Lorne Smith

Real estate pioneer Lorne L. Smith celebrated 60 years in the industry in November. His career started in 1951 at the Peterborough office of insurance and realty broker Stan Darling.

After the war, in which he served as an officer in the Royal Canadian Air Force flying on missions based out of India and Southeast Asia, Smith settled in Peterborough where he married Ruthe Morgan. They had three children, Cheryl, Karen and Scott.

Smith opened his own brokerage, Lorne L. Smith Realty, which over the next 40 years was a significant player on the local real estate scene with as many as of 28 salespeople and offices in Bancroft, Trenton and on Highway 28. Head office was a little house on Aylmer Street, which was rebuilt to hold the growing staff.

One of the founders of the Peterborough Real Estate Board, Smith served as a director for 15 years, secretary-treasurer for six years and president in 1958. As a director of the Ontario Real Estate Association he implemented the first real estate courses at Fleming, Loyalist and Durham community colleges, which have evolved to the present day CEU courses. In 1960 Smith received his Fellow of the Real Estate Institute, one of the first brokers in Ontario to earn this professional designation.

Flying Officer (retired) Lorne Smith, who is celebrating 60 years in the real estate industry, takes the salute as reviewing officer at the Peterborough Cenotaph on Nov. 11, 2009.

Helen (Zakos) Drury joined the firm as an assistant in 1964, later getting her broker’s license. She is still working in partnership with Smith 47 years later. When he closed his office in 1993 the Smith-Drury team survived and still work together at the Peterborough office of Re/Max Eastern Realty. (Zakos) Drury says Smith is her mentor and best friend and always there to help anyone who needs it.