On behalf of the College community, we send our condolences and deepest sympathies to the family, friends and loved ones of Dr. Dick Smith, who passed away peacefully in his home earlier this week on Tuesday, November 7.

At spring convocation 2022, RRC Polytech recognized Dr. Dick Smith with an honorary diploma in Community Development for his enduring commitment to public health, specifically within the 2SLGBTQIA+ community in Winnipeg.

Dr. Dick Smith was a Manitoba family physician who dedicated most of his 52-year professional career to saving lives and advocating for those impacted by the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Manitoba. He was leader in the provision of clinical excellence to people often ostracized for their sexual orientation or lifestyle, and established the Village Clinic, which eventually became the Nine Circles Community Health Centre (Nine Circles).

Dr. Dick Smith’s legacy continues through the lives he has impacted, and the preventative education and care provided at Nine Circles.