Arthur Britton Smith

Arthur Britton Smith was born inKingston, Ontarioon May 13, 1920, the son of Cyril Middleton Smith, a lawyer, and Edna Madeline Smith (née Spooner).[1]Both his parents were originally from Manitoba. He and three sisters were raised in Kingston (plus one who died as a toddler), growing up on Stuart Street and Kensington Avenue. He received his primary and secondary education at Victoria Public School andKingston Collegiate and Vocational Institute. Following his service in World War II, Smith in 1945 began to work toward becoming a lawyer. In Ontario at that time, prospective lawyers went through a three-yearbar admissionprocess, involving "articling" (in effect, apprenticing) at a law firm while also taking some courses part-time atOsgoode Hall Law Schoolin Toronto.[28]Smith completed this process in 1948 and was admitted to Ontario's legal profession as a barrister and solicitor. Several years later, he was granted aBachelor of Laws(LL.B.) degree; this degree was retroactively offered in 1991 to persons who had graduated from Osgoode Hall Law School in the years before it became a degree-granting institution.[29][30][31]After becoming a lawyer in 1948, Smith established a law office in Kingston and practised for 50 years. Throughout his lifetime, Britton Smith has demonstrated exemplary qualities of leadership and vision. A native of Kingston, Ontario, he practiced law before developing one of the most successful rental organizations in the country. Esteemed for his philanthropy, he has helped grow his community through generous donations from his eponymous foundation, benefiting the social, economic and cultural fabric of the city. A decorated Second World War soldier and recipient of the Military Cross, he is also a passionate local historian and has written extensively on HMS Ontario, a military brig lost in 1780.