Allan L. Higdon | |
---|---|
Acting Mayor of Ottawa | |
In office July, 2000 – December 31, 2000 |
|
Preceded by | Jim Watson |
Succeeded by | Bob Chiarelli |
Personal details | |
Born | 1947 Dublin, Republic of Ireland |
Political party | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario |
Spouse(s) | Willa Rea |
Allan L. Higdon is a former Ottawa City Councillor and acting mayor of Ottawa. He served on council from 1994 through 2000.
Born in Dublin, Republic of Ireland, Higdon immigrated to Canada with his family in 1957 and settled in Kingston, Ontario. He received a BA from Queen's University in English and History, a B.Ed from the University of Toronto, and also became an Associate of the Royal Conservatory of Music (ARCT).
After graduation, Higdon worked with the Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy on a curriculum development project at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE). He subsequently lived in Toronto and southeast Asia, later moving to Ottawa. Higdon began his Ottawa career teaching at Ottawa Technical High School but quickly became involved in politics and started work on Parliament Hill in January 1982 for a Member of Parliament. Employed by the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada from January 1984, he worked in the Canadian federal election, 1984 as a member of the Progressive Conservative National Campaign Committee. Following the campaign, he served three years as Executive Assistant to a Cabinet minister. Higdon then became a self-employed consultant specializing in social and demographic research and communications. From 1988 to 1994 he was employed as a Senior Analyst for the Department of Communications.
Active in local politics in the Ottawa municipal election, 1994, Higdon was elected to the Ottawa City Council representing the Alta Vista-Canterbury Ward. He was re-elected in the Ottawa municipal election, 1997 by acclamation and appointed Deputy Mayor of Ottawa for the term 1997-2000.