James received his Bachelor of Arts in History at Nipissing University at North Bay, Ontario, Canada in 1986, studied in the Journalism course at North Bay Canadore College and then completed a qualifying year in English at Laurentian University at Sudbury, Ontario, Canada in 1988. He then completed the Education course at Nipissing in 1989. He has taught most of his 30 years in the Primary Division. He has retired and now lives in Iroquois with his wife and his spoiled pug, Pookie.