Bob Callahan

For the American football player, see Bob Callahan (American football). For the Connecticut Supreme Court judge, see Robert Callahan (judge).
Bob Callahan
Ontario MPP
In office
1985–1995
Preceded by Bill Davis
Succeeded by Tony Clement
Constituency Brampton
Personal details
Born April 11, 1937
New York City, New York
Political party Liberal
Spouse(s) Lyn
Children 4
Residence Brampton, Ontario
Occupation Lawyer

Robert V. Callahan (born April 11, 1937) is a politician in Ontario, Canada. He served as a Liberal member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1985 to 1995. From 1969 to 1985, and 1997 onwards, he has served on Brampton Town Council and Brampton City Council.

Background

Callahan has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Toronto and a law degree from Osgoode Hall at York University. He operated a private legal practice in Toronto from 1965 to 1966, when he joined the firm of Beatty, Bowyer & Greenslade in Brampton. In 1969, he became a partner in the Brampton firm of Cook, Callahan & Leschied. Following the departure of partners Cook and Leschied in 1981 and 1989, he continued in private practice. Callahan lives in Brampton with his wife Lyn. Together they raised four boys and have four grandchildren.

Brampton City Council

Callahan served as an alderman on the Brampton City Council from 1969 to 1985, representing Ward 3.

Provincial politics

He ran for the Ontario legislature in the 1977 provincial election, but finished third against Progressive Conservative Bill Davis, the sitting Premier, the riding of Brampton.[1] He challenged Davis again in the 1981 election, and finished a distant second.[2]

Bill Davis retired from the legislature in early 1985, and Callahan was able to win the Brampton seat on his third effort. In the provincial election of 1985, the Progressive Conservatives under Frank Miller were reduced to a minority government as Liberal support increased in much of the province. Callahan defeated PC candidate Jeff Rice in Brampton by over 4,000 votes, and became a backbench supporter of David Peterson's Liberal government after Miller's ministry was defeated in the legislature.[3]

The Liberals won a landslide re-election victory in the 1987 provincial election, and Callahan defeated his nearest opponent by over 11,000 votes in the redistributed riding of Brampton South.[4] He was not appointed to cabinet, and remained in the backbenches.

The New Democratic Party won a majority government in the 1990 provincial election, and the Liberals were reduced to only 36 MPPs. Callahan was one of these, defeating NDP challenger John Scheer by 424 votes.[5] In 1992, he was appointed as his party's critic for Correctional Services.

In 1993, Callahan was a vocal opponent of the NDP government's plans to prohibit the picketing of abortion clinics within Ontario.

In the 1995 provincial election, the Progressive Conservative Party under Mike Harris won a majority government based primarily on support from Greater Toronto Area communities such as Brampton. Callahan lost his own seat to PC candidate Tony Clement, later a provincial cabinet minister and a candidate for the leadership of the Conservative Party of Canada.[6]

Return to city council

Callahan returned to municipal politics after his defeat, and was re-elected for Ward 3 on the Brampton City Council in 1997.[7] He was re-elected as recently as 2010 and presently continues in his role as city councillor.[8]

Callahan is scheduled to be acting Mayor for the City in April 2014, while Mayor Susan Fennell is on leave.[9]

References

  1. "Ontario provincial election results riding by riding". The Globe and Mail. June 10, 1977. p. D9.
  2. Canadian Press (1981-03-20). "Election results for Metro Toronto ridings". The Windsor Star (Windsor, Ontario). p. 22. Retrieved 2014-03-06.
  3. "Results of vote in Ontario election". The Globe and Mail. May 3, 1985. p. 13.
  4. "Results from individual ridings". The Windsor Star. September 11, 1987. p. F2.
  5. "Ontario election: Riding-by-riding voting results". The Globe and Mail. September 7, 1990. p. A12.
  6. "Summary of Valid Ballots by Candidate". Elections Ontario. June 8, 1995. Retrieved 2014-03-02.
  7. "Municipal council results". Toronto Star. November 11, 1997. p. B11.
  8. Khalil, Nouman (October 27, 2010). "Civic elections yield mixed bag for next four years". South Asian Focus (Brampton, Ont). p. 1.
  9. Criscione, Peter (26 March 2014). "Mayor Fennell steps away from duties while husband recovers". The Brampton Guardian (Brampton ON). Retrieved 26 March 2014.

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