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Yukon Nuggets

  • Coming to the Rescue of the Sternwheelers, 1973.

1973 Hougen's history

Save the Riverboat Committee

" Cake and Coffee for the Hard Workers: Rolf Hougen, second from right and part of his “save the riverboats committee” were down at the Yukon River this morning to serve cake shaped as a sternwheeler and coffee to the people who are working on face-lifting the sternwheelers Casca and Whitehorse. The work is being done under a FLIP grant which ends at the end of the month, so the workers are tearing in, trying to beat the deadline. The committee, which also includes Laurent Cyr, left, Theresa Smith, Jack Cable, right and others, has applied for an extension of the date. Other committee members are Jim Howatt, Bob Byron, John Scott and Bob Campbell. The Star photographer today said that they have already done a tremendous job on the boats"
– Star photo

In 1970, Rolf Hougen set up a committee to “Save the Riverboats”. By 1973, volunteers and persons employed under the federal government FLIP grants, scraped and painted, restored decks and windows and built high steel fence around the Casca and Whitehorse to protect them.