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Yukon Nuggets

1952

The Whitehorse Star Reports in 1952

 
January
January 18, 1952
 → January 25, 1952
 → February 8, 1952
Gordon Armstrong is re-elected Mayor of Whitehorse by acclamation. He takes office April 1, 1952. Aldermen, elected on January 25, 1952, are William Drury, William Hamilton, James Norrington and Thomas Bain. The Council is sworn in by Commissioner Fred Fraser January 31, 1952.
January 25, 1952 The King approved the appointment of Vincent Massey as the first Canadian Governor General of Canada.  He succeeded Field Marshall Viscount Alexander of Tunis.
February
February 1, 1952 The Kiwanis Club elected the following 1952 officers: President - Keith Johnson; Vice President - J. Hanna; Treasurer - A. Mackay; Secretary - D. Busby; Board of Directors - A. Jones, G. Lines, Wm. Stewart, F. Arnot, J. Gentleman, O. Tingle, and D. White.
February 8, 1952 King George VI passes away in his sleep February 6th at Sandringham, the Royal Estate in Norfolk where he was born fifty-six years ago.  Princess Elizabeth is proclaimed Queen.
February 15, 1952 The annual meeting of the I.O.D.E. elects the following officers: Honorary Regent - Mrs. George Black; Immediate Past Regent - Mrs. L. H. Dennison; Regent - Mrs. H. Seaholm; 1st Vice Regent - Mrs. S. J. McClimon; 2nd Vice Regent - Mrs. L. H. Dennison; Secretary - Mrs. A. McGregor; Treasurer - Mrs. A. McKay; Echoes Secretary - Mrs. O.Tingle; Standard Bearer - Mrs. A. M. Borland.
February 22, 1952 Thomas Dickson, the first to patrol the Yukon, passes away at the age of 96.
February 22, 1952 It is announced that a branch of the Royal Canadian Air Cadets will be organized in Whitehorse and sponsored by the Lions Club.
February 29, 1952 The Junior Chamber of Commerce is presented with a charter.
March
March 21, 1952 The '98 Hotel owned by Harold Dennison, Bob Swanson and Bill Lunde changes hands. The new owner is Henning Madsen of Yellowknife.
March 28, 1952 The Civic Centre Association elected the following: President - Mr. Arthur E. Yeulet; Vice President - Mr. James Hanna; Treasurer - Mr. Dave Porter. Mr. Ron Greenslade is the retiring President.
April
April 18, 1952 Brigadier H.W. Love, Canadian Army Commander of the Northwest Highway System, said that as the Alaska Highway reached its 10th anniversary this month it has become, "one of the best gravel roads in the world."
May
May 9, 1952 The Whitehorse Board of Trade elects the following officers for 1952: President - James Smith; Vice President - Rolf Hougen; Secretary - Robert Rowan; Treasurer - Arthur McKay; Executive Officers are George Van Roggen, Mat Nelson, Gordon Lee, Ernie Theed, Arthur Jones, Howard Braden, Bill MacBride and Bob Cousins.
May 16, 1952 The Whitehorse Bowling Alley is sold this week to Hougen's Limited.  The firm purchased the alley to expand their present store. The 4000 square foot building now features an expanded selection of merchandise. The sporting goods department becomes the "Sports Lodge,” photo products and services are enlarged along with stationery and greeting cards, drug sundries and children's wear to age fourteen.
May 16, 1952 Officers elected by the Whitehorse Lions Club are as follows: Past President, Bob Campbell; President, Harold McDonald; Secretary, Odin Hougen; Treasurer, Bert Boyd; 1st Vice President, Leo Lortie; 2nd Vice President, Lawrence Seely; 3rd Vice President, Dick Carswell; Lion Tamer, Owen Williams; Tail Twister, Vic Chapman; Directors: Bill Gordon, Gordon Tubman, Ernie Theed, Matt Nelson.
May 23, 1952
 → May 30, 1952
Young People's Association Sports Day. Yvonne Russell, Janet Bottomley, Sylvia Williams are Queen candidates.  Yvonne Russell is elected Queen of the Y.P.A. Sports Day.
May 30, 1952 The Junior Chamber of Commerce elects the following officers for the coming year: President, Mr. Charlie Blishen; Vice President, Burnie Moore; Secretary, Ron Sauder; Treasurer, Eric Small.
June
June 13, 1952 Gordon Armstrong and T.C. Richards buy into Atlin mineral claims.
June 20, 1952 The President of the W.D. MacBride Museum states that the Museum has been redecorated and that exhibits are being placed therein and will soon be open to the public.
June 20, 1952 After four years of construction, the Donjek Bridge is officially opened June 15, 1952. It is the most northerly bridge to be built by the Canadian Army.
July
July 4, 1952 Yellow Cabs is starting a city bus service on July 7.  The bus will serve Upper Whitehorse, RCAF areas, airport and D.O.T. houses.  Stops will eventually operate throughout the city.
July 4, 1952 Work on construction of the Dawson Road starts.
July 11, 1952 Tourists Services opens an ultra-modern cocktail bar on July 9th.  Tourists’ Services Ltd. have quickly expanded their business ventures in Whitehorse the last couple of years, providing the only tourist camp and trailer facilities in the city.  The company has continually tried to cater to the general public, offering services in all branches of their operation.  Cal Miller is Manager of the cocktail bar.
July 18, 1952 The Hougen's Store is gutted by fire.  The building had to be partially pulled down and rebuilt.
July 18, 1952 A new drug store was to be opened in the former quarters of the College of Commerce on Main Street, next to the Capital Hotel.
July 18, 1952 Magistrate A.H. Gibson, former Commissioner of the Yukon, takes over the Magistrate position formerly held by J. Kerr.
July 18, 1952 The Federal Government confirms that Indians do not have "the privilege of voting in the Territorial Election".
August
August 15, 1952 The Whitehorse High School is officially opened with a ribbon cutting ceremony at the main entrance of the school.  The school was acclaimed on a par with new schools being opened in larger cities.  The building was constructed by Marwell Construction Co. Ltd., using subcontractors in Whitehorse.
August 22, 1952 The Territorial Council for the coming term will be as follows: A.R. Hayes, Carmacks; Alex Berry, Mayo; James Mellor, Dawson; John Phelps, Whitehorse; Fred Locke, Whitehorse.
September
September 12, 1952 The City Council voted to take over the assets of the existing Civic Center Association.  It is expected that a committee will be appointed by the city to manage the project.
September 12, 1952 The Yukon Mining Company Ltd. elects four Whitehorse men at their annual meeting.  They are as follows: Mr. Harold Koffman, Mr. A.J.H. Litzengberger, Mr. Albert Koffman, and Mr. Erik Nielsen.
September 12, 1952 A meeting between the new officials of the Yukon Brewery Company and city officials reveals the possibility of the brewery building a million and a half dollar plant in Whitehorse in the next year.
September 12, 1952 The sidewalk from Steele Street to the school on Fourth Avenue is paved.
September 12, 1952 The City of Whitehorse signs a 20 year exclusive franchise with the Yukon Electrical Company Ltd.
September 19, 1952 The Board of Trade set October 27 to November 1 as radio week in Whitehorse. Goal is to raise money for the radio station.
September 26, 1952 The Whitehorse Inn opens one of Canada's most modern cocktail lounges.  They call it the Rainbow Cocktail Lounge.  All equipment and decor were of the latest, modern in every respect.
September 26, 1952 The Whitehorse Star is available in Mayo and Keno.
October
October 17, 1952 Chapman's Shoe Store moves their present store from Main Street near Fourth Avenue to Fourth and Wood Street.
October 17, 1952 A group of citizens organize the S.P.C.A. in Whitehorse to establish an animal care facility in the city.
October 24, 1952 On October 10, 1952, the Whitehorse Rifle and Pistol Club elected the following officers for the year: President, re-elected Mr. G. I. Cameron; Vice President, "Kit" Squirechuk; Secretary, Charlie Rosenberg; Treasurer, Ione Cameron.
October 24, 1952 Harold Koffman is elected president by acclamation of the Whitehorse Liberal Association on October 21, 1952.
October 31, 1952 An Order-in-Council, passed by the Government of Canada on May 14, 1952, creates the "Eagle Plain and Peel Plateau Reservation".
November
November 14, 1952 Mr. W.G. Brown, former Administrator for the Northwest Territories, has been appointed as Commissioner for the Yukon replacing Fred Fraser.
November 14, 1952 G.I. Cameron is appointed Sanitary Inspector of the Yukon.
November 14, 1952 The Yukon Ski Runners elect the following officers for the coming year: President, Odin Hougen; Vice-President, Emie Viegel; Secretary, Barbara Mamen; Treasurer, Maisie Stegelman.
November 21, 1952 On November 10, 1952, the newly formed Humane Society elects the following officers for the coming year: President, Mrs. B. Craig; First Vice-President, Jean Mutch; Second Vice-President, R. J. Friend; Treasurer - Mrs. G. Dickson; Secretary - Mrs. Wilson.
November 21, 1952 Mr. Bert Boyd, President of the Whitehorse Curling Club, announces that, except for the installation of the lights in the clubroom, this year's work on the new curling club is completed.  A caretaker was hired and flooding operations on the rink have started.
November 28, 1952 The B.C.-Yukon chamber of Mines held their annual meeting.  Forty members were present.  President, Mr. Gordon Lee; First Vice-President, Gordon Dickson; Second Vice-President, Pete Versluce; Secretary-Treasurer, A.K. Farley.
November 28, 1952 The Morley River Lodge and Filling Station, at Mile 777, Alaska Highway, is destroyed by fire on November 27, 1952.  Clyde Wann owned the lodge and it was partially covered by insurance.
December
December 13, 1952 Santa arrives at Hougen's Toyland.
December 19, 1952 The Whitehorse Lodge B.P.O. Elks, No. 306, hold their annual installation meeting at the Elks Hall and the following officers were elected: Exalted Ruler - Leo Lortie; Immediate Past Exalted Ruler - Frank Mikusch; Leading Knight - Dick Carswell; Loyal Knight - Jack Connelly; Lecturing Knight - Don MacPhail; Esquire - George Webber; Historian - Reg Brynlund; Chaplain - Andy Borland; Inner Guard - Frank Dodsworth; Tyler- Chuck Schram; Trustees - Hugo Seaholm, J. J. Elliot, H. Brunlees.