Roger Jamieson, pillar of N.L.'s tourism industry, dead at 66

Roger Jamieson, a pillar and key supporter of Newfoundland and Labrador's tourism industry, diedon Saturday. He was66.

Jamieson served in many roles, includingformerpresident of Hospitality Newfoundland and Labrador andchair of the Marble Mountain Development Corporation.Hemost recently served as chair of the Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism Board.

He was also known for opening Kilmory Resort,a multiseason cottage resort and RV park, in Swift Current in 1991, and was honoured for his volunteer workwith the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2013.

Deborah Bourden, the current chair of Hospitality N.L., remembers Jamieson as a big personality with a big heart who cared deeply about making people happy.

"He said 'Deborah, we are in the happiness business. We have to make people happy,'" Bourden said.

"His passion and his belief in tourism in Newfoundland and Labrador probably outstripped all of the rest of us put together. He had an amazing ability to believe in what we were doing here in our industry."

Jamiesonwas also known in political circles, running for the Liberals in the district of Placentia West-Bellevue in 2017. He also served as the districtassociation's president and ran for federal politics in 2007.

His father, Don,was a Liberal MP who represented southern Newfoundland for 13 years.

Premier Andrew Furey and Tourism Minister Steve Crocker issued a joint statement Monday thanking Jamieson for his contributions to the province.

"Not only was Roger a tourism operator, he was also a passionate advocate for the province's tourism industry," the statement said.

"There is no doubt that his decades of commitment to the industry have helped put Newfoundland and Labrador on the map as a premiertravel destination."

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