Waterloo Region Generations
A record of the people of Waterloo Region, Ontario.

Mayor Wilfred Laurier Hilliard

Male 1896 - 1965  (69 years)


Personal Information    |    Notes    |    Sources    |    Event Map    |    All    |    PDF

  • Name Wilfred Laurier Hilliard 
    Prefix Mayor 
    Born 11 Feb 1896  Morriston, Puslinch Twp., Wellington Co., Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
    Gender Male 
    Residence 1911  Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [4
    Methodist 
    Military 1914  WW1 Find all individuals with events at this location  [5
    WW1, 108th Regiment, Service #751346 
    Military 1914  WW1 Find all individuals with events at this location  [5
    WW1, Lance Corporal, 118th Battalion 
    Physical Description 1916  [8
    5 foot 6 1/2 inches, 34 1/2 inch chest, dark complexion, blue eyes, brown hair 
    Occupation 1916  Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [8
    clerk in insurance office 
    Elected Office 1946  Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Councillor - Waterloo 
    Elected Office 1947  Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Mayor 
    Rsrch. Note
    • Wilfred Hilliard was born in 1896 the son of former mayor Dr. William Hilliard (1916-1917) and grandson of Thomas Hilliard, one of the founders of the Dominion Life Assurance Company. As a member of the 118th Battalion and the signal corps, Hilliard served three years overseas during World War I. Upon his return to Waterloo, he joined the Dominion Life Assurance Company where he worked for forty years, retiring as an associate actuary.
      Hilliard was a member of the Methodist Church (now First United) where he served as steward, trustee and elder. He was a member of the Waterloo Curling Club and an avid lawn bowler, being on the provincial championship team in 1950.
      Prior to his election as mayor in 1947, Hilliard served as a member of town council between 1933-1934 and 1943-1946. He was elected as deputy reeve in 1944 - 45 and reeve in 1946. During his term in office as mayor, he served on various committees including Charity and Relief, K-W Airport, Grand River Conservation, St. Mary s Hospital Advisory Board and the Memorial Arena Commission.
      While in office Wilfred Hilliard worked towards the expedient opening of the Waterloo Memorial Arena (February 15, 1947) and successfully pursued changing Waterloo s status from a town to a city (January 1, 1948).
      Hilliard was successfully re-elected to a second mayoral term, serving as the City of Waterloo s first mayor in 1948.
      From the City of Waterloo's website 2005
      __________________________________________________
    Residence Waterloo, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [5
    Residence Waterloo, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [5
    Residence 1965  115 Roslin Ave. S., Waterloo, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Eby ID Number Waterloo-23142 
    Died 11 Oct 1965  Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [7
    Buried Mount Hope Cemetery, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [7
    Person ID I23142  Generations
    Last Modified 6 Apr 2024 

    Father Dr. - Mayor William Louis Hilliard,   b. 18 Jan 1868, , Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 1966  (Age 97 years) 
    Mother Ida Clemens,   b. 23 Apr 1868, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 1942  (Age 73 years) 
    Family ID F5571  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family Celia Ruth Robinson,   b. 28 Sep 1895, Goderich, Huron Co., Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 1977  (Age 81 years) 
    Married 1923  Edmonton, , Alberta, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [9
    Last Modified 7 Apr 2024 
    Family ID F61779  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  • Notes 
    • HILLIARD, WILFRED LAURIER

      Aged 69 years, of 115 Roslin Ave. S. in Waterloo, former mayor of Waterloo, on Monday, October 11, 1965, at St. Mary's Hospital, Kitchener, after a lengthy illness. Born at Morriston, he lived in Waterloo most of his life. He was elected to town council as alderman in 1913 and served as deputy-reeve in 1944-45, reeve in 1946 and mayor in 1947 and 1948, when Waterloo was incorporated as a city. He was employed for more than forty years at Dominion Life Assurance Company, where he was an associate actuary. He was a curler and was on the provincial championship lawn bowling rink in 1950. Service Thursday afternoon in Waterloo.

      -Information from marriage and birth certificates: Son of Dr. William Louis Hilliard (born c. 1868) and his wife, Ida Clemens (born c. 1868), while Dr. Hilliard was doctor in Morriston. Siblings, all born in Waterloo Co. were: Eva Delight (b. Sept. 17, 1898); Rose Catherine (b. Feb. 18, 1901); Grace Marjorie (b. Jun. 11, 1903); Ruth Margaret (b. June 13, 1908).

      A Celebration of Lives Obituaries of Puslinch Township, Wellington Co., Ontario Vol 1, Anna Jackson & Marjorie Clark
      Used with kind permission of Marjorie Clark

  • Sources 
    1. [S135] Census - ON, Waterloo, Waterloo City - 1901, Waterloo (Town/Ville) d-4 Page.

    2. [S135] Census - ON, Waterloo, Waterloo City - 1901, Waterloo (Town/Ville) D-4 Page 2.

    3. [S289] Military - Soldiers of the First World War, Attestation of Wilfred Laurier Hilliard.

    4. [S366] Census - ON, Waterloo, Waterloo City - 1911, Div. 47 Pg. 5.

    5. [S157] Military - Canada - World War I - Attestation papers.

    6. [S57] Vit - ON - Birth Registration.
      Name:Wilfred Laurier Hilliard
      Gender:Male
      Birth Date:11 Feb 1896
      Birth Place: Morriston, Wellington, Ontario, Canada
      Father:William L Hilliard - Medical Practitioner
      Mother:Ida Clemens

    7. [S192] Cemetery - ON, Waterloo, Waterloo City - Mount Hope CC#4500 Internet Link.
      Hilliard/ Wilfrid L./ 1896-1965/ Celia R./ 1895-1977/

    8. [S289] Military - Soldiers of the First World War, Attestation of Wilfred Laurier Hilliard.
      Name:Wilfred Laurier Hilliard
      Age:18
      Birth Date:11 Feb 1896
      Birth Location:Waterloo, Ontario
      Residence:Waterloo, Ontario
      Military Date:1914-1918
      Father:W L Hilliard
      Next of Kin:W L Hilliard
      Next of Kin Relationship:Father
      Regiment Number:751346

    9. [S2776] Alberta, Canada, Marriages Index,1898-1942.
      Name:Wilfrid L. Hilliard
      Gender:Male
      Marriage Date:1923
      Marriage Place:Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
      Spouse:Celia R. Robinson

  • Event Map
    Link to Google MapsBorn - 11 Feb 1896 - Morriston, Puslinch Twp., Wellington Co., Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsResidence - Methodist - 1911 - Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsOccupation - clerk in insurance office - 1916 - Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsMarried - 1923 - Edmonton, , Alberta, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsElected Office - Councillor - Waterloo - 1946 - Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsElected Office - Mayor - 1947 - Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsResidence - - Waterloo, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsResidence - - Waterloo, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsDied - 11 Oct 1965 - Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsBuried - - Mount Hope Cemetery, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
     = Link to Google Earth