He was born in
Montreal,
Quebec, on March 23, 1868. The son of Robert Smart, a shoemaker, originally from Aberdeen, and his wife Margaret Clark, from Arbroath, he was educated at the
High School of Montreal. In 1881, he left school and became a clerk for with Alexander Buntin and Co., a stationery firm. In 1884, he moved to Tellier, Rothwell and Co., oil dealers, where he stayed for seven years. ==City Councillor==