Remembering Ian Ross 1968–2025

We at JGS are greatly saddened by the recent death of Ian Ross at the age of 57. Ian was one of the first authors published under our Scirocco Drama imprint, and fareWel, his first professionally produced play, won the Governor General’s Literary Award for Drama in 1997. Ian was an integral part of our JGS family, and we will miss him very much.

Ian was a magnificent storyteller, and his work, including his stage plays as well as his popular CBC Radio character “Joe from Winnipeg,” became known across the country. “Joe” was classic Ian Ross — funny, thoughtful, and always a bit subversive.

Ian often used the power of laughter to make difficult points, and his plays featured characters that were layered, complicated, and somehow always lovable. Ian’s stories helped to build bridges between people and groups of people, and he had an enviable ability to open both the minds and hearts of his audiences.

Working with Ian was a joy—he approached everything with a generous spirit and an irreverent sense of humour. He was thoughtful and unfailingly kind, even during the rough patches.

Ian also worked to guide and inspire a generation of young Indigenous writers and performers, notably as the director of the Manitoba Theatre for Young People’s Indigenous Theatre for Youth and the founder and leader of the Creator’s Circle at the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre, which he named “Pimootayowin,” or “journey” in Anishinaabemowin. We are proud and grateful to have shared some of Ian’s journey with him, and we will remember him always.

An interview with Ian from the CBC vaults: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJhSsWokOpI