James Smart (1888-1957)

Civil servant.

Born on 29 February 1888 in Brandon, Manitoba, son of James A. Smart and Elizabeth Jones. He graduated with a degree in Forestry from the University of New Brunswick in 1917. In February 1919, he married Katherine Amelia Stewart, with whom he had three children: Gwendolyn Smart (Baird), James Augustus Smart, and Janet Smart.

Smart was responsible for the development of several national parks in Canada, including Riding Mountain National Park in Manitoba, for which he was the first superintendent. He was the Controller of the Department of Mines and Resources until it was abolished in 1950 and Controller of the National Parks Branch (1941 to 1950). He was also executive commissioner of the St. Lawrence Development Commission. He was made an Additional Officer of the Civil Division of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1946. He served as Director of the National Parks Branch from 1950 until his retirement in February 1953.

There is a collection of his papers and photographs in Library and Archives Canada.

More information:

Birth Pangs of a National Park by Charles T. Thomas
Manitoba Pageant, Volume 15, Number 1, Winter 1970

The Great Adventure by Grey Owl (Archie Belaney)
Manitoba History, Number 29, Spring 1995

Source:

Library and Archives Canada, James Smart fonds.

Profile revised: 21 June 2008

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