Patricia Doreen “Rusty” Erlam, nee Metson (1923 – 2023)
Rusty Erlam was born on the family farm in Saskatchewan and the family soon moved to Winnipeg, Manitoba. As a teenager, Rusty had many short stories and plays published in the Winnipeg Free Press, and she graduated from Winnipeg College after studying elocution and dramatics. She met her future husband, Bob, when he was soldier in training at Fort Osbourne and she was an “elevator girl” at the Hudson’s Bay Company store. Bob went overseas a few weeks later, and two weeks later Rusty became a member of the Hudson’s Bay Beaver Concert Party travelling through Manitoba entertaining troops at various bases. She made life-long friends with many and gained her nickname “Rusty.”1)
Bob and Rusty were married in 1945 and left on the train for Bob’s hometown of Calgary. Their son, Paul, was born in 1946, and the family moved to Whitehorse in 1947 where there was a promise of work. Rusty joined the PTA Drama Society and acted in and directed their plays. The Whitehorse Drama Club was formed in early 1953. Rusty continued to act and direct while Bob supervised scenery and lighting. In the mid-1960s, Bob was hired as staff artist/photographer/ advertising salesman for the Whitehorse Star and Rusty started working for the Yukon’s Travel and Publicity Department. They became the sole owners of the Whitehorse Star in 1967.2)
The paper progressed from a weekly to a daily publication before the couple opted for semi-retirement leaving the paper in the hands of business manager, 1/3 partner, and longtime friend Jackie Pierce. They travelled and bought a home near Nelson, British Columbia. In 2002, they sold their remaining interest in the Whitehorse Star to Jackie. Rusty and Bob’s ashes lie together in the Yukon Order of Pioneers’ section of the Whitehorse Grey Mountain Cemetery.3)