Yukon who is who

This page is read only. You can view the source, but not change it. Ask your administrator if you think this is wrong.
Henry Charles “Chuck” Gray (1922 – 2006)
	
Chuck Gray came to the Yukon from the NWT in the 1950s when the Royal Canadian Corp of Signals was moved to Dawson.(("Henry Charles (Chuck) Gray (1922-2006)." //The Klondike Sun// (Dawson), 26 April 2006.)) There was no radio signal in Dawson and Gray and a few signalmen [including Bill Bushell] decided to change that. Gray had a room on the second floor of the Pearl Harbour Hotel. He had a new 45 rpm record player and a one-watt transmitter. They hooked up the record player to the transmitter, dropped a wire out Gray’s window, and they were on the air. They could reach all of Dawson but not as far as Bear Creek. They had no call sign, just Dawson City Radio at 1450 on the dial. Radio sales in town increased although the transmission was spotty at first and there was not a lot of variety in the music.((Dan Davidson, “The Clandestine Beginnings of CFYT." //Klondike Sun// (Dawson), 8 August 1997.))

Things went well until the lads received a letter from Ottawa demanding they stop the signal and destroy the equipment. Dawson citizens and the Chamber of Commerce put pressure on Ottawa and local politicians and Ottawa withdrew its edict. Ottawa shipped out a 100-Watt transmitter and a technician to install it up by the cemeteries where the Signal Corps transmitter was located. They called the new station CFYT for “Canadian Forces Yukon Territory.” The name continued until the station closed in the 1960s and then was used again in 1982 when the Dawson City Community Radio Society was formed.  The early CFYT played stacks of American Armed Forces Radio programming on sixteen-inch transcription disks. The disks ran about a half an hour and the signalmen would check in to change the record.((Dan Davidson, “The Clandestine Beginnings of CFYT." //Klondike Sun// (Dawson), 8 August 1997.))
	
Gray stayed on in Dawson when the Royal Canadian Corp of Signals became Aeradio, managing the airport control. Chuck and his wife Lena (Tommie) lived in Pierre Berton's old house. They started the Robert Service Motel at the other end of the same block. They were also the owners of the Orpheum Theatre on Front Street for some time, and they were very active in the community.(("Henry Charles (Chuck) Gray (1922-2006)." //The Klondike Sun// (Dawson), 26 April 2006.)) Lena ran in the 1958 Dawson municipal election. She may have been the first woman to run for public office in the municipality.((//Whitehorse Daily Star// (Whitehorse), 9 January 1958.))
The Grays left Dawson in the 1960s and moved to Sooke, BC where Chuck again became very involved in the community. He had a great sense of humour and, despite failing health, kept a positive outlook.(("Henry Charles (Chuck) Gray (1922-2006)." //The Klondike Sun// (Dawson), 26 April 2006.))