Documentary by Memorial alumni explores life of Don Jamieson

By David Penney | Sept. 7, 2011

Joshua Jamieson’s new film about the life of his grandfather, popular federal politician and broadcasting pioneer Don Jamieson, recently premiered at the Bruneau Centre for Research and Innovation at Memorial University.

Just Himself: The Don Jamieson Story is a project that has taken the filmmaker on a personal and professional journey.

When the idea starting taking shape three years ago, Joshua Jamieson found himself confronting the reality of this project. For him, it was something that needed to be done.

“The motivation is pretty clear for me,” he said. “I had been talking and thinking about this idea for a while but I realized that I was in a position where it wasn’t just something I wanted to do. It was something I had to do.”

The film follows the career of Don Jamieson, covering his early years in broadcasting and 13 years in Ottawa as the MP for Burin-Burgeo, during which time he made an impact as a key member of Prime Minister Trudeau’s cabinet.

Don Jamieson’s run at becoming premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, as well as his appointment as Canada’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom are explored in the film.

Those stories of Don Jamieson’s influential role, and the related contributions to Canada and the development of Newfoundland and Labrador, are told by those who know him best: family, friends, colleagues and a list of notable Canadians and Newfoundlanders who closely followed Jamieson’s career.

Featured among the interviewees are former Prime Ministers Paul Martin and Joe Clark, current Senator and former television journalist Mike Duffy, as well as Senator William Rompkey, Richard Cashin, MP Scott Simms and others.

Talking about the process of accessing such a range of high-profile individuals, Joshua Jamieson said that he realized not only the respect held for his grandfather in these circles, but also how important it was to perfect his pitch when the opportunity presented itself.

“People have asked me about whether or not it was a challenge to gain access to people like Paul Martin and Mike Duffy and it wasn’t too difficult, but I think that can be attributed to a couple of things,” he said. “When it was communicated that the project was about Don Jamieson, they were really willing to listen and that is a real testament to the relationships and respect for my grandfather.

"The other thing is that I had to get good at really pitching the essence of the film and what I was trying to accomplish in 60 seconds or less. I think my passion for the project came through in that pitch and it got to a point where the feedback was, ‘how can I not participate?’”

The film touches on a number of Don Jamieson’s most notable accomplishments both as a broadcaster and politician. Although he admits that he was aware of many of these before embarking on the project, the filmmaker also had opportunities for discovery.

“It’s interesting, I mean, a lot of the things about my grandfather’s career I had heard growing up and I certainly knew about his contribution, but there were a couple of instances where I didn’t really appreciate the extent of his involvement,” he said. “One that comes to mind is the work behind establishing the 200-mile limit for fishery protection off our coast. I knew he was involved, but the papers were actually signed at the family home in Swift Current.”

Don Jamieson’s contribution to the formation of a Newfoundland identity and a collective sense of culture is also a theme in this film, particularly in his role as a broadcaster.

“Geoff Stirling and Don were ahead of their time in many ways when it came to communications,” said Mr. Jamieson. “With CJON they were committed to bringing television to rural Newfoundland, and at that time it didn’t make sense from a financial perspective, but they just believed it was the right thing to do. Until that time, Newfoundlanders weren’t connected in this way, and I think it really helped us move toward a collective sense of identity in a way that hadn’t occurred before.”

But in a film whose primary focus is granting an inside look into the world of politics, Joshua Jamieson points out that his grandfather’s success was rooted in a personal connection with, and commitment to, his constituents.

“He understood what people needed at the riding level and they were always his first priority,” he said. “Don Jamieson knew the people he represented by name. I think that’s one of the big differences between politics then and now. We all benefit when people are engaged in the political process and in our government, and we can learn from that.”

Just Himself: The Don Jamieson Story will air this fall on NTV, and has been submitted for consideration to film festivals in Canada and the United States. For updates and additional information on the film, visit http://justhimself.wordpress.com/ or http://www.facebook.com/justhimselffilm.


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