Shirley Bond believes that hard work can put a softer edge on the partisan nature of politics and that work ethic helped her become the Prince George Citizen's 2013 newsmaker of the year.
The MLA for Prince George Valemount won a fourth straight term in office in May's election and then was the overwhelming choice of Citizen readers for newsmaker of the year. She was part of the Liberal team led by Premier Christy Clark that defied the predictions of the pollsters and political pundits to win re-election at the expense of the NDP.
"To be part of what has been called probably the greatest political comeback in Canadian history is pretty special and I'm so thankful to the team who helped me do that," Bond said Monday as she reflected on a year that included the election win, her husband Bill's successful recovery from heart surgery and the death of her mentor, pastor Lance Morgan.
Many readers cited Bond's work ethic and her ability to attend so many local events while balancing her cabinet responsibilities as reasons she should get the nod. She said she takes pride in being considered one of the hardest-working MLAs in the province.
"I've had many people come to me and say, 'I can't vote for your party or for you, but I do appreciate the hard work. I see you in the community, I see you supporting organizations and I know how hard you work,' " Bond said. "For me, that's been probably the most rewarding part of public service."
Bond is just the second-ever Prince George MLA to win four consecutive elections and the first since Ray Williston won six straight in the 1950s and 1960s. Prior to running for provincial office, Bond was a school trustee in Prince George.
"I vote for Shirley Bond as I believe that she does work hard for the people in her riding although I do not like the party she is representing," one reader wrote in an email supporting her vote.
"My pick for this honour is Minister Shirley Bond, because she is the hardest working person I know," another person wrote. "In spite of our differences in political convictions, I give her huge kudos for always keeping her home community of Prince George at the forefront of the work she does on behalf of all British Columbians. She not only gives tirelessly in Victoria but she is a part of many groups/boards/agencies in Prince George."
Bond received 62 per cent of the votes cast by Citizen readers via email over the past two weeks, a slightly better percentage than the 57 per cent of the vote she captured in Prince George-Valemount during the election.
Tracey Matters finished second in the voting with 28 per cent support. Tracey's brother Greg was named the Citizen's newsmaker of the year in 2012 when he was shot and killed in a police incident at his family's property in Pineview. Since her brother was killed, Tracey has lobbied for more awareness for post-traumatic stress disorder, which Greg suffered from, and was the face of the family at the coroner's inquest into the shooting, which began this fall.
"I believe without her taking a stand, Greg's story would have been forgotten and perhaps written off by some," one reader wrote. "Thanks to her, so many are now better educated about [post-traumatic stress disorder]. It has also bound people together in a quest to better future outcomes for people with mental health issues who become involved with the RCMP."
Citizen of the year Andy Beesley picked up six per cent of the vote to finish third, followed by new city manager Beth James at three per cent and Carrier Sekani Tribal Council chief Terry Teegee at less than one per cent. Prince George's own Jeopardy! champion Matthew Church received one write-in nod.
While Bond took the newsmaker prize in large part because of her election win, she said the decision to seek a fourth term wasn't easy. She had to consider Bill's health as well as the decision by longtime colleague Pat Bell to step aside due to his own health concerns.
"In my heart I chose to run because I thought we could win, I thought we would have a tremendous team - a mix of experience and some fantastic new candidates," Bond said. "It was a big decision to run again and I can't begin to tell you how incredibly humbling it was to be elected for a fourth term for a provincial candidate."
