It’s Pat. I’m still here at the 50th celebration of The Horizon—its new name—and I’m here with Jean Smith.

Jean, tell me a little bit about your history with The Horizon.

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1. Early plan vs. asbestos grant (1988) — canceled
2. 1990 emergency repairs & $20K special assessment
3. Second term (’93–’96): fire-code deficiencies & fixes
4. Volunteer-run era → first management company
5. Engineers, hall renovations, reserve fund realities
6. Why volunteer (being “the younger one” then)
7. Condo living perks: size, parking, utilities included
8. Advice to future directors: “Be prepared to be busy”
9. Then vs. now: phone calls at the door → email era

Jean: I moved in June 1, 1969, into a two-bedroom on a corner—601. Interestingly, I know four of us who’ve been here 50 years and we’re all in the “01” stack. Nice coincidence.

Pat: You’ve served on the board?

Jean: I was on the board in 1988 when they wanted to redo the inside of the building because of asbestos. There was a government grant, but some people didn’t want to do it, so it was canceled. Then in 1990 they said the building had to be fixed or it would be condemned. Everyone paid $20,000 per unit. They did the bricks, windows—everything. I wasn’t on the board then, but I served again from about ’93 to ’96.

Pat: So two separate terms?

Jean: Yes. In ’93 we’d just been elected when we were told the building didn’t meet the fire code. We had to add special equipment, redo the halls, remove paneling, replace carpets—lots of work. We had two years in a row of special assessments because the reserve fund didn’t have enough, and we got it done.

Pat: Why did you volunteer—twice?

Jean: People kept asking! I was one of the younger residents at the time. When I moved in with my mother and sister, most people here were retired and had downsized. Condos were new then—people said, “You don’t buy apartments.” We’d heard of the concept in Europe from traveling. Even our lawyer back then hadn’t heard of it.

Pat: Being on the board in those early days—rules and legislation were still evolving. That must’ve been a challenge.

Jean: Definitely. We worked hard. When we first moved in, we didn’t even have a management company—residents handled things. A retired chartered accountant was treasurer. It was all volunteer. Just before I joined the board in ’93, they hired a management company. After that, for the fire-code work, we were always meeting with engineers to figure everything out. It was hectic for those three years.

Pat: And then you came back a decade earlier, in ’88…

Jean: That term wasn’t as bad because the project was canceled, so it was regular business. In ’93 they came back to me again and I stayed three years to see the fire project through. I’m one of the only ones still around from that board—well, another member is 95 and still with us, but she isn’t here today.

Pat: In a short phrase, how would you describe condo living for others?

Jean: It’s a great lifestyle. No worries about snow shoveling and the rest. Friends in houses always seem to have problems. We have indoor parking, and our condo fees include electricity. The grounds are beautiful, apartments are a good size—my two-bedroom is about 1,100 square feet. You can’t do much better.

Pat: Words of wisdom for someone considering joining the board?

Jean: Be prepared to be busy. In my day, we got phone calls and people stopping you with complaints. Today it’s more emails, but I’m sure there are still plenty of those. Scott Hill comes on Tuesdays and we can meet with him if there are problems. You can always reach the board too.

Pat: The years go by quickly, don’t they? I won’t keep you from the party. Thanks so much, Jean!

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