Captain Arthur Ryan Smith Jr.
OC AOE DFC (May 16, 1919 – June 30, 2008) was a
Canadian
Canadians () 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 their being ''C ...
oilfield worker, bomber pilot, executive business man, philanthropist, magazine editor, advertising executive and politician on the municipal, provincial and federal levels of government.
Early life
Arthur Ryan Smith was born in
Calgary, Alberta
Calgary () is a major city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Alberta. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a Metropolitan area, metropolitan population of 1,481,806 making it the List of ...
, on May 16, 1919, to
Arthur LeRoy Smith
Arthur LeRoy Smith Sr. (February 13, 1886 – December 17, 1951) was a Canadian barrister, inventor and federal politician. He was born in Regina, Northwest Territories.
Smith first ran for a seat in the House of Commons of Canada as a C ...
, Member of Parliament for
Calgary West
Calgary West was a federal electoral district in Alberta, Canada, that was represented in the House of Commons of Canada from 1917 to 1953, and from 1979 to 2015. It was in the western part of the City of Calgary. The electoral district was or ...
from 1945 to 1951,
[ ] and Sara Isobel Ryan. He grew up in Calgary and in
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...
. He got his first job as an oil field worker at the age of 16 in
Turner Valley, Alberta, and spent four years working in the oil patch.
At the outbreak of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
Smith enlisted in the
Royal Canadian Air Force
The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; ) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environmental commands within the unified Can ...
and became a pilot. He flew 34 combat missions on Lancaster bombers and was awarded the
Distinguished Flying Cross. When Smith returned home from the war he went back to work in the oil patch. He worked his way up from roughneck to Assistant of the President at the
Anglo-American Oil Company.
In 1952 he became editor for the publication ''Petroleum Exploration Digest''.
Smith and
Ron Butlin
Ron Butlin (born 1949 in Edinburgh) is a Scottish poet and novelist who was Edinburgh Makar (Poet Laureate) from 2008 to 2014.
Education
Butlin was educated at the University of Edinburgh. He later became writer in residence in 1982 and 1984 a ...
co-hosted a weekly sports radio show during the 1950s on
CFAC
:''CFAC also stands for Commander Fleet Activities Chinhae''
CFAC (960 AM) is a radio station serving Calgary, Alberta. Owned by Rogers Radio, a division of Rogers Sports & Media, the station broadcasts a sports format branded as ''Sportsnet ...
.
Municipal politics
Smith was elected to Calgary city council in 1953 and served there until 1955 when he decided to run for a seat in the provincial legislature.
Smith returned to city council after retiring from federal politics in 1963. He was elected in 1965 and remained in office until 1967.
Provincial politics
Smith ran as a candidate in the
Calgary
Calgary () is a major city in the Canadian province of Alberta. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806 making it the third-largest city and fifth-largest metropolitan area in C ...
provincial electoral district in the
1955 Alberta general election
The 1955 Alberta general election was held on June 29, 1955, to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta.
Despite losing almost 10% of the popular vote (compared to its 1952 proportion of the vote) and 30% of its seats in the legisla ...
. He finished first in the vote counts on the first ballot. He resigned in 1957 to run for Parliament.
Federal politics
Smith ran in the district of
Calgary South in the
1957 federal election. He won by 10,000 votes over Donald McKay. In the
election the following year, he won by 23,000 votes over the nearest candidate. In the
1962 federal election. His margin of victory was significantly reduced, but he still won in a landslide. Smith retired from federal politics in 1963 at the dissolution of the house. During his time as a Member of Parliament, he served as a delegate to the
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...
.
Late life
Smith became an influential business man after his career in public office. In 1961 he and
Milt Harradence used their political influence with Prime John Diefenbaker to make
Lynn Garrison
Lynn Garrison (born April 1, 1937) is a Canadian pilot and political adviser. He was a Royal Canadian Air Force fighter pilot in the 403 Helicopter Operational Training Squadron, 403 City of Calgary Squadron, before holding jobs as a Commercial ...
's Lancaster Memorial Fund a success. This saw Lancaster FM-136, purchased from Crown Assets Disposal Corporation by Lynn Garrison, displayed at McCall Field, Calgary as a memorial to those who had trained under the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan. Smith had won his Distinguished Flying Cross while flying Lancasters during World War II. He served as an executive on numerous companies, sat on public boards, and volunteered in youth sports programs.
In 1988 he was appointed Chief of Protocol for the
1988 Winter Olympic Games
The 1988 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XV Olympic Winter Games () and commonly known as Calgary 1988 were a multi-sport event held from February 13 to 28, 1988, with Calgary, Calgary, Alberta as the main host city. This marks the m ...
in Calgary.
In 1998, Smith founded the Calgary Homeless Foundation, a registered charity committed to end homelessness in Calgary.
In 2006 he endorsed
Mark Norris for the
leadership
Leadership, is defined as the ability of an individual, group, or organization to "", influence, or guide other individuals, teams, or organizations.
"Leadership" is a contested term. Specialist literature debates various viewpoints on the co ...
of the Alberta Progressive Conservative Party.
Awards
Smith became a member of the
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada () is a Canadian state order, national order and the second-highest Award, honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit.
To coincide with the Canadian Centennial, ce ...
in 1988 and an officer in 2003.
That same year he was also given an honorary doctor of laws degree from the
University of Calgary
{{Infobox university
, name = University of Calgary
, image = University of Calgary coat of arms without motto scroll.svg
, image_size = 150px
, caption = Coat of arms
, former ...
. He was awarded the
Alberta Order of Excellence
The Alberta Order of Excellence is a civilian honour for merit in the Canadian province of Alberta. Instituted in 1979 when Lieutenant Governor Frank C. Lynch-Staunton granted royal assent to the Alberta Order of Excellence Act, the order is admi ...
and in 1997 he became Honorary Colonel of the 416 Tactical Fighter Squadron.
References
External links
Legislative Assembly of Alberta Members Listing*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Arthur
1919 births
2008 deaths
Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta MLAs
Members of the House of Commons of Canada from Alberta
Progressive Conservative Party of Canada MPs
Calgary city councillors
Canadian military personnel of World War II
1988 Winter Olympics
Canadian recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)
Officers of the Order of Canada
Deaths from cancer in Alberta
Members of the Alberta Order of Excellence
20th-century members of the House of Commons of Canada
20th-century members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta