Stuart Milton Hodgson OC (April 1, 1924 – December 18, 2015) was the commissioner of the Northwest Territories (NWT) from March 2, 1967 until April 6, 1979.

Early life

Hodgson was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, the second son of Allan and Mary Hodgson. In 1940, he began to work for the MacMillan lumber company, then left to join the Royal Canadian Navy between 1942 and 1945, where he took part in the Arctic convoys of World War II. For his service, he received the 1939–1945 Star, Atlantic Star and other World War II medals.

After his discharge from the military, Hodgson joined the International Woodworkers of America, served with his union local, and attended an International Labour Organization conference in Geneva as part of the Canadian Congress of Labour.

Honors

Hodgson was appointed as an Officer of the Order of Canada on December 18, 1970 for his service to labour and government. Subsequently he received the Queen's commemorative medals for her silver, golden, and the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (2012); as well as the Canada 125 medal in 1992.

For his services in the NWT, he was presented the public service's Outstanding Achievement Award in 1976.

The Hodgson Trophy was created and awarded beginning in 1978 for fair play and team spirit during the Arctic Winter Games.

References

Further reading

  • Jake Ootes, Umingmak: Stuart Hodgson and the Birth of the Modern Arctic, (Tidewater Press, New Westminster, BC, Canada, 2020),
  • 20th Anniversary Celebration including Commissioner Hodgson
  • My Little Corner of Canada - "The last colonial czar" by John Amagoalik
  • Profile, www.rcmpveteransvancouver.com; accessed February 2, 2019.
  • Obituary, legacy.com; accessed February 2, 2019.
  • Stuart M. Hodgson fonds. Northwest Territories Archives