Donald J. Smith

Donald James Smith (March 23, 1924 – July 16, 2013)^[1] was a Canadian entrepreneur and philanthropist. He served as the co-founder, president, and CEO of the construction corporation EllisDon.^[2]

Smith was born on March 23, 1924, in Provost, Alberta, to Donald Bennett Smith and Florence Marie Smith.^[1] He had an older brother, David Ellis Smith, and a younger sister, Muriel.^[2]

In 1929, Smith's father, a bank manager, experienced financial losses during the Great Depression and died the following year. As a result, the family faced financial difficulties.^[1] With limited opportunities in Provost, they eventually relocated to Toronto, Ontario.^[2] After settling in North Toronto, Smith's mother secured employment as a sales clerk at Eaton's department store. Around the same time, Smith's cousin, George Ellis, joined the household following the death of his father.^[1]

When Smith was 10, his mother gave him a toy movie projector, and he began hosting Charlie Chaplin screenings in his basement for neighborhood children, charging five cents per showing.^[3][2] In his teenage years, Smith worked as a paperboy for the Toronto Star.^[3]

Smith enrolled in the engineering program at the University of Toronto.^[2] Soon after, he started working at the Foundation Company, one of the largest construction firms in Canada at the time, and became a superintendent by age 25.^[2]

In January 1949, Smith married Elizabeth Joan McDonald, and the couple moved to London, Ontario, where they had their first child in November of the same year.^[1] They had seven children.^[4] Joan was a University of Toronto graduate with a degree in philosophy. She began her career in charitable service and later moved into municipal and provincial politics.^[2]

At age 27, Smith left his job at Foundation Company to start his own company.^[3] On April 1, 1951, Smith and his brother David launched EllisDon, a company they named by combining Don's first name with David's middle name, Ellis. Their first project was a small home renovation funded by their mother, who also acted as bookkeeper.^[2] On the first day of business, EllisDon received a contract for a small three-room schoolhouse, Northdale Public School in London (Ontario).^[2] Shortly after EllisDon's inception, David left the company and relocated to Calgary.^[1]

Smith grew EllisDon into a major construction company. Starting with schools and universities, the company expanded into healthcare, office buildings, and other sectors.^[2] Between 1956 and 1968, EllisDon made business investments, including computerizing its accounting and cost control systems, and purchasing a tower crane – the first construction company in Canada to do both.^[5] In 1971, EllisDon established safety as a priority by launching a Corporate Safety Strategy to improve job site safety.^[2] Between 1974 and 1976, EllisDon expanded operations into Edmonton, Alberta,^[5] and Saudi Arabia.^[6] In 1978, EllisDon undertook local projects that included the Grand Theatre in London (Ontario); Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton; a Bank of Canada in Ottawa, Ontario; and Peel Regional Police Headquarters and 22 Division in Brampton, Ontario.^[2]

By 1982, EllisDon was awarded a Construction Management Contract for the Metro Toronto Convention Centre project.^[2] In 1986, the company bid on the Rogers Centre, formerly known as the Skydome.^[4] The project was completed in three years, and on June 3, 1989, the Rogers Centre officially opened, featuring the world's first retractable rooftop stadium.^[7]

Smith visited job sites to learn about projects and teams and to stay updated with his employees' lives, reportedly knowing the name of every employee as well as that of their spouse and children.^[1]

Under Smith's leadership, EllisDon completed many notable construction projects, including the University of Western Ontario, the Metro Hall complex, and the Princess of Wales Theatre.^[3]

In 1996, Smith retired and appointed his son, Geoff Smith, to the position of president and CEO of EllisDon.^[3]

Smith supported community involvement and philanthropy.^[1] He raised millions of dollars for charitable causes^[2] and was noted for his opposition to discrimination and his commitment to justice and fairness.^[1]

In 1967, as president of the London Club, Smith publicly opposed discrimination against Jewish people who were denied membership. He partnered with a Jewish lawyer who applied for membership and advocated until the club admitted its first Jewish member. Jewish members were subsequently welcomed in every private club in London, Ontario.^[3]

In 1974, Smith began a partnership with the Boys and Girls Club of London. EllisDon expanded its clubrooms and built a new gym and swimming pool. He was involved in other renovation and construction projects for the organization, including the Don Smith Young Wing in 1995 and an Aquaplex in 2006. Smith’s involvement primarily consisted of fundraising.^[8]

In 2008, along with his daughter, Lynne Cram, Smith organized the Horizons Campaign to raise funds for the M.A.P. Program (My Action Plan for Education), which supports youth from Grade 4 to post-secondary school in achieving their academic goals.^[8]

Smith also supported Fanshawe College among other organizations, charities, and causes.^[3]

Smith was involved in the Ontario Liberal Party and was elected party president on February 17, 1985. He also served as chief fundraiser for Premier David Peterson's government.^[3]

On July 16, 2013, at the age of 89, Smith died in London, Ontario, due to illness. On July 23, a celebration of his life was held at the London Hunt Club, attended by family, friends, and employees.^[9]

Smith was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Canadian Council of Christians and Jews for his opposition to discrimination against Jewish people in private London (Ontario) clubs in the late 1960s.^[2]

In May 2014, Smith was posthumously inducted into the Canadian Business Hall of Fame.^[10]