Industry mourns loss of Hugh Laird

With the passing of Hugh Laird the construction industry mourns the loss of an avid supporter of training young people in the skilled trades.

Laird, executive director of the Interior Systems Contractors Association (ISCA) and chair of Helmets to Hardhats Canada, passed away June 10. Laird joined ISCA over 25 years ago and was the executive director of both the association and the Interior Finishing Systems Training Centre. He studied engineering at Seneca College and apprenticed as a boilermaker. He was a member of the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, following a family tradition started in Scotland where he was born. He is survived by his wife Susan and had a son, Ryan, and a stepdaughter, Jaclyn. He was 70.

“He was a giant figure in the construction industry and when it comes to training young people in the skilled trades, I don’t know if there is anybody in the province that knew more about how to do that than Hugh Laird,” said Ron Johnson, deputy director, ISCA.

“He almost single-handedly developed one of the largest and most modern training centres in North America for apprenticeship training. He dedicated a big chunk of his career in pursuit of education for young people in the skilled trades.”

Ian Cunningham, president of the Council of Ontario Construction Associations (COCA), said he met Laird 11 years ago.

“He has been responsible for introducing thousands of young people to fulfilling careers in the construction industry and for that the industry should be thankful,” said Cunningham.

“He was always there, he was a great supporter of COCA. He was a man of few words that was in the background but with great strength and a solid vision for ISCA and the training centre.”

Laird was one of the original backers of the Ontario College of Trades and was on its interim board and later on its appointments council.

“He believed the skilled trades could manage themselves and we didn’t need government to do it for us. He believed in training young people in the skilled trades and this is really where I think his impact will be felt the most across the province,” said Johnson.

With respect to the contractors association, he had the ability to develop strong relationships with union partners which helped ISCA grow and develop, he commented.

“He took ISCA from a very small contractors association to one of the strongest and most influential trade associations in the province, and quite frankly he did that on his own,” said Johnson. “He had the support of our board, but it was really his vision and he was able to do something that few people could have done at the time.”

For Johnson, Laird was more than a co-worker.

He was one of those unsung heroes who just sort of got the job done

— Joe Maloney

Helmets to Hardhats Canada

“He was my mentor and basically taught me everything that I know about this industry,” said Johnson, who started at ISCA 14 years ago.

“I am one of the luckiest guys in the world — I got to learn from one of the smartest men that I’ve ever met and it was a real honour and privilege to have worked with him for so long. I’m personally going to miss him a lot. I know the industry is going to miss him just as much.”

Laird was also a founding member of the De Novo Treatment Centre, located in Huntsville, Ont., an alcohol and drug treatment service operated as a partnership between management and unionized members of Ontario’s construction trades.

“He saw a need within the construction industry, people needed treatment and couldn’t get it,” explained Johnson.

Joe Maloney, national executive director, Helmets to Hardhats Canada, met Laird when they started their apprenticeships together in 1974. Laird worked as a tradesman and a business manager before he moved to ISCA in 1993.

Laird was also an advocate for prompt payment and was part of the National Trade Contractors Coalition of Canada and helped get Prompt Payment Ontario off the ground.

“He represented all the finishing contractors in and around the Greater Toronto Area and he worked tirelessly at representing them via legislation issues which he was very good at,” said Maloney.

“He was one of those unsung heroes who just sort of got the job done. If he was on your team trying to get something done, such as a piece of legislation, you knew the support was there, you knew the energy was there and he would get behind it, believe in it and support it and get it over the top.”

Laird was also one of the founding directors and chair of the board of directors for Helmets to Hardhats Canada which provides civilian career opportunities for anyone who has served in either the regular or reserve force components of the Canadian Forces.

“He had a place in his heart for veterans and particularly he was very concerned about homeless veterans in the Toronto area,” said Maloney.

“His organization committed financially to the program and supported it. He was always looking at ways to improve and expand the program.”