About

My name is Marie Palmer. Except that it isn’t, not really. While researching my family’s history, I unexpectedly discovered that, as hard as he had tried to hide this from us, my late grandfather’s surname was actually Page and not Palmer. I also found that he’d had a son who we’d never known about. Having never had aunts or uncles or close cousins, this felt life-altering. And though I’d always been interested in genealogy, this event crystallized the passion to research not just my own family, but to help others with their own searches.

Since then, I have helped dozens of clients with their own research, taught extensively about genealogy, and written an award-winning family history narrative (read it here). In the last few years, I have focused on teaching and my work as an Accredited Investigative Genetic Genealogist (AIGG), helping law enforcement solve cases of unidentified human remains and criminal cases. 

Me in a nutshell:

• Accredited Investigative Genetic Genealogist (AIGG), July 2025.

• Presenter at numerous genealogy associations across Canada and the US, 2018 - present.

• Instructor, Applied Genealogy Institute, 2022 & 2024.

• Project Manager, Legacy Tree Genealogists, 2020 - 2022.

• Completed the All-DNA Advanced Evidence Analysis Practicum through the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG), October 2020.

• Completed the Advanced DNA Evidence course at the Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh (GRIP), June 2019. 

• ProGen 40 Study Group, Co-Leader, 2019 – 2020.

• Certificate in Genealogical Research, Boston University’s Center for Professional Education, May 2018.

• Master of Science, Information Science and Library Management, University of Northumbria, UK, 2008.

• Bachelor of Education, University of British Columbia, Canada, 2000.

• Bachelor of Applied Science, University of Waterloo, Canada, 1996.

In the past twenty odd years, I’ve worked in large telecommunications companies, small web development firms, schools, colleges, public and academic libraries, and as an online educator and consultant for a non-profit library cooperative.

I regularly speak at conferences and for genealogical societies. Most recently, I have delivered an in-depth 4-week online course about Google Earth Pro for the Applied Genealogy Institute. The course was so popular I was asked to teach it more than once, which I was thrilled to do.

I am a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists and the British Columbia Genealogical Society. My own roots are primarily in Québec, Canada, Ireland, England and Wales. I live on the West Coast of Canada and outside of genealogy, I rock climb as much as possible.