Wilmot flags at half-mast to honour the Township’s first Mayor

Flags at the Township of Wilmot are flying at half-mast to honour the Township’s first Mayor, Ernst “Ernie” Ritz, who passed away on March 13.

Mr. Ritz, who would have turned 99 on April 5, was the last Mayor of New Hamburg and the first Mayor of Wilmot when Regional government began in 1973.

He was first elected to local municipal Council in 1949 at 24. His lifetime of service included the Royal Canadian Air Force from 1943 to 1945, the printing and newspaper business, serving on local boards and committees and on heritage committees and boards.

He was a founding and charter member of the local branch of the Royal Canadian Legion and a member of the New Hamburg Board of Trade for over 70 years.

Mr. Ritz was an expert in local history and played leadership roles in the Waterloo Historical Society and in the establishment of a local Heritage Conservation District.

He was recognized for his contributions by a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Ontario Heritage Society and a Waterloo Regional Heritage Award and was inducted into the Waterloo County Hall of Fame in 1997 and honoured with a Queen’s Jubilee Medal in 2012.

The visitation for Mr. Ritz takes place on Saturday, March 16 in New Hamburg. The memorial service will take place on April 5. Details about the visitation and the memorial service for Mr. Ritz can be found at markjutzifuneralhomes.ca.