July 7, 1955 - Whitehorse Gal named Miss Canada

She's everybody's sweetheart now

Dalyce Smith (of Whitehorse) last week was named Miss Canada at the annual pageant held this year in connection with centennial celebrations of London, Ontario. Pride of the Yukon, Queen of the Canadian Rockies, she has now been recognized officially from one coast to the other as Queen of them all.

After leaving Whitehorse and getting lost between here and her destination in London, Dalyce took the country by storm. Police in Edmonton and Toronto were searching and found Miss Yukon had missed her flight to London. Newspapers, radio and television made note of the search for Miss Yukon, the missing Northerner. Some were said to have feared Dan McGrew's relatives sent her on the wrong plane to London, England. However, Miss Smith's vivacious personality won out in the end, bringing wonderful credit to the Yukon.

Some say they tested Dalyce with a Geiger counter.

Jaycees are meeting Wednesday, July 13, at 8 p.m. in the Anglican Parish Hall to lay plans for a Yukon reception welcoming Miss Canada back to Whitehorse. The Whitehorse Jaycees have been asked by their national headquarters in Montreal to forward a complete release on the "Put Whitehorse on the Map" campaign which sent Dalyce out to Banff to win the title Miss Canadian Rockies and then on to London where Dalyce won the Miss Canada title, a $1,000 scholarship and the opportunity to enter the Miss America Contest to be held later this summer in Atlantic City.

In preparing for the pageant Dalyce became very conversant with the Yukon in all its various phases of industry and development. She is said to have found this to be helpful in telling those outside about the North, and in correcting false impressions of the potential wealth the Yukon has.

Many wires of congratulation have been sent to Dalyce from the Yukon and all parts of the country. Jaycees are wondering what new river or mountain range will be named after the Yukon's first winner in a beauty contest. Any offers?

Dalyce is scheduled to arrive in Whitehorse, Saturday, July 23. A gala welcome for the new-crowned, blue-eyed Queen is being arranged by the Junior Chamber of Commerce, the hard working group who were instrumental in making the trip to London for the Miss Canada Pageant.

She will be welcomed at the airport by civic officials and Jaycee members and will be entertained at a cocktail party and dance later in the day. Arrangements are being made for a private family dinner at the Whitehorse Inn Blue Room and give Dalyce and her family a chance to come down to earth slowly after her return. The dance, which will be open to all, will be held from 9 to 1 at the Inn Ballroom.

The story of her win was picked up by the news services across Canada and brought a good deal of fame to this territory as well as to the brunette beauty herself. Dalyce, however, is no stranger to this sort of attention, having won the Miss Kitsilano contest a few years ago, and last winter having come back from the Banff Winter Carnival with the Queen of the Canadian Rockies title.

Poetical tribute to Dalyce was unusual recognition paid Dalyce by Maxine Dermody of T and D store on behalf of former fellow employees there: "Our heartfelt wish has just come true, you went and did what we hoped you'd do. We weren't in doubt, not for a minute. We'd seen your stuff, and knew you'd win it. This little verse is just to express, our pride and happiness."

There are many requests from all parts of Canada to meet our first Beauty Queen of the Yukon. Let's call the Yukon: "Home of Miss Canada 1955.