Robbie Benoit (?–2007) was a

Canadian Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...

poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator (thought, thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral t ...

and writer. A longtime resident of Whitehorse, Yukon, he is best known for his '' Tall Yukon Tales''. Benoit was born in northwestern

Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...

. After moving to the Yukon as a young man, he worked for many years in the

mining Mining is the Resource extraction, extraction of valuable geological materials and minerals from the surface of the Earth. Mining is required to obtain most materials that cannot be grown through agriculture, agricultural processes, or feasib ...

industry. After a fall down a mineshaft at Ketza River, he quit mining and left the Yukon. Shortly after this he took up dog breeding and showing, and won Best of Breed at the

Westminster Westminster is the main settlement of the City of Westminster in Central London, Central London, England. It extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street and has many famous landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, Buckingham Palace, ...

in 2001 with his Komondor named Oscar. He first released his CD ''Tall Yukon Tales'', a collection of original verse about life in the Yukon, on November 18, 2004. In 2005, he was diagnosed with cancer of the gall bladder, which then spread to his brain. Later that year, his cancer had gone into remission, and on December 16, 2005, he recorded a program called "To Hell with Cancer" alongside several other Whitehorse entertainers which was later broadcast on CBC Radio's ''

Sounds Like Canada ''Sounds Like Canada'' was a Canadian radio program, which aired weekday mornings on CBC Radio One from 2002 to 2008. Until the end of May 2008, the program was hosted by the award-winning broadcaster Shelagh Rogers, and in the summers by a rot ...

''. (He had initially wanted to call the show "Cancer Can Kiss My Ass" but changed it after host Shelagh Rogers indicated this title would probably be unsuitable for broadcast on the radio.) In 2007, his cancer returned and spread to his liver, and was diagnosed as terminal. On March 30, 2007, he recorded a program "To Hell With Cancer Part Deux" in Whitehorse, also appearing on ''Sounds Like Canada'', as a fundraiser to record another album before his death. On this program, Shelagh Rogers inducted him as the first member of the "Order of Sounds Like Canada" (a semi-humorous reference to the

Order of Canada The Order of Canada () is a Canadian state order, national order and the second-highest Award, honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the Canadian Centennial, ce ...

). Benoit died on August 24, 2007, At 8:15 am.

References

External links

''Tall Yukon Tales'' at amazon.ca
{{DEFAULTSORT:Benoit, Robbie 2007 deaths 21st-century Canadian poets Deaths from cancer in Yukon Deaths from bladder cancer in Canada Franco-Yukonnais people Writers from Whitehorse Year of birth missing Canadian male poets Poets from Yukon