THUNDER BAY – The city said goodbye on Friday to a long-time local icon.
Jack Masters, born John Gerald Mastrangelo in Westfort, passed away at the age of 92. His family announced that his passing was peaceful in Roseview Manor.
Masters worked at CKPR Radio before moving on to television in 1960 where he was a driving force in the company according to Hector Dougall, owner of Dougall Media.
“My father was a 21-year-old kid who was thrust into the position of owning these stations. And it was a pivotal moment in my father's life and what Jack managed to do in his time here was to mentor and support my father through a very difficult time,” he said.
“So, what this meant was that my father was able to run and operate the company and instead of having it sold off basically to somebody likely from out of town, it was able to stay in the Dougall family and maintain local ownership now going into 90-plus years.”
Masters spent many years keeping the people of Fort William and Port Arthur up to date on local happenings, during which the City of Thunder Bay came together during his tenure on the news.
Masters moved his sights to leadership and was elected to the House of Commons in 1980, serving until 1984 as the representative of the Thunder Bay-Nipigon riding. He also served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of State (Mines), Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Communications, and Deputy Whip of the Liberal Caucus.
Following his term in the House of Commons, Masters was elected Mayor of Thunder Bay in 1985, serving two terms. He was one of the few mayors to have never previously served as a City Councillor.
Current Thunder Bay Mayor, Ken Boshcoff, served on council under Masters and said that he was devoted to the city and was a great catalyst for the region.
“People who give commitments like that should be appreciated because when people start thinking about, oh, that was his doing, oh, yeah, he was on that committee, it's important to know how these things happen in a city,” said Boshcoff.
“It takes drivers, organizers and committed people to ensure that, you know, sports, the arts, taking care of other people all happen and Jack, along with being a parent, was just an ideal role model.”
With so many being affected by the legacy of Jack Masters, his family was heartened to see the love that many residents hold for him.
Scott Masters, Jack's son, said that people still recognize him through his father's work.
“When I walk through the city, a lot of the older generation have a real love for him as when he was mayor and he, as I said, his beautification of the city was a big goal for himself. He used to go so far as to drive around the city with a pair of clippers in the back of his car and trim trees and cut grass just to make the city look better,” Scott said.
He added that beyond his love for the city, Jack also had a passion for hockey. Whether behind the scenes with the Port Arthur Bearcats, helping to form the Allan Cup-winning Thunder Bay Twins organization or coaching his sons in recreational hockey, he loved the game and took to the ice himself on many recreational teams.
Only at the age of 88 years did he finally hang up his skates.
For all of Jack’s many achievements, Scott hopes that his father is remembered for his immeasurable kindness.
“Every time you walked into a room for a meeting, whether it be Parliament or as a mayor, he always had a warm welcome for everybody and a great smile on his face.”
