In the complex and ever-changing world of Canadian emergency medicine, there are few individuals who stand out as true visionaries and catalysts for change. Grant Innes fits this description to a tee and is undoubtedly one of the most important leaders in Canadian emergency medicine. Grant’s contributions have been considerable and far-reaching. This introduction to his personal essay, aims to celebrate Grant Innes’s achievements, highlighting his exceptional leadership, unwavering dedication, humour and his impact on the practice of Canadian emergency medicine.

Grant was the founding editor of the Canadian Journal of Emergency Medicine, the voice of our specialty in Canada. The journal is now approaching its 25th year since being indexed in the National Library of Medicine and boasts over 2500 publications. The Grant Innes Research Award is handed out annually to the highest-scoring research abstract at CAEP’s annual scientific meeting as a tribute to his contributions to emergency medicine scholarship.

During his time in leadership roles in both British Columbia and Alberta and on the national stage, Grant engaged with the media on numerous occasions setting the stage for the importance of advocacy in our specialty. The article he co-authored on “Saving Emergency Medicine: Is Less More?” has changed the conversation on ED crowding globally, with a remarkable early citation count and social media presence [1]. Despite being in a more senior phase of his career, Grant is not one to step back from an authentic and deep-seated commitment to improve emergency care in Canada as demonstrated by his current contributions to the influential and hopefully transformative EMPower report [2].

Grant Innes's leadership style exemplifies an unwavering passion for improving emergency care through a dedicated patient-focused approach. While the Clinical and Academic Department Head in Alberta, Grant spearheaded Overcapacity protocols which resulted in far-reaching improvements in boarding and ED wait times across the province. His reputation is one of clarity of thinking and telling it like it is. Grant is also identified as one of Canada’s most outspoken and informed experts, highlighting not only the dangers but the necessary solutions for emergency crowding.

On a personal note, I have much to be thankful to Grant for, including recruiting me to Calgary where I now hold his previous leadership role. In fact, another of his legacies here is the founding of the Academic Department of Emergency Medicine at the Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary. Grant’s outstanding contributions to Canadian emergency medicine have earned him a well-deserved place among the most important leaders in our field. Through his visionary leadership, he has advanced emergency medicine practices, championed patient-centred care, and has empowered emergency physicians across the country today and for years to come.