Ben Franklin (1942–March 22, 2003) was
mayor of the city of
Nepean, Ontario from the
1978 municipal election to 1997. Nepean became part of the city of
Ottawa
Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...
in 2001.
He was born in
Elgin, Ontario in 1942. He graduated from
Carleton University with a
BA in 1971 and became a high school geography teacher. In 1973, he was elected to Nepean council. In 1975, he ran unsuccessfully as the
Liberal candidate in the riding of
Carleton in the
Ontario general election
This article provides a summary of results for the general elections to the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario's unicameralism, unicameral Legislature, legislative body, the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. The number ...
. As mayor, Franklin established a "pay as you go" policy which brought the city out of debt. He retired in 1997 due to health problems. His executive assistant, Mary Pitt, succeeded him as mayor of Nepean after running a campaign that promised to simply continue Franklin's vision.
He received an
artificial heart in March 2003 but died of
heart failure
Heart failure (HF), also known as congestive heart failure (CHF), is a syndrome, a group of signs and symptoms caused by an impairment of the heart's blood pumping function. Symptoms typically include shortness of breath, excessive fatigue, a ...
later that month at the age of 60.
Ben Franklin Place
Ben Franklin Place is a building complex in the Centrepointe area of Ottawa which houses the Centrepointe Branch of the Ottawa Public Library, the Centrepointe Theatre, and a satellite office for the City of Ottawa. It also includes an outdoor s ...
at
Centrepointe was named after him. He was the first person to be given an honorary key to the new city of Ottawa.
References
1942 births
2003 deaths
Mayors and reeves of Nepean
Carleton University alumni
Ottawa-Carleton regional councillors
Ontario Liberal Party candidates in Ontario provincial elections
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