Our namesake was born Laura Marshall, on a farm in Bruce County, Ontario, in 1888. At Owen Sound Collegiate, she became an outstanding debater and public speaker. In 1908, she graduated from the University of Toronto, having majored in philosophy. She eventually married and moved to B.C. where she became involved in public activities such as the University Women's Club and the Vancouver Suffragette Movement.
 

The very core of Laura Jamieson's work and thinking throughout her life was social reform. She was appointed Judge of the Juvenile Court in Burnaby in 1926 and continued in that position for following 12 years. In the spring of 1939, Laura ran in a by-election and entered the Provincial Legislature. She was re-elected in 1941 but defeated in 1945. She fought for improvements in the Old Age Pension Act in order to make parents independent from their children. Prior to this time, parents were forced to sue their children for maintenance.

 

From 1948-1950, Laura served as an alderman in Vancouver City Council. She once more became MLA for Vancouver Centre in 1952. From her experience as a Judge, Mrs. Jamieson came to believe that juvenile delinquency had to do with the world's problems today and that in delinquency cases, prevention is more important than a cure. In retirement, Mrs. Jamieson worked with study groups on socialism. She continued to promote the causes in which she had believed all her life.