The Honourable James K. Bartleman - 2004 Courage to Come Back Award Recipient

Lieutenant Governor of Ontario

May 2004

Born in 1939 in Orillia, Ontario, James Bartleman grew up in the Muskoka town of Port Carling, and is a member of the Mjnikaning First Nation. He was born to a Scottish-Canadian father and an Ojibwa mother and his early years were marked by poverty and discrimination, but also by love. He believed that his life would play out as one of poverty and manual labour.

In the spring of 1958, a young Bartleman met an American multi-millionaire who would change the course of his life. James was working as a grounds helper, cutting firewood, when he was asked to report to the owner of the property. This man had heard that James was a good student and offered to pay for his university education. Although surprised, he accepted the offer and in 1963 earned a B.A. (Hon) in History from the University of Western Ontario. After university, he joined the Foreign Service and began his career as a diplomat. Mr. Bartleman has had a distinguished career, which has spanned more than 35 years in the Canadian Foreign Service, including assignments as Canada's Ambassador to Cuba, Israel, NATO and the European Union; High Commissioner to Cyprus, South Africa and Australia; and Foreign Policy Advisor to then Prime Minister Chrétien.

Despite his significant achievements, James Bartleman lives with depression. Mr. Bartleman describes a time when he ignored stomach pains as something that would go away. He loved what we was doing, but admits that he was working himself to death with 12-hour days, seven days a week. When he could no longer ignore the problem, he asked the Prime Minister for a change and was sent to an assignment in South Africa. Shortly after his arrival, he was attacked in his hotel room. He made it out of the ordeal alive, but what followed was a post-traumatic depression. He began to have negative thoughts about himself and felt that it would be better if he just died. He credits his wife and his children for their strong family support, and the fact that he found an anti-depressant that helps keep his moods stable.  

The Honourable James Karl Bartleman was sworn in as the 27th Lieutenant Governor of Ontario in March 2002. Upon his installation he also became Chancellor and a member of the Order of Ontario, and has received many awards and honours for public service.

His Honour has identified three areas of focus for his mandate: to encourage aboriginal communities, especially young people; to support initiatives that fight racism and discrimination; and to speak out to reduce the stigma associated with mental illness. He is fulfilling this mandate in many ways, including lending his name to the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health as Honorary Patron and speaking publicly about mental illness, to help reduce the stigma that surrounds it.

Writing has also helped in his recovery. Mr Bartleman's first book, Out of Muskoka, a memoir of his early life, won the Ontario Historical Society's Joseph Brant Award in 2003. Mr Bartleman has donated all royalties to the scholarship fund of the National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation. This year, his second book, On Six Continents, was published. Proceeds support the Munk Centre for International Studies, which offers public lectures series on topics concerning mental health. His Honour is helping to put a public face on issues that affect all of us.

• Print
  Follow us on
  
  Share