Pat John, an actor on the long-running Canadian television show B次元官网网址淭he Beachcombers,B次元官网网址� has died at the age of 69.

John, a member of the shishalh First Nation on the Sunshine Coast, was one of the first Indigenous actors to play a contemporary character on Canadian TV and started in his late teens.

He played the role of Jesse Jim, a young business partner with the showB次元官网网址檚 main character, Nick Adonidas, played by Bruno Gerussi.

They were log salvagers in the series that became a national hit and gained an international audience over its 18-year run, which ended in 1990.

Co-star Jackson Davies, who played an RCMP constable, says John suffered health problems in recent years and died Wednesday.

Davies says John had a natural acting ability and his role as an Indigenous character in a modern setting, instead of a historical one, made a mark on Canadian culture.

B次元官网网址淚 donB次元官网网址檛 think we ever thought, B次元官网网址極h, we are making a statement here,B次元官网网址� or maybe I was just too naive,B次元官网网址� Davies said Thursday.

B次元官网网址淚t was a show about this kid who happened to be Indigenous and he ends up getting a partnership with this Greek immigrant guy B次元官网网址� and being a log salvager.B次元官网网址�

Other Indigenous actors later joined the show, which never tried to hide the fact it was Canadian. It was shot on location in Gibsons, B.C., where the fictional MollyB次元官网网址檚 Reach restaurant was later turned into a real restaurant and tourist attraction.

John had a warm smile and a calm demeanour, Davies said. The two were in close contact in recent years.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檇 talk obviously about the show. But weB次元官网网址檇 also talk about life, where he was in his life, where I was in my life, our struggles, things like that. And he was a great listener and he had a great laugh.B次元官网网址�

JohnB次元官网网址檚 acting career pretty much ended after the B次元官网网址淏eachcombersB次元官网网址� run, save for a reunion series in 2002.

There was no immediate word on the cause of his death.

B次元官网网址� Steve Lambert THE CANADIAN PRESS