Speakers

Speakers and their bios will appear here when they are confirmed.
Speakers for the Faire are listed in alphabetical order by their first name.

Beverly Stevenson
My genealogy journey began years ago, sparked by captivating family stories shared by my great aunt. Eager to learn more, I started building my family tree using traditional methods. In 2016, I expanded my research with DNA testing through Ancestry, and by 2018, I began attending conferences in Canada and the US, where I had the privilege of meeting pioneers in the field like Barbara Rae-Ventner, Cece Moore, and Dr. Tim Janzen. Since 2019, I've been helping solve genealogical cases through IGG with my friends at CPS, bringing answers to many families over the past six years.


Session
Genetic Genealogy Investigations



Ellen Thompson-Jennings
Ellen Thompson-Jennings is the self-proclaimed Family History Hound. She has been interested in genealogy since her teens when she interviewed her great-grandmother. Ellen loves the thrill of the hunt, so it is appropriate her blog is called; Hound on the Hunt. She will tell you that her three passions are: genealogy, genetic genealogy (DNA), and preserving her family photo legacy and she loves to share. Through family history, Ellen has discovered numerous cousins, learned who her ancestors were, and, in some cases, she’s learned why they did the things they did. Along the way, she discovered a passion for genetic genealogy and although she says she's not an expert her deep dive into the subject has help her own genealogy as well as others.

Ellen is a member of the Alberta Genealogy Society and DNA Special Interest Group.



Session
Organizing Your Genealogy

Gilles Allard
Hobbies/Interests: A keen interest in western Canadian history & presenter to audiences & media on Metis Culture/Heritage and their contributions to Canada.

Family Celebrations: Central AB Canada Day Metis food booth and Metis Dance exposition, National Heritage Fair participants & award recipients, International Year of Indigenous performance at Canadian Museum of civilization in Hull Quebec. National Aboriginal Day and many Heritage and Native Awareness Festivals across Canada, Mexico (laura).

Cultural Celebrations: Canada Pavilion Cross Country Cultural Dance tour to Regina Buffalo Days, Calgary Stampede, London Ontario’s Canada Summer games, AB/Canada Aboriginal Studies10, 20 & 30 project team member/contributor specific to Michif Language interpretation/translation. Flag carrier at Washington DC’s North American Indian Smithsonian museum grand opening/procession. Metis Trails Calgary Street naming opening/procession celebrations Flag carrier. Metis Trail naming committee, Manitoba unveiling of Louis Riel Statue procession. Michif Language presenter at University of Great Falls Montana’s 1st International Michif Conference. Shaw TV program on Metis Cultural Back to Batoche 95 Centennial Celebrations, Shaw TV learning program for AB/NWT French as a second language baking “Ma Mere sa gallette” Red River Bannock cooking utilized in school programming.

Session
My Métis Heritage  

Jessie Dial
Born and raised in Red Deer, Alberta, Jessie fondly remembers her grandmother telling stories of growing up on the family homestead in Westlock, Alberta. Listening to tales of riding on horseback to school in the summer and on horse drawn sleigh in the winters sparked her interest in history. However, it was the stories of her great grandfather, who grew up in England and her 2x great grandparents who would visit from Scotland, that truly sparked Jessie’s interest in family history.

Jessie is pursuing her Certificate in Genealogical Studies through the International Institute of Genealogical Studies and has been serving as the president of the Alberta Genealogical Society Red Deer Branch since 2023.

Session
Home Children in Canada

Jillian Stantic
Jillian is the Archives Coordinator at the City of Red Deer Archives. She enjoys helping people connect with archival records in their research, building on her own experience as a researcher in archives when she was earning her Master's degree in history. She has a passion for digitization and digital preservation,

Jillian earned a Masters at the University of Saskatchewan. She was the Collections Manager at the Ukrainian Museum of Canada for two years then Archivist for Saskatchewan Archives Board.

Jillian joined the Red Deer & District Archives in 2011 and in 2012 she became the Archives Coordinator, a position she still holds.
Session
Digitizing Your Family History


Ken Carriere
Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba and educated at the University of Winnipeg he pursued a career in law enforcement in 1997. He is currently a detective and a 26 year member of the Calgary Police Service. He has worked the majority of his career in Organized Crime and the last 12 years in the Homicide Unit. He transferred to the Cold Case Homicide Unit in 2019 where he was introduced to the prospect of IGG. He has been fortunate enough to successfully utilize IGG in several cold cases since then and is always eager to help other agencies interested in using it.

Session
Genetic Genealogy Investigations


 Lianne Kruger
Lianne Kruger, a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists, is a professional genealogist and speaker specializing in Canadian records, homesteading for U.S. and Canada, family history videos, and using technology in all aspects of genealogy such as Google Maps, Google Drive, and Evernote.
She is a member of the board and CFO for mitoYDNA.org, program chair for the East Coast Genetic Genealogy Conference, and on the Ancestry.ca advisory board. She has volunteered with Alberta Genealogical Society (AGS) for over 10 years, and is currently AGS President. She was awarded the AGS President’s award in 2020.
She recently earned a Bachelor degree from Brigham Young University Idaho which included a Certificate and Associate degree in Family History Research.
Lianne is a frequent speaker at conferences and webinars including RootsTech, Legacy FamilyTree Webinars, FamilyRoots, THE Genealogy Show (UK), Ontario Ancestors, AGS, Ancestry, and Canadian genealogical societies and SIGs in five provinces and some states. She has published articles in BYU Studies Quarterly, FamilySearch, Ancestry, LDSTech, and AGS Relatively Speaking. She earned the Peter Staveley Memorial Award for Best Relatively Speaking Article in 2022.
Blog:  iFamilyHistory.blogspot.ca

Sessions
DNA Sessions

Lise Mayne
Lise Mayne/LG Pomerleau, originally from Red Deer, writes historical fiction and poetry in Nanton.

Her novel, Becoming Sand, 2012, was inspired by the four-hundred year history of her Francophone family.

Her new novel, Time Enough, 2024, is a 1900’s emigration story of a Manx family to Canada.

Session
Historical Fiction Inspired by Family History



Liz Barbeau

Born in Mansfield England but came to Canada as a three year old. I lived on farms in Barrie, Vineland, Chippewa and Queenston Ontario. All these areas are steeped in history and I spent hours wandering the Niagara Escarpment collecting historical artifacts and finding the ruins of old forts. This sparked an interest in history both of where I was living and other areas in Ontario. I have been doing Genealogy for over 45 years. Six years of Latin at school benefited both my profession in nursing and family history research. My husband, myself and children have lived and travelled across much of Ontario, I have traced both my family, my husbands and other families across this province. Some family members stayed in Ontario and others moved west. Through my DNA I broke down my own brick wall and helped others do the same. I’m a member of AGS. My children and grandchildren have picked up the family history bug and continued this fascinating hobby.

Session
Finding Your Canucks in Ontario and Moving West 


Mark Thompson
Thompson is a professional genealogist and educator specializing in helping family historians use technology to uncover their roots. Combining his extensive leadership experience in technology with his passion for genealogy, Mark is known for making complex technology accessible and relevant for genealogists of all levels. Mark frequently leads workshops teaching genealogists practical skills in Excel, Artificial Intelligence, Genetic Genealogy, and Family Archiving. 
He currently serv es as President of the Victoria Genealogical Society and chairs their DNA Special Interest Group. Mark also co-hosts the Family History AI Show podcast with Steve Little. When not immersed in family history, Mark enjoys nature photography in his home province of British Columbia, Canada. Contact: MarkThompson@MakingFamilyHistory.com www.makingfamilyhistory.com 

Session
AI and Genealogy: An Intro for Family Historians


Tara Shymanski
Tara is a professional genealogist who loves to encourage and inspire others to research family history. She has a Bachelor of Arts (History) and a Certificate in Canadian Records from the National Institute for Genealogical Studies. Tara is a specialist in Canadian research and has experience researching American and English records.

Blog
shymanskigenealogyresearch.com

Sessions
Breaking that Brick Wall
Using Social Media for Genealogy


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