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Strange but true: Mayor Biggar (with an 'a') was Sudbury's third mayor

New play delves into mysterious episode in Nickel City's history, and Mayor Bigger (with an 'e') is one of the stars
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The third mayor of Sudbury, Murray C. Biggar — bizarrely, his last name is similar to that of the city's current mayor, Brian Bigger — suddenly disappeared from his office on the night of Sept. 14, 1897. (City of Greater Sudbury Archives)

It sounds a bit like the plot of an episode of the CBC period drama series Murdoch Mysteries, but it's a part of Sudbury's history.

The third mayor of Sudbury, Murray C. Biggar — bizarrely, his last name is similar to that of the city's current mayor, Brian Bigger — suddenly disappeared from his office on the night of Sept. 14, 1897.

He had told his wife Etta that he would check his mail and be right home. He was never seen again.

A skiff and oars were discovered on Lake Ramsey the following day with a portion of a Biggar-addressed telegram in the boat.

Had he tried to row to a small island to meet his law clerk John McPhail and drowned? Const. Gagne, Sudbury's first town constable, dynamited Lake Ramsey but the body never surfaced.

Biggar's story is being told in “The Max Silverman Radio Hours presents The Case of the Missing Mayor,” a part-fact-and-part-fiction play written by Judi Straughan that features local celebrities.

It's being staged as an outreach project by Sudbury campus and community radio station CKLU 96.7.

Straughan said she learned about Biggar's story in a history column in the community newspaper South Side Story, and figured it was a great basis for a play.

“Sometimes you discover things that are the best stories ever,” she said. 

It's bizarre that Sudbury has had both a Mayor Biggar and a Mayor Bigger, Straughan said. And then there's the story of his disappearance. “Who would believe this?” she said.

The play is actually set in 1948 in CKLU's radio studio (that part is fictional, as CKLU didn't launch until 1984) with flashbacks to the circumstances surrounding Biggar's disappearance a half-century before.

“The concept is as you watch the stage, it's like you're watching the inside of a big radio studio where people are putting on a drama,” Straughan said. “It is a vehicle that's used in theatre quite often.”

Mayor Biggar is played by Sudbury playwright, actor and novelist Matthew Heiti, who bears some resemblance to the historic figure, although he said his own moustache is not nearly as "glorious" as Biggar's.

"It's kind of this perfect little myth about Sudbury - there's this person that existed, had an impact, and we don't know what happened to him," Heiti said.

Current Greater Sudbury Mayor Brian Bigger also makes an appearance, playing 1948 Max Silverman.

The piece is narrated by the Sudbury Star's J.R. Meakes (Peter Williams), who discovers an old Sudbury Journal article about Mayor Biggar's disappearance.

School marm Lucy Loose is played by city councillior Deb McIntosh and Constable Gagne by former Greater Sudbury Police Chief Alex McCauley. 

Also among the cast are Sudbury.com managing editor Mark Gentili, Terrance Galvin, founding director of the McEwen School of Architecture, GNO's Daniel Aubin, former city councillor Janet Gasparini, poet/writer Roger Nash, francophone actor/director Miriam Cusson, actor/comic Bill Sanders and Northern Cancer Foundation executive director Tannys Laughren.

Music and singing commercials feature Ralph McIntosh, Kelly Perras and K.C. Rautiainen with live sound effects by the CBC's Erik White.

“I think the people who are in the play who don't normally do plays are really brave,” Straughan said.

“Our current Mayor Bigger is playing Max Silverman. This is not something he does every day. What a good spirit to do that.”

Apparently the play's concept has proven popular with Sudburians. "The Case of the Missing Mayor" is being staged at Sudbury Theatre Centre on Oct. 29 only. The 2 p.m. show has sold out already, so a 7 p.m. show has been added.

Tickets cost $25, and are available through Sudbury Theatre Centre's box office.


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Heidi Ulrichsen

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