Dan Buchanan

Dan Buchanan is “The History Guy of Brighton, Ontario.” He is engaged in many projects related to local and Ontario history, working from his home in Brighton.

The History Guy is an author with four books published, each providing a unique regional history story which both informs and entertains. Information related to the books as well as many other history stories can be found on his website at www.danbuchananhistoryguy.com.

The History Guy of Brighton has also produced several videos, including a 5-part series on HMS Speedy, and a video with Sean Scally about the history of the Carrying Place and the Murray Canal. These are on YouTube and links to them are on Dan’s website.

History stories are also presented in the form of PowerPoint presentations. Any organization that wants an entertaining guest speaker for their meeting, check out his web site and contact the History Guy to book an event.

Dan is also proprietor of the genealogy web site www.treesbydan.com, a database of well over 120,000 individuals. Here you can find details about early settler families in the area of Prince Edward, Hastings and Northumberland counties. Interesting information about the people who populate his stories can be found there too. Besides this, Dan is a history columnist for The Beacon, the newsletter of the Municipality of Brighton.

The History Guy is a member of the Brighton Heritage Advisory Committee, providing research for historical plaques and for potential heritage properties. As a member of the Brighton Arts and Culture Council, Dan was one of four members honored with awards in 2024 as part of BACC’s Gala Fundraiser. While not a member of the very active Brighton Digital Archives, he collaborates closely, often providing research related to pictures and documents found in local collections.