Past Commissioner Doug Bell remembered

The Office of the Commissioner of Yukon is saddened to hear of the passing of Doug Bell, former Commissioner of Yukon.

Douglas Leslie Dewey Bell was born in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, on June 15, 1926. In 1942, at the age of 17, Bell joined the Royal Canadian Air Force before he graduated from high school. It was in the Air Force that he developed an interest in radio operation and became a wireless air gunner. He left the Air Force in 1945 and returned to Moose Jaw where he worked at a dairy and took vocational training, graduating as a Radio Operator. In 1946, Bell began his career with the Ministry of Transportation that saw him work in different parts of the country. In 1968, he was appointed Telecommunications Area Manager in Whitehorse, a position he held until 1977.

In 1976, he successfully ran for a seat on the Whitehorse City Council. In 1977, he was appointed to serve as the Yukon’s Deputy Commissioner under Commissioner Art Pearson. Upon the resignation in 1979 of Commissioner Ione Christensen, Bell took over her duties in the interim capacity of Administrator. In 1980, Bell officially became the Yukon’s 34th Commissioner. He retired from the post in March 1986. He was the federal government’s top official in Yukon during one of the most significant transitions in the territory’s history: the final stages of the changeover to responsible government in Yukon. He also convinced the Governor General at the time, Ed Schreyer, to invite the territorial commissioners to the annual Governor General and Lieutenant Governors annual conferences.

After his retirement, Doug chaired many committees such as the Emergency Measures Organization, the Federal Interdepartmental Coordinating Committee (FICC), the Northern Resources Conference and the Hootalinqua Land Use Study. He was also an active member of the Whitehorse Legion, Branch 254 for many years and he enjoyed sharing stories with others. He also operated a home-based business called Triple Image which offered writing, photography and public speaking services. In 1986, he became publisher of the Yukon News. He also wrote a weekly column in the paper. Bell was appointed to the Order of Canada in 1989. In 2020, he received the Order of Yukon and was part of the first group of recipients of this prestigious Yukon award.

The Office of the Commissioner of Yukon sends its love and prayers to his family and all his friends. 

The flags on Government of Yukon Main Administration Building and Taylor House will be flown at half-mast, from Monday, April 19, to Monday, April 26, to mark the passing of former Commissioner Doug Bell.