Gaboury family history to be explored at upcoming events

St. Boniface

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This article was published 11/08/2023 (1146 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It’s fitting that David Gaboury’s passions include genealogy and history, as the two things have become inextricably entwined during his longtime journey to discover more and more branches of his family tree.

The Fargo, N.D., resident is the author of A Gaboury Story: An Adventure Across North America — a 424-page, self-published hardcover book that features more than 500 photos, maps, and charts.

Gaboury said the book explains the history of “the entire history of all branches of the Gaboury family across North America.” He’s been selling the English version of the book in the U.S. in the last couple of months or so, but has yet to ship to Canada due to international shipping costs.

However, interested individuals will soon be able to acquire one on Canadian shores, as Gaboury has brought copies with him on his current visit to Winnipeg for a series of family reunion events.

Two of these events are open to the public, and will be held at Norwood Community Centre, which is located at 87 Walmer St.

On Friday, Aug. 11 at 7 p.m. (doors open at 6:30 p.m.), Gaboury will present “The Gaboury Story: 360 Years of Gaboury history in North America.” Admission is $15.

According to literature promoting the event, since the first Gaboury arrived in Quebec in 1659, the family has spread across North America. Topics of Gaboury’s presentation will include where his ancestors went, what factors drove them to those places, and how all the branches fit together.

On Saturday, Aug. 12 at 6:30 p.m. (doors open at 6 p.m.), “The Fur Trade Period in Western Canada” will be presented by Dr. Philippe Mailhot. The local historian will talk about the fur trade in the early 1800s and how Marie-Anne Gaboury and Jean-Baptiste Lagimodière played a part in it. After the lecture, there will be traditional Métis music and dancing by the Asham Stompers, followed by DJ music. Admission is $25.

Students of history will know that Marie-Anne Gaboury settled in the Winnipeg area with her husband, Jean-Baptiste Lagimodière in 1807. She’s acknowledged as the first woman of European descent to settle in Western Canada, and the couple were the grandparents of Louis Riel.

Gaboury said researching the book has been a labour of love, and an interesting and exciting journey.

“I’ve been working on my family history since the 1990s, and it’s really an addictive hobby,” Gaboury said.

“It’s fun to learn about people in my family tree, and how all descendants from one Gaboury are connected. It’s been a very interesting journey.”

The retiree said one of the main goals of the book was to provide a high-quality, family heirloom for recipients, which was aided by his collaboration with a company called BookLogix, which is based in Alpharetta, a suburb of Atlanta, GA. Gaboury has been taking care of the book’s distribution himself, which has been a fair amount of work, but it’s become a full-time endeavour for him, which is lots of fun.

Other major contributors to the book were editor Jane Gaboury, contributing editors Scott Gaboury and Cathy Gaboury, and proofreaders Glenn Jordan, Paul Gaboury and John Gaboury.

Gaboury has also been working on a French version of the book, which will be available next year.

Email gabourybook@gmail.com for more information.