Denis M. Coolican was a Canadian businessman and regional politician.

Born in Ottawa, Coolican graduated from the University of Ottawa

University of Ottawa

The University of Ottawa is a bilingual, research-intensive, non-denominational, international university in Ottawa, Ontario. It is one of the oldest universities in Canada. It was originally established as the College of Bytown in 1848 by the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate...

 and McGill University

McGill University

Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...

 in Montreal. His educational background was in science and engineering. He joined the Canadian Bank Note Company

Canadian Bank Note Company

The Canadian Bank Note Company is a Canadian security printing company. It is probably best known for being one of two private companies holding contracts with the Bank of Canada to supply it with Canada's paper currency. The company's other clients include private businesses, national and...

 eventually becoming its president. Just prior to his political career, he joined Brazilian Traction, Light and Power Company in a senior management capacity.

He became reeve of the village of Rockcliffe Park, Ontario

Rockcliffe Park, Ontario

Rockcliffe Park is one of the wealthiest neighbourhoods in Ottawa, Ontario, and is one of the most prosperous enclaves in Canada. From 1926 until 2001 it was an independent village, but was amalgamated with the rest of the city January 1, 2001...

 in 1956 until 1966. In 1968 he was appointed the first Chair of the Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton

Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton

The Regional Municipality of Ottawa–Carleton was a regional government area and census division in Ontario, Canada which existed from 1969 until 2001...

 and remained in that position until retiring in 1978.

A regional social services building at 495 Richmond Road

Richmond Road (Ottawa)

Richmond Road is a major road in Eastern Ontario, Canada.Richmond Road begins as a western continuation of Wellington Street West in Ottawa, beyond the intersection at Island Park Drive, a division point moved west a few blocks from Western Avenue, the historical township boundary, in 2005. It...

 was named after Coolican in 1989. In 2003, following amalgamation of the region and its component cities into a single city of Ottawa, the building was declared surplus and sold to Canderel Realties. The redeveloped property no longer bears Coolican's name, but today the location of the Académie de Formation Linguistique language training centre.

The bilingual (English/French) Coolican was president of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society

Royal Canadian Geographical Society

The Royal Canadian Geographical Society is a Canadian non-profit educational organization dedicated to imparting a broader knowledge and deeper appreciation of Canada — its people and places, its natural and cultural heritage and its environmental, social and economic challenges.-History:The...

 from 1977 to 1986, having been on that organisation's board since 1951.

He died aged 82 at Ottawa General Hospital

The Ottawa Hospital

The Ottawa Hospital or L'Hôpital d'Ottawa is a major, non-profit, public, university teaching hospital in Ottawa made up of the former Grace Hospital, Riverside Hospital, Ottawa General Hospital and Ottawa Civic Hospital. It is a 1,195-bed academic health sciences centre...

several days after sustaining a fall.