Biography
Born in Vancouver, Bell graduated from Lord Byng Secondary School in 1975 before attending the University of British Columbia.[1][3] He married Brenda Lapp in 1978, with whom he has three children.[1][3] A resident of Prince George since 1988, he owned two Wendy's restaurants in the city and a trucking company, and was the co-owner of a logging company.[3]
He ran as a candidate for the British Columbia Liberal Party in the 2001 provincial election, and was elected Member of the Legislative Assembly for Prince George North.[3] He was appointed to the cabinet by Premier Gordon Campbell in January 2004 to serve as Minister of State for Mining.[4] Following his re-election in 2005, he was named Minister of Agriculture and Lands, before being reassigned as Minister of Forests and Range in June 2008.[4]
He was re-elected MLA in 2009 in the newly established riding of Prince George-Mackenzie and retained his cabinet post, which expanded in scope in October 2010 as he became Minister of Forests, Mines and Lands.[4][5] After Christy Clark took over as premier in March 2011, Bell was named Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Innovation.[6][7] His post was re-titled Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training in September 2012, and he simultaneously took on the role of Minister Responsible for Labour.[6]
On February 17, 2013, Bell announced that due to health problems (an aneurysm), he would not stand for re-election that May.[8] In 2015 he and his son Doug opened a fruit winery called Northern Lights Estate Winery in Prince George.[9]
