Wilmot pays tribute to township’s first mayor

Ernst “Ernie” Ritz in an undated photo. (Source: Mark Jutzi Funeral Home)

Wilmot’s first mayor, Ernst “Ernie” Ritz, passed away on March 13.

He died just a few weeks before his 99th birthday.

In a media release, the township described his lifelong dedication to his community.

Ritz served with the Royal Canadian Air Force from 1943 and 1945. He first trained as a pilot and then as a navigator, however the war ended just as he was finishing that training. Ritz then decided to go into the family printing business, and became the editor and publisher of the New Hamburg Independent. He sold the newspaper in 1967 but continued running Ritz Printing until his retirement in 1990.

Ritz was first elected to municipal council in 1949 at the age of 24. During his tenure, he played a part in the development of the Grand River Conservation Authority and the New Hamburg Arena and Community Centre.

He was also New Hamburg’s last mayor and became the first mayor of Wilmot during the switch to regional government in 1973.

Over the years, he held positions on local heritage and police boards, as well as hydro commissions.

Ritz was a founding and charter member of the local Royal Canadian Legion, a 70-year member of the Board of Trade, worked with the Waterloo Historical Society and established the Heritage District.

“Being Wilmot’s first mayor was one of many accomplishments of Ernie Ritz during his lifetime of public service. A community builder and mentor to many, he will be remembered not only for his life’s work but for the relationships he formed along the way,” Natasha Salonen, Wilmot’s current mayor, said in the release.

Flags in the township will be flown at half-mast in tribute.

A memorial for Ritz will be held at Trinity Lutheran Church at 1 p.m. on April 5, which would have been his 99th birthday. Visitation is set for March 16, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., at the Jutzi Funeral Home. Donations can be made to the Trinity Endowment Fund, Canadian Lutheran World Relief or Wilmot Family Resource Centre.