1939

The Whitehorse Star Reports in 1939

January
January 6, 1939	The Canadian Government appoints a five-member Commission to consider the construction of the International highway through British Columbia and Yukon Territory to Alaska.
January 13, 1939	George Ian MacLean, former gold commissioner in the Yukon, passes away in Vancouver on December 16, 1939.
February
February, 3, 1939	Corporal Kirk introduces in Old Crow a novel method of announcing the arrival of mail: when sorting of the mail is completed, Corporal Kirk fires 3 shots upon which the villagers arrive.
February, 3, 1939	C.J. Rogers has been promoted to Vice President and General Manager of the White Pass and Yukon Route.
February, 3, 1939	Letters written by George Carmack to his sister and other relatives during the early days on Bonanza Creek have been added to the collection of Judge James Wickersham.
March
March 10, 1939	Captain John O'Brien Williams, one of the north's pioneer river captains, passes away on February 26, 1939.
March 17, 1939	A gold brick weighing 143 ounces and produced from the Laforma Gold Mines is brought to Whitehorse on March 12, 1939.
March 24, 1939	The Yukonia Hotel in Dawson is demolished by fire on March 16, 1939.
March 31, 1939	The former chief steward on the steamer "Whitehorse", P. Page, passes away on March 24, 1939.
March 31, 1940	"Apple Jimmy" (James Oglow), the famed Dawson Sourdough, retires after being in business on First Avenue in Dawson for 31 years.
April
April 7, 1939	The Federal government has under advisement the holding of a plebiscite throughout the Yukon on the question of the proposed annexation of this Territory to British Columbia.
April 21, 1939	The Chooutla Indian Residential School at Carcross is demolished by fire on April 17, 1939.
April 21, 1939	The first of three twin-engined ten-passenger planes arrives in Whitehorse.
May
May 19, 1939	"No. 71" is the latest acquisition and technology of the White Pass and Yukon Route.
June
June 16, 1939	The introduction of buffallo into the territory is suggested. One of the reasons is to provide meat for Indians.
June 23, 1939  → July 21, 1939  → October 13, 1939	The Alaska Highway appears on several occasions in the news. On June 23, 1939, the British Columbia department of public works has 4 routes under closer consideration for the Alaska Highway: one north from Vanderhoof by Finlay Forks up the Finlay River and by the Liard and Pelly. The next route coming this way is to go north from Topley past Bear Lake. A third route is the one north from Hazelton through the the Groundhog country to Dease Lake, Whitehorse and Dawson. The most westerly route would go north from Kitwanga to the Nass River. The Whitehorse public meeting before British Columbia-Yukon Highway commission votes over-whelmingly in favour of the Alaska Highway project a month later, on July 14, 1939. Towards the end of the year (October 13, 1939) however, government officials declare that on account of the war the construction of the proposed Alaska Highway will be held up. The financing is not feasible while the war is on.
July
July 14, 1939	"Sensational" gold values are discovered on Tide Lake gold properties.
July 28, 1939	John Henry Hopkins, publisher of Robert Service's early poems, dies in New York at the age of 71.
July 28, 1939	Another attempt to discover the Northwest Passage is being made by Dr. Homer Flint Kellens.
August
August 18, 1939	John A. Agnew, president of the Yukon Consolidated Gold Corporation Ltd. at Dawson, passes away.
August 25, 1939	Helen Goulter of Carmacks is elected Miss Yukon at the Discovery Day celebration held in Dawson on August 21, 1939.
November
November 3, 1939	John Livingstone, son of Williard Leroy and Mrs. Phelps is married in Vancouver.