Douglas Leslie Dewey Bell was born in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan on June 15, 1926, and was raised and schooled there along with his six younger siblings; four brothers and two sisters. In 1942, at the age of 17, Bell graduated from high school and joined the Royal Canadian Air Force, where he developed an interest in radio operation and became a wireless air gunner. For the rest of the war he was posted in Edmonton, Calgary, Regina, Winnipeg and Mt. Pleasant, P.E.I. He left the Air Force in 1945 and returned to Moose Jaw where he worked at a dairy and took vocational training, graduating as a Radio Operator. In 1946 he married Pearl Gray, also of Moose Jaw, whom Bell had first met at the age of 16. Also in 1946 Bell began his career with the Ministry of Transportation (M.O.T.) which eventually brought him to Whitehorse, Yukon. He began with postings as a Radio Operator in Beatton River, B.C. (1946-1950), Fort Nelson , B.C. (1950-1956) and Lethbridge, Alta. (1956-1957); and was then an Officer-in-Charge in Watson Lake, Y.T. (1957-1960) and Medicine Hat, Alta. (1960-1968). In 1968 he was appointed Telecommunications Area Manager in Whitehorse, a position he held until 1977. Bell's career took a turn in 1976 when he successfully ran for a seat on the Whitehorse City Council. In 1977 he left M.O.T. when he was appointed to serve as the Yukon's Deputy Commissioner under Commissioner Art Pearson. Upon the resignation in 1979 of Commissioner Ione Christensen, Bell took over her duties in the interim capacity of Administrator. In 1980 Bell officially became the Yukon's 34th Commissioner. He retired from the post in March 1986. Since leaving the Commissioner's office Doug Bell has operated a home based business called Triple Image which offers writing, photography and public speaking services. In 1986 he became publisher of the Yukon News, for which he continues (as of 2003) to write a weekly column. He is a member of the Friends of the Yukon Archives, a chairman of Holland America's Advisory Board since 1986, and editor of the "Sourdough Chronicle" the newsletter of the Yukon Council on Aging. Doug Bell was appointed to the Order of Canada in 1989.