A fearless lawyer known for her strong work ethic and tenacious dedication to family has died.
Elaine Keenan Bengts passed away in her Yellowknife home Monday after fighting with cancer. She was 63.
Keenan Bengts was born in Saskatoon in 1958 and came to Yellowknife “for two years” with her family in 1969. Like many northerners, she ended up staying for over 50 years. She raised her family here and made the North her home.
She was inspired by her father to earn her law degree. “Dad always used to say that if he had the opportunity to do it over again, he’d want to be a lawyer,” said Leanne Tait, Keenan Bengts’s sister. “So I think that’s what inspired her.”
Keenan Bengts earned her degree at the University of Alberta. After being called to the bar in 1983, she practiced with a local law firm before starting her own practice, Keenan Bengts Law Office, in 1988.
Sheldon Toner, president…
