Cougar Annie is a West Coast legend, one of the most remarkable pioneers to settle the remote wilderness of Clayoquot Sound, on the rugged west coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Known for her toughness, independence, and the mysterious fates of several of her husbands, her story feels larger than life and worthy of a film script.
Born Ada Annie Rae-Arthur in Sacramento, California, she married Willie Rae-Arthur of Glasgow, Scotland. When Willie’s family discovered his addictions to alcohol and opium, they quietly sent him far from home—to the isolated settlement of Boats Basin, B.C. They hoped distance would keep the family name out of the newspapers. Annie, following the expectations of the era, went with him.
A Harsh New Beginning on Vancouver Island’s West Coast
When the couple arrived, they already had three young children and very little money. The coastline north of Tofino is brutal: wet, storm-battered, rocky, and unforgiving. Even Father Augustin Brabant, who visited the family, described it as:
“Rugged and rocky… the appearance of desolation and barrenness… no hopes can be entertained that the west coast of Vancouver Island will ever be suitable for agricultural settlements.”
But Annie—a woman already familiar with hardship—saw something different: a new beginning.
Over the years, the family grew by five more children. Despite the harsh landscape, Annie carved out a two-hectare garden and built a thriving mail-order nursery business. Willie preferred childcare and household duties, and Annie was more than capable of handling the physical labour.
Four Husbands, Endless Rumours
In 1936, Willie drowned. Many expected Annie to abandon the homestead and move somewhere easier. Instead, she did the opposite. She placed classified ads in newspapers and farming magazines:
“BC widow with nursery and orchard wishes partner. Object: matrimony.”
She went on to marry three more times, though tragedy followed her story:
- Husband #2 shot himself in the foot and died from infection.
- Husband #3 succumbed to pneumonia.
- Husband #4 tried to push Annie off a cliff—so she drove him away at gunpoint.
The legends practically write themselves.
Cougar Annie: A Sharpshooter by Necessity
The nickname “Cougar Annie” wasn’t self-chosen. At the time, government bounties were paid for killing predators that threatened livestock. Annie was a skilled shot and reportedly killed over 60 cougars and around 80 bears, earning badly needed income for her family.
Her reputation spread quickly along the coast.
A Life of Determination
Annie’s children eventually left the homestead as they grew older, but she stayed until her death at age 96. She managed the farm, ran her nursery, and even became the local postmaster. Through storms, isolation, and loss, she kept her garden alive—an astonishing achievement in a place many settlers didn’t last a single winter.
Cougar Annie’s Garden Today
Cougar Annie’s Garden still exists. The remote site can be reached by: Floatplane, or A small boat from the Tofino area Locals have staged plays and musicals about her life, and visitors continue to seek out the legendary pioneer who defied the wilderness for nearly a century. If you ever travel near Tofino, ask someone about Cougar Annie. Everyone has a story about this unforgettable woman, one of British Columbia’s most extraordinary characters.