Marianne Wilkinson
{{Short description|Canadian politician}}
{{BLP sources|date=January 2016}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| image = Marianne Wilkinson.jpg|
| name =Marianne Wilkinson
| caption =
| birth_date = {{birth based on age as of date |38|1976|12|07}}{{cite news|title=Strong turnout picks Wilkinson|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/86768882/the-ottawa-citizen/|access-date=2021-10-09|newspaper=Ottawa Citizen|date=December 7, 1976}}
| birth_place = Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| office1 = Ottawa City Councillor
| term_start1 = December 1, 2006
| term_end1 = December 1, 2018
| predecessor1 = Peggy Feltmate
| successor1 = Jenna Sudds
| office2 = 1st Mayor of Kanata
| term_start2 = 1978
| term_end2 = 1985
| predecessor2 =
| successor2 = Des Adam
| office3 = Reeve of March Township
| term_start3 = 1976
| term_end3 = 1978
| predecessor3 = John Mlacak
| successor3 =
| office4 = March Township Councillor
| term_start4 = 1970
| term_end4 = 1975
| predecessor4 = Willard Morgan, Ronald Andoff, John McIlveen
| successor4 = Bob Kingham, Bill Lund
| party = Progressive Conservative (until 2003)
Liberal (since 2003)
| residence = Beaverbrook
| constituency1 = Kanata North Ward
| majority =
| spouse = Robert Stringer Wilkinson (m. 1961){{cite news|title=Wilkinson-Berton|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/87995779/marriage-of-wilkinson-berton/|access-date=2021-10-29|newspaper=Ottawa Journal|date=August 28, 1961}}
}}
Marianne Margaret Wilkinson{{cite web |url=https://ottawa.ca/en/city-hall/elections/appointment-ward-4-kanata-north#list-applicants-office-councillor-ward-4-kanata-north |title = Appointment for Ward 4 (Kanata North) {{!}} City of Ottawa}} ({{nee|Berton}}) is a Canadian local politician and ex-Councillor for Kanata North (Ward 4) in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. She is known by Kanata residents as the "Mother of Kanata", as she was the first long-term political figure in the city.
Career
Wilkinson was born in Ottawa,{{cite web|url=https://ottawacitizen.com/news/survey-marianne-wilkinson-kanata-north|work=Ottawa Citizen|title=Survey: Marianne Wilkinson, Kanata North |date=11 October 2010|access-date=29 October 2021}} the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Vivian Francis Rowe Berton. The family moved to Calgary when she was nine, but returned 9 years later. She finished high school at Glebe Collegiate Institute. After high school, she graduated in geography from Trinity College, University of Toronto. After university, she began her career as a high school teacher. The family moved to Kanata in 1968 where she immediately joined the Kanata Beaverbrook Community Association. The next year, she was elected to March Township Council, winning 635 votes. She finished in 4th place in the four-seat at-large election.{{cite news|title=Incumbents win reeveship battles in region|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/45789337/the-ottawa-citizen/|access-date=2021-10-29|newspaper=Ottawa Citizen|date=December 2, 1969}} She was a member of the March Township council from 1970 to 1975, the first woman to run for a seat there.{{cite web|url=http://www.metronews.ca/news/ottawa/2016/06/22/take-your-seat-the-quest-for-more-women-in-politics.html|title=Women on Ottawa council offer advice to their 20-year-old selves|work=Ottawa Metro|first=Emma|last=Jackson|date=23 June 2016|access-date=25 June 2016}} At the time of her first election her three children were 5, 2 and 4 months. In 1976 she became the first female Reeve of March Township and the council had a majority of women. In 1978 she helped create an amalgamation of March Township with parts of Goulbourn and Nepean Townships. The name Kanata was approved by a vote of the electorate. From 1978 to 1985, she served as Kanata's first mayor following its incorporation.{{cite book|title=Perspectives on Ottawa's High-tech Sector|page=102|first1=Nickolas|last1=Novakowski|first2=Rémy| last2=Tremblay|year=2007|publisher=Peter Lang}}
Wilkinson served as a mayor for seven years and regional councillor for nine years as Reeve and Mayor, from 1976 to 1985, and returned for a further term as a councillor in Kanata from 1991 to 1994. In 1994 she ran to represent Kanata at the Regional Municipality of Ottawa Carleton, but lost to Alex Munter.{{citation needed|date=June 2016}} After Kanata was amalgamated with Ottawa in 2001, Wilkinson was elected to Ottawa City Council in the 2006 election. She was re-elected as councillor of Ward 4, Kanata North, in the 2010 and 2014 Ottawa municipal election.{{cite web|url=https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/kanata-north|work=Ottawa Citizen|title=Longtime councillor Marianne Wilkinson holds the fort in Kanata North|first=Andrew|last=Seymour|date=27 October 2014|access-date=25 June 2016}}
Wilkinson announced on March 6, 2018, that she would not run for re-election.{{cite web| url = http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/coun-marianne-wilkinson-calling-it-quits-1.4563951| title = Coun. Marianne Wilkinson calling it quits {{!}} CBC News}} but return to community service. She is working to create a health hub in Kanata to provide needed medical services; as a consultant to provide advice to municipal audit committees and as Warden for St. John's Anglican church. She continues to support many community groups as well.
In 2021, Wilkinson applied for her old position as city councillor for Kanata North, after city council decided to appoint a councillor rather than hold a by-election after the seat was vacated by her successor, Jenna Sudds. In a city council vote, Wilkinson lost to Cathy Curry, 12–8.{{cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/kanata-north-councillor-cathy-curry-1.6244627|work=CBC Ottawa|title=Former school board trustee Cathy Curry selected as Kanata North councillor|date=10 November 2021|access-date=11 November 2021}}
Wilkinson used to be a Progressive Conservative, and served on the PC Party's Provincial Executive. She left the party in 2003. She then ran in the 2003 provincial election as a Liberal and finished second against Norm Sterling with 23,466 votes (38.79%).{{citation needed|date=June 2016}}
As a lifetime volunteer she helped in creating the Kanata Food Cupboard, the Western Ottawa Community Resource Centre, the Kanata Choral Association among others. She served on executives of the Council of Women at the local, provincial and national levels; on the Canadian Federation of University Women executive in Kanata and nationally; and supported many other local organizations. During her years on municipal councils she served on the executive of the Association of Municipalities in Ontario becoming president in 1985 and on the Board of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities. When not in elected office she worked for Parks Canada, as a Realtor and for non profit organizations. Wilkinson is a long-time resident of Kanata and a veteran public servant in the former city.
Personal life
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20060806133942/http://www.mariannewilkinson.com/ Official webpage]}}
- [https://archive.today/20130115220022/http://ottawa.ca/en/city_hall/councilcommittees/mayor_council/councillors/m_wilkinson/ City biography]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wilkinson, Marianne}}
Category:Ontario Liberal Party candidates in Ontario provincial elections
Category:Reeves of March Township
Category:University of Toronto alumni
Category:Women mayors of places in Ontario
Category:Politicians from Calgary
Category:Canadian schoolteachers