passage on a wooden sailing ship. When we were out to sea for 10 days, the ship ran into a terrible storm and we faced the real danger of sinking. Our damaged ship had to return for repairs. On the second attempt we reached Canada, but there was an outbreak of typhus fever onboard. There was no room for us at the Grosse Isle quarantine station, so we were sent up-river to Kingston for quarantine.

My father and a baby niece died of the fever and were buried there.

The rest of us came west and claimed farmland north of Stratford, Ontario where the hamlet of Donegal is now located.

I married my sweetheart Isabella Watson, she was born in 1837, in Prescott Ontario.

We had 11 children: Elizabeth, Jane, Robert John, James George, Margaret, Mary, John, William, William Andrew, Elizabeth Anne, and John Charles.

Farming was mostly on a subsistence level. If you could find other employment, the usual wage was $1 per day, We found that we could make triple that wage in the huge underground gold mines of Nevada. When our crops were harvested, we would sometimes make that 11 day journey by train and horseback to Gold Hill Nevada.to spend the winter working in the gold mines. On our return we would have lots of stories to tell.

In 1879 we moved to the new territory of Manitoba, where land was available for free. Our oldest children were eager to have farms of their own. The families of my brother Samuel and sister Jane also came as well as some of my Watson in-laws.

It meant starting all over again as pioneers, but we were equal to the task, We built up farms and homes and communities, And we lived to see Canada expand from sea to sea to sea.

(Please edit this as needed. Use either photo. If you have any questions, please let me know.)

Bill Buchanan