William Riggs

William Charles Riggs (September 21, 1896 – December 20, 1973) was a politician in Ontario, Canada. He was a CCF member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1943 to 1945 who represented the southwestern Ontario riding of Windsor—Walkerville. He was a long time municipal councillor and he briefly served as Mayor of Windsor in 1969.

This article is about the Canadian politician. For the judge for the Oregon (U.S.) Supreme Court, see R. William Riggs. For the (U.S) academic and urban planner, see Billy Riggs.

Bill Riggs
26th Mayor of Windsor
In office
1969–1969
Preceded byJohn Wheelton
Succeeded byFrank Wansbrough
Ontario MPP
In office
1943–1945
Preceded byDavid Croll
Succeeded byM.C. Davies
ConstituencyWindsor—Walkerville
Personal details
Born(1896-09-21)September 21, 1896
Bournemouth, England
DiedDecember 20, 1973(1973-12-20) (aged 77)
Windsor, Ontario, Canada
Political partyCCF
SpouseGladys
Children4
OccupationNewspaper printer

Background

Riggs was born in 1896 in Bournemouth, England,[1][2] but moved to Belleville, Ontario, where he was educated.[3] He joined the Canadian Field Artillery in 1915, and spent nearly three years in France during World War I.[3] Riggs trained as a printer in Belleville.[2] Riggs moved to Windsor in 1921,[3] where he worked for 42 years as a linotype printer at the Windsor Star, and retired in 1961. He was highly active as a trade unionist, holding many offices within the Windsor Typographical Union and the Windsor District Trades and Labor Council.[2][3] Riggs was one of the first members of Ontario's Labor Party in the 1930s.[3] In 1935, he accepted his first public position was on the Windsor Library Board.[2]

Riggs was married to Gladys and had two sons and two daughters.[4][3] An apartment building in East Windsor is named after him: Riggs Manor at 4365 Wyandotte Street East.

Provincial politics

Riggs was elected in a CCF sweep in 1943, defeating the Liberal candidate, David Croll.[3] As an MPP, he served on several Legislative Committees including Printing, Game and Fish, Municipal Law, Education, and Labour. He lost his seat in 1945 to the Progressive Conservative candidate Rev. M.C. Davies.[5][3] He was again selected as the CCF candidate for the Windsor-Walkerville riding in the 1948 Ontario election,[5] but lost again to Davies.[2] He subsequently ran for the CCF in the 1949 federal election in Essex East against cabinet minister Paul Martin, Sr.[2] In 1964 he finished second in a provincial election in the riding of Windsor-Sandwich.[2]

Municipal politics

In the 1940s, he was defeated in his first election for alderman in Windsor's Ward 4.[2] He was elected as alderman for Ward Three in Windsor in 1946 and was acclaimed in 1948 and 1950.[2] He was defeated in 1952 and 1954 elections for the Board of Control, but was re-elected as alderman in 1956, a position he held for the following 13 years.[2]

When John Wheelton resigned as mayor of Windsor in 1969, Riggs replaced him for a period of five months. Four alderman received two votes each during the city council vote for a replacement. Riggs won the job by drawing a queen from a pack of cards, the method used to break the tie.[2][6] He was the first mayor to lead the Windsor Santa Claus Parade.[7] He was replaced by Frank Wansbrough at the beginning of 1970.

References
  1. "Guide Parlementaire Canadien". 1944.
  2. Shields, Bill (August 2, 1969). "Bill Riggs calls shots". The Windsor Star.
  3. "William C. Riggs". The Windsor Daily Star. June 25, 1949.
  4. "Deaths- Riggs, William Charles". The Windsor Star. December 20, 1973. p. 49.
  5. "Nominations Given Riggs and Lauzon". The Windsor Daily Star. May 6, 1948.
  6. "Ex-mayor of Windsor dead at 77". The Montreal Gazette. December 21, 1973.
  7. "Windsor Jaycees Santa Claus Parade - History".
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