'Mr. Barrie' helped shape community

Author: Laurie Watt

Date: Nov 20, 2009

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Arch Brown was more than a resident. He was a citizen — of Barrie, Ontario, Canada. And he received the highest honours from all three: the Spirit Catcher, the Order of Ontario, and the Order of Canada.

BARRIE: Where do you begin in telling the inspirational life story of Arch Brown? After all, he was affectionately dubbed ‘Mr. Barrie’.
He has helped shaped this city, inspiring it to become a better, more well-rounded and caring community.
Brown died in hospital Monday. He was 81. His life will be celebrated at a special service at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, at Georgian College’s student life centre.
Brown had a love affair with this city, nurturing and caring for it.
He came to Barrie in 1963 as the associate dealer of the local Canadian Tire. He made his first visionary move by relocating the store from downtown to what’s now the Bayfield Mall. He was the first retail pioneer on Barrie’s Golden Mile.
Appreciating the support of the community, he was always one to give back – with his time, talent and money.
“Arch is one of those bigger than life individuals who changed the City of Barrie,” said local business leader Jamie Massie, who has followed in Brown’s footsteps as a retail pioneer in the community.
“He gave freely of his time on boards, at the college, and as honorary colonel at CFB Borden. He made a significant impact in bringing the base and the city together. He created multiple legacies for the people of Barrie,” added Massie, who follows Brown as honorary colonel for the base.
Brown’s first investment in our city was the Canadian Tire. He transformed a small store into one of the company’s top performers, setting retail and customer service benchmarks. He credited his employees for their diligence, as he viewed them as partners in success and introduced a profit-sharing plan.
“He was Mr. Canadian Tire, even after he retired,” said Al Hodgkinson, who bought the Bayfield Street store from Brown. Hodgkinson met Brown years ago at a Canadian Tire head office seminar. “He was phenomenal,” the ‘new’ storeowner said of Brown’s presentation.
Working for Brown as a student was Owen Billes, whose grandfather was a cofounder of the chain. With a family cottage not far away, the Billes family would often visit Brown’s store, where the teenage Owen worked.
“(Brown) was one of those legendary characters. He was larger than life. He opened the 50,000 square foot store, with escalators. It was a landmark,” Billes recalled, adding he is one of four of Brown’s employees who went on to become Canadian Tire dealers.
“He was always Mr. Brown. In its time, his store was huge. It had boutiques, paneling on the walls. I always thought that would be so cool, to have a store like that. There’s a personality there.
“I still drive up Bayfield Street and look over.”
Just as he inspired people inside the Canadian Tire family, so he inspired those in the community.
Corporately, he introduced the first customer loyalty program, Canadian Tire money. That innovation lives on to his day.
Brown was a businessman who earned success by combining hard work with a great attitude.
“I’ve known Arch most of my life, but the last couple of years were really special. We gave him an honorary degree,” said Georgian College president Brian Tamblyn.
Recalling the October 2007 convocation, Tamblyn noted Brown always seized the moment to inspire others.
“His voice just boomed through the double gym. I heard him deliver that speech many times – with hard work and the right attitude, you can accomplish anything,” he said.
As recently as January 2009, the students continued to honour Arch and his wife, Helen. A $500,000 donation helped renovate the college’s design and visual arts building that carries the couple’s name.
Their work will continue in the new building, too, slated to open in 2011.
“Looking out my window, I see a backhoe ripping up the field. To me, that’s important. Brown’s donation (of $1 million) really helped,” Tamblyn said, adding it showed the federal and provincial governments the $65-million Health and Wellness Centre would be a valued community asset, as well as a great training ground for a variety of professionals.
Known for his generous gifts, Brown also gave of his time and expertise as he served on a variety of committees, boards and the college’s senate. He was on the founding committee of the Canadian Automotive Institute, a distinctive part of Georgian that could have located anywhere in Canada. He was an advocate for the college and for the city.
Massie credited Brown for advocating and bringing the automotive institute. “Canadian Tire, the college and the base – those were his passions,” he said. “He was like a mentor to me, a tremendous mentor.”
Brown leaves a legacy that inspires others, Massie said. “He was always out in the community doing things. He was a great proponent for the city,” said Massie, who followed Brown’s example as a member of the city’s economic development committee.
Former Mayor Janice Laking commented although Brown leaves an incredible working-life legacy, nothing compares to his retirement. “He was the most involved citizen of Barrie – unelected – for all his year in Barrie, but more so in the past 20 years after his retirement. He was part of many committees, particularly industrial development and hospitality,” recalled Laking.
“He attended every opening or special event. He boosted Barrie.”
Tamblyn called him “the college’s biggest supporter.”
“He has been involved with it since 1967, right up until (the day he died),” Tamblyn added.
He leaves a similar legacy at CFB Borden.
“He was the first honorary colonel and served for nine years, from 1998 to 2007. Mr. Brown genuinely loved every one of us and our families and worked closely in bringing the base and the greater community together,” said Col. Guy Hamel.
Appointed usually for three years, honorary colonels have a range of responsibilities including fostering unit morale, safeguarding traditions and history and offering advice to the commanding officer on all non-operations issues.
“The esprit de corps he instilled at the base will live on in each of us,” Hamel added.
In Barrie, Brown’s legacy can be seen downtown, too. He inspired another downtown Barrie newcomer to invest in his business, to make the city better.
“Arch was always looking at the horizon, not at his feet,” said Queen’s Hotel owner and former mayor Rob Hamilton.
When Hamilton bought the biker bar 35 years ago, it was decrepit. He credits Brown for leading by example – building a business and investing in people.
“Nothing was out of reach with Arch. When you have one person with that attitude, it buoys everyone else. It’s like Wayne Gretzky playing centre ice. He makes everyone better. A person like that can have a very dramatic influence on another person, an institution, a whole community,” Hamilton said.
“You aspire to be that citizen. Arch set the example.”
Continuing to support the arts and build a better city, Brown took former MacLaren Art Centre executive director William Moore to lunch to get him to rethink a plan to expand the Maple Hill property on Toronto Street.
“Arch invited me to the Red Lobster (for lunch) and said, you have to go for the (old Carnegie) library downtown. It’s like retail – location, location, location,” Moore recalled. The project won national architectural honours and the city’s plans call for the gallery to be a cornerstone in the downtown arts district.
Not far away, he donated a custom-made cross that hangs above the organ at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church. He donated I on Nov. 19, 2003, in honour of his 50th wedding anniversary. He and his family were faithful there.
And even before he was admitted to hospital this fall, he chose to live and play downtown. He was part of Retired Old Men Eating Out – a group that could be found faithfully at the Queen’s for coffee. Those fellows talked politics, economics and history.
“We call them the Senators. They’re 80-plus and all long-time Barrie residents,” added Hamilton.
But Brown was more than a resident. He was a citizen — of Barrie, Ontario, Canada. And he received the highest honours from all three: the Spirit Catcher, the Order of Ontario, and the Order of Canada.
Still, it’s how he touched people and shaped the city that will live on.
“The first time I lost an election, I thought I wasn’t old enough,” recalled Ward 10 Coun. Alex Nuttall.
“Arch said if 18 is old enough to fight and die in a war, then it’s old enough to represent us at City Hall,” Nuttall recalled, adding he valued the time Brown gave him once a month, over lunch, at the Downtowner.
He appreciated his wisdom and his vision. Those traits continue to inspire many.
“The legacy (Brown) leaves behind, is other people who want to try to be Arch Brown. One might be Jamie Massie and there are others,” Hamilton added. “It’s a ripple effect. Arch Brown did not follow a path. He left a trail.”
Brown left the city he loved Monday. But his legacy lives on.