Maggie Bendar was born and raised in Edmonton, Alberta, where, in turn, she raised her two daughters. Near the end of high school, Maggie joined the Canadian Armed Forces as a musician, which meant that she also trained as an infantry soldier.  A member of the local reserve band, she actually enjoyed shooting almost as much as the music and concerts. Her favourite memories include playing for an officer's mess dinner in a field near Dundurn, Saskatchewan, and then at night lobbing dummy grenades into the compound and creating all kinds of havoc. Something of a gypsy, she has also lived in British Columbia, Yukon Territory, and Great Britain.