John Stewart on learning from the past to benefit the future

Posted on Wednesday, May 31st, 2023

For nearly 40 years, John Stewart has served as a pillar of the Perth community, a close friend of Algonquin College and a widely respected authority on heritage conservation. His commitment to history and the preservation of the past have led to the revitalization of countless historical sites both locally and beyond.

On June 7, Stewart will receive an honorary degree from Algonquin College at the Perth Campus’ 2023 Spring Convocation ceremony. He will be one of six to receive the honour, alongside fellow friends of the College Mark Barnes, Wendy Jocko, Deirdre Freiheit, Elizabeth Manley and James Taggart.

Stewart moved to Perth with his family in 1980 as part of the Main Street program, which sought to revitalize ageing downtown cores. It was around this time that the Perth Campus initiated its heritage masonry and carpentry programs, which Stewart saw as an opportunity to both build an important relationship and improve the local community. Stewart served on the board of the campus’ trades programs and his business, Commonwealth Historic Resource Management, has hired many alumni. Additionally, his son is a graduate from the Perth Campus’ Heritage Carpentry and Joinery program, making the College something of a family affair.

“As a person involved in conservation, everyone talks the talk, but [my son’s success] was really a nice way of seeing someone walk the walk in a very successful program,” said Stewart. “[The Perth Campus’] trades program is known right across Canada now and it’s kind of the gold standard within the conservation community.”

As a business leader and community advocate, Stewart has had to develop a leadership style that lends itself to finding success in a wide variety of situations. When it comes to the leaders of the future, he suggested that good management comes from the ability to recognize and develop the strengths of those of others.

“My style has always been to involve different groups or different individuals and let their skills take the lead,” said Stewart. “I guess I’m a facilitator sometimes and other times I’m more of a cheerleader. The hardest part is that once I’m involved in a project, there’s a desire for it to be better and better, and I sometimes tend to push individuals a little harder then they’re used to: to go back, try it again, think of it this way, that type of thing. Some people find it difficult, but the results always lead to a better product.”

For soon-to-be AC alumni, Stewart advised not looking at graduation as the end of the road, but instead as a stepping stone to bigger things.

“Your diploma or your degree is really a passport. It’s a tool that allows you to show that you have an understanding, it documents that you’ve gone through an important process,” said Stewart. “It doesn’t mean you have all the answers, but you have the skills to come up with the answers. Your degree becomes an amazing tool as you go on and live your life.”


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