About Robert Service (1874-1958)

Robert Service, well known as the “Canadian Kipling” was born into a Scottish Family who lived in Preston, England.

At 15 he worked at Commercial bank of Scotland as an apprentice for 20 pounds a year. During this time he had never thought of becoming a poet or writer. His ambition was to travel to the wild wild west and became a cowboy.

At 22, Service decided to go to Canada with the idea of ranching. He left for Montreal with $5 and worked many labor jobs. From being a dishwasher boy to picking oranges, Service never tired of dreaming of one day being able to have his own farm and lead a free cowboy lifestyle.

For almost 10 years he lived poor, work odd jobs, studied at a university but never finishes and were broke and jobless in Vancouver.

He started writing in 1907, during his spare time from his job. His works were immediate success. With steady stream of income from his books, he resign from his day job, rented a log cabin and dedicated his life to writing - full time.

Apart from poems, he also write novels that were transformed into movies. He works earned him big success and earned him a fortune.

The Canadian government had decided to named a few schools in his honor as well as printing special commemorative stamps in 1976.