THUNDER BAY -- Fraser Dougall's first boss says the man was a broadcaster above all.
Former general manager, mayor and MP Jack Masters was working for CKPR in the 1950s when Dougall's father, Hector, put the then 12-year-old under Masters' wing. It was at that early age Masters saw the hard work and dedication Dougall, who passed away Wednesday at 73, would put into the craft for the rest of his life.
Masters said Dougall took that attitude to the ice, where the two played hockey together for years, as a fierce competitor where no body contact was never an option.
"My memories are so great because he was such a fine friend," Masters said. "Everything he took, he took on with zest and with vim and vigor.
"He soldiered on and we're all going to miss him."
Going toe-to-toe with competitors, turning down bigger players looking to take over, no matter what Dougall met it all head-on, a proud and determined man.
Masters remembers when Dougall took over as president of the company at only 21 years old.
Not everyone, especially the financial community, was on board with such a young man at the helm. But they underestimated Dougall at their own peril.
"It took a lot of guts to do what he did," Masters said.
"It was hard work. It took a lot of vision and a lot of business smarts to make it all work and right to the very end his heart was in broadcasting.”
Dougall was also the type of boss who trusted his employees and let them do their jobs.
Retired journalist Gary Rinne worked in the newsroom for more than 30 years.
"He never interfered in the operation of the newsroom, which was important," Rinne said.
MP John Rafferty, who had a radio show with the company for five years, agreed.
Dougall only gave him one piece of advice. An hour before Rafferty's first-ever broadcast, Dougall called him into his office.
"He said 'I just want you to know that I don't like lawyers and I don't want to get any calls from lawyers.' That was all the instruction I got from Fraser Dougall on my radio show."
That hands-off approach didn't mean that Dougall was impersonal.
Rinne said despite having more than 100 employees, Dougall remembered family members' names, spouses or personal situations, asking how people were doing.
"That's a task in and of itself," Rinne said.
All three agree that Dougall's charity work cannot be overstated. Choosing to stay out of the spotlight, they all say the community will probably never fully understand how much Dougall gave back to Thunder Bay.
"He wanted to stay in the background, but had a huge impact," Rafferty said.
"He was the kind of man that you just naturally respected. It's not that he demanded respect or you did because he was the boss. He was someone who you just respected."
