Bonnie Mitchelson
{{Short description|Canadian politician}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Bonnie Mitchelson
| image =
| imagesize =
| caption =
| office = Leader of the Opposition in Manitoba
| term_start = May 29, 2000
| term_end = November 4, 2000
| predecessor = Gary Filmon
| successor = Stuart Murray
| office1 =
| office2 = Minister of Culture, Heritage and Recreation
| termstart2 = May 9, 1988
| termend2 = February 5, 1991
| predecessor2 = Judy Wasylycia-Leis
| successor2 = portfolio renamed
| office3 = Member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba for River East
| term_start3 = March 18, 1986
| term_end3 = April 19, 2016
| predecessor3 = Phil Eyler
| successor3 = Cathy Cox
| party = Progressive Conservative
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1947|11|28}}
| birth_place = Winnipeg, Manitoba
| birth_name = Bonnie Bester
| spouse = Don Mitchelson
| nationality =
}}
Bonnie Mitchelson (born November 28, 1947) 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.{{cite web |url=https://www.gov.mb.ca/legislature/members/mla_bio_living.html#m |title=MLA Biographies - Living |publisher=Legislative Assembly of Manitoba |accessdate=2014-04-28}} She also served as interim leader of the Progressive Conservative Party in 2000, following Filmon's resignation.{{cite web |url=http://www.parl.gc.ca/parlinfo/Files/Province.aspx?Item=674174e0-0472-4cd4-bb1e-d66b7aff8b79&Language=E&MenuID=Compilations.ProvinceTerritory.aspx.Menu&Section=LeaderOpposition |publisher=Library of Parliament |title=Leaders of the Opposition |work=Manitoba |accessdate=2014-04-28}}
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,{{cite book |title=Canadian Parliamentary Guide |last=O'Handley |first=Kathryn |year=2001 |ISBN=0-7876-3561-8 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/canadianparliame0000unse }} who has been a politician, having served as a city councillor in Winnipeg.{{cite web |url=http://www.winnipeg.ca/clerks/election/hist_cou.htm |title=Winnipeg Civic Election History Councillor Results |publisher=City of Winnipeg |access-date=2014-06-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407151515/http://www.winnipeg.ca/clerks/election/hist_cou.htm |archive-date=2014-04-07 |url-status=dead }}
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.{{cite news |url=http://www.cbc.ca/manitobavotes2003/riding/033/ |title=River East |work=Manitoba Votes 2003 |publisher=CBC News |accessdate=2014-04-28}}
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 responsible for Multiculturalism with responsibility for Status of Women. 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. Prior to the election of 1999, she proposed a series of workfare measures as part of a policy of welfare reform.{{cite web |url=https://www.gov.mb.ca/chc/press/top/1999/07/1999-07-05-01.html |title=Manitoba government introduces legislation to support new welfare reform initiatives |publisher=Government of Manitoba |date=July 5, 1999 |accessdate=2014-04-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924023606/http://www.gov.mb.ca/chc/press/top/1999/07/1999-07-05-01.html |archive-date=September 24, 2015 |url-status=dead }}
Mitchelson was re-elected by a comfortable margin in 1990, and again in 1995{{cite web|title=Manitoba's 36th Election results -River East Division |work=Elections Manitoba |date=1995-04-25 |url=http://www.electionsmanitoba.ca/main/election/past/elect95/division/dvrs0033.htm |accessdate=2007-03-05 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928055523/http://www.electionsmanitoba.ca/main/election/past/elect95/division/dvrs0033.htm |archivedate=2007-09-28 |url-status=dead }} and 1999.{{cite web|title=Manitoba's 37th Election results -River East Division |work=Elections Manitoba |date=1999-09-21 |url=http://www.electionsmanitoba.ca/main/election/past/elect99/pbp.asp?ED=33 |accessdate=2007-03-05 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928055620/http://www.electionsmanitoba.ca/main/election/past/elect99/pbp.asp?ED=33 |archivedate=2007-09-28 |url-status=dead }} She was chosen as interim leader of the Progressive Conservative Party on May 29, 2000, and held the position until Stuart Murray 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.{{cite web|title=Manitoba's 38th Election results -River East Division |work=Elections Manitoba |date=2003-06-10 |url=http://www.electionsmanitoba.ca/main/election/past/elect03/results/results_division.asp?EDID=133 |accessdate=2007-03-05 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070527045100/http://www.electionsmanitoba.ca/main/election/past/elect03/results/results_division.asp?EDID=133 |archivedate=2007-05-27 |url-status=dead }} 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.{{cite news|title=River East MLA Bonnie Mitchelson Announces Retirement|url=http://www.cjob.com/2014/10/17/river-east-mla-bonnie-mitchelson/ |publisher=CJOB |date=October 17, 2014}}
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}}
{{2003 Manitoba general election/River East}}
{{2007 Manitoba general election/River East}}
{{2011 Manitoba general election/River East}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{Manitoba PC Leaders}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mitchelson, Bonnie}}
Category:Women government ministers of Canada
Category:Female Canadian political party leaders
Category:Members of the Executive Council of Manitoba
Category:Politicians from Winnipeg
Category:Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba MLAs
Category:20th-century Canadian women politicians
Category:21st-century Canadian women politicians
Category:Women MLAs in Manitoba
Category:Women opposition leaders
Category:20th-century members of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
Category:21st-century members of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba