His most significant achievement, however, was his role as the Order’s Archivist. He helped gather, catalogue, and preserve the Order’s records. In the late 1980s, Chris was instrumental in signing an agreement with the Multicultural History Society of Ontario (MHSO) to donate those archives. Today, the Order’s records are available to researchers through the Archives of Ontario.
The late Professor Robert F. Harney accepts the Golden Lion pennant from the president of the Fiorente Lodge, Loretta Colangelo, and Chris Bennedsen, the Order's provincial archivist, May 21, 1989, Toronto. (Courtesy Order Sons of Italy of Canada)