Dan Allen (Ontario politician)

Dan Allen is a former municipal politician in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. He served as a member of city council from 1994 to 1997.

Allen was born in Windsor, and was a career civil servant with Canada Manpower before entering political life. He took a leave of absence to work as executive assistant to Windsor Mayor John Millson from January to September 1990.[1] He later co-organized a roast for Millson when he retired as mayor in 1991.[2] Allen was board chairman of Windsor's United Way, and served on Windsor's casino tourism task force in the early 1990s.[3] He received a Governor General's Award in 1993.[4]

Allen was elected to the Windsor City Council in the 1994 municipal election, winning the second of two seats in Ward One. He was endorsed by the Windsor Labour Council,[5] was forty-four years old at the time of his election, and was generally supportive of the existing council's direction.[6] Allen was described as an adept political negotiator, and was a personal friend and ideological ally of Mayor Mike Hurst.[7]

Allen was appointed to the city's planning advisory committee after the vote.[8] He continued working in the public service during his term on council, and was named director of the Windsor Human Resources Centre in April 1996.[9] He was defeated by Mike Roach in the 1997 municipal election, and was appointed to the Windsor Police Services Board in March 1998.[10]

Allen is a Black Canadian, and announced plans to create a business mentorship program for black Canadian youth in 1999.[11] When he was appointed to the police board in 1998, he indicated that he does not support affirmative action policies.[10]

Footnotes

  1. ^ "Mayor picks Allen as assistant", Windsor Star, 12 January 1990, A3; "Mayor to get new assistant", Windsor Star, 26 September 1990, A5.
  2. ^ "Outgoing mayor must face payback at roast", Windsor Star, 19 October 1991, A5.
  3. ^ Paul Vieira, "Busted!: Crime Stoppers fines 'warm' judge's heart", Windsor Star, 14 May 1993, A3; Ellen van Wageningen, "Dan Allen declares council bid", Windsor Star, 4 May 1994, A3.
  4. ^ "Allen running for Ward 1 seat", Windsor Star, 13 October 1994, A5.
  5. ^ "Labor council releases its picks for election '94", Windsor Star, 19 October 1994, A5.
  6. ^ Ellen van Wageningen, "Crowded field vies for two council seats", Windsor Star, 7 November 1994, A5.
  7. ^ Ellen van Wageningen, "Rookie councillors have style of their own", Windsor Star, 10 June 1995, E1.
  8. ^ Ellen van Wageningen, "Employment Centre relocation", Windsor Star, 17 February 1995, A1.
  9. ^ John Laycock, "Promotion has city councillor performing some double duty", Windsor Star, 29 April 1996, B6.
  10. ^ a b Blair Crawford, "Allen named to police board", Windsor Star, 11 March 1998, A3.
  11. ^ Gary Rennie, "Black leaders to mentor youngsters", Windsor Star, 1 March 1999, A3.