Warren Schlote pays tribute to late Manitoulin philanthropist, transport builder, and musician Doug Smith, highlighting his profound community legacy and decades-long bond through jazz.
Warren Schlote spent his first three years after university graduation as a valued member of The Expositor鈥檚 editorial staff. Warren still completes freelance assignments for the paper from time to time, including last week鈥檚 report on Doug Smith鈥檚 passing. For the past four years, Warren has worked for CBC Radio One in Sudbury. It was during an Expositor assignment that Warren met the late Doug Smith and they discovered their mutual interest in playing jazz music.
Nearly everyone who has lived on Manitoulin Island for long enough has a Doug Smith story. The philanthropist and business builder helped to shape many Island communities, especially Gore Bay, and his own life was shaped by the place he was born and raised.
I moved to Little Current after finishing journalism school in 2018, when this newspaper took a chance and offered me my first career job. I quickly had to learn about Manitoulin and the unique people who have come to define this place.
Many people told me about Doug Smith, who turned a family wholesale business into one of the biggest trucking empires in the country. I grew up seeing Manitoulin trucks crossing the country, but I knew little else about the company or the people behind it.
Check out Warren Schlote's documentary on the Gore Bay jazz band, founded by his friend Doug Smith in 1948.
Subscribe now and have access to all our stories, enjoy exclusive content and stay up to date with constant updates.