A. J. Smith's legacy paid for this house, the residence of his grandson J. W. Y. Smith, called Younglands, on Shediac Bay, New Brunswick. Built in 1927, it is now owned by a Catholic order.
Smith entered politics in 1852 entering the House of Assembly as an opponent of the Tory compact that ran the colony and became a leading reform and advocate of responsible government which was granted to the colony in 1854. Smith became a member of the reform government that took power that year and went on to become Attorney-General in 1861 under PremierSamuel Leonard Tilley. Smith split with Tilley over railway policy and Canadian Confederation with Smith becoming leader of the Anti-Confederates winning the 1865 election but was forced from office the next year by the lieutenant-governor.
Smith reconciled with Confederation after it became a fact and became minister of fisheries in the Liberal government of Alexander Mackenzie in 1873. He died in 1883, and was interred in Dorchester Rural Cemetery.
1The office of Minister of Marine and Fisheries was abolished and the offices of Minister of Fisheries and Minister of Marine were created in 1930. The minister of marine was a precursor to the minister of transport. 2From 1971 to 1976, the minister of the environment was also the minister of fisheries.
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