Next in the the series of Canada's Got Talent contestants is Whitehorse's / Saskatoon's Magic Ben!
Who inspires you that is not a magician?
My father, Hypnotist Corrie J and Dwayne The Rock Johnson. They are all extremely hard workers and I look up to that every day.
What is your first memory of magic?
I was 9 years old the first time I saw a magician, it was at my parents’ wedding. I remember seeing him perform a linking rings routine and I ran to my dad and asked him how he’d done it. My dad told me that if I wanted to know, I'd have to become a magician. The next day I was playing with a deck of cards and it brought us here!
Who from the magic community inspires you?
Le Grand Sahibe, Joan Caesar, Hiawatha Johnson Jr. Shawn Farquhar, David Blaine, Dani Daortiz, Juan Tamariz. I could name so many!
Was there anyone or anything instrumental to you becoming a magician?
I started competing at the Festival de Magie de Quebec in 2014 and was a finalist 6 years in a row. That and attending Tannen's Magic Camp in 2018 sealed the deal for me. Living in the arctic comes with its challenges and learning magic was one of them.
Did you ever get discouraged and think about quitting magic?
I was 6 months old when my parents decided to move to a small fly-in and fly-out Inuit community in the Canadian arctic. I was the only “white kid” and I grew up learning their language and culture. Magic helped me figure out my identity, who I am, and overcome the challenges of living so remotely. Sometimes I'd quit, but it usually was only for about 2 hours!
Do you have any or pre-show rituals?
Two things could happen: If I am lucky enough to eat some country food from where I come from (Beluga, seal, caribou, arctic char etc.) it would be that or I will listen to some Coldplay.
What inspired you to be a part of this season of Canada's Got Talent?
I represent hope and inspiration to all the youth of the northern fly-in and fly-out communities that no matter where you come from in life, anything is possible. That is why I'm on Canada's Got Talent, for my friends up north!
I speak three languages: French, English and Inuktitut. I am hoping to be a bridge linking all Canadians together through my experiences living North, East and West. I once did a show at -48, I think that makes me the Magician of the North!
