Harold Spence-Sales

Harold John Author Spence-Sales, (October 22, 1907 – March 15, 2004) was a British-born Canadian architect and urban planner. He is best known for creating the first university planning program in Canada at McGill University, and for playing an important role in shaping the urban landscape of the country. Spence-Sales left an impression on every province in the country and his mark on planning legislation.

Personal life and education

Spence-Sales was born in Lahore, India (today Lahore, Pakistan) on October 22, 1907. He studied architecture at Victoria College in Wellington, New Zealand, and town planning at the Architectural Association in London, England. He had two children from his first marriage. In 1946, Spence-Sales moved with his family from London to Montreal, Quebec so he could take up a position as an instructor at McGill University's School of Architecture.

In 1983, Spence-Sales married his second wife Mary Filer, a Canadian artist. The couple moved to Victoria, British Columbia in 1970. In 1982, they purchased the property 1107 West 7th Avenue in Vancouver which was once a Purdy's Chocolate Factory. They converted the factory into their home and personal art studios. Converting the Purdy's Chocolate factory into a home and art studio space had an influence on Spence-Sales decision to pursue art as a major pastime. He also worked as an instructor at the Architectural Association schools of planning and architecture between 1937 and 1946.

In 1946, Spence-Sales was “Lured to McGill University” by friend, former classmate and colleague John Bland. Bland and Spence-Sales became "distinguished consultants" in the Canadian profession of town planning and city improvement. The Canadian Architecture Collection at McGill University has several physical copies of publications and plans that the duo co-authored together. After Spence-Sales retired from McGill University, the school of architecture was reorganized and an independent school of urban planning was created at McGill between the years 1970 and 1972 . While teaching at McGill University, Spence-Sales ended up instructing world renowned architects, such as, Murray Jones, Len Gurtler, Norbert Schoenauer, Moshe Safdie, William Perks, David Farley, Jeanne Wolfe and Peter Oberlander. Also, while teaching he worked and consulted as an urban planner on projects across Canada. During his career he also became a specialist in the area of converting old Industrial buildings into studios and living spaces. In 1949, he "wrote the first compendium of planning law titled, ["Planning Legislation in Canada"] for CMHC, [Canada Mortgage and Housing]". The “Touchlines” exhibition took place at Western Washington University in Bellingham in 1992 and was co-sponsored by the Simon Fraser University Gallery in Burnaby British Columbia. A project that Spence-Sales and Filer worked on together was "Here, There and Everywhere", a commission that they completed for the Standard Life Building in Toronto Ontario in 1985. He referred to "Here, There and Everywhere" as an urbanistic statement" and believed that it was the first public artwork in Canada on the theme of urbanization.

Being granted the position of Emeritus professor at McGill University in 1987.

New town developed by Spence-Sales: Preville: Quebec.

Spence-Sales master planner: Charlottetown: Prince Edward Island.

Spence-Sales master planner: Sudbury Ontario.

Spence-Sales master planner: Prince Albert Saskatchewan.

Archives The Harold Spence-Sales archival fonds can be found in the McGill University Library's Canadian Architecture Collection.