From shipyards to lumberyards
Hugh Heron left Glasgow to become one of GTA’S largest builders
Some of Ontario’s finest housing projects can be traced to a dentist in a rough working neighbourhood in Glasgow, Scotland. The young welder he had sprawled in his chair had been dreaming out loud about following some of those ships he had been building in the Glasgow Ship Yards as they explored the world.
His dream was sparked by watching a ship he had proudly built sail out of the yard for Australia.
“Ach, don’t be daft boy,” said the dentist. “That Australia place is too far away. If I were you I’d try Canada. That way when you get homesick, it’s a lot cheaper to make your way home.” Hugh Heron couldn’t argue — which is one of his favourite pastimes — because his mouth was full of dental instruments.
So, 45 years ago he landed on the shores of Canada — Toronto to be exact — which has been a welcoming shore to millions of immigrants.
Heron was good with his hands and quick on his feet. “That’s how you stay alive in the shipyard. If you work there long enough, you’re gonna get seriously hurt, or be killed. That was another reason I wanted to see the world.” Gerry Armstrong was always quick to recognize young people with talent and immediately hired Heron when he arrived at his office looking for a job. Armstrong was president of Victoria Wood, a huge homebuilder and developer in the ’60s and ’70. There’s a very impressive list of well-known Toronto homebuilders who got their start in the business working for Gerry Armstrong. Heron is one of his star pupils.
Being the entrepreneur he is, Heron eventually started his own homebuilding firm, Sandbury Homes, in partnership with John Sandusky. Heron eventually moved on from Sandbury to create Heathwood Homes in 1979, which today is part of the Heron Group of Companies.
His Scottish brogue has somehow deepened each year he has been in Canada, but you can’t detect it when he is singing “O Canada!” Heron was attending a builders’ banquet one night where they opened the evening by playing an orchestral version of our national anthem.
That raised his Scottish ire. Heron says we are lucky to be living in the
“If you work there (the shipyards) long enough, you’re gonna get seriously hurt, or be killed.”
HUGH HERON
finest country in the world and we should all be singing its praises, particularly our anthem. He funded a spectacular video showing our beautiful scenery and our beautiful people. The video includes a strong voice singing “O Canada!” It’s Heron — and there’s no brogue. Heron says we also have the world’s most beautiful and most admired flag and it should be flying across our country. His new housing sites are traditionally announced with a forest of Canada’s Red Maple Leaf flag.
On Oct. 24, 1992, Heron opened Villages at Century City on Eglinton Ave. in Mississauga. Hundreds of Canadian flags lined the street leading to his model homes. It was a historic day. It was also the first time ever that a baseball team from outside the United States won the World Series. When thousands of fans were streaming past Villages of Century City on their way to join a million other fans at the World Series parade in downtown Toronto, Heron’s flags never stood a chance, but at least they got to go to the parade. Despite the cost, Heron was thrilled that his stolen flags participated in the celebrations. He’ll be 75 on his next birthday, but looks 59. That’s likely because the first two hours of his working days are spent at the Fitness Institute in North York. He can bench press 750 pounds. Heron celebrated his 60th birthday by running his first marathon at Disney World in Orlando. It took him more than 7 hours and he was elated, but he was also very sad to learn later that the young man he saw hit the pavement in front of him was pronounced dead. The sudden death in 2002 of his close friend Michael Hart Salem from a massive heart attack while playing golf also had a huge impact on Heron. He and fellow friends of Michael launched the Mikey Foundation to raise funds and equip golf courses with heart defibrillators. The Mikey Foundation has since raised millions in donation and placed defibrillators in as many public areas and schools as possible. Heron’s heart-healthy lifestyle includes dancing along the entire route of Toronto’s annual Santa Claus Parade — dressed as a clown. Despite that annual commitment — for which he pays thousands — and all his business pressures, his daily workouts, his speaking engagements and the invitations to sing in friends’ recreation rooms, Heron has been a leader in promoting safe, healthy and honest homebuilding practices in Canada. He proudly proclaims Canadians build the best homes in the world, but always adds “and we can do better.” Heron has served as chairman of the Ontario New Home Warranty Program, now called Tarion, on the board of directors of Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp., as president of both the Toronto Home Builders’ Association, now known as BILD, plus president of the Ontario Home Builders’ Association.
And he’s never happier than when Celtic beats Rangers.