Robert Taylor Shillington (October 3, 1867 – January 11, 1934) was a

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

politician, mine owner, druggist and

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice hock ...

executive. Shillington was a member of the provincial legislature in the province of

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

, representing the Timiskaming riding, first elected in 1908.

Biography

Born in Merivale, a rural village now located within the city limits of

Ottawa Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...

, in 1867, Shillington was one of ten children of Thomas and Elizabeth Shillington. Shillington attended the Ottawa Model School and Collegiate. He then attended the

University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution ...

, graduating in pharmacy. He returned to Ottawa and opened a druggist business on Sparks Street. His business was successful and he invested in mining in the Haileybury area. He also became an executive with the

Ottawa Hockey Club Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core of ...

. In 1903, after the Ottawas had won their first

Stanley Cup The Stanley Cup (french: La Coupe Stanley) is the championship trophy awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) playoff champion. It is the oldest existing trophy to be awarded to a professional sports franchise in North America, an ...

Canadian championship, he gave each player a silver nugget. That donation led to the nickname ''Silver Seven''. He would manage the club through its 1903–1906 championship run. In 1905, he sold his druggist business. In 1906, he moved to Haileybury full-time. He ran for a seat in the 1908 Ontario election and won in the district of Timiskaming. In 1890, he married Harriet Cortie Score (1870–1939) and the couple had one child, Clarissa, in 1891. Shillington died in

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

in 1934"Once Prominent Ottawa Man Dies in R. T. Shillington"
''Ottawa Journal''. Jan. 11, 1934 (pg. 1). Retrieved 2021-05-18. and Harriet in 1939. He and his wife are interred in Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Toronto. Shillington Avenue, an east–west road in Ottawa is named after the Shillington family which at one time owned the property.

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* Politicians from Ottawa Stanley Cup champions 1867 births 1934 deaths Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario MPPs People from Temiskaming Shores {{Ontario-MPP-stub