‘HERITAGE HANK’ SMITH GRAVENHURST SENIOR OF THE YEAR
Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com
GRAVENHURST — Hank Smith lovees to putter around and keep busy.
At the recent Antique and Classic Boat Society show he was greeting visitors to the workshop at the Muskoka Steamsships ticket office.
“Want to buy a piece of the Segwun? It’s right there.”
Sure enough, on the counter was a piece of railing, shined up with a plaque confirming its authenticity.
“And there’s the mast of the Segwun in the corner,” he went on.
Next to the railing piece was a tall, slender stick of white wood that looked like it had been discarded in a garage, which the workshop kind of is.
It’s where volunteers go to work on projects related to the Segwun or Wenonah II.
And, well, to just putter around.
There’s old canoes under repair and other sorts of odd jobs that need to be fixed up around the Muskoka Wharf.
The white mast is part of the “Phoenix Project,” which saw them replace and paint the unique beast that rides atop the Segwun and is a distinct part of her heritage.
So, it’s fitting the “Heritage Hank,” as he is known around town to some people, has been recognized as Gravenhurst’s Senior of the Year.
Each year, the Ontario Senior of the Year Award gives municipalities across the province the opportunity to honour one outstanding local Ontarian who after the age of 65 has enriched the social, cultural or civic life of his or her community.
It’s the same award Cyril and Marion Fry also received this year, and which Smith MC’d an honours lunch for them.
Smith, a Gravenhurst resident and ambassador for historical preservation, received the 2019 award this week at a meeting of town council from Mayor Paul Kelly.
On hand were some of his friends and other volunteers with the local heritage committee and the Muskoka Discovery Centre, where he is also a volunteer.
He was also a prominent part of the Power Squadron when it was very active around the Muskoka Lakes and he was a one time one of its commanders.
“I’m excited for Hank, he is a true volunteer and ambassador of the history and heritage preservation of our community and is fondly referred to as “Heritage Hank” by his peers. Hank is a perfect example of the incredible contributions that seniors continue to make in Gravenhurst,” said Kelly in a release.
A retired principal from the educational system in Muskoka, Smith has been an active member in the community ever since. Instrumental in the creation of the Gravenhurst Municipal Heritage Committee, he has been an important member of the committee since its formation in 2008. During that same time, he was also a volunteer with the Muskoka Steamship and Historical Society sitting on the board of directors, working with the planning committee for the construction of the museum building and the development of the volunteer program.
He was also involved in the Rotary Club of Gravenhurst, and was recognized with the Paul Harris Fellowship Award, one of the highest honours Rotary can bestow upon a person. Recipients are Rotarians and community professionals, in recognition of their outstanding contributions, exemplifying the highest ideal in Rotary in placing “Service above Self.”
