Doug Smith, the founder of Manitoulin Transport and one of Canada’s most influential trucking entrepreneurs, has died August 2 at the age of 93.

Smith founded Manitoulin Transport in Gore Bay, Ont., in 1960, and grew a small regional carrier into one of Canada’s largest privately owned transportation and logistics companies while keeping its headquarters on Manitoulin Island, creating hundreds of jobs in Northern Ontario and helping shape the country’s trucking industry.

In announcing his passing, the company described Smith as a visionary and a true pioneer of the Canadian trucking industry. Nearly 20 years ago, he was also appointed to the Order of Canada, the highest honor that can be given to a Canadian citizen.

“Doug’s leadership, resilience, and unwavering dedication reshaped transportation across the country,” the company said in a LinkedIn post. “Even into his 90s, his passion for the business, love for his hometown of Gore Bay, Ontario, and lifelong loyalty to the Manitoulin family remained as strong as ever.”

Jeff King, president of Manitoulin Transport, remembered Smith as an industry leader whose influence extended far beyond his own company.

“Although one of the most humble people you might have ever met, Doug was a true legend/giant in the industry whose legacy of hard work, humility, love of life, and philanthropy will live on for years to come through those whose lives he touched,” he wrote on LinkedIn.

Smith’s early years were filled with music, hard work and adventure, his family says. He grew up playing instruments, racing boats and working in the family wholesale business. After high school, he spent time in Toronto working as an auditor with the Bank of Montreal before being summoned home to Manitoulin Island to work as a truck driver and warehouseman in the family business.

His family and friends remember him as a gifted natural musician, saying he knew nearly a thousand songs by ear and could play several instruments, although the clarinet remained his lifelong favourite. Smith began playing with the Gore Bay Orchestra in 1947 and continued performing for nearly eight decades, taking the stage just one week before his passing during the Harbour Days celebration in Gore Bay.

Trucking career

Smith entered the trucking business in 1960 — after  his parents sold the wholesale business, he acquired Hills Transport and renamed it Manitoulin Transport. Under his leadership, the company steadily expanded through acquisitions and organic growth, evolving from a local carrier serving Manitoulin Island into a one of the country’s biggest fleets. According to trucknews.com’s latest Top 100 list, Manitoulin ranked 10th largest in Canada with 85 yards and terminals, operating more than 1,300 trucks and 3,770 trailers — all in addition to its U.S. operations.

Smith remained actively involved with the business well past his retirement age. In 2023, as he celebrated his 90th birthday, the Ontario Trucking Association said he still worked regularly at the company’s Gore Bay headquarters while supporting numerous community initiatives.

For his contributions to not only transportation industry but also the Northern Ontario community, he was named a Member of the Order of Canada in 2007. The Governor General’s office also said Smith was a generous philanthropist who has ensured that health care, sporting, cultural and charitable groups can continue to offer services and programs to those living in northern communities. He also launched the Douglas A. Smith Family Foundation to ensure that this work would continue.

Over the years, Smith also received numerous industry honors and awards, including Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, the Ontario Trucking Association’s Trailmobile Service to Industry Award, Sudbury Area Mining Supply and Service Association hall of fame induction, and more.

“Whether in a boardroom, on a stage or around the kitchen table with family and friends, Doug’s sharp mind, wonderfully dry sense of humour and gentle nature made people feel welcome, valued and inspired. He left a lasting impression on everyone he met,” his family wrote in an obituary.

A celebration of life will be held Sept.12 with details to come.