Geoff Bennett

Biography

After graduating as a Reservist from RMC in 1971, I grew a bright red beard, married Wendy, and we honeymooned on the train to Vancouver. At UBC, I earned a Master’s in Geophysics in 1973 and then joined Shell in Calgary as an oil and gas explorationist. That began a geophysics career that spanned the globe and more than four decades. I left Shell in 1980 and moved to Denver with Sundance Oil. The company went bankrupt during the 1984 oil price crisis, but we landed on our feet in Jakarta, Indonesia. The next fifteen years were the most exciting of our lives. With Asamera, later Gulf, I discovered several major gas fields in Sumatra. We raised our sons—Richard, Andrew, and David—through international schools, Scouts, and sports in one of the most fascinating and challenging countries in the world. I led a thriving Scout troop, explored the countryside, and wrote two books: The Jakarta Hike & Bike Trail Guide and The Pepper Trader. After the chaos of the 1998 revolution, we returned to Canada and have been living in Victoria ever since.

In 2003, after a few years of retirement, I began “commuting” four times a year to Singapore as Chief Geophysicist, first with Pearl and then with KrisEnergy. I travelled throughout the Far East and crossed the Pacific 150 times. I loved the work, but I became increasingly disillusioned with the oil industry and its impacts on humanity. When Kris went bankrupt in 2019, I retired for good.

In December 2021, Wendy and I faced a parent’s worst nightmare when our youngest son, David, died suddenly at home. We had cared for him through 36 years of health challenges, and the loss was devastating.

Life continues, thank goodness. I do as much exercise, mountaineering, and birding as my old heart and joints allow. We have reduced our carbon footprint, and I regularly badger my elected representatives to enact progressive policies. With the support of Wendy and my college buddies, I led five chasse-galerie canoe trips to raise money for sports at RMC and to honour the memory of my father, 2435 Old Brigade Adjutant Bob Bennett. Best of all, Wendy and I enjoy Victoria’s gentle climate and visits with our six grandchildren in Ottawa and Rossland.