Tim Rigby (politician)

Timothy H. Rigby is a politician in Ontario, Canada. He served as Mayor of St. Catharines from 1997 to 2006, and is currently a Niagara Regional Councillor.

Tim Rigby
Mayor of St. Catharines, Ontario
In office
1997–2006
Preceded byAlan Unwin
Succeeded byBrian McMullan

Rigby is an insurance broker in private life, and was a partner with the Rose, Horne and Stevenson Group from 1979 to 1997.[1] He has also been active in the sports community, serving as the president of Rowing Canada and leading a successful drive for St. Catharines to host the 1999 World Rowing Championships.[2] In 1996, he was inducted into the St. Catharines Sports Hall of Fame.[3]

Rigby was endorsed by outgoing Mayor Alan Unwin in 1997, and defeated city councillor Rick Dykstra by a significant margin. As Mayor of St. Catharines, he received an automatic position on the Niagara Regional Council. He was re-elected without opposition in 2000. Rigby has tried to reduce St. Catharines's traditional dependence on industry, and to permit diversification in the high-tech sector.[4] He nonetheless joined with other southern Ontario mayors to seek federal and provincial assistance for Canada's automotive sector in 2002.[5]

He was narrowly re-elected in 2003, defeating rival candidate Wendy Patriquin by 54 votes. Rigby was 63 years old during this campaign.[6]

Rigby supported the 2005 merger of Hamilton Hydro Inc. and St. Catharines Hydro Utility Services Inc., which created the third-largest electricity distribution company in Ontario.[7] He has also given support in principle to plans for a ferry service from St. Catharines to Toronto.[8] In June 2006, he led council in approving a controversial seventeen-storey condominium in the Port Dalhousie waterfront area.[9]

On April 25, 2006, Rigby announced that he would not seek a fourth term as mayor. He instead sought direct election to the Niagara Regional Council, and was narrowly defeated for the sixth and final regional seat in St. Catharines. Rigby was, however, appointed to Regional Council as St. Catharines' sixth representative, replacing Peter Partington who will serve as Regional Chair.[10]

Electoral record
2006 St. Catharines municipal election, Niagara Regional Councillor (six elected)
Candidate Total votes % of total votes
(x)Judy Casselman 18,666 13.71
(x)Peter Partington 16,771 12.32
(x)Michael R. Collins 16,416 12.06
(x)Brian Heit 16,273 11.95
(x)Bruce Timms 15,473 11.37
(x)Ronna Katzman 13,846 10.17
(x)Tim Rigby 13,137 9.65
N. Carlos Garcia 10,301 7.57
Rob Hesp 8,145 5.98
Bart Brouwer 7,091 5.21
Total valid votes 136,119 100.00

Electors could vote for six candidates.
Percentages are determined in relation to the total number of votes.

2003 St. Catharines municipal election, Mayor
Candidate Total votes % of total votes
(x)Tim Rigby 9,558 31.81
Wendy Patriquin 9,504 31.63
Rondi Craig 9,189 30.59
Mark Klimchuk 1,166 3.88
Burt Koiter 415 1.38
Boris Petrovici 212 0.71
Total valid votes 30,044 100.00
2000 St. Catharines municipal election, Mayor
Candidate Total votes % of total votes
(x)Tim Rigby acclaimed -
1997 St. Catharines municipal election, Mayor
Candidate Total votes % of total votes
Tim Rigby 14,193 42.32
Rick Dykstra 11,181 33.34
Tom Derreck 8,162 24.34
Total valid votes 33,536 100.00

The 2003 results are taken from the City of St. Catharines website, available here. The 1997 results are taken from the Hamilton Spectator, 11 November 1997, B9. The final official results were not significantly different.

Footnotes
  1. Tim Rigby mayoral biography page, City of St. Catharines, accessed 18 September 2006.
  2. "Canadian rowers are blown away", Toronto Star, 22 September 1988, A3 and Bill Dunphy, "Fort Erie, St. Catharines have new men in charge", Hamilton Spectator, 11 November 1997, B9.
  3. Brude Huff, "Runners get last chance for a record", Toronto Star, 6 November 1996, B11.
  4. Madhavi Acharya-Tom Yew, "Garden City outgrows its heavy-industry past", Toronto Star, 6 April 2002, E09.
  5. Steve Arnold, "Mayors plead for aid to auto industry", Hamilton Spectator, 13 November 2002, D07.
  6. Kate Harries, "Di Ianni prevails in Hamilton, defeats former NDP minister", Toronto Star, 11 November 2003, A08.
  7. Dave Kewley, "Two utilities in name search for 'MergeCo'", Hamilton Spectator, 17 January 2005, A04.
  8. Paul Legall, "Cross-lake ferry service floated again", Hamilton Spectator, 6 February 2006, A02; Christopher Hume, "Waterfront lessons from down the QEW", Toronto Star, 10 April 2006.
  9. Matt Kruchak, "Controversial lakeside condo OK'd", Hamilton Spectator, 29 June 2006, A4.
  10. City selects Rigby to fill Region council seat
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