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JAMES DEEKS

James Douglas (“Jim”) Deeks is a Canadian television producer and host, magazine columnist, and communications consultant. He was born in Toronto, Ontario, on July 23, 1949, the third of three sons of a prominent Toronto businessman. He attended Upper Canada College, a prominent private boys’ school, graduating in 1967. He then attended Trinity College at the University of Toronto, graduating in 1970 with a degree in political science and history. He is married, with two sons and three grandchildren.

Career Positions

Jim Deeks’s career has been varied and distinctive. He began his professional life as an advertising copywriter in London, England and later, in Toronto. He worked as a television news reporter and anchorman at CFTO News (now CTV News Toronto), for five years, 1975-80. He was then hired as Communications Director for the Leader of the Opposition at the Ontario Legislature, from 1980-81. Following this experience, he was hired to manage the Canadian Open Golf Championship, and the Peter Jackson Champions tournament, at the Royal Canadian Golf Association from 1981-83.

He then returned to work in a variety of capacities at MacLaren Advertising in Toronto – in public relations, issues management, professional media training, and corporate video production. In 1992, Deeks joined the staff of Goodman Communications in Toronto, as Vice President. Among the many public relations clients he managed was the Export “A” Skins Game, an annual, nationally-televised golf exhibition featuring some of the leading professionals of the day, including Jack Nicklaus, Greg Norman, and Nick Faldo.

In 1997, Deeks formed his own communications consultancy, Primary Counsel Group Inc., which exists to this day. In 2014, he added a subsidiary company, Primary Counsel Productions, to produce personal video biographies for prominent Canadians, television projects.

From 2013-2016, Deeks produced and co-hosted Toronto Files, a weekly interview program on Rogers TV Toronto. His co-host, Helen Burstyn, was and is a prominent Toronto executive and philanthropist.

Golf Writing

In 2009, Deeks began writing a regular column for the southern Ontario golf publication, Fairways. He announced his retirement from producing regular columns in September 2019, but has stated he will continue to write travel pieces for the magazine.

PBS Television Connection and CANADA FILES

Since 2017, Deeks has appeared regularly on WNED-TV, the PBS network affiliate in Buffalo, NY, as the resident Canadian fund-raiser, appealing to Canadian viewers to support the station through financial contributions.

In part through this connection, Primary Counsel Productions was commissioned by the Central Canadian Public Television Association to produce an initial series of interviews with prominent and successful Canadians, called CANADA FILES. The series will appear on several PBS stations, including WNED in Buffalo, beginning in January 2020. Jim Deeks will act as Executive Producer and Host of the programs.

Among the interview guests who have been confirmed are Margaret Atwood, Peter Mansbridge, Rick Mercer, Jim Pattison, Cassie Campbell, Stephen Lewis, and Dave Thomas.