Bill Banting’s self-portrait in 1992, at age 63. Image credit: Oakville Public Library.
William (Bill) Robertson Banting was proud of his famous “Banting” last name, but never used it as leverage in life. In a 1984 interview with the CBC, Bill remembers his father, Frederick Banting as a visual artist, singer, fence builder, and nature lover, in addition to being the famous scientist who had discovered insulin. Bill recalls: “[my father] made me feel that I was having more demands of me than I could possibly deliver, but on the other hand, [he] was a buddy.” Learning from his father’s interests in the arts and nature, Bill became renowned in his own right as an award-winning nature documentary filmmaker.
William Robertson Banting, who was named after his maternal grandfather, was born in April 1929. William, also nicknamed Bill, grew up under the spotlight of the public’s attention as Frederick Banting’s only son. The attention became even more prominent when his parents, Frederick Banting and Marion Robertson, filed for divorce in 1932.
In 1939, Frederick remarried Henrietta Ball, who became Bill’s stepmother. Despite these changes in his family, Bill had a happy and fulfilling childhood. While Frederick often travelled around the world for work, Bill fondly recalls his father bringing him back presents, like a dartboard with half a dozen darts from a trip to England.
In 1941, Frederick died in a plane accident while taking off on the east coast of Newfoundland towards England to help in the war effort. Bill learned of this while passing a newspaper stand on his way home on St. Clair Street in Toronto. The newspaper heading read: “Banting’s plane found, pilot only survivor”, a tragedy later confirmed by Bill’s stepmother. Three years later, his birth mother died at the age of 46 because of declining health.
Despite being in the public eye, Bill grew up like other teens. He played sports, attended camps, and fostered his creativity and love for the arts while making new friends. Bill had a keen interest in flora and fauna. Into adulthood, Bill pursued his passion for the arts to become a photographer, producer, director, and writer.
In 1970, his documentary titled “Wild Africa, The Way it Was” won Best Canadian Documentary Film at the Canadian Film Awards. He worked as a freelancer with different outlets including the CBC and BBC to create wildlife documentaries. His career gave him the freedom to travel around the world to film nature.
Bill married Nancy Hardy-Banting and had a stepson named Duncan Hardy Cline. Bill died in Maple Ridge, British Columbia in 1998 at the age 69. He lived a peaceful life dedicated to foraging his own path and exploring his passions and skills.
— Written by Rebecca Dang