Like puffs of smoke, the years go by

Martin lived on Colter Court in Fredericton, directly across from Frogmore, the iconic Colter family home, and I lived on Albert Street directly behind it. Although the grand old house on the hill is now a dental clinic, it retains its air of elegance and grace. On the outside, Frogmore looks much as it did when Martin and I hung around with Lee Colter, the grandson of the influential and much-respected New Brunswick entrepreneur, road builder and lumberman, Ashley Colter.

For us teenage boys, hanging around the large, dark and mysterious basement of Frogmore was what we imagined the catacombs of Rome might look like. And with a billiards table almost as big as a tennis court, cases of imported beer from England—Bass Ale, as I recall—and boxes of big green Cuban cigars, it was also what we imagined heaven must be.

The Aitkens Pewter story began in Fredericton in 1972. After apprenticing with the well-known pewterer, Dr. Ivan Crowell, Martin set up his first shop on Charlotte Street. His father, Philip, an engineer, joined him the following year. That’s when the Aitkens Pewter touchmark, the triple-A in a circle, first debuted. In a world where built-in obsolescence is too often a design feature, the company’s iconic touchmark remains an enduring symbol of craftsmanship.

“I can’t believe it’s been 50 years,” I tell Martin as we clink our glasses and the smoke from our cigars floats into the blue of the late afternoon sky. “It just seems like yesterday, and now here we are, and boom, half a century’s gone by.”

In that half-century, Aitkens Pewter has produced some of the finest pewter creations available anywhere. And Martin has achieved the distinction of being among North America’s most respected pewter craftsmen. His and his employees’ dedication to quality and service is why the company continues to be so highly respected.

We hear a lot of talk these days about the value of innovative thinking and the importance of attracting creative entrepreneurs to New Brunswick. That’s a great idea but let’s start by celebrating, encouraging and supporting the creative entrepreneurs who are already here and have been making their mark for decades.

Martin couldn’t agree more, which is why he wants to use the milestone of his 50 years in business to focus not so much on his accomplishments but on encouraging others to use their skills and talents to create opportunities for themselves and others. Especially those who, like him, had to overcome barriers when they were young. In his case, the consequences of a learning disability.

“I had a hard time in school because the words and numbers seemed to jump around the page,” Martin tells me. “So, when I met Dr. Crowell, I took a serious interest in pewter. Instinctively, I guess I knew that because I had a hard time with words and numbers, I should try to find something I could do with my hands to make a living.”

As we talked about those early years when it was a struggle to get things up and running, he told me he’s excited about the celebration he’s planning to thank his customers and employees at the Aitkens Pewter studio store later this year. For now, though, he’s taking it easy.

“I’ve got a terrific team at the store, and things are going great, which lets me take some time off. That’s good because keeping Aitkens Pewter rolling along through the pandemic took a lot of time and energy. I owe a lot to my staff and to our many loyal customers throughout North America.”

Pouring another bourbon for each of us, I tell Martin that I think hanging around in Ashley Colter’s basement inspired his business prowess. “I wonder how many business ideas were dreamed up while Ashley Colter and his friends played pool on that giant billiards table.”

“That sounds like a good question for Lee,” Martin replied with a grin. “Let’s take a drive out to his place this weekend and ask him.”

“I’m in,” I said as we laughed about those long-ago days and watched the cigar smoke float into the blue of the late afternoon sky.

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