Category: Events

October 2026 Family History Forum

Using Diaries, Memoirs & Letters to Enhance Your Ancestor’s Story
Exploring contemporary writings can illuminate your ancestors’ lives. Diaries, memoirs and letters written by people who lived at the same time and in the same place as your ancestor can help to provide context to your ancestor’s life. If you are really lucky, your ancestor may even be mentioned! These writings often tell you about local events, weather, politics and everyday hardships that may have impacted your ancestor’s life. Many of these great resources have been digitized or published. Claire will share some findings she has made plus many ideas of where and how to find diaries, memoirs and letters that could enhance the story of your ancestors.
Presenter: Claire Smith-Burns
When: Tuesday, October 27, 6:30pm PDT
Where: Via Zoom
REGISTRATION REQUIRED* through the Okanagan Regional Library’s Events Calendar: https://orl.libcal.com/calendar/kelowna/fhf
Family History Forums (FHF) are a partnership presentation series of the Kelowna & District Genealogical Society and the Okanagan Regional Library. The topics vary but are typically at the beginner’s level in Family History research. All are welcome to these FREE Zoom presentations, but pre-registration is required through the ORL’s Events Calendar. When registering, be sure to enter your email address correctly and watch for the email from the ORL to confirm your registration. The Zoom link and handout will be emailed to you the day before the presentation by LibCal or the ORL librarian. No FHF in July, August or December.
*Registration often surpasses our Zoom limit but we find that many who register do not log in; by the time we know there is room for more people to attend the presentation, it is too late to notify those on our Waiting List. Therefore, we will no longer limit registration but please be sure to log in early (the Zoom link will be activated at 6:15 PDT) or you may not be able to access the Zoom if 100 people have already logged in. Thank you for your understanding!

October General Meeting

We are very pleased to feature our speaker, Diane Henriks, from Los Angles, California. Diane will teach us how to harness the power of AI (Artificial Intelligence) to bring our ancestors alive! Be sure to register as you won’t want to miss this fascinating talk!

October 5: Unraveling Family History with AI: Leveraging AI to Trace an Ancestor’s Journey
Explore how AI technology, exemplified by ChatGPT, can revolutionize your family history, by embarking on a journey through an ancestor’s life, leveraging AI to uncover their story and shed light on the broader implications for genealogical research!
Date: Monday, October 5, 2026, 7:00pm PDT
Presenter: Diane Henriks
Location: via Zoom
Price: KDGS members Free; non-members $10; REGISTRATION REQUIRED  REGISTRATION LINK
Diane Henriks is a Los Angeles County–based professional genealogist, speaker, author, and investigator. She specializes in the challenging areas of unknown parentage, descendancy research, brick wall cases, and living people search. With close to 20 years of experience, Diane has developed unique methods that blend DNA analysis, traditional genealogy, and descendant tracing to uncover even the most elusive family connections. From reconnecting adoptees with biological relatives to supporting criminal and civil investigations, I approach every case with determination, discretion, and care.
 

September 2026 Family History Forum

What: Discover Where Your Story Began: Connecting to Your Ancestral Heritage (in participation with Cultural Days) presented by Claire Smith-Burns
Discovering your family history is more than just gathering names, dates and places. Family history becomes meaningful when you connect to your ancestor’s culture, traditions and stories. Claire Smith-Burns of the Kelowna & District Genealogical Society will provide you with a step-by-step guide to embark on your family history. She will particularly focus on records and tools that will help you to get to know your ancestors and build their life stories. A handout with chart templates will be provided.

Upcoming Meetings

We have a wonderful lineup of speakers planned for our 2026–2027 genealogy season, with fascinating topics for both experienced researchers and those just beginning their family history journey!
Registration is required. Attendance is free for KDGS members. Non-members are welcome and pay a $10 fee per meeting.
UPCOMING MEETINGS
September 14: Mohini Singh will be talking about discovering her Grandfather’s First Family in India; Bite-size
October 5: Diane Henriks, presenting “Unraveling Family History with AI: Leveraging AI to Trace an Ancestor’s Journey” (no Bite-size due to AGM)
November 2: Ken McKinlay, presenting “Researching Your Canadian World War II Ancestors;” Bite-size, Joan Kirkbride tells us about the research she’s done on Louis King, WW II Commando
January 4: Tara Shymanski, presenting “Connecting with our Roots: How Family Stories Shape our Lives;” Bite-size, Bruce Stevens tells us about his RCAF Ancestor
February 1: Nicole Elder Dyer, presenting “DNA Evidence & Analysis with AI;” Bite-size, Carol Winston, “White Knuckles, Time Travel and AI: Unlocking a 1932 Family Road Trip”
March 1: Andrea Lister, presenting “Permissions made Simple” (navigating copyright for genealogists); Bite-size, Claire Smith-Burns will guide you through making your own Family History Display Board

Genealogists in the Park – July and August

Join fellow KDGS members for informal genealogy discussions in the park during July and August. Whether you have a family history question, a recent discovery to share, or simply enjoy chatting with others who love genealogy, we’d love to see you!
Where: Guisachan Heritage Park, 1060 Cameron Ave, Kelowna
Time: 10:00 am to approximately noon
What to Bring:

A camp chair
Your favourite beverage
A genealogy story to share or any questions you may have

Everyone is welcome. Come enjoy a relaxed summer morning of genealogy and good company!
 

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  • Meetings

October General Meeting

We are very pleased to feature our speaker, Diane Henriks, from Los Angles, California. Diane will teach us how to harness the power of AI (Artificial Intelligence) to bring our ancestors alive! Be sure to register as you won’t...

  • Family History Forums