Kenneth “Ken” E. Seiling

Many citizens have contributed to the vibrancy of Waterloo Region, but as a community leader, Ken Seiling’s imprint is unparalleled. As former councillor Tom Galloway stated in his letter of support, Ken’s “leadership style was always understated but very much collaborative and inclusive. His behind-the-scenes consensus building acumen is legendary in local civic circles.”

Ken Seiling began his career as a history teacher, and next took the job as Director of the Wellington County Museum and Archives. A resident of Elmira, he ran for local municipal office in 1976 and was elected to the Woolwich Township Council. Two years later, he was elected Mayor of Woolwich Township, which included serving as Regional Councillor. In 1985, Ken’s fellow councillors elected him as chair of the Waterloo Regional Council. Beginning in 1997, the region’s citizens were able to directly elect him as Chair, a position in which Ken served for a total of 33 years. He retired from council in 2018.

During Ken’s decades-long career in public service, he worked on many boards and commissions, including the Waterloo Regional Police Service Board, Waterloo North Hydro Commission, the Grand River Conservation Authority, and the Board of Governors of the University of Waterloo. He also served on the board of the Association of Ontario Municipalities, chaired the Mayors and Regional Chairs of Ontario, and after retirement, conducted an Ontario government-directed review of regional governments.

Ken’s accolades include the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal for community service, the Paul Harris Rotary Fellow Award, and to celebrate its centennial, Wilfrid Laurier University listed him as one its 100 Alumni of Achievement. On his retirement, Regional Councillors renamed the Waterloo Region Museum in his honour – the Ken Seiling Waterloo Region Museum.

Ken Seiling’s signature leadership style was community-based, and took the long view. As just a sample of his foresight, he developed the Growth Management Study which led to the establishment of the countryside line to preserve farmland; promoted and led the effort to build a light rail transit line, today’s ION; passed the Anti-Smoking by-law, the first such by-law in the province, and which subsequently provided the template for other communities to follow; provided leadership in establishing the Waterloo Region Museum which includes the curatorial centre, Doon Pioneer Village, McDougall Cottage in Galt, and Schneider House in Kitchener; aided in the development of the master plan for the expansion of the Region of Waterloo International Airport; and helped to establish the Crime Prevention Council when he served on the Waterloo Regional Police Service Board.

In his personal life, Ken has been a long-time volunteer, a supporter of the arts, and is an accomplished choir director and organist. He currently serves as the Chair of the Board of Directors for the Grand Philharmonic Choir. He and his wife Kathryn have five children and 13 grandchildren.

Ken Seiling has been an outstanding visionary on behalf of Waterloo Region. His nominator, Brian Hunsberger states that his “lasting legacy will be his modeling of an ethical, democratic, inclusive style of leadership that has further developed and maintained a progressive, peaceful, prosperous community”.