Bentley’s teenage transition to life in Canada was eased by the words of such Canadian writers and poets as Al Purdy.His areas of specialization are Canadian literature and culture and Victorian literature and art.An award-winning teacher, Bentley takes the same approach with his students, providing them with the tools to understand Canadian literature and culture, while fully expecting them to branch off in their own directions and enrich the field of study.In 2015 he was awarded the Izaak Walton Killam Award for his contribution to the field of humanities.