Kenneth Gilmour 'Ken' Whillans (8 August 1927 – 24 August 1990) served as

Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...

of the

City of Brampton Brampton ( or ) is a city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Brampton is a city in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and is a lower-tier municipality within Peel Region. The city has a population of 656,480 as of the 2021 Census, making it the ...

from 1982 to 1990.

Personal life and family

Whillans was born in Ottawa. He had a twin brother, Don. Son Doug Whillans has run for public office on multiple ballots, was successful in 2014 and now serves as a City Councillor for Wards 2 and 6.

As alderman

Whillans led efforts to revamp Citizens Advisory Committees while in office as an alderman.

Mayor of Brampton

Whillans was elected mayor in 1982 following the death of James Archdekin, who died while in office of a heart attack. Whillans ran against Terry Miller in the two-man race. Leo Archdekin was favoured as a candidate by the local media but chose not to run. The same election saw five aldermen win their seats by acclamation.

Possible replacement for Davis as MPP

With Premier of Ontario William G. Davis announcing that he would not seek re-election in the

1985 Ontario general election The year 1985 was designated as the International Youth Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** The Internet's Domain Name System is created. ** Greenland withdraws from the European Economic Community as a result of a ...

, Whillans considered seeking the Progressive Conservative nomination in the Brampton riding against

Bob Callahan Robert V. Callahan (April 11, 1937–December 26, 2020) is a former politician from Ontario, Canada. He served as a Liberal member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1985 to 1995 representing the ridings of Brampton and Brampton South. ...

, an alderman on Brampton city council since 1969, who had won the Liberal party nomination. Future Brampton mayor Peter Robertson would lose the nomination to

Jeff Rice ''The Night Stalker'' is an American made for television horror film which aired on ABC on January 11, 1972 as their ABC Movie of the Week. In the film, an investigative reporter, played by Darren McGavin, comes to suspect that a serial kille ...

, despite being favoured in polls.Robertson the leader, poll shows
/ref> Rice ultimately lost to Callahan (45.6%) in the

Death

Whillans drowned while vacationing with his family in

Prince Edward Island Prince Edward Island (PEI; ) is one of the thirteen Provinces and territories of Canada, provinces and territories of Canada. It is the smallest province in terms of land area and population, but the most densely populated. The island has seve ...

, on 24 August 1990. He was replaced as mayor by Alderman Paul Biesel. Biesel stood for re-election, but later dropped out of the running.

Legacy

Whillans has several landmarks named in his honour in Brampton and in adjacent Caledon: * The

Ken Whillans Resource Management Area Ken or KEN may refer to: Entertainment * ''Ken'' (album), a 2017 album by Canadian indie rock band Destroyer. * ''Ken'' (film), 1964 Japanese film. * ''Ken'' (magazine), a large-format political magazine. * Ken Masters, a main character in t ...

which is a provincially significant wetland swamp stretching for 48 km from Terra Cotta to Palgrave, from the Caledon Trailway to the Credit River, on the eastern boundary of Inglewood village, and is officially part of the town of Caledon. * Ken Whillans Square located at 2 Wellington Street West adjacent to Brampton City Hall of Brampton Ontario and houses the Brampton Cenotaph *

Ken Whillans Drive Ken or KEN may refer to: Entertainment * ''Ken'' (album), a 2017 album by Canadian indie rock band Destroyer. * ''Ken'' (film), 1964 Japanese film. * ''Ken'' (magazine), a large-format political magazine. * Ken Masters, a main character in t ...

runs parallel to the Etobicoke Creek Trail between Vodden Street and Church Street. * The

Whillans Lake Whillans may refer to: * Don Whillans (1933–1985), British rock climber and mountaineer. * Ken Whillans (1927–1990), Canadian politician and mayor of Brampton, Ontario. * The Whillans Ice Stream Whillans Ice Stream () is a glaciological featu ...

off of Highway 10 north of Brampton near Caledon, Ontario * The 'Butterfly' is a 4 ft x 6 ft painting owned by the Corporation of the City of Brampton, and on view in their city hall. The butterfly in this work is symbolic of the late Ken Whillans; if the viewer blocks out the butterfly from their vision, the entire mood of the painting apparently changes, signifying the loss felt by the citizens of Brampton. * ''

Whillans Gate Whillans may refer to: * Don Whillans (1933–1985), British rock climber and mountaineer. * Ken Whillans (1927–1990), Canadian politician and mayor of Brampton, Ontario. * The Whillans Ice Stream Whillans Ice Stream () is a glaciological featu ...

'' is a 122 unit development built in 1991. It is located near the corner of Queen and Kennedy Streets in Brampton.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Whillans, Ken 1927 births 1990 deaths Mayors of Brampton