East Kootenay Bill Bennett
Bill Bennett’s career arc has deepened his love of the outdoor way of life
| Name: | Bill Bennett |
| Business: | East Kootenay MLA |
| Year in business: | 8 |
| Grew up in: | Campbellford, Ontario |
| Downtime activities: | Spending time outdoors, snowboarding, fishing, hunting, cutting firewood |
Bill Bennett has always been a nature lover.
“I grew up canoeing, fishing, hunting and spending time outdoors,” said Bennett. Bennett’s love of the outdoor life has been integral to his career arc, which has taken him from being the owner and operator of a fly-fishing operation in northern Manitoba to his decision at age 40 to get a law degree and settle in Cranbrook 15 years ago.
“We deliberately moved here,” said Bennett. “(Cranbrook) has the best of northern wilderness but we didn’t have to give up on civilization. The East Kootenay had a rawness that I liked—a raw honesty.”
Working as a lawyer in Cranbrook put Bennett in touch with several local small-business owners and he very quickly found a place on the board of the Cranbrook & District Chamber of Commerce, serving a term as president and putting into motion several projects that would come to fruition after his election as the East Kootenay representative in the B.C. legislature.
“I was one of the first people to talk about the value of investing in our airport,” said Bennett, who as MLA continued to lobby for money for the Canadian Rockies International Airport as well as for the necessary funds to guarantee the recent partnership with Delta Air Lines.
As MLA and the provincial minister of tourism, culture and the arts, Bennett continues to be supportive of small businesses, which he believes are the backbone of the region’s economy.
“Small business is a very, very meaningful way to make a living,” he said. “I grew up in a family that was in small business…and I grew up believing in the value of commitment and rewards of risk taking.”
Biz Blog :: Keith Powell
A regular report on newsworthy business developments in the Kootenays.
Kootenay Insights :: Tanya Laing Gahr
An inside look at the initiatives and developments that help shape Kootenay communities.
At Work :: Sandra Albers
One-on-one with some of the Kootenay’s business leaders.
Biz Edge :: Danielle Cameron
The faces behind Kootenay businesses.
