Ralph L. Shantz

Ralph Shantz was first elected to Wilmot Township Council in 1967. For the next 39 years, 10 of them as mayor, he served his constituents with outstanding dedication and commitment. His decisions and actions significantly influenced heritage preservation, quality of life, and the rural nature of Wilmot Township and Waterloo Region.

Shantz was active in the Wilmot Agricultural Society, Heritage Wilmot, Baden Chamber of Commerce, the restoration of Castle Kilbride and the construction of the Township offices in Baden. Shantz was very involved in Wilmot’s Millennium and the 150th Anniversary Celebrations in 2000, as well as the creation of the Oasis in the Centre.

Much passion and energy were expended in Wilmot Township’s Recreation Complex opened in 2008. A strong advocate for the environment and agriculture, Shantz worked relentlessly to protect Wilmot’s water quality and supply. He served on Shantz Mennonite Church Council and as an Elder. He also chaired the 150th Anniversary Committee and chaired the committee that published a history book of the church.

Shantz served on the Grand River Conservation Authority, Ontario Federation of Agriculture, Kitchener-Wilmot Hydro, as a Commissioner and Chair of the Commission, and the Pennsylvania German Folklore Society. He co-ordinated the 2006 Christian Shantz Family Reunion, celebrating the 200th anniversary of the family’s arrival in Waterloo County.

In 2005, the Provincial Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing presented Shantz with a “Long Standing Service Recognition Award”. In 2006, Wilmot Township Council named its newly renovated archives “The Ralph Shantz Reading Room.” In 2007, Shantz was honoured with the “Community Builder Award”, the second such award ever presented.

Born in 1934, Shantz has lived his entire life on the family farm on Erb’s Road near Baden, Ontario. He is married to the former Dorothy Schmitt and has two daughters, Kerry and Lori.