Organizers of an open house memorial event celebrating the life of Ryan Smolkin (BBA '95) have extended an invitation to members of the Laurier community to join in the Dec. 6 event, titled the Ryan Smolkin Tribute Show.

A dedicated member of the Laurier alumni community, Ryan passed away on Oct. 29, 2023 at the age of 50.

Ryan was the founder and CEO of the international chain of restaurants Smoke's Poutinerie. Known for his gregarious personality, Ryan was often seen wearing his trademark lumberjack hat, sunglasses and plaid shirt during public appearances.

Ryan's contributions to the Laurier community were many, including serving as a member of Laurier's Vanier Cup champion football team in 1991. In 2012, he returned to Laurier as an alumni speaker as part of a Student Leadership Summit and in 2018 delivered the speech "Strategic brand building through entertainment" to a standing-room-only audience as part of the university's Entrepreneur Speaker Series.

In 2019, Ryan was presented the Entrepreneurial Spirit Award as part of the Wilfrid Laurier University Alumni Association Awards of Excellence.

The Ryan Smolkin Tribute Show memorial event takes place at Smoke's Poutinerie global headquarters, 85 Kingston Rd. E., Unit 5 in Ajax, on Dec. 6. Guests are welcome to drop in anytime between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. Those planning to attend are asked to RSVP to khansen@smokespoutinerie.com and indicate the number of attendees.