[6] After returning to Victoria, Sykes's father enlisted in the Canadian Scottish Reserves and served overseas for six years in the Second World War.
[6] The family faced financial insecurity, and his mother spent time in a nursing home due to mental health issues, while Sykes and his sister were put into foster care.
Sykes later attended Oak Bay High School, which he saw as a turning point in his life, and was able to catch up with his education in what he described as a positive environment.
[9] Sykes considered a career in law, but attended Sprott Shaw College to take classes in business, and began working in an apprenticeship at a small accounting firm.
[12] Sykes spent much of his time travelling between his home in Montreal and Calgary, where the CPR was considering moving tracks out of the city's downtown and use the land for real estate development.
[14] The planned relocation of the CPR tracks was a joint project between the city and the railway, and early on Sykes had a strong relationship with Mayor Harry Hays.
He was defender of the underdog and the importance of financial safety nets for the needy, attacked corruption among the rich and powerful, and left office after ensuring Calgary would begin on LRT construction.
At an early age Sykes took an interest in gardening, reading, and stamp collecting, and remained a member of the American Philatelic Society throughout his life.