Hello there!

Spring has sprung (hopefully for good) here in Wisconsin, so I’m emerging from my winter hibernation as much as I’m able to with a full workload.

Client Work

I’ve been busy with a variety of client research projects over the past couple of months, particularly for those interested in researching their Canadian roots. I covered this extensively in a recent blog post (more on that below), but in December 2025, a change to Canadian immigration law sought to correct previous issues with their citizenship by descent. This change means that many people, particularly Americans, who are descended from Canadians are, in the eyes of the Canadian government, already Canadian citizens.

For me, this was exciting news thanks to my many Canadian ancestors, but I’m not alone. I’ve had a steady clip of clients looking either for specific records they need to prove their lineage for the application process or hiring me to flesh out their lineage details. I really love doing this type of research and have enjoyed helping so many of my fellow American-Canadians!

Blog Updates

The Uncanny Valley: Why I’m Wary of AI Photo "Restoration"

I’m pretty anti-AI in general but one of the areas I’m particularly anti-AI is in regards to photo manipulation, particularly for older photos. In this blog, I wrote about the issues with using generative AI to “restore” antique family photos. In many ways, AI “restoration” actually erases your ancestor's true history. You can see the side-by-side comparisons and my thoughts on this AI use on the blog.

52 Ancestors: An Address with a Story

In my monthly entry for the 52 Ancestors in 52 weeks, I wrote about the family of my great grandmother Eleanor Drouillard, and the land that her father, grandfather, and great grandfather all farmed in Ecorse, Michigan. Using land records, maps, and probate files, I tell the story of how the land was passed through generations.

I’ve actually stood on that land myself, including at the road sign for Drouillard Road that sits within where the land was generations ago. I can’t tell you how much I love working with maps in my genealogy research — they just add so much additional context that a written document can’t show.

New Horizons for Canadian Descent: Insights on Bill C-3 and the Citizenship Process

As I mentioned above, I covered the changes to Canadian citizenship by descent in this blog article. I attended a panel that was put on by the Canadian chapter of the Association of Professional Genealogists featuring two immigration lawyers, a staff member of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada, and a professional genealogist. There are a lot of questions about this recent change, but I found the panel to be informative and helpful for navigating the process. I’ve summarized the biggest takeaways for those affected at the link.

Beyond the Motor City: French-Canadian Roots in Early Detroit

Even if this is your first newsletter from me, you probably have realized that Michigan history, Detroit history, and French-Canadian history are all very much in my wheelhouse. I plan to write more about this in the future, but this blog covers some basics about the French Canadian settlement at Fort Detroit through it becoming an American city and the variety of sources that can help with researching the early years of Detroit.

Find My Work

I’m really proud of an article I wrote for the April 2026 issue of the Irish Genealogical Society International’s journal The Septs, titled “Reading Between the Lines in Ancestral Journeys.“ You can read more about the article in my blog post here, or you can head over the the IGSI website and access your member portal, purchase the issue, or become a member. As I say in my blog, if you have Irish heritage, I really recommend just joining IGSI — it’s a wonderful society and the publications and educational webinars are top notch.

That’s all for now, but be sure to check out my website and social media. I’m not a constant poster, but I do love to share my genealogy knowledge.

Write back and tell me what type of record you struggle the most with accessing or understanding and what about it is challenging. I may discuss your response in a future newsletter!

Enjoy springtime and never assume two records for the same name are the same person without deeper research!

💖 Janelle