Quality control is important to Smith and he doesn't agree that The Gazette is being diminished by publishing a weekly national editorial, as recently imposed by CanWest Global at most of its dailies across Canada. His acceptance of the editorial policy is buoyed by the views he shares with CanWest head Leonard Asper.

"Every time you accept a job you need to share some of your boss's values," he says. "I agree with (CanWest) that the country is too divided and we need a common voice with maximum impact to unite every region of Canada."

Although the establishment of national editorials caused rabid reactions across Canada from reporters and readers alike, with many journalists at The Gazette suppressing their bylines in protest, Smith says the paper is mending fences between management and the newsroom.

But he'll need to ooze charm to rebuild confidence between the parties, according to a Gazette reporter who wishes to remain anonymous. "The Gazette's newsroom has not been a happy place since the introduction of the national editorials," he says. "Larry Smith has a lot of work ahead of him to improve morale."

	Smith in front of the new Gazette printing presses.

Perowne counters that Smith can achieve just about anything he sets his mind to. "Smithie is one of the toughest guys I know: mentally, emotionally and physically."

Smith remains coy regarding personal adjustments he'd like to see at The Gazette. "I never make promises I can't deliver on," he says.

Spotlighting amateur sports will likely be a priority, suspects Perowne, since Smith once played amateur football and hockey. "Few people know this, but Smithie prefers hockey over football," reveals Perowne, who, with Smith, played for the McGill Redmen hockey team.

Further fueling Smith's devotion to amateur sports is how his children (with his wife of three decades, Lisa) have thrived by combining academics and athletics. Wesley, 25, played football while majoring in political science at Queen's University. Daughter Ashley, 22, also majored in political science while playing rugby and now works in public relations. Bradley, 18, is a football star at Ontario's St. Andrew's College who plans to train as an actor.

Expect more fitness coverage, too, as Smith is an advocate of daily exercise and works out four to five days per week. His trim six-foot frame can often be seen pumping away on a Stairmaster at the Montreal Athletic Association on Peel Street through the floor-to-ceiling windows.

"He's incredibly disciplined," says Perowne. "He still has the same weight, about 208 pounds, that he had at university. How many people can say that?"

Being a sports buff, where confidence is key, it's not surprising that Smith intends to use his position to help Canadians change their character. "We need to become more assertive," he says. Canadians can't afford to be meek in the years ahead if we intend to safeguard our natural resources -- water, hydro, and gas and oil -- from the U.S. "We need to protect Canada's sovereignty. Forget defending Quebec's sovereignty. That's finished. Canada's sovereignty over its natural resources is a much larger issue."

Smith's assurance concerning Canada's future slightly wavers when conversation returns to his own long-term plans. "I live day by day," he says.

The Gazette's top gun still marvels at the multiple directions his career has taken. "It's not been a traditional path, since I've done things a little differently from others," chuckles Smith. "If someone had told me 20 years ago that I would one day be publisher of The Gazette, I would have told them, 'You're crazy!'"

Media observers have speculated that Smith might enter politics in the future and friends say anything is possible. "The most unpredictable thing about Larry Smith is where he's going to end up next," says Perowne.

Asper, too, has heard rumours. "If he does run for politics it will be good news for Canada," he says. "But for CanWest it would not be a good thing. We've got high hopes for Larry Smith."