Article

Jamie Portman

Published Online July 2, 2007

Last Edited December 15, 2013

Jamie (James Bickle) Portman. Journalist, critic, b North Battleford, Sask, 6 Oct 1935; BA (St John's, Manitoba) 1957. During his youth he studied piano and organ. He was a reporter 1954-6 for the Winnipeg Free Press and moved to the Calgary Herald in 1957.

Portman, Jamie

Jamie (James Bickle) Portman. Journalist, critic, b North Battleford, Sask, 6 Oct 1935; BA (St John's, Manitoba) 1957. During his youth he studied piano and organ. He was a reporter 1954-6 for the Winnipeg Free Press and moved to the Calgary Herald in 1957. He was editorial writer and music and theatre critic with the Herald from 1962 to 1971, when he became entertainment editor. In 1975 he was appointed fine arts correspondent for Southam News Services. Based in Ottawa from 1987, Portman has expanded his coverage of the arts to write about the political issues affecting culture, particularly the funding crisis which has threatened orchestras and other arts groups.

Selected Writings

'Alberta's gutsy theatre in a pioneer setting,' PfAC, vol 13, Summer 1976

- and Pettegrew, John. Stratford: the First Thirty Years (Toronto 1985)