# Bent Gestur Sivertz

_Canadian civil servant_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/bent-gestur-sivertz
Last updated: 2026-10-31

> Bent Gestur Sivertz  (August 11, 1905 – October 4, 2000) was a Canadian sailor, teacher, soldier, and civil servant.

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 11 August 1905 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4890317#P569))
- **Died:** 4 October 2000 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4890317#P570))
- **Citizenship:** Canada ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4890317#P27))
- **Occupation:** politician ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4890317#P106))
- **Positions held:** Commissioner of the Northwest Territories ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4890317#P39))
- **Awards:** Officer of the Order of the British Empire ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4890317#P166))

## About

He was commissioner of the Northwest Territories from July 12, 1963 to January 16, 1967. He was the last non-resident Commissioner of the NWT.

Bent Gestur "Ben" Sivertz was born one of six brothers in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. His parents were Icelandic immigrants and he and his brothers were raised in Victoria, B.C. where his father Christian was a longtime letter carrier and an early labour organizer in the post office. Bent was a merchant seaman and sailed in square-rigged ships for ten years on the B.C. coast and to Australia and New Zealand. He later crewed on tugboats such as the Moresby and Salvage King while taking teacher training at U.B.C.  As an officer in the R.C.N.V.R., he was called up in 1940 for service with the Royal Canadian Navy and after instructing in navigation at several locations in Canada, in 1944 became commanding officer of HMCS Kings, as the Officer Training Establishment was then called. II.

After World War II, Bent Sivertz entered the Department of External Affairs where his success in reorganizing and streamlining the Passport Office to a point where passports were issued in three days rather than the previous three weeks, led to him being drafted in 1950 into the new Department of Resources and Development. Sivertz initiated a number of progressive and innovative policies in northern healthcare, education, infrastructure and corrections. His memoir recounts some of these activities and his struggles with Arthur Laing the then Minister of Northern Affairs. Sivertz became Commissioner of the Northwest Territories in 1963 and served until 1967. During the 1950s he was instrumental in introducing print making and cooperative marketing to the Cape Dorset Inuit.

"Today my tenure in Arctic Canada, and that of my…

## Questions

**When was Bent Gestur Sivertz born?**  
Bent Gestur Sivertz was born on 11 August 1905.

**What positions has Bent Gestur Sivertz held?**  
Positions held by Bent Gestur Sivertz include: Commissioner of the Northwest Territories.

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## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): Bent Gestur Sivertz](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bent_Gestur_Sivertz) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q4890317](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4890317) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: Bent Gestur Sivertz's Order of the British Empire Medal, University of King College, Halifax, Nova Scotia.jpg by Hantsheroes (CC BY-SA 4.0)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bent_Gestur_Sivertz%27s_Order_of_the_British_Empire_Medal,_University_of_King_College,_Halifax,_Nova_Scotia.jpg)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article Bent Gestur Sivertz, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Bent Gestur Sivertz's Order of the British Empire Medal, University of King College, Halifax, Nova Scotia.jpg — Hantsheroes, CC BY-SA 4.0.

## Cite this page

"Bent Gestur Sivertz". DigiNepal. Last updated 31 October 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/bent-gestur-sivertz. Retrieved 6 November 2026.