A builder who came to Collingwood 40 years ago with plans to semi-retire is still going strong and has used his skills to contribute to many non-profit projects in the area.
For this week’s edition of People of Collingwood we sat down with Ray Smith, 89, designer, builder and philanthropist.
Q: How long have you lived in Collingwood?
A: We’ve lived here for 40 years. My wife Wyn and I came from Oakville.
I’m a designer and builder.
Q: What about designing and building appeals to you?
A: Well, you have to eat. (laughs)
I was in heavy construction before we moved up to Collingwood. Like bridges, dams, that sort of thing.
When we moved up here, I was going to semi-retire, and it didn’t work out. (laughs)
So, I started building houses. I built maybe 350 houses between Mount Forest and Orillia and all points in between.
Now, we just build two or three a year.
Q: In January, you received the Order of Collingwood. Can you tell me about that?
A: I’m chairman of the Collingwood Non-Profit Housing Corporation (South Georgian Bay Housing Resource Centre).
I built the Collingwood Youth Centre, which we own. We lease it to Elephant Thoughts and the Rotary Club for $10 a year.
I also designed and built the Barbara Weider House. I designed and built the new Hospice (Georgian Triangle, Campbell House) building.
Q: When you won the Order of Collingwood, how did it feel to have your accomplishments recognized?
A: I was very proud of it. I think it’s an important thing for Collingwood to have this thing where they recognize people in the community who have contributed to it in various ways for its betterment.
Q: You mentioned building the youth centre and the Barbara Weider House, two organizations that help youth and the homeless. Why is that cause something that’s important to you?
A: It’s a problem that’s there and has to be solved. The only way it’s going to be solved is if people get out there and do something.
It’s just like low-income housing. People talk about it, but nothing gets done. So, the only way to get things done is you have to go and do it.
I have the time and energy to do it.
I’ve been influenced by a lot of people in town, like Ron Emo, Sharon Goldsworthy and Martin Oosterveld.
Ron Emo was the ex-mayor. He’s a great guy. Sharon Goldsworthy... she’s very active in youth (issues) and religious organizations. Martin Oosterveld is with the Rotary Club.
They’re involved. Sharon was interested in the youth centre.
So, I found a piece of land. I bought it. Youth for Christ was in there for the first four years but it didn’t work out.
Now we have Elephant Thoughts and the Rotary Club of Collingwood running it and it’s working wonderfully. We’d like to expand it.
Q: How does it feel to know you’ve made a tangible difference in people’s lives through building?
A: Well, it’s very satisfying.
I feel that, if you can do it and have the time and the means to do these things, you should do them. We can’t rely on towns and governments to do everything.
At my age, I can’t wait around too long. I have to get busy and do it now. It’s not just me, it’s my wife too.
We’ve got 10 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren. We’ve put them all through university.
Young people don’t have the opportunities now we had when we were young.
When I was young, it was just after and during the war. Nobody had trouble getting a job.
There weren’t any drugs around. The worst thing we had were cigarettes. There was no television or computer games.
The kids today, they think they have a real advantage with all the stuff they have, but they don’t.
Nobody had any money back then, after the war.
There were all kinds of jobs. So many young people were lost in the war, there was all kinds of work. You didn’t have to worry. You got out of high school and you got a job right away.
It was a simpler life.
I’d hate to be a teenager today. The pressures must be terrific.
We have to do everything we can to help them. (Especially) the ones that have fallen by the wayside.
Young people are homeless. It’s just a modern-day tragedy and it has to be addressed.
Governments are not aggressive. It has to be through charitable organizations.
They’re the ones that have to pick up the slack and do it, and I want to be there to help.
Q: Is there anything else you’d like people in Collingwood to know about you?
A: There are a lot of people in Collingwood who do an awful lot for the community that deserve recognition.
Behind the scenes, there are so many people.
For our feature People of Collingwood, we’ll be speaking with interesting people who are either from or are contributing to the Collingwood community in some way. This feature will run on CollingwoodToday every Saturday. If you’d like to nominate or suggest someone be featured in People of Collingwood, email [email protected].
