Don Branigan
Don Branigan | |
---|---|
Mayor of Whitehorse | |
In office 1979–1982 | |
Preceded by | Art Deer |
Succeeded by | Flo Whyard |
In office 1984–1991 | |
Preceded by | Flo Whyard |
Succeeded by | Bill Weigand |
Personal details | |
Born | 1933 Loverna, Saskatchewan, Canada |
Died | (aged 66) Carcross, Yukon, Canada |
Occupation | medical doctor |
Donald W. Branigan (1933 – June 27, 1999) was a Canadian politician and medical doctor, best known as a former mayor of Whitehorse, Yukon.[1] As a medical doctor, he was also noted for his frequent legal conflicts with medical licensing bodies opposed to his use of holistic medical practices such as acupuncture.[2]
Background
[edit]Born in Loverna, Saskatchewan, Branigan trained as a medical doctor at the University of Alberta.[3] Practicing as a rural family doctor, he was mayor of the town of Manning, Alberta,[1] a Liberal Party of Canada candidate for Peace River in the 1968 federal election, and a candidate for the leadership of the Alberta Liberal Party in its 1969 leadership race, before moving to Yukon.[1]
Move to Whitehorse
[edit]He later moved to Whitehorse, where he resumed his medical practice. In this period, he began to introduce holistic therapies into his practice,[1] resulting in frequent conflict with the Yukon Medical Council and other authorities.[3] The Whitehorse General Hospital revoked his hospital privileges in 1979; although they denied that the revocation had anything to do with his holistic practices, they did not publicize an alternate reason.[4] In 1985, the council revoked his license to practice medicine, although it was reinstated a month later.[3] In 1988, the medical council charged him with 103 counts of fraud relating to his medical billing practices,[2] although 42 of the charges were withdrawn in the trial phase and he was acquitted of the other 61 charges in 1989.[5]
Politics
[edit]He ran three times for election to the Yukon Territorial Council, losing in the 1970 election to Norman Chamberlist and in the 1974 election to Willard Phelps. He filed a petition against Phelps' election on conflict of interest grounds, which resulted in Phelps' election being voided in 1975. He then ran in the by-election to succeed Phelps, but lost to Walt Lengerke.
He served as mayor of Whitehorse from 1979 to 1982, and from 1984 to 1991.[1] As mayor, he was noted for some quirky ideas, such as suggesting that Whitehorse handle its sewage treatment needs by building a large ultrasonic blaster,[1] and having a pyramid built over the council chambers at Whitehorse City Hall as a spiritual conduit,[1] but was also highly regarded for his practical focus on economic development in the Yukon — in particular, he frequently called attention to the fact that the territory's wealth of natural resources offered it many opportunities to become more economically self-sufficient by expanding into manufacturing industries.[1]
He ran twice in the electoral district of Whitehorse North Centre for the Legislative Assembly of Yukon, as an independent candidate in the 1982 territorial election and as a Yukon Liberal Party candidate in the 1989 territorial election. Federally, he ran as a Liberal candidate for Yukon in the 1972 election, the 1987 by-election resulting from the retirement of Erik Nielsen[6] and the 1993 election, and as an independent candidate in the 1997 election. He did not win any of the elections to the higher offices.
Upon his retirement as a medical doctor, he moved to Carcross where he died on June 27, 1999, after collapsing from a heart attack.[1][7]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Colourful campaigner 'could hear a writ drop 50 miles away'". The Globe and Mail. July 15, 1999.
- ^ a b "Mayor facing 103 charges in Whitehorse". Vancouver Sun. July 30, 1988.
- ^ a b c "Holistic therapy tries to bring the physical, emotional and spiritual states into healthy balance". Ottawa Citizen. February 7, 1986.
- ^ "Hospital strips Yukon mayor of privileges". The Globe and Mail. May 29, 1979.
- ^ "Whitehorse mayor found innocent of fraud charges". Ottawa Citizen. June 10, 1989.
- ^ "Federal runoffs test strength of three mainstream parties". Toronto Star. July 20, 1987.
- ^ Tobin, Chuck (June 28, 1999). "Branigan was synonymous with politics". The Whitehorse Star. Whitehorse, Yukon. p. 3.
- 1933 births
- 1999 deaths
- Mayors of Whitehorse
- Mayors of places in Alberta
- Canadian general practitioners
- Candidates in the 1968 Canadian federal election
- Candidates in the 1972 Canadian federal election
- Candidates in the 1993 Canadian federal election
- Independent candidates in the 1997 Canadian federal election
- Alberta Liberal Party politicians
- Yukon Liberal Party politicians
- Liberal Party of Canada candidates for the Canadian House of Commons
- People from Saskatchewan
- 20th-century mayors of places in Canada