The Spirit Catcher stands high above the city’s waterfront and symbolizes the city. Although Arch Brown has long been dubbed “Mr. Barrie,” he says he is honoured the city bestowed the Order of the Spirit Catcher on him and his wife, Helen last night.

Brown already holds an incredible array of honours including the Chamber of Commerce’s Hall of Fame, Honorary Colonel of Canadian Forces Base Borden, a senator of the Grey and Simcoe Foresters, the Governor-General’s Commemorative Medal for Canada’s 125th anniversary, and the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal.

“They all mean something to me,” he said from his downtown Barrie penthouse. “I’m especially aware of the Spirit Catcher. It gives me the highest award (locally).  Maybe this is vain, but I don’t intend it to be: the Order of Canada is Canada’s top award. The Order of Ontario is Ontario’s top award and the Order of the Spirit Catcher is the community’s top award. I’ve covered the waterfront.”

The Browns’ new Barrie home overlooks the city’s core, as well as the Spirit Catcher – the iconic sculpture that helped spark investment into the fledgling Barrie Gallery Project, which eventually became the MacLaren Art Centre.

The 80-year-old Brown’s younger days include friend and fellow volunteer, Maurice MacLaren – the philanthropist who donated his historic home to the gallery in the early 1990s.

Brown’s love of the arts – and support for the gallery as well as for individual artists – combined with his belief that post-secondary education is critically important prompted investment in Georgian College. He recalled the days the college offered little more than a business course and operated out of a store in Wellington Plaza, when he served on the college’s advisory board.

Today, the college is bursting with an array of specialized buildings, including a university partnership centre that offers a variety of degree studies, and the respected School of Design and Visual Arts.

The school’s home is the Arch and Helen Centre for the Visual Arts. Brown is a close friend of the retired jewelry program director, Don Stuart, one of the recipients of Barrie’s Excellence in the Arts Awards.

“I didn’t go myself to college or university and think now that was one of my biggest mistakes. I realize the importance of post-secondary school education. Even when I was with Canadian Tire, I’d encourage my employees to go on to college,” he said.

Brown had a distinguished career with Canadian Tire. Recruited from General Motors,

Canadian Tire made him its national sales director. It was his job to work with each store to be the best it could be, as well as to introduce the company’s groundbreaking cash-bonus program, Canadian Tire money.

Barrie was a small community then, but big enough to be visionary and progressive, he said.

He had the opportunity to work with other forward-thinking volunteers to create a more vibrant community, and he wonders why some of those individuals aren’t up for the award, although he wouldn’t name names.

And behind him in all his business success and volunteer accomplishments is Helen.

“She’s been good for me. I named her the Great Leveller; she’s kept my feet on the ground,” he said.

Born in Schomberg, the two met at a Presbyterian Young People’s event in Orillia. The partnership has endured and prospered.

Their condominium home is filled with original oils, watercolour and even pencil sketches by an array of artists in a range of styles. Although they value each an every piece, nothing compares to the Spirit Catcher.

“To be associated with the original exceptional gift from the Peacock family of the Orillia area to the City of Barrie, which has become the main symbol of our great city, is indeed a humbling experience,” he said.

“The award is so meaningful since our present condo residence looks down over the Spirit Catcher so we ill be constantly aware of the award. Thank you all for the honour. We are both very proud of Barrie and area.”