In the 1990s, Chris became the Order Sons of Italy’s first archivist. It proved to be a natural role for someone who had been the archivist of his own life ever since he came to Canada.
From the moment he arrived in Canada in December 1951, Chris Bennedsen began accumulating the “stuff” of his life. He saved virtually everything that passed through his hands. He was a conscious collector, and his accumulation of letters, photographs, work diaries, immigration papers, and much other personal ephemera became the signpost of a thoughtful life.
Chris in his home office, ca 2001. (Private Collection)