Donald W. Branigan (1933 – June 27, 1999) was a Canadian politician and medical doctor, best known as a former mayor of Whitehorse, Yukon.
[3] Practicing as a rural family doctor, he was mayor of the town of Manning, Alberta,[1] a Liberal Party of Canada candidate for Peace River in the 1968 federal election, and a candidate for the leadership of the Alberta Liberal Party in its 1969 leadership race, before moving to Yukon.
In this period, he began to introduce holistic therapies into his practice,[1] resulting in frequent conflict with the Yukon Medical Council and other authorities.
[1] As mayor, he was noted for some quirky ideas, such as suggesting that Whitehorse handle its sewage treatment needs by building a large ultrasonic blaster,[1] and having a pyramid built over the council chambers at Whitehorse City Hall as a spiritual conduit,[1] but was also highly regarded for his practical focus on economic development in the Yukon — in particular, he frequently called attention to the fact that the territory's wealth of natural resources offered it many opportunities to become more economically self-sufficient by expanding into manufacturing industries.
Upon his retirement as a medical doctor, he moved to Carcross where he died on June 27, 1999, after collapsing from a heart attack.