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John Mills Imrie, managing
director of the Edmonton Journal, had the advantage of an early start in
a profession which calls for alertness and talent, and although he has
not yet reached the age of forty, he has attained a high position in the
Canadian publishing world, his remarkable success being due not only to
his inherent qualities but also to the un- flagging industry which he
has brought to the discharge of his duties at every stage. He was born
in Toronto Ontario, in 1883, of Scotch parentage. His father, John Imrie,
came to Canada from the old land in 1870, at the age of twenty-four, and
located in Toronto where he engaged in the printing business. Ten years
later, in 1880, he married Elizabeth McJannet, who is still a resident
of Toronto, but his demise occurred in 1902, when he was fifty-six years
of age. In acquirement of an education John M. Imrie attended the public
schools of Toronto, also pursuing his studies in night classes, and in
his father's establishment he served an apprenticeship as a printer.
Following the demise of John Imrie, the son assumed the management of
the business, which he conducted until 1905, when he organized the Imrie
Printing Company, which took over his father's plant. He was made
president of the firm and continued to fill that office until 1909, when
he sold his interests therein, afterward spending six months in European
travel. On his return to Canada he became editor and manager of two of
the MacLean trade publications and acted in those capacities until 1911,
when he was appointed manager of the Canadian Press Association, with
headquarters in Toronto. He held that post until 1920, when he resigned
to accept the managership of the Canadian Daily Newspaper Association,
and remained with that organization until 1921. He then joined the
executive staff of William Southam & Sons., Ltd., having interests in
the following Canadian dailies: The Ottawa Citizen, the Hamilton
Spectator, the Winnipeg Tribune, the Edmonton Journal and the Calgary
Herald. In July, 1921, he came to Edmonton to take over the direction of
the Journal, of which he is part owner, and he is also a director of the
Winnipeg Tribune. He is conducting the Journal along the lines of modern
and progressive newspaper education and is issuing an attractive daily,
carefully edited and devoted to the welfare of the district.
Mr. Imrie was married in
Toronto, on the 18th of September, 1907, to Miss Lizzie Ann Hamner, a
native of the province of Ontario and a daughter of Joshua Hamner. They
have become the parents of a daughter, Mary Louise. Mr. Imrie is a
member of the Edmonton Club, the Edmonton Golf and Country Club, the
Mayfair Golf and Country Club, the Glenora Skating Club and the National
Club of Toronto, while in religious faith he is a Presbyterian. He takes
a keen interest in public affairs and is independent in his political
views. Mr. Imrie speaks with authority on all matters pertaining to the
publishing business and has taken a prominent part in numerous newspaper
gatherings in all Parts of the Dominion. His confidence in the future of
the Edmonton district and of the west as a whole is unbounded and has
been reflected in several addresses which he has given in the east and
which have attracted widespread attention. In journalism he has found a
field which offers a wide scope for the exercise of his powers, and
judging from his past achievements the future holds for him great
possibilities. |
