Fonds - David J. Culham fonds

David J. Culham was born in 1942 in the Town of Collingwood, Ontario and was raised in Stayner. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Sir Wilfred Laurier University in 1966 and a Master's degree in Geography and Planning from the University of Western Ontario in 1967. After graduation he began a teaching career in London, Ontario. Within three years he became an assistant department head in North York and two years later became a department head at Cawthra Secondary School in Mississauga. Culham's interest in local history increased with his move to Peel where the Culham family had been early settlers and business people. Culham was one of the longest serving councillors for Mississauga, spanning 1973-2000. As Regional Councillor he brought his ward and cities concerns to the regional level. He was first elected to Mississauga City Council from 1973-1976. Also during this period, he served on the Metropolitan Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, the Credit Valley Conservation Authority, the Peel Board of Health and numerous other committees. After losing the run for Mayor in 1976, he returned to the Board of Education at The Woodlands High School. He also operated two local businesses - a local sports shop and C.M.S. Equipment Limited. During this time, he served as Chairman for his community's Block Parent Program and as a citizen representative on the Mississauga Planning Committee. He was elected to Council again in 1980 and represented Ward 6 with approximately 100,000 people. David Culham is best known for a number of initiatives including the City of Mississauga's first official plan; the blue box recycling programme; and for a policy of dedication of valley land by developers in Mississauga to allow for the creation of a linear trail system and the preservation of the Credit River Valley. The City honoured him for his environmental preservation policies with the naming of the 15 km David J. Culham Trail. He also worked as a volunteer for the naturalization of parkland including extensive tree planting. His personal papers included in the fonds document his involvement in these and other issues during a period of rapid growth and development in the City of Mississauga.