James McRae "Jim" Bentley

Officer of the Order of Canada

Awarded on: July 6, 1967
Invested on: November 24, 1967

    Jim Bentley was born in Hunker Creek, Yukon on June 23, 1906, the son of Samuel James Bentley and Mary Annie McCrae Bentley. In 1908 the family moved to the Edmonton district, where he lived ever since. He graduated with a B.Comm. degree trom the University of Alberta in 1930 and spent his life in the field of agriculture.

    In 1936, Jim married Marion Gertrude Saunders in Edmonton. The couple had one son, Donald James, born on August 24, 1937, in Edmonton.

    Jim was both a dairy farmer and an executive member of agricultural organizations including the Canadian Federation of Agriculture, which he served as president. His work on behalf of agriculture extended internationally, with travel to many cities throughout the world in marketing Canadian products.

    In 1967 Jim Bentley was awarded the Order of Canada, one of four Albertans among the first group of Canadians to receive such recognition. Jim and Marion Bentley were both active members of their community for nearly 52 years of married life, and long-time members of Patricia United Church.

Dave Joe

Officer of the Order of Canada

Awarded on: October 23, 2008
Invested on: April 07, 2010

    Born and raised in Klukshu, Dave Joe became he first Native lawyer in the Yukon, then spent his career working for the empowerment of Canada's First Nations.

    Former chief negotiator for the Council of Yukon First Nations, he was one of the principal architects of the Umbrella Final Agreement, a common template used to negotiate all land claim settlements in the territory. These agreements, many of which he also negotiated, have helped create strong First Nations communities and more positive relations between Native and non-Native people.

    He now runs a general practice in Vancouver, ensuring that First Nations people have access to affordable legal services. He also provides scholarships and opportunities for young Native people to pursue careers in the legal profession.

    In 2019, he was one of the first ten people inducted into the Order of Yukon when it was created.

Michael Schmidt

Member of the Order of Canada

Awarded on: November 9, 2022
Invested on:

    Michael Schmidt was recognized for contributions to northern science and knowledge in the fields of geology and geodesy, as a geophysicist, photographer and explorer.

    He started his career working as a surveyor and says things just evolved from there. His work in geography and geodesy (the science of measuring Earth's size, shape, and orientation) took him all over Canada, from coast to coast to coast, and also to the country's highest peak.

    He has worked on a floating research station in the Arctic Ocean, studied earthquakes and tectonics on Vancouver Island, and led a mountaineering expedition to measure the height of Mount Logan. Along the way he helped pioneer the use of GPS (Global Positioning System) technology when it was still in its infancy.

    Now retired from the Geological Survey of Canada and spends more of his time on some other lifelong passions - theatre and, primarily, photography.

Charles Drury Taylor

Awarded on: April 20, 1990
Invested on: October 24, 1990

    This former businessman and territorial politician has made a significant contribution to the development of the Yukon through a wide range of activities, including the provision of trading services to accommodate a growing Northern population. He was also largely responsible for the establishment of the present-day Territorial library system and was one of three rrepresentatives who formed a committee responsible for the selection of electoral boundaries in the Yukon.