Wetaskiwin Alberta Family History Centre

There is no cost to visit the Wetaskiwin Family History Center or to use the computers, equipment or free premium websites. It is open to anyone with an interest in genealogical research. Whether you are just beginning or are looking for a specific piece of information, please come by and let us help you with your family history!

(Please bring a USB stick if you want to copy vital information for your personal use.)

Our Centre is Fragrance Free! We have some staff and patrons who are very allergic. Please be considerate!

Location &amp; Map:
Address:


 * 5410 36 Avenue
 * Wetaskiwin, Alberta T9A 2R6
 * Canada
 * (Link to map using Google )

Phone:

 * 1-780-352-3866 (during open hours)
 * Outside of open hours, please call Lisa at 780-352-7881 (leave message)

E-mail:

 * [mailto:ab_wetaskiwin@ldsmail.net ab_wetaskiwin@ldsmail.net]

OPEN HOURS:

 * Wednesday: 10:00am - 3:00pm
 * Wednesday: 6:15pm - 8:15pm
 * Parking for the center for daytime hours is on the street at the front of the building - south side. Please use the center/main front door and knock loudly or ring buzzer or call 780-352-3866 during open hours. For evening hours, parking is also in the parking lot on the north side of the building.
 * For appointments outside of our regular hours, please call Lisa at 780-352-7881 (leave messge) or email [mailto:AB_Wetaskiwin@ldsmail.net ab_wetaskiwin@ldsmail.net]

2019 Holiday/Closure Schedule:

 * June 27 to September 3 - Enjoy your summer break!
 * December 19 to January 7 (2020) - Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Upcoming Events

 * We are happy to give you a tour anytime! We have a computer/research room and rooms for microfilm viewing, webinars, classes and children's activities.

CLASS/WEBINAR SCHEDULE
Please be FRAGRANCE FREE! Staff and patrons have severe allergies.

Webinars run as required - available throughout our open hours.

Class times are as indicated.


 * MAY 2019:
 * May 1 - Webinar: Step Two for Building a Family Tree - (Talk to Your Family). ~by Crista Cowan (20 min)
 * We talk a lot about steps one and three for building a family tree but we hardly ever talk about step two. Join Crista Cowan to learn more about what step two is and listen as she shares tips for the who, what, and why of making it work.
 * May 8 - CLASS @ 6:30pm: Building on the Timeline - Writing a Brief History About Your Ancestor
 * Come join us for a presentation on using what we learned about timelines in an earlier class, to fill in the events of an ancestor’s life. We can then produce a brief history of him or her for our family history. You will have an opportunity to attend later workshops where you will research and write about one of their own ancestors with personal help from Consultants. It’s a very good way to learn to research and truly get to know the family that you find.
 * May 15 - Webinar: Use MyTreeTags™, New on Ancestry. ~by Crista Cowan (41 min)
 * Ancestry recently introduced MyTreeTags™. Join Crista Cowan for a look at how to access them, what each tag means, and some tips for creating custom tags. She will also share best practices for using them to organize information in your family tree and make new discoveries.
 * May 22 - Webinar: Tidying Up Your Genealogy ~by Crista Cowan (21 min)
 * Do you find yourself with multiple copies of your family tree in various places? As you have engaged in family history research have you been overcome by the "paper pile monster?" Join Crista Cowan for a look at ways to tidy up your digital and paper files. She will also share some quick tips for keeping organized as you go.
 * May 29 - Webinar: 10 Helpful Things to Know Before Using Family Tree ~by Kathryn Grant (50 min)
 * Kathryn Grant tells us 10 helpful things to know about FamilySearch FamilyTree and explains why users can edit other people's trees. She also explains that names in FamilyTree are contributed by other users.
 * JUNE 2019:
 * Jun 5 - CLASS @ 6:30pm: Writing a Brief History About Your Ancestor Workshop - Part 2
 * This is a hands-on workshop, where the participants bring the name of an ancestor, and using the timeline, dig into that person until they have enough information to write a brief history. There will be consultants available to assist you throughout the workshops. Attendance at Part 1 will be helpful but not required.
 * Jun 12 - Webinar: Double Trouble: Avoiding the Same Name Trap ~by Kathryn Grant (29 min)
 * Kathryn Grant address the common problem of same name mistakes in FamilySearch Family Tree and how to handle it.
 * Jun 19 - CLASS @ 6:30pm: Writing a Brief History About Your Ancestor Workshop - Part 3
 * This is a hands-on workshop, where the participants bring the name of an ancestor, and using the timeline, dig into that person until they have enough information to write a brief history. There will be consultants available to assist you throughout the workshops. Attendance at Part 1 or 2 will be helpful but not required.
 * Jun 26 - Webinar: Wars, Plagues, and Catastrophes and Genealogy ~by James Tanner (56 min)
 * James Tanner shows us how wars, plagues, and other disasters affect genealogy research for good and for ill.

COME & JOIN THE LEARNING!

If you have any requests for topics for webinars, please call Lisa at 780-352-7881 or email [mailto:ab_wetaskiwin@ldsmail.net ab_wetaskiwin@ldsmail.net]

If you have any requests for topics for classes, please call Patty at 780-387-6759 or email [mailto:ab_wetaskiwin@ldsmail.net ab_wetaskiwin@ldsmail.net]

Collections

 * We have a number of microfilms that can be viewed if the person that ordered them is not using them.

Databases and Software

 * FHC Portal This center has access to the Family History Center Portal page which gives FREE access in the center to premium family history software and websites that generally charge for subscriptions. (See Premium websites available in the Family History Center Services Portal ) e.g. Ancestry, Findmypast, MyHeritage, etc.
 * Current list as of February 2019:
 * 19th Century British Library Newspapers Digital Archive
 * Alexander Street Press - The American Civil War: Research Database | Letters and diaries | Images, Photographs, Posters, and Ephemera Social and Cultural History
 * American Ancestors - Library Rights
 * Ancestry - Institution Versions: U.S. | Australia | Canada | Germany | Sweden | United Kingdom
 * ArkivDigital
 * FamNet
 * Findmypast - Institution Version
 * Fold3
 * Geneanet
 * Kinpoint - Premium
 * MyHeritage - Library Edition
 * Newspaper Archive
 * Paper Trail
 * Puzzilla - Premium Services
 * All our computers access the free FamilySearch database which contains many millions of names linked into families.

Hardware and Equipment

 * 6 computers (5 with free access to the premium subscription-based websites) (Please bring a USB stick so you can copy vital information for your personal use.)
 * 1 printer / scanner / copier
 * 1 microfilm reader
 * 1 microfiche reader
 * Patrons may also use their own laptops/devices on our Wi-Fi network for personal use.

Center Services
Staff Research Specialties

(Include sections for any other services your center provides. Add additional sections for those services. See the Bountiful and Chattanooga FHC pages for examples.)

Resources in the Local Area

 * Wetaskiwin Branch, AGS (Alberta Genealogical Society) - http://www.abgenealogy.ca/wetaskiwin-branch
 * City of Wetaskiwin Archives - https://www.wetaskiwin.ca/Index.aspx?NID=107

Links

 * Alberta Emigration and Immigration
 * Alberta Churches, Archives, and Societies (National Institute)
 * Alberta Vital Records (National Institute)
 * Alberta, Canada Genealogy
 * Alberta Probate Records
 * Alberta Societies
 * Alberta Museums, Libraries, and Archives (National Institute)
 * Alberta Funeral Homes