Dr. Stuart Smith, Hamilton politician and ‘brilliant’ leader of Ontario Liberal party, died May 7 at 82

Dr. Stuart Smith is best known as being Ontario Liberal leader during the heyday of Bill Davis and the Big Blue Machine, but he is remembered in Hamilton political circles for being involved in one of the most exciting elections this city has ever seen.

Smith ran for the Liberals in 1975 - a year before he became leader - against Progressive Conservative candidate Bob Morrow in the riding of Hamilton West.

It was thought Morrow had the edge, being a member of city council and board of control. And Hamilton West was deemed a safe Tory seat.

One of Smith's supporter's, Herman Turkstra, wondered if a McMaster University professor had the political moxie to run a campaign, much less get elected. Smith himself believed being a psychiatrist posed a disadvantage because people believe psychiatrists are peculiar."

Come election night on Sept 18, 1975, Smith beat Morrow by about 500 votes.

The Spectator reported on how there was bedlam at the Smith campaign headquarters and sorrow and upset at Morrow's HQ.

One person quipped that if Morrow needed help overcoming his surprise defeat, I know a good psychiatrist - too bad so many others do." (Morrow, who died in 2018, did go on to serve as Hamilton mayor for 18 years)

Smith - who increased his voter support in the 1977 election, and won back Official Opposition status for the party from the NDP - died on May 7 after recently celebrating his 82nd birthday.

His death was announced Saturday by Liberal Leader Steven Del Duca. Smith led the party for six years and was succeeded by David Peterson.

Stuart was a kind and generous man who mentored countless others," said Del Duca in a statement.

It was under his leadership that the Ontario Liberal party laid down roots in urban Ontario - work that has resonated for decades afterward. He was our first Jewish leader and a man of great intellect. Stuart leaves a lasting legacy for our party. He carried us through tough times."

On Twitter, former Hamilton-area Liberal cabinet minister Ted McMeekin called Smith brilliant.

The 1975 campaign pitting a beloved councillor Morrow vs. well-liked Dr. Smith was a classic," said McMeekin. Smith's campaign urged voters to keep Bob working for you - in Hamilton."

Former NDP premier and federal Liberal leader Bob Rae tweeted he was very sorry to hear about Smith's death. He called Smith a very engaging and bright soul.

He confessed to me he found the pressures of politics debilitating, but loved public service. He contributed much to our province."

Former Hamilton-Wentworth chair Terry Cooke, now head of the Hamilton Community Foundation, got to know Smith in the late 1990s when he served as president of Philip Utility Management Corp. and the region struck a public-private deal with the firm to operate its water treatment plant.

I got to know him reasonably well and got to like him," said Cooke. He was very self deprecating about his political career and his inability to overcome the Big Blue Machine. In his own words, he thought he was too much of an intellect for the blood sports of politics."

Philip Utilities was sold in 2000 and the parent company, Philip Services Corp., ran into dire financial difficulties. Cooke said Smith found the experience bittersweet.

He ended up walking away with nothing," Cooke recalled. He lost all his warrants and commissions that were part of his contract. It was part of the ebb and flow of his journey. He was pretty sanguine about it."

He was very decent in my opinion. He was brilliant, well-travelled and thoughtful. I was lucky to get to know him and enjoy his company."

Smith was born May 7, 1938 to a family that ran a grocery store in the east-end of Montreal. His grandparents were Jewish immigrants from Russia, Poland and Austria.

After high school, at 18, he was elected president of the student union at McGill University. He earned the top award for debating and organized a student strike against the Maurice Duplessis government in 1957.

He joined the Liberal party and went to work as an executive assistant for MP, later Senator, Alan McNaughton. He was going to run for the Liberals in Mount Royal in 1965 but moved aside for a candidate the party wanted to run there - Pierre Trudeau.

He came to McMaster where he was an associate professor of psychiatry and ran the in-patient unit at St. Joseph's Hospital.

When he decided to enter politics, he told The Spectator his colleagues wished him well, but hoped he lost because of the financial hit he would take for such a move.

But I believe if good people don't offer themselves they have no one to blame for second-class government performance."

Despite returning the Liberals to Opposition status and reducing the Bill Davis government to a minority in 1977, Smith had trouble catching on more with the public.

It didn't help that Davis nicknamed him Dr. No" and Dr. Negative' during the 1981 provincial campaign in which Smith was accused of preaching doom and gloom about the Ontario economy and wouldn't talk about other issues.

Smith nicknamed Davis Dr. DoLittle" but the PCs were re-elected with a majority. The Liberals won 70 seats and the Liberals held 33 seats.

Smith was appointed chair of the Science Council of Canada and resigned as leader at the start of 1982. This cleared the way for a race that also featured his former constituency assistant, now a MPP, Sheila Copps. Peterson won.

Smith chaired the science council from 1982-1987. He formed Rockcliffe Research and Technology Inc. to develop the commercial potential of federal labs and provide venture capital for emerging high-tech firms. Its water business was bought by Philip Environmental Inc. and Philip Utilities Management was born.

Smith also served as chair of the National Roundtable on the Environment and Economy.

It's been an interesting life," Smith told The Spec in 1996. It's been unpredictable, but there's also a logic to it. Some of my colleagues with whom I graduated from medical school say they're envious of my varied career ... I sometimes wonder if I should have stuck to medicine, but there are two ways of achieving fulfilment. You can concentrate on one aspect or you can put variety in your life."

Funeral arrangements are not known. Smith leaves his wife Paddy and a son and a daughter.

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