James Smith

James Smith is a graduate of St. Marys University in Halifax obtaining a B.Sc.. in 1970. He has pre engineering credits and one year attendance in the architecture program at Nova Scotia Tech. Recently he successfully completed the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing's Building Code course for Small Buildings.

University summer work experience saw employment with the development office of Scotia Square in Halifax, then the largest urban development of its type in Canada. The surveying of national monuments for the Department of Northern Affairs, and as a quality control inspector for a large Puerto Rico builder of precast concrete homes.

Upon graduation after a brief stint as assistant manager of a B.V.I. bareboat charter operation he began his building career with Alf Robinson, a retired Alcan structural engineer who had headed their development division.For two years he collaborated in the design and construction of hillside homes overlooking Sir Francis Drake Channel in TortolaB.V.I.. Then on to Puerto Rico where he partnered in a small construction firm designing and building renovations, additions and new homes. These southern buildings are constructed primarily from concrete products. He also designed and constructed 'flying shoring' for the construction of high rise concrete buildings in San Juan Puerto Rico.

Mr. Smith arrived in Victoria B.C. in 1975 and worked for Otis Elevator for one year then began a design build construction company with Herb Smith and for the next 13 years designed and built a variety of new homes singly, in subdivisions, as well as town homes and small commercial buildings. Mr. Smith participated in the consolidation of lots , re-zoning hearings and the design of and presentation to planning committees of landscape and building schemes for land use contracts.

After a visit with relatives in Prince Edward County he decided to come East and settle with his family in 1988. He partnered in a landscape / construction company for three years then started James Smith Designer Builder in 1991 and is a Tarion registered home builder .

In the ensuing years has constructed many renovations and additions on new and period homes and designed and built new homes. This work has been done to designs by James Smith or the clients Architect as the case may be.

The Inn At Huff Estates which has been designated one of Ontario's finest inns was completed recently and has received high praise. Recently completed is the Huff home at West lake, a magnificent house with vaulted spaces, unique interior rooms and fine custom finishing throughout. The house was designed by James Smith and features varying post and beam details with all principal rooms encompassing the sweep of West Lake and Sand Dunes Park.

During all these years Mr. Smith has worked 'Hands On' and is a highly skilled individual with an intimate knowledge of all phases of construction. He has been exposed to and has successfully completed projects in wood, concrete and steel and in various combinations of these materials.