Deserving of respect and honour

Aug 01, 2007

Muskoka and in particular Port Carling has held a special place in the heart of Lieutenant Governor James K. Bartleman and in turn, these last few years, we have held a special place for him.

Since his appointment in 2002, people in Muskoka have had a new interest in the vice-regal position, and in Bartleman himself. And he made it so easy.

Through his books published during the last five years, we have gotten to know His Honour on a different level. He opened up his life to us, the good, the bad, and the ugly, and before actually meeting him in person, people already felt they had a rapport with him.

His reintroduction to Port Carling came soon after his appointment, as his first official visit as lieutenant-governor was the place where he spent his childhood.

It was a trip down memory lane for “Jimmy” as he was affectionately known to many locals growing up, with the first stop being a visit to the municipal office, which was once the school for the village, and then a short walk to Port Carling’s new library, another place that was influential in Bartleman’s childhood.

There was pride on the people’s faces as they lined up to see him that day in 2002, just as there was immense pride in the air this past Saturday as Island Park in Port Carling was named after Bartleman.

It was very fitting that his first stop, and one of his last stops during his tenure, was to a place that has had so much influence on his life.

It’s obvious that his experiences in childhood and adulthood helped not only to shape who he has become today, but helped to give him direction on what his role as lieutenant-governor would be.

He was successful during his tenure to bring attention to combating the stigma of mental illness, ending racial intolerance and promoting the welfare of aboriginal youth.

But he did more than that.

In his own way, he made everyone he spoke with feel important, and at ease. And he brought a genuine humanity to every encounter.

His job for the past five years has been to represent the Queen in Ontario, but he has also represented Muskoka. In both roles, he has performed superbly, and he richly deserves all the accolades that have come his way.

KF