Shannon's father died when he was seven and the family relocated to Toronto where he studied at Oakwood Collegiate Institute.
This ward covered both Shannon's own neighbourhood, and the areas along the Don River, including Cabbagetown that were some of the poorest.
Shannon was an active member of the United Church of Canada, and was a strong advocate of Toronto's Blue Laws, such as the ban on playing sports on Sunday.
He was also committed to social welfare, and pushed at city council for a number of measures to alleviate poverty.
He was also one of the foremost proponents of the Regent Park urban renewal scheme that saw much of Cabbagetown replaced by subsidized housing.