Claudette Millar

Claudette Millar (February 3, 1935 - February 10, 2016) was a Canadian politician, most noted as the first mayor of Cambridge, Ontario.[1]

Millar was born February 3, 1935 in Belleville.[2] She grew up primarily in Kitchener after relocating there with her family as a child.[3][1][4] She obtained her pilot and driving licenses at age 16.[5] Following graduation from Kitchener Collegiate Institute, Millar when on to study at Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi.[5] She graduated in with a bachelor of arts.[6][2]

Millar was elected mayor of Preston in 1969, becoming Canada's youngest mayor at 35.[5][7] When Preston, along with Galt, Hespeler and Blair, was amalgamated into Cambridge in 1973, Millar was elected the city's first mayor.[1] She served two non-consecutive terms: from 1973 until 1974 and again from 1978 to 1988.[8]

As mayor, Millar was noted particularly for her work in preserving the city's cultural and environmental heritage.[1][3] She opposed the construction of a freeway bypass which would have disrupted parkland in the city, including the Dumfries Conservation Area and the Rare Charitable Reserve.[9]

She was a three-time Ontario Liberal Party candidate for the electoral district of Cambridge, losing to Monty Davidson in the 1975 election and the 1977 election, and to Mike Farnan in the 1987 election.[10] She sought the Liberal nomination for Cambridge again in the 1999 election, but lost to Jerry Boyle.[11]

Following the end of her term as mayor, Millar was appointed to the Ontario Municipal Board.[12][1] In 2003 she returned to municipal politics, winning election to a seat on Waterloo Regional Council.[13][1] In that role, she was instrumental in bringing the Toyota plant to Cambridge.[6] She held the role until announcing her retirement in 2014.[14] In 2015 Millar was inducted into the Region of Waterloo's Hall of Fame.[7][15][3]

Millar died February 10, 2016 of stomach cancer.[4][1][16] She was buried at the Blair Cemetery in Cambridge, Ontario.[2] In November 2017, University of Waterloo announced the naming of a recently opened residence building as Claudette Millar Hall.[17]