About me
I am exceptionally good at finding and managing information.
Historical documents are my favourite, but I really enjoy organizing collections, too!
You never know how different points of your life will intersect.
In the 1980's, after my father passed away, my maternal grandmother introduced me to my life's passions, genealogy and history. This ultimately led me to obtain my bachelor's degree in anthropology from the University of Manitoba.
While kicking around deciding what to do with my life, I worked at a law firm on a law suit that, at the time, had the largest document collection for civil litigation in Canadian History. I was the project supervisor. That's where I learned how much I love to organize paper and the value of a good database. It gave me the experience to then teach a variety of classes at a community college in Winnipeg, including how to use office software, including - you guessed it! - databases.
Fast forward a few years and I heard about contract work with the federal government working on litigation files for Indian Affairs. To be able to immerse myself in Canada's history and be a part of resolving historic injustices with Indigenous people has been incredibly rewarding for me. I've been doing that for over 20 years.
In that time, I got certified in two seemingly unrelated disciplines. I become a Summation Support Specialist which gave me credentials to use and teach a database software program specific to the legal industry. The second certificate is my Public Learning Certificate in Genealogical Studies (PLCGS) from the National Institute for Genealogical Studies.
When I look back on my life, I see how where I am now is the result of what seemed like wildly diverse choices through my adult life. Yet here I am, relating everything together and putting it to good use. I love it!
I've had clients from the business world, as well as private individuals. I get the same sense of adventure and satisfaction working with either of them. I have found over the years that, as well as doing the work, I deeply enjoy mentoring people in their own research journeys.
Whether your project is large or small, or if you just need to run some ideas around, I would love to help you.
~Laura
