Contractor Spotlight—Ty Smith: The Grind is Worth the Squeeze

Working as an RV mechanic, Ty Smith (@icemaster_ty on the Gram) found himself working on his wife’s co-worker’s husband’s truck and trailer when the husband approached Ty and convinced him to change trades based on his work ethic. And while they were in no financial position to make the change, Ty’s wife was very supportive of the decision. “We had signed a new mortgage less than six months earlier; we tightened our belts and made it work,” says Smith.

Ty has been in the industry for 15 years now, and this is his third trade. A friend recommended he apply for a refrigeration position, and Smith was fortunate enough to join his team quickly. “I completed my full four-year apprenticeship there, gaining experience in commercial HVAC, commercial refrigeration, data room HVAC and industrial refrigeration,” says Smith.

In Alberta, the HVAC-R apprenticeship is four years, consisting of 10 months in the field followed by two months of trade school each year. After completing his apprenticeship, Smith challenged the Red Seal exam, which allows him to work across all provinces in Canada. “I’ve since started the three-year upgrade to obtain my Class A gas ticket. This can be completed through the same 10-and-2 format, or by challenging the exams while completing the required hours,” says Smith.

After working with his friend, Smith left to gain building systems experience, but after one year, he realized it wasn’t the work he loved so he returned to commercial refrigeration, working for a company specializing in grocery stores, where he eventually moved into a foreman role. Smith then took a risk by joining a small company as a working manager, with the opportunity to buy into the business. However, “once again, I found myself missing large-scale work, so I returned to large commercial refrigeration, specializing in food manufacturing and storage,” says Smith.

Smith’s most recent move has been into a territory manager role with large refrigeration and HVAC company Gateway Mechanical, Calgary, Alberta, saying that it’s been a major transition into customer relations and sales.

Smith also has had the opportunity to give back through volunteering. “I work as an industry expert with the apprenticeship board, as well as with Skills Alberta and Skills Canada.”

Why Do We Do This?

For Smith, the most rewarding part of his job is walking into a chaotic situation where everyone is panicking and looking to you for a plan—and being able to fix it. “Knowing a site is running better because of my work is my daily reward.”

For example, Smith says that he had a transformer feeding an entire city block blow up, requiring his team to shut down and clear out a full grocery store. He’s had a warehouse evaporator coil blow a header and dump 1,000 pounds of refrigerant. He’s spent weeks troubleshooting systems by talking with staff and pinpointing when issues occurred. “Honestly, I probably have a peculiar call at least once a month—and that’s one of the things I love most about this trade. There’s always a new problem and a new ‘pub story.’”

Leading the Way

While thinking of those that helped throughout his trade journey, Smith says that most of the journeymen he’s worked with could be considered mentors, although many encouraged independence rather than hands-on teaching. “Large teams meant time and attention were spread across many people,” says Smith.

Nonetheless, outside of the trade, Smith’s biggest mentor was his father; he was dual-ticketed in two countries and strongly supported the trades. “One of his classic lines was: ‘The hardest person you should have to please on a job site is yourself,’” says Smith.

Having said that, what is Smith’s advice to those thinking of entering the trades? “Do it now,” he says. “Entering the trades isn’t expensive. You can work out of someone else’s tool bag while you figure out what path you want to take.”

For decades, we’ve pushed kids toward college or university above all else, suggests Smith. “My parents always said to get a trade first—and if you still want post-secondary education later, the trade is something solid to fall back on,” says Smith.

Having that family support system was critical to Smith’s confidence in the trades, yet Smith thinks that we need to educate parents about the trades as many kids don’t necessarily want more schooling after high school, but parents push for it. “When I explain to parents that an 18-year-old can realistically be making $100,000 per year by the age of 22 if they work hard, most are shocked—it was never presented as an option,” says Smith, who also says that we need to introduce trades to students in grades 6–12 and make them cool. “There’s an incredible amount of pride and job satisfaction in trade work.”

In addition, Smith says social media keeps him on his toes. “Seeing the caliber of work others post pushes me to be a better tech. Most feedback is constructive and comes from a good place.

Social media has helped me connect with people who are genuinely passionate about the trade, not just treating it as a job. It’s pushed me out of my comfort zone, allowed me to build my own brand, and given me a greater sense of belonging in the industry.”

His People

The work/life balance is very important to Smith, although he admits he’s just not great at it. “Before becoming a father, I’d work long hours, fill the bank, and then take amazing trips with my wife. Parenthood really showed me how much you can miss in a single week. I’ve worked to build more of a 9–5 life so I can be present, but it’s not easy. Thankfully, my wife is strong-willed and tells me when it’s time for a reset,” says Smith.

Trying to organize one’s life can be difficult but Smith says he into cars and “scaring himself.” “I’m a big car guy. Most of my friends and I have several projects going at once. I’m into wheeling and rock crawling, motorcycles, lowriders and show cars. I’ve co-driven for an off-road endurance race team and am in talks to join a desert race team,” says Smith.

And while Smith doesn’t really have a bucket list per se, he loves to travel, but only if it’s with his people. “I’ve had an amazing life. My parents were teachers so we traveled for two months every year in a motorhome. I found the love of my life as a teenager and can’t imagine life without her. We’ve traveled through Europe, ridden motorcycles to Alaska and the Mexico border, and built custom cars and bikes,” says Smith. But bucket list? “Places like New Zealand would be great—but overall, I’m happy.”

The last time Smith said, “Today is a great day”? “Honestly, most mornings. I was diagnosed with ADD in the third grade and I have an autoimmune disorder. My health has been an ongoing challenge, but it’s just one more thing to work through and not let define me. I’ve had serious health scares, and I’m just grateful to be here and surrounded by good people. I enjoy my work, my family, and my friends. I also have a five-year-old, and watching them experience the world and grow as a person is incredibly important to me. If I had to pick one perfect day, it would be time spent with my family—whether that’s a big vacation or a simple Saturday working in the garage together,” says Smith.

Finally, what will you find on Smith’s playlist? Well, he says about half of his playlist hasn’t changed since high school—it’s still angry skate punk. The other half is everything else. “There’s very little I won’t listen to if I enjoy it. As my wife says, nothing proves I have ADD more than my playlist,” says Smith.

Check out Ty’s YouTube page, https://www.youtube.com/@Icemaster_ty