Former Bombers president wins federal Tory nomination in Kildonan-St. Paul

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This article was published 03/05/2015 (3803 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Jim Bell, the former Blue Bombers football club president, has won the Conservative party nomination for Kildonan-St. Paul for the federal election slated for October.

Bell defeated North Kildonan Coun. Jeff Browaty in the nomination vote, which took place Sunday at the Red River Community Centre.

Conservative MP Joy Smith, who currently represents Kildonan-St. Paul, announced in January she would not seek a fifth term. She said she plans to focus on continuing her work combating human trafficking through her foundation and advocacy work.

Smith had endorsed Bell.

“It was a tremendous day, and a tremendous experience,” Bell told the Free Press in a telephone interview. “Once I decided to commit to seeking the Conservative nomination, to connect back with the community has been so motivating. The people that I’ve met here, the people that I’ve known in the past because we’ve lived in this riding for 32 years, new people that we’ve met when we were knocking on doors and on the telephone, I can’t say enough about it.

“Now we’ll look forward to the next steps but it’s been an amazing, amazing journey.”

While Browaty has been on city council since 2006, it was expected he would face a tough battle to win the party’s nomination.

Smith said she is “thrilled” Bell was successful in winning the nomination.

“It wasn’t a close race, Jim won very handily,” Smith said.

“I was supporting him 100 per cent and I’m thrilled because I think he’s going to be a great leader. He’s a very good friend of mine, he and his wife, I know them well. He’s got all the leadership qualities we need to carry on here in Kildonan-St. Paul.”

 

Congrats to Jim Bell who secured the #CPC nomination for Kildonan-St. Paul tonight. He will be an excellent MP for our riding. #cdnpoli

— Joy Smith (@MPJoySmith) May 4, 2015

Bell, who worked with the Bombers organization from 2002 to 2014, served as president for two years before being named vice-president and COO in January 2011.

He was a key figure in the football club’s move from Canad Inns Stadium to its newly built home at Investors Group Field.

The Bombers cited “corporate restructuring” when the football club parted company with Bell in August 2014 and did not fill his former position.

“The Bomber experience was tremendous because of the opportunity to connect with community. This is kind of a neat transition, going through this process,” Bell said.

He said a lot of great people around him like family, friends and Conservative members in the riding provided him with strong support and motivation.

“In the next few days, we’ll regroup and I know I’ll be meeting with and hearing from people from within the party and I’ll be doing a lot of listening to see what is next as we begin campaigning,” Bell said.

Smith’s endorsement of Bell came as a surprise to some as Browaty formerly worked on Smith’s team when she was first elected the MP and later worked in her constituency office, before Browaty was elected to city council. Smith also campaigned for Browaty in the 2006 civic election.

The federal riding of Kildonan-St. Paul includes the Winnipeg neighbourhoods of North Kildonan, Old Kildonan and West Kildonan and the RMs of East St. Paul and West St. Paul.

Browaty declined an interview request, saying the only public comments he would make on the matter were posted on his Twitter account.

“Congratulations to Jim Bell on winning the Kildonan-St. Paul Conservative nomination. He will make a fantastic candidate and MP,” Browaty stated on his account. “I look forward to returning to city hall tomorrow to continue working for the great residents of North Kildonan!”

I look forward to returning to City Hall tomorrow to continue working for the great residents of North Kildonan!

— Jeff Browaty (@jbrowaty) May 4, 2015

Bell also had the backing of MLA Ron Schuler, whose St. Paul riding sits within the Kildonan-St. Paul boundaries.

“I think we need somebody who will bring people and our community together and I think that is Jim Bell,” Schuler said in a recent interview.

Running for the Liberals in Kildonan-St. Paul will be former provincial NDP cabinet minister MaryAnn Mihychuk. Running for the NDP will be former Winnipeg School Division trustee Suzanne Hrynyk.

ashley.prest@freepress.mb.ca