Howie Benwell “was always able to light up the crowd or light up the room with his jokes,” his sister Crystal Benwell says.
Howie was one of six people who lost their life in a plane crash outside of Fort Smith on Tuesday morning.
Benwell says her younger brother had “such a kind heart” and was great at helping to console people.
“It’s been pretty tough and it’s hard to believe,” she said of the accident. “It feels like a dream that we have yet to wake up from.”
Howie turned 30 earlier this month, Benwell said, and she made him a cake, decorated with a Type O Negative theme, one of his favourite bands.
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“He just loved it,” she said.
Howie was a skateboarder and musician with a collection of instruments. He played bass, guitar and drums, and he also sang.
Benwell remembers him as someone who “listened to music all the time.”
He also loved to spend time on the land with their family, and was very proud of his two nieces. In the winter, he enjoyed snowmobiling to Star Lake, and in the summer he loved boating.
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Howie worked at the Diavik diamond mine as a heavy equipment operator. Benwell said he was the second member of their family to graduate high school after her.
Benwell said her family are close. They live in Thebacha Nare, also known as Border Town, a Smith’s Landing First Nation reserve on the NWT-Alberta border.
“We’re sticking together for this tough time right now,” she said. “The community has been really good with us.”
Rio Tinto has said the charter flight, which crashed shortly after taking off, was carrying workers headed to its Diavik mine.
Two Northwestern Air Lease crew members and four passengers were killed. One person survived with serious injuries.
“We are feeling numb with the devastating news that we have lost dear friends and colleagues,” Jakob Stausholm, Rio Tinto chief executive, said in a statement. “I extend our deepest sympathy to the families, friends, and loved ones of those who have been affected by this tragedy.”
“Our deepest sympathies go out to all those affected by yesterday’s tragic event,” Northwestern Air Lease stated in a Facebook post on Wednesday afternoon. “During this difficult period let us be there for each other so we can get through this together.”
While officials have not released the names of the people on board the British Aerospace Jetstream aircraft, some family members have publicly shared information about their loved ones.
Clayton Balsillie confirmed to Cabin Radio that his sister Diane Balsillie was among those who passed away.
Anyone wishing to share tributes to their loved ones can reach Cabin Radio at news@cabinradio.ca or 867-688-9309.
