Hiltz descended from the Hilts families that immigrated to the New World around 1710 presumably from the Palatinate region of Germany because of the wars and famine.

[5] Around that time, he became a building contractor and real estate developer, and quit teaching in 1906 to go into business full-time.

[8] He was also a leading advocate of the temperance movement[1] and was a member of the Loyal Orange Lodge.

During his term as mayor, he actively opposed Adam Beck's plans for a network of Hydro radial lines and instead, he was instrumental in getting plans approved for the construction of an elevated railway viaduct in the downtown core[9] -which assured the final opening of the new Union Station.

Hiltz's opposition to Hydro radial lines led to their rejection and also to his defeat in the following mayoral election.