Memorable Manitobans: Hugh Stewart Fraser (1921-1996)

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Hugh Stewart Fraser
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Geologist.

Born at Winnipeg on 12 June 1921, one of nine children of William Alexander Fraser (1890-1969) and Ragnheidur Gudbjorg “Hazel” Thorvaldsdóttir (1895-1985), he grew up at Great Falls. As a young man, he worked for the Winnipeg Electric Company before serving overseas as an aircraft electrician in the Royal Canadian Air Force during the Second World War.

After his military service, he worked for the Geological Survey of Canada and then INCO in summers while attending the University of Manitoba. After receiving a BSc degree, he was hired permanently by INCO and worked as an exploration geologist in northern Manitoba and other places in northern Canada. As a geophysical party leader, he and his crew were instrumental in the discovery in 1956 of the ore body that led to the development of the City of Thompson. In 1980, he transferred to INCO's Winnipeg office where he researched and later wrote the book A Journey North: The Great Thompson Nickel Discovery (1985). He retired in 1982.

He was married twice, first to Anne Doreen Hyde (1927-1977) with whom he had two sons and a daughter. His second wife was Maria Dehane (1933-2011).

He died at Winnipeg on 6 January 1996.

Sources:

Marriage registration [William Alexander Fraser, Ragnhildur Gudbjorg Thorsteinsson], Manitoba Vital Statistics.

Obituary [William Alexander Fraser], Winnipeg Free Press, 6 March 1969, page 34.

Obituary [Anne Doreen Fraser], Winnipeg Free Press, 24 June 1977, page 32.

Obituary [Hazel Fraser], Winnipeg Free Press, 13 August 1985, page 71.

Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 10 January 1996, page 25.

Obituary [Maria Dehane Frerking], The Monitor.

Community Memories from Hugh S. Fraser, Heritage North Museum.

We thank Stuart Fraser for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 14 June 2022

Memorable Manitobans

Memorable Manitobans

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