Amidst rising political tensions in the United States, a growing number of Americans with Canadian ancestry are seeking to formalize their citizenship. Recent legislative changes in Canada, specifically Bill C-3, now retroactively grant citizenship by descent to individuals born before December 15, 2025, who would have qualified were it not for previous first-generation limitations. This shift has led to a significant surge in requests for historical documents to prove lineage, with archives across Canada reporting exponential increases in applications from Americans. Many individuals are driven by a desire for a “Plan B” or a renewed sense of connection to their Franco-Canadian heritage.
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Skeletal remains discovered in Washington State have been identified as those of Edwin Asher, the former mayor of Fossil, Oregon, who disappeared in 2006. Asher vanished while crabbing in Tillamook Bay, leading to the assumption that he drowned and was declared dead that same year. Despite the discovery of skeletal remains in a Washington County in November of 2006, the individual remained unidentified until the Grays Harbor Coroner’s Office and Othram, a forensic genetic genealogy lab, employed genome sequencing and genetic genealogy, ultimately leading to the identification of the remains as Asher. The identification was confirmed after comparison to a relative’s DNA, ending the 20-year mystery of his disappearance.
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Despite JD Vance’s self-identification as “Scots-Irish,” a commissioned genealogical study failed to conclusively establish a family link to Northern Ireland. Researchers, while tracing his lineage back to Virginia in the 1800s, encountered difficulties definitively connecting him to Ulster-Scots ancestry, despite claims linking him to a 17th-century ancestor. The resulting report, while presenting potential ancestral lines with gaps, ultimately concludes that a direct link remains unproven. Further research is ongoing, though no guarantee of success exists. The study was commissioned by a Northern Ireland minister and presented as a 24-page dossier.
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John Q. Hosedrinker