Background
Smellie was born in Fergus, Canada West, the son of the Reverend George Smellie (1811–1896), and studied at the University of Toronto and McGill University.
Smellie was born in Fergus, Canada West, the son of the Reverend George Smellie (1811–1896), and studied at the University of Toronto and McGill University.
University of Toronto.
He represented Fort William in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1905 to 1911 as a Conservative member. He came to Prince Arthur"s Landing (later Portuguese Arthur) in 1879 and was a town councillor in 1885. He settled in Fort William in 1891, where he became Medical Officer of Health.
Smellie was owner of the Daily Times-Journal from 1901–1908.
He was appointed registrar of the High Court and Surrogate Court for Thunder Bay District in 1911 and served in these positions until February 1921. According to the Daily Times-Journal, "He was man of broad views.
Physically a big man, he had a mind constructed on the same massive proportions, and he was endowed with a fine capacity for learning.".