Don Branigan (1933-1999)
Don Branigan was born in Loverna, Saskatchewan and attended the University of Alberta to receive a MA in psychology and a MD. He interned at Montreal General Hospital and practiced in that city for a year. He moved to Peace River area and practiced in the town of McLellan where he started a newspaper, The McLellan Monitor, and was president of the Chamber of Commerce. He moved to Manning, Alberta and practiced there for three years during which time he was president of the Chamber of Commerce and was elected Mayor. Branigan moved to Whitehorse in 1973.1)
Branigan was first elected mayor of Whitehorse in a 1979 byelection and returned later that year for his first full term. He did not seek re-election in 1981. In 1982, he ran in Whitehorse North Centre for the territorial legislature but lost to Margaret Commodore (Joe). In 1983, he was elected to begin three consecutive terms as mayor. He was found not guilty in 1988 on fifty-one charges related to improper billing. Branigan tried again for the Yukon legislature in 1989, but again lost to Joe. He stepped aside as mayor in 1991 because of charges from the medical community. Branigan was formally disciplined in 1991 and 1994 by the Yukon Medical Council. He lost the election for Mayor in 1994 to Kathy Watson. In 1997, he tried again and again lost to Watson although he won forty percent of the vote. During his career he proposed an ultra-sonic blaster to treat Whitehorse sewage, and performed psychic surgery for a W5 TV show from his Crag Lake ranch outside Carcross. 2)