On January 13, 1941, the Canadian West lost one of its most colourful chroniclers. John Innes, the artist, cartoonist, and adventurer once celebrated as "the Remington of the Canadian West," died in Vancouver at the age of 77. His passing, marked by poverty and illness, closed a chapter on a remarkably varied life that spanned ranching, soldiering, and creating iconic images of frontier history.
A Life of Many Hats: From Cowboy to Cartoonist
John Clarke Innes lived a life of extraordinary breadth. Born in London, Ontario, in 1863, he ventured west in the mid-1880s. He operated a ranch near High River, Alberta, where he sold horses to the North-West Mounted Police during the Riel Rebellion and even ran Calgary's first telephone exchange. His artistic talent found an early outlet drawing cartoons for The Calgary Herald.
Innes's restless spirit led him back east to work for Toronto newspapers, then to South Africa to fight in the Boer War. He later worked as an illustrator for Hearst magazines in New York. A defining adventure came in 1905 when he trekked across British Columbia on horseback with journalist John P. McConnell, documenting the journey with his sketches.
The Height of Fame and Major Commissions
By the 1920s, John Innes had become a celebrated historical painter. In 1924, he received a significant commission from the Hudson’s Bay Company and the Native Sons of British Columbia to produce an eight-painting series on B.C.'s history. His fame was such that when U.S. President Warren Harding died shortly after a 1923 Vancouver visit, The Vancouver Sun hired Innes to paint a scene of Harding's Stanley Park speech.
His most ambitious work was "The Epic of Western Canada," a series of 30 paintings created in the late 1920s. This collection was exhibited in Hudson’s Bay stores across Canada and even in London, England, bringing his vision of the frontier to a wide audience.
A Sad End and a Faded Legacy
The Great Depression halted Innes's success. As commissions dried up, he faded from public prominence. His obituary in the January 13, 1941, edition of The Vancouver Province noted his life "ended in poverty, a result of a long sickness." An invalid for years, he succumbed to influenza followed by a paralytic stroke.
The newspaper memorialized him as a man whose "infectious laughter" had enlivened gatherings from the open prairie to cultural circles. While critics noted his work did not match the power of his American namesake, Frederick Remington, John Innes left an indelible mark as a recorder of Canadian Western lore through his art, capturing an era for future generations.
