William H. Munro

William Hilliard Munro (August 7, 1860 – January 17, 1918) was a Canadian politician who was the first mayor of the city of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario.

He was born August 7, 1860 in Appleton, Ontario (today, Mississippi Mills) the third son of John and Sarah Munro, Lanark County farmers.^[1]

A machinist, he moved to Sault Ste. Marie in 1896 to serve as a mechanical advisor to Francis Clergue. For a time he was superintendent of Algoma Iron Works, a foundry and machine shop Clergue established to build equipment for his paper plant and other industries.^[2][3]

Munro served seven terms as a town councillor and two terms as its mayor. As mayor he led the initiative to have the town incorporated as a city, petitioning the provincial government for the change.^[4] The Act to incorporate the City of Sault Ste. Marie was assented to on April 16, 1912, and provided that the existing town council headed by Mayor Munro would become the first council of the new city until the end of its term early the following year.^[5]

Munro served another four terms as a city alderman, being elected to one year terms in 1913, 1914, 1917 and 1918. In the 1915 election, he ran for mayor, but lost to J. A. McPhail.^[6]

Munro died on January 17, 1918, the result of having fallen into the St. Marys River at Sault Ste. Marie. There having been no witnesses or body found, he was presumed missing. Several months having passed, in May 1918 the city council declared Munro's Ward Two seat vacant^[7] and elected a replacement to fulfill the remainder of his term.^[8] On August 18, seven months after he went missing, Munro's remains, still in his winter coat, were found near the government dock on the Canadian side of the St. Marys River. The coroner called on Thomas Simpson, Munro's successor as mayor, to identify the body.^[9]

An editorial in The Sault Daily Star said "Mr. Munro occupied a unique place in the hearts of his townsmen, as was apparent from his practically continuous service on council since 1902, and the memories of his kindly nature as well as his eminent public services will not soon be forgotten."^[10]

A funeral was held for him at city hall. He was buried near his birthplace at St. Fillon's Cemetery in Beckwith, Lanark County, Ontario.^[11]

On June 9, 1886, Munro was married to Catherine Morrison in Carleton Place, Ontario. The couple had two sons. Their son Gerald was an ice hockey player who played two seasons in the National Hockey League.