Philip A. Chester (1896-1976)

Abstract

Philip A. Chester, former head of the Hudson's Bay Company in North America, who died in Winnipeg on 23 August 1976 at the age of 80, was a founder of the Arctic Institute of North America and a member of its original Board of Governors. He was a firm believer in the importance of scientific research in the North and his Company was the first to support the new Institute financially. He took his responsibilities as a Board member seriously, providing wise counsel to its early officers and assistance to its members working in the field, at a time when government services in the North were few and far between. ... Recognizing that modernization of the fur trade depended for its success on transportation and communication, Philip Chester introduced the use of Company aircraft at a time when there were no aids to navigation and precious few maps. He equipped the trading posts with radio and employed progressive architects to design buildings suited to the special problems of northern construction. He cared very much for the welfare of his employees and provided better housing, special fringe benefits, and such humanizing touches as prizes for the best post gardens. Young Canadian apprentices were recruited for the first time, and the personnel, wherever they might be, soon understood that Mr. Chester not only required good performance but also took a direct interest in them. The Hudson's Bay Company was not alone in changing with the times. Reform of northern government was also on the way, though slower in getting started and uncertain in its direction. When in the nineteen fifties education, health, housing, transportation, and much more were at last acknowledged to be public responsibilities, the old Company did not, as it might well have done, stand in the way of change. When the history of the Canadian North in the present century comes to be written, the name of Philip Chester of the Hudson's Bay Company will stand high among those who led in reforming its administration and improving the conditions of those who live there.