The British Isles Family History Society of Greater Ottawa (BIFHSGO) quietly launched on Saturday the program and speakers for its 24th annual family history conference that will be held September 28 to 30, 2018 at Ben Franklin Place in Ottawa.
More than 250 delegates are expected to attend.
BIFHSGO President Barbara Tose said, “Our society is known for conferences where you can attend lectures by excellent, international speakers on a variety of topics with a special focus on the British Isles. Yet, there is a feeling of community with plenty of like-minded researchers to share and network with and lots of helpful volunteers to make you feel at home.”
For 24 years, the society has demonstrated its commitment to family history education by helping genealogists learn new information, improve research skills, and produce well-documented genealogies, and inspiring them to share their own family stories.
Commenting on the line-up of speakers and topics, Ms. Tose said, “This year, we welcome Bruce Durie for our focus on Scotland and Diahann Southard as our DNA expert. And for those who aren’t interested in either Scottish or DNA research, we have a variety of other topics to offer.”
Speakers and topics
Sam Allison — Long-time educator and author. His latest book is Driv’n by Fortune: The Scots’ March to Modernity in America, 1745-1812. Friday evening lecture: Tracing a Scottish Regiment over Three Countries.
Leanne Cooper — Genealogy blogger. The Wonders of WikiTree: Adventures in Collaborate Genealogy.
Bruce Durie — One of Scotland’s top genealogists and author of more than 30 books. Seminar: Scotland’s People, Scotland’s Places and the National Library of Scotland. Presentations: Who are the Scots?; Wills, Testaments, Inventories and Retours: Inheritance in Scotland; Genes and Genealogy: Is Surname a Good Predictor of Ethnic Origin?; and Regular and Irregular Marriages in Scotland Before 1834.
Sadie De Finney — Passionate for the Celtic nations, their history and folklore, her research skills are gleaned from graduate studies in cross-cultural communication. Scottish Funeral Customs and Death Records.
Mark Olsen — Family Tree Maker ambassador. Seminar: Getting the Most Out of Family Tree Maker 2017.
Lynn Palermo — Genealogy research and writing coach and host of The Armchair Genealogist website. Seminar: Tech Tools for Writing Your Family History. Presentations: Creating a Family History Book and If I Had to Do It Over Again.
Shirley-Ann Pyefinch — Oversees the operations of the Ottawa Family History Centre and lectures on family history. Finding Your Ancestors with FamilySearch.
Linda Reid — Teaches genealogy, facilitates an Advanced Genetic Genealogy special interest group, and speaks at conferences. Back to 18th Century Scotland with Autosomal DNA.
Diahan Southard — Genetic genealogist and host of the website, Your DNA Guide. Seminar: Try Your Hand at Genetic Genealogy. Presentations: A Look at Ethics in Genetic Genealogy; The Combined Power of Y-DNA and Autosomal DNA; A Day Out with Your DNA; and How DNA Made a Family Out of Strangers.
Everything you need to know about the conference is available on BIFHSGO’s website. Online registration for the conference will open May 4.
