Yukon who is who

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Ben Warnsby (1940 – 2023)
	
Benny Warnsby was born in Lincolnshire, England. He immigrated to Canada in 1952 and arrived in Dawson in May 1953. He worked for Yukon Consolidated Gold Corporation (YCGC) at the North Fork Power Plant until 1962.((Michael Gates, "Four are honoured by Yukon Transportation Hall of Fame." //Yukon News// (Whitehorse), 5 June 2015.)) The plant, forty kilometres east of Dawson, provided electricity to Dawson, as well as powering their fleet of goldfield dredges. YCGC paid $1.18 per hour. Warnsby worked year-round so he was able to purchase the //MV Brainstorm// and wooden-hulled barges from Frank Burkhard of Dawson for $8,500. To get the business on stable ground he worked for YCGC for an additional year while lifelong friend and business partner Mike Stutter operated the boat and the business.((Michael Gates, "The story of the riverboat Brainstorm." //Yukon News// (Whitehorse), 12 December 2014.))  

Mike Stutter and Benny Warnsby ran the //Brainstorm// for fourteen years, between 1960 and 1974, and took turns being on the boat. They ran from Dawson to Old Crow, transporting trade goods to Joe Netro, materials to the government and Yukon Electric, and also supplied small Yukon River communities in Alaska for the Alaskan government. The did as many trips as they could in the summer. When oil exploration started in the Eagle Plains area, they hired Harry Campbell and he hauled fuel and non-perishables to the mouth of the Bell River. The //Brianstorm// crew from Old Crow included Paul Ben Kassi, John Kendi, and Alfred Charlie, plus Percy Henry from Dawson. They were skilled pilots and could read the rivers.((Michael Gates, "The story of the riverboat Brainstorm." //Yukon News// (Whitehorse), 12 December 2014.)) 

Warnsby and Stutter had several business endeavours over the years, and formed Miben Mining Company in 1970. They mined on Dago Hill on Hunker Creek for the next twenty-five years.((Michael Gates, "Four are honoured by Yukon Transportation Hall of Fame." //Yukon News// (Whitehorse), 5 June 2015.))

Ben Warnsby and Mike Stutter were inducted into the Yukon Transportation Hall of Fame as Pioneers of the Year in 2015.