Bonnie Mitchelson
Leader of the Opposition in Manitoba
In office
May 29, 2000 – November 4, 2000
Preceded byGary Filmon
Succeeded byStuart Murray
Member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba for River East
In office
March 18, 1986 – April 19, 2016
Preceded byPhil Eyler
Succeeded byCathy Cox
Personal details
Born
Bonnie Bester

(1947-11-28) November 28, 1947
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Political partyProgressive Conservative
SpouseDon Mitchelson

Bonnie Mitchelson (born November 28, 1947)[1][2] is a politician in Manitoba, Canada. She was a Progressive Conservative member of the Manitoba legislature from 1986 to 2014, and served as a cabinet minister in the government of Gary Filmon from 1988 to 1999.[1] She also served as interim leader of the Progressive Conservative Party in 2000, following Filmon's resignation.[3]

Early life and history

Born Bonnie Bester, the daughter of Henry Bester and Millie Leslie, she was educated at the Health Sciences Centre School of Nursing and practiced as a Registered Nurse. In 1969, she married Don Mitchelson,[2] who has been a politician, having served as a city councillor in Winnipeg.[4]

Political career

She was first elected to the Manitoba legislature in 1986, defeating incumbent New Democrat Phil Eyler in the northeast Winnipeg riding of River East. She was re-elected by a wider margin in 1988, as Filmon's Tories won a minority government.[5]

On May 9, 1988, Mitchelson was appointed Minister of Culture, Heritage and Recreation (later renamed Culture, Heritage and Citizenship), with responsibility for the Manitoba Lotteries Foundation Act. On February 5, 1991, she was also named Minister of Multiculturalism with responsibility for Status of Women.[1] As Minister of Culture, Mitchelson made the controversial decision to establish a review commission for Manitoba's arts policy that was made up entirely of non-artists.

After a cabinet shuffle on September 10, 1993, she was named Minister of Family Services, and retained the position until the Filmon government was defeated in 1999.[1] Prior to the election of 1999, she proposed a series of workfare measures as part of a policy of welfare reform.[6]

Mitchelson was re-elected by a comfortable margin in 1990, and again in 1995[7] and 1999.[8] She was chosen as interim leader of the Progressive Conservative Party on May 29, 2000, and held the position until Stuart Murray[3] was acclaimed as party leader in November. She was then named as the party's Deputy Leader. She was the first woman chosen to lead the Manitoba Progressive Conservative party, and only the third female party leader in Manitoba's history.

In the general election of 2003, Mitchelson defeated New Democrat Doug Longstaffe, 4,935 votes to 4,402.[9] She was the only Progressive Conservative MLA to hold a seat in the north of Winnipeg.

She was a supporter of Hugh McFadyen's campaign to succeed Stuart Murray as leader of the Progressive Conservative Party, and was narrowly re-elected in the 2007 provincial election.

Retirement

Bonnie Mitchelson announced her retirement from provincial politics in October 2014.[10]

She served as board Chair of Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries from April 24, 2017 to December 6, 2023.

Electoral results

1999 Manitoba general election: River East
Party Candidate Votes%±%Expenditures
Progressive ConservativeBonnie Mitchelson5,36649.99$29,856.57
New DemocraticRoss Eadie4,62443.07$15,953.00
LiberalPatrick Saydak6886.86–$1,187.72
Total valid votes 10,678 100.00
Rejected and declined ballots 57
Turnout 10,735 77.30
Electors on the lists 13,877
Progressive Conservative hold Swing -
2003 Manitoba general election: River East
Party Candidate Votes%±%Expenditures
Progressive ConservativeBonnie Mitchelson4,93551.28+1.29$28,259.55
New DemocraticDoug Longstaffe4,40245.74+2.67$19,179.77
LiberalFred Curry2862.97−3.89$239.00
Total valid votes 9,623 100.00
Rejected and declined ballots 35
Turnout 9,658 68.01
Electors on the lists 14,201
Progressive Conservative hold Swing -
2007 Manitoba general election: River East
Party Candidate Votes%±%Expenditures
Progressive ConservativeBonnie Mitchelson4,36146.63−4.65$29,722.71
New DemocraticKurt Penner4,30946.07−0.33$24,605.30
LiberalMargaret von Lau6396.80+3.83$8,485.65
Total valid votes 9,309 99.54
Rejected and declined ballots 43
Turnout 9,352 67.60 −0.41
Electors on the lists 13,835
Progressive Conservative hold Swing -
2011 Manitoba general election: River East
Party Candidate Votes%±%Expenditures
Progressive ConservativeBonnie Mitchelson5,24751.08+4.45$34,898.69
New DemocraticKurt Penner4,51243.92−2.15$29,899.44
GreenKelly Mitchell2742.67–$0.00
LiberalChris Pelda1881.83−4.97$376.14
Total valid votes 10,221
Rejected and declined ballots 52
Turnout 10,27367.00
Electors on the lists 15,332
Progressive Conservative hold Swing -
Source: Elections Manitoba[11]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "MLA Biographies - Living". Legislative Assembly of Manitoba. Retrieved 2014-04-28.
  2. 1 2 O'Handley, Kathryn (2001). Canadian Parliamentary Guide. ISBN 0-7876-3561-8.
  3. 1 2 "Leaders of the Opposition". Manitoba. Library of Parliament. Retrieved 2014-04-28.
  4. ↑ "Winnipeg Civic Election History Councillor Results". City of Winnipeg. Archived from the original on 2014-04-07. Retrieved 2014-06-03.
  5. ↑ "River East". Manitoba Votes 2003. CBC News. Retrieved 2014-04-28.
  6. ↑ "Manitoba government introduces legislation to support new welfare reform initiatives". Government of Manitoba. July 5, 1999. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved 2014-04-28.
  7. ↑ "Manitoba's 36th Election results -River East Division". Elections Manitoba. 1995-04-25. Archived from the original on 2007-09-28. Retrieved 2007-03-05.
  8. ↑ "Manitoba's 37th Election results -River East Division". Elections Manitoba. 1999-09-21. Archived from the original on 2007-09-28. Retrieved 2007-03-05.
  9. ↑ "Manitoba's 38th Election results -River East Division". Elections Manitoba. 2003-06-10. Archived from the original on 2007-05-27. Retrieved 2007-03-05.
  10. ↑ "River East MLA Bonnie Mitchelson Announces Retirement". CJOB. October 17, 2014.
  11. ↑ "Election Returns: 40th General Election". Elections Manitoba. 2011. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
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