Geoffrey Roberts Bidlake (1900 – 1968)
Jeff Bidlake was born in Gloucestershire, England and his family moved to Canada in 1904. Jeff came to Yukon in 1919 and worked with the White Pass & Yukon Route in Carcross as a baggage man, on the sternwheeler Tutshi as a fireman, and on other river boats as a purser. He joined the WP&YR freight office in 1937 and moved to Mayo in 1939. Bidlake worked with Pan American Airlines for three years, 1942-1945.1)
G.R. Bidlake was elected as the president of the newly formed Yukon Fish and Game Association in February 1945. The vice-president was F.H.R. Jackson, and the secretary-treasurer was W.D. MacBride. The goal of the organization was to protect fish and wildlife in the Yukon.2)
Bidlake started work with the Yukon Territorial Government in 1945, retiring as director of the Game Branch in 1968. He was married to Mary [nee Speer] Bidlake and they had two children, Diane and Larry. The Geoffrey Bidlake collection of photographs is held at the Yukon Archives.3)