William Ronald Reid was born in 1920 in Victoria, B.C.. His maternal grandfather was Charles Gladstone, the Haida silver artisan and totem carver. However, his mother sheltered him from his Haida heritage possibly fearing racist discrimination. He only visited his grandfather on the Queen Charlotte Islands when he was in his early twenties, at a time when his interest in Haida culture was kindled. During WWII, he moved to Eastern Canada, first working for an aircraft company in Montreal, then, in 1948, after joining the CBC as a broadcaster, he moved to Kelowna, then to Toronto, where he worked evenings while studying jewellery making during the daytime.

From 1948 to 1950, he studied at the Ryerson Institute of Technology, working in silver and gold, then apprenticed himself to the Platinum Art Company. In 1951, he moved back to Vancouver, where he opened his own jewellery workshop. He used his European techniques to create traditional Haida motifs. In 1957, Reid carved his first totem pole under the direction of Chief Mungo Martin, one of the foremost totem carvers of the 20th century. In the following year, he was commissioned to execute seven carvings - totem poles and memorial figures - on the grounds of the University of British Columbia. Assisted by Douglas Crammer, he completed the commission in 1962.

In 1966, Reid assisted in assembling a comprehensive exhibition of Northwest Coastal art at the Vancouver Art Gallery. Titled "Art of the Raven", it was the largest of its kind ever held. The following year, he produced a gold casket with eagle for Expo '67. In 1969, he set up a workshop in Montreal, specializing in both Haida and contemporary jewellery in gold, silver, wood, and slate. In the fall of 1977, he designed and began work on a 57 foot red cedar totem pole for the Band Office at Skidgegate, Queen Charlotte Island, the village of his maternal grandparents. For his contributions as an innovative craftsman, artist, historian, teacher and writer, Reid has received many honours, among them honorary degrees from U.B.C., Trent University, York University, University of Victoria, and the University of Western Ontario. He has received the Canada Council Molson Award in 1977 and a Diplôme d'Honneur from the Canadian Conference of the Arts in 1979. He divided his time between Vancouver, Queen Charlotte Islands, and France. Reid died at the age of 78 on March 13, 1998.