Relatively Speaking

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In This Issue 
The word genealogist can have a professional ring to it, but so many of us involved in genealogical research are everyday citizens inspired to connect with our ancestors and cultural roots. This  issue 
presents authors uncovering unexpected ancestral   connections, as well as overcoming historical deficits in   documentation.  The year 2026 is also showcased with special  anniversaries and centennials. We are urged to remember that we are all Treaty people, to consider the contributions of Alberta’s Francophone Community and to support AGS through a potential funding shortfall.  

Madeline Belanger, a Métis genealogist who has encountered first hand the “historical neglect in documentation” of Indigenous peoples, is able to help other Indigenous, Métis and Inuit researchers find family records using her own research experiences. We celebrate kindness by taking a stroll through the greenhouses of author Denise Daubert’s grand-mother, and in another kind of celebration, readers are  invited to learn about the signing of Treaty 6 which took place 150 years ago, as well as centennial festivities of the Association canadienne-française de l'Alberta.  

Carol MacKay shares what a treat it is to find something about an ancestor’s childhood as she explores 20th century young writers’ clubs in Alberta. In another account of ancestral discovery, Miriam Roberts takes readers to the Welsh border between  medieval  England and Wales, while John Chalmers traces his journey of  discovery into the life of the real Sam McGee, a Canadian entrepreneur who spent his final years in Alberta.   

Rounding out celebrations, we honour recipients of the 2026 AGS Awards. We are encouraged to honour and learn about the traditions and experiences of First Nations, Inuit and Métis  peoples during National Indigenous History Month, throughout June.  June 1 is also Intergenerational Day, launched to bring     
together different generations and foster greater connections.

 A significant event in 2026 was a budgetary decision to cut  provincial funding to the Alberta Genealogical Society. Marion Rex Howard relates her, Lynne Duigou’s and AGS President Lianne Kruger’s campaign to retain this vital funding, and the inspiring response from AGS members.  

I want to close by paying warm respects to Mary Leah Milligan de Zwart, AGS member #6998 of the Edmonton Branch, who passed away in February. She was a steady contributor to Relatively Speaking. Her warmth and her love of genealogy and exploring her family’s history will be missed. 

Kate Wilson 
Editor