Remembering Rolf Hougen, pioneering entrepreneur and 'true Yukoner'
Hougen, who played a big role in the territory's history and evolution over decades, died last week at 95
Rolf Hougen, the Whitehorse businessman, broadcasting pioneer, historian and philanthropist, is being remembered as a "true Yukoner" and a towering figure in the territory's history.
"He was so influential on so many fronts, but I was always impressed by how forward-thinking [he was]. It wasn't just his projects and his family businesses, but he realized they could only thrive ... [by] making the Yukon better, making the Yukon thrive," said Helene Dobrowolsky, a friend and historian who wrote The Hougen Family in the Yukon in 2012.
"He was always looking ahead to what was good for the Yukon."
Hougen, who died last week at 95, opened his first retail store in Whitehorse in 1944 and it soon grew into a full department store. From there, Hougen built and expanded his businesses to include a radio station, the North's first satellite television network, a car dealership and more. The Hougen Group of Companies is still thriving.
"Rolf was a true Yukoner with deep roots in the territory, whose contributions spanned generations and profoundly shaped our community," said Premier Ranj Pillai in a statement last week.
"With the support of his wife Marg, Rolf's impact on the Yukon is unparalleled. He had a significant impact on many aspects of life in the Yukon and his legacy will continue to shape the future of our territory."
In 1958, Hougen founded WHTV ("Northern Television Systems Limited") in Whitehorse, the first cable station in the territory to broadcast local news and sports. The Klondike Broadcasting Company followed a decade later, and began broadcasting as radio station CKRW in 1969.
Bobby Ferris, the current director of operations and programming at CKRW ("The Rush"), recalled that even into his 90s, Hougen would still drop by the station and stay in touch.
"He was still sticking his head in and making sure that everybody was doing OK. And, you know, asking about the news department and the stories that were being made," Ferris said.
"I remember the first time that I met him, you know, he took the opportunity to come in and meet the new morning show host ... it was like meeting royalty, for me at the time."
Dobrowolsky also remembers Hougen as a passionate photographer who spent a lifetime documenting not just his own family and businesses, but also the evolution of the territory. Years ago, he had mentioned to her that he had a lot of historical photos that she might be interested in. At the time, she was busy with other projects and "kind of demurred."
"And then as I learned from his children, he's a very patient man and very persistent. And 10 years later, he invited me over, showed me all the Yukon photos, memorabilia, the incredible photos he had taken, from the time he was a teenager — and I was hooked," she recalled.
"And not only the photos, but he had taken photocopies of newspaper articles relating to major milestones, not only in the family businesses, but also what was happening."
Hougen's appreciation for history also inspired another one of his lasting legacies, visible to anyone who walks down Whitehorse's Main Street: a series of hand-sculpted busts, honouring famous and influential Yukoners including Pierre Berton, Martha Black, Ted Harrison and Angela Sidney.
Hougen also established the Yukon Foundation in 1980 to help Yukoners pursue higher education and research, and donated the 4,500-square-foot basement level of the Hougen Centre in Whitehorse to the Yukon Arts Society.
He also organized the first winter carnivals in Whitehorse in the 1940s, which evolved into the Yukon Rendezvous.
Family man
Hougen was made an officer of the Order of Canada in 1987, and in 2019 was among the first group named to the new Order of Yukon.
Still, despite his prominence and his busy life, Hougen was above all else "a family man," according to his son, Kelly Hougen.
"He always put his family first. Business, and his interest in the Yukon history, and all those other projects were secondary to his family," Kelly said.
Still, Kelly has vivid memories of his dad's passion for business and how it helped create a family of entrepreneurs. Rolf was always looking for new ventures, new challenges.
"If he thought it was a good idea, he'd run with it. He didn't just talk about it and let it slide. He grabbed it and ran with it, and for the most part did very well," Kelly said.
"I remember going down the highway with him, a bunch of us children, and he visited stations along the way, Fort Nelson, Fort St. John, etcetera — just to get ideas and all that, in advance of them actually starting CKRW in 1969."
Kelly said that ultimately, his dad just "wanted to build a better community."
"To his dying day, he still wished for that. We had several meetings on future projects and current projects and it was all about community," Kelly said.
He says the family has been "buoyed" by an outpouring of support since last week.
"Many individuals with amazingly kind words, and organizations as well ... they just flooded us with emails, texts, etcetera," Kelly said.
"So that was pretty special — and our family would like to thank everybody, for every word they said."
A celebration of life for Rolf Hougen is planned for Sep. 22, 2 to 5 p.m., at the MacBride Museum in Whitehorse.
With files from Elyn Jones and George Maratos