James Bartleman facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
James Bartleman
OC OOnt
|
|
|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg)
Bartleman in 2014
|
|
| 27th Lieutenant Governor of Ontario | |
| In office 7 March 2002 – 5 September 2007 |
|
| Monarch | Elizabeth II |
| Governor General | Adrienne Clarkson Michaëlle Jean |
| Premier | Mike Harris Ernie Eves Dalton McGuinty |
| Preceded by | Hilary Weston |
| Succeeded by | David Onley |
| Canadian Ambassador to the European Union | |
| In office July 26, 2000 – March 7, 2002 |
|
| Prime Minister | Jean Chrétien |
| Preceded by | Jean-Pierre Juneau |
| Succeeded by | Jeremy Kinsman |
| Permanent Representative of Canada to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization | |
| In office 1990–1994 |
|
| Prime Minister | Brian Mulroney Jean Chrétien |
| Preceded by | Gordon Scott Smith |
| Succeeded by | John R. Anderson |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
James Karl Bartleman
24 December 1939 Orillia, Ontario, Canada |
| Died | 14 August 2023 (aged 83) |
| Spouse |
Marie-Jeanne Rosillon
(m. 1975) |
| Alma mater | University of Western Ontario (BA, 1963) |
James Karl Bartleman (December 24, 1939 – August 14, 2023) was an important Canadian diplomat and author. He served as the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario from 2002 to 2007. This role is like being the Queen's (or King's) representative in the province.
James Bartleman grew up in Port Carling, a town in the Muskoka area. He was a member of the Chippewas of Mnjikaning First Nation. In 1963, he earned a degree in History from the University of Western Ontario.
After his time as Lieutenant Governor, Bartleman became the Chancellor of the Ontario College of Art and Design (OCAD) in Toronto. He held this position from 2007 to 2012.
Contents
James Bartleman's Diplomatic Career
Before becoming Lieutenant Governor, James Bartleman had a long and successful career as a diplomat. A diplomat is someone who represents their country in other nations. He worked for the Canadian government for over 35 years.
He started his diplomatic journey in 1967. In 1972, he helped open Canada's first official office in the new country of People's Republic of Bangladesh. He also worked in Colombia and was Canada's ambassador to Cuba from 1981 to 1983.
When he returned from Cuba, he became the director of security and intelligence for the Department of External Affairs. This meant he was in charge of gathering important information to keep Canada safe. He also served as Canada's top representative in Cyprus and Israel at the same time, from 1986 to 1990.
Later, he became Canada's Ambassador to NATO in Brussels, Belgium, from 1990 to 1994. NATO is a group of countries that work together for defense. He then served as Canada's top representative in South Africa (1998-1999) and Australia (1999–2000). His last diplomatic role was as ambassador to the European Union in Brussels, Belgium, from 2000 to 2002.
During his time as director of security and intelligence, he was involved in important security matters. He testified at an inquiry in 2007, stating he had shared an intelligence document about a possible attack before a major event.
Serving as Lieutenant Governor of Ontario
James Bartleman officially became the 27th Lieutenant Governor of Ontario on March 7, 2002. This role involves representing the King or Queen in Ontario and performing many important duties.
As Lieutenant Governor, Bartleman focused on three main goals that were very important to him:
- Reducing the negative feelings and misunderstandings about mental illness.
- Fighting against racism and unfair treatment.
- Helping First Nations children improve their reading and writing skills.
To help with literacy, he started the Lieutenant Governor's Book Program in 2004. He collected over 1.2 million books from all over Ontario. These books were given to school libraries in First Nations communities, especially in Northern Ontario.
In 2005, he also created a program to connect Native and non-Native schools in Ontario and Nunavut. He helped set up summer camps to improve reading skills in five northern First Nations communities.
Personal Life and Family Connections
James Bartleman was connected to honorary Chief John Bigwin of the Mnjikaning Indians through his mother's family. This shows his deep roots in the First Nations community.
James Bartleman's Published Books
James Bartleman was also a talented author. He wrote several non-fiction books, which are books based on facts and real events.
His childhood memories were shared in books like Out of Muskoka (2002) and Raisin Wine: A Boyhood in a Different Muskoka (2007). He also wrote about his career as a diplomat in On Six Continents (2004) and Rollercoaster: My Hectic Years as Jean Chrétien's Diplomatic Advisor (2005).
After his term as Lieutenant Governor, he wrote a series of three novels about social justice. These books were As Long as the Rivers Flow (2011), The Redemption of Oscar Wolf (2013), and Exceptional Circumstances (2015). As Long as the Rivers Flow was even nominated for a special award for Indigenous literature.
Honours and Awards
James Bartleman received many awards and honours for his service to Canada and his community.
Special Orders and Awards
- In 1999, he received the National Aboriginal Achievement Award for his public service.
- He became a member of the Order of Ontario in 2002, which is the highest honour a person can receive in Ontario.
- He was also recognized as a Knight of Justice in the Order of St. John in 2002.
- He received medals for the Queen's Golden Jubilee (2002) and Diamond Jubilee (2012).
- In 2008, he received the Rotary Youth Impact Award for Lifetime Achievement.
- In 2011, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada. This is one of Canada's highest civilian honours, given for his work as Lieutenant Governor and his efforts in mental health, literacy, and helping people in need.
- He also received several other awards for his work, including the Dr. Hugh Lefave Award, the Courage to Come Back Award, and the Jane Chamberlin Award for his efforts to reduce the stigma of mental illness.
Honorary University Degrees
Many universities recognized James Bartleman's achievements by giving him honorary degrees. These are special degrees given to people who have made great contributions to society.
- He received a Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) from the University of Western Ontario in 2002.
- Other universities like York University, Queen's University, Algoma University, Laurentian University, University of Windsor, Nipissing University, Carleton University, and the University of Toronto also awarded him honorary doctorates.
- He received a Doctor of Letters (D.Litt.) from McGill University in Quebec.
- Ryerson University and OCAD University also gave him honorary doctorates.
Awards Named After Him
- The James Bartleman Aboriginal Youth Creative Writing Awards in Ontario are named in his honour. These awards encourage young Indigenous writers.
See also
- The Canadian Crown and Aboriginal peoples
- List of Canadian university leaders
