Yukon who is who

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Florence Esther “Flo” Whyard, nee Elliot (1917 – 2012)
	
Flo Elliot was born in London, Ontario to Henrietta Shafer and William Elliot. William served during the First World War and worked for the //London Free Press// for twenty-five years, spending time in the Press Gallery in Ottawa and the Gallery at Queen’s Park in Toronto.((Joyce Hayden, //Yukon’s Women of Power.// Windwalker Press, 1999: 129.))
	
Flo received a BA from the University of Western Ontario in 1938. She was a licensed pilot and wanted to join the Royal Canadian Air Force during the Second World War but was told that women were not accepted. She joined the Women’s Royal Canadian Naval Service and was a public relations officer, parlaying some of her assignments into articles for //Canadian Geographic.//((John Thompson, “Yukoner Flo Whyard: 1917 to 2012.” //Yukon News// (Whitehorse), 25 April 2012.)) She and James Whyard were married in in 1944 and they moved to Yellowknife in 1945. Flo worked as a freelance reporter and raised their three children.((Yukon Archives, biographical sketch, Flo Whyard fonds.))

Flo and Jim arrived in Whitehorse in 1954. Flo wrote for the //Whitehorse Star// and eventually became the editor [1964-1971].((John Thompson, “Yukoner Flo Whyard: 1917 to 2012.” //Yukon News// (Whitehorse), 25 April 2012.)) She was the Canadian editor of the //Alaska Magazine// and the //Milepost// from 1971 to 1974.((Yukon Archives, biographical sketch, Flo Whyard fonds.)) She drove 10,000 miles each season for The Milepost travel guide.((Leslie Hamson, “Whyard and Huijbers honoured.” //The Yukon News// (Whitehorse), 13 February 1998.)) She represented the Alaska Northwest Publishing Co. at Alaska Visitors Association meetings. Flo was a founding board member of the Yukon Visitors Association in 1973-1974, served as the chair of the of the Tourist Committee, Whitehorse Chamber of Commerce in 1973/74. She was the national director of the Council for Canadian Unity and was involved with the Red Cross, the Imperial Order of the Daughters of the Empire, and the Anglican Church.((Yukon Archives, biographical sketch, Flo Whyard fonds.))
	
After criticising the government for years in her articles and commentary, Flo ran as an Independent in the November 1974 Yukon election and won over Liberal-leaning incumbent John Watt. She had no campaign funds, so her little brochure said simply “Go With Flo.” She joined Eleanor Millard, Hilda Watson, and nine men as MLAs on the Yukon Council. Her riding of Whitehorse West went from the Carcross Cutoff on the Alaska Highway to Camp Takhini and included parts of downtown Whitehorse. She described it as having eight gravel pits, four trailer courts, two mountains, half a river, and an airport. Whyard spent six months as ordinary MLA and then, with the Hilda’s Watson’s resignation, she was appointed to the Executive Committee as the Member Responsible for Health, Welfare and Rehabilitation. She created the Pioneer Utility Grant for seniors in 1978, and was able to influence several important changes to social and justice policies.((Joyce Hayden, //Yukon’s Women of Power.// Windwalker Press, 1999: 125-27.)) During her term she was instrumental in getting Macaulay Lodge built for Yukon seniors.((“Whitehorse’s Flo Whyard died.” //CBC News,// 23 April 2012. 2019 website: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/whitehorse-s-flo-whyard-dies-1.1242097))
	
Flo edited and published //Marth Black: Her Story from the Dawson Gold Fields to the Halls of Parliament// in 1982. It was a version of Martha Black’s autobiography //My Seventy Years,// updated and published by Flo during Black’s lifetime as //My Ninety Years// In 1976.

Flo Whyard was elected mayor of Whitehorse in 1981 and served to 1983.((John Thompson, “Yukoner Flo Whyard: 1917 to 2012.” //Yukon News// (Whitehorse), 25 April 2012.)) During her term, two large Yukon mines shut down and White Pass & Yukon Route’s railway service ended.((Yukon Archives, biographical sketch, Flo Whyard fonds.))
Flo Whyard was named to the Order of Canada in 1984. Her book //Canadian Bush Pilot Ernie Boffa// was published in that year. In 1988, Whyard was named Administrator of Yukon, an on-call position when the Yukon Commissioner was absent in peaceful conditions.((Horace E. Heath, “Flo of the Yukon.” //Western Alumni Gazette,// University of Western Ontario, 26 April 2004.))
	 
Flo Whyard founded Beringian Books and edited and published Bill MacBride’s autobiography //All My Rivers Flowed West// in 1991. She also published five locally written and illustrated children’s colouring books on Yukon history. She and Allen A. Wright wrote //Ninety Years North: The Story of the Yukon Electrical Company Limited// for the company in 1991. 

Flo led a campaign to save the Anglican Old Log Church. She lobbied and won to get a Canadian icebreaker named after Martha Black. In 1998, she received the Lifetime Achievement in Heritage Award from the Yukon Historical and Museums Association for her work in recording and preserving Yukon history. She has also received an honourary degree from the University of Western Ontario, for her contributions to northern journalism, and the City of Whitehorse Heritage Award was awarded to both Jim and Flo Whyard. Jim was involved in the efforts to rehabilitate the Old Log Church and Rectory in Whitehorse, and he was a noted photographer.((“Couple honoured.” //The Whitehorse Star// (Whitehorse), 13 August 1986.)) In 1999, Flo was given an Honorary Diploma in Northern Studies during the Yukon College (now Yukon University) graduation ceremonies. It was pointed out that not was Flo familiar with northern history, she has formed it as well.((Nadine Pedersen, “Grads urged to take pride in themselves.” //The Whitehorse Star// (Whitehorse) 14 June 1999.)) The Yukon Transportation Museum exists largely due to her efforts.((Jim Butler, “For this newshound, it was never ‘Go with the Flo’.” //The Whitehorse Star// (Whitehorse), 25 April 2012.)) 

The Yukon’s legislative press gallery is named for Flo Whyard.((John Thompson, “Yukoner Flo Whyard: 1917 to 2012.” //Yukon News// (Whitehorse), 25 April 2012.)) The Yukon Foundation has a fund in Flo Whyard’s name to encourage women planning to enter journalism.