History of the Grande Prairie & District Branch
The Grande Prairie & District Branch received its
Charter from the Alberta Genealogical Society on February 28, 1978 with the
induction of 33 members. It took ten years for the group to find a permanent
location for a meeting place until a partnership with the Grande Prairie Public
Library was established. This became the location for our meetings and our
library collection.
A newsletter, Heritage
Seekers, was launched that spring to provide information about meetings, conferences,
research, websites and tips to the members. Heritage
Seekers has been published continuously four times a year and now provides
members with a platform to write and share their research stories.
Grande Prairie Branch has always supported the provincial
body of the Alberta Genealogical Society, and had the pleasure of hosting the
Alberta Genealogical Society’s AGM and conference in 1982 and again in 2003.
Through the years we provided research and education to
the public through our Family History Day, “Genies in the Library” Program, and
recognize the “Clan of the Day” at the Highland Games by presenting them with
their family history. These programs and
activities are continually evolving to meet the needs of the members and the
community.
The Grande Prairie & District Branch established the
Margaret Kay Scholarship to remember our friend and fellow member. Margaret was
an enthusiastic supporter of our Branch. A teacher by profession, she
generously shared her knowledge and was a willing volunteer at both the Branch
and Provincial levels. The scholarship for genealogy fosters Margaret’s spirit
of learning, teaching and sharing genealogical knowledge, specifically as a family
historian hobbyist.
Grande Prairie & District Branch is fortunate to have so
many dedicated and long term members who continue to meet the challenges of the
changing world of genealogy and who passionately share their knowledge.