Dominic Vincent Patrick Cardillo

Born in Guelph, Ontario, Dominic Cardillo – teacher, politician and man of the people – became a household name long before the City of Kitchener named a major ice hockey arena in his honour.

Cardillo worked as a secondary school teacher and coach from 1956 to 1965 at Kitchener Collegiate Institute, at Forest Heights Secondary School in 1964, and Laurel Vocational in 1968.

Cardillo ran successfully for Kitchener City Council in 1963, sponsored in part by a collection taken by his grade twelve students. He remained in office until his retirement in 1994. The longest-serving Mayor in Kitchener’s history, Cardillo had many tributes awarded to him, including the naming of the Dom Cardillo Arena.

His service to the community was remarkable and included: director of the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs; president of Big Brothers; secretary of the Kitchener Minor Hockey Association; member of two hospital boards; and eighteen years as a Hydro Commissioner. He helped raise funds for many local civic projects and charitable causes.

Known to attend all functions to which he was invited, Cardillo had the ability to remember names of everyone he met. He tirelessly promoted his city and its reputation, taking a fastidious interest in the cleanliness of its streets. Also known for passing out pens and lapel pins promoting the City, he was once photographed giving out pens in a rice paddy in Japan.