Robert (Bobby) Bend (April 14, 1914 – September 24, 1999) was a Canadian politician, and was briefly the leader of the

Manitoba Liberal Party The Manitoba Liberal Party (french: Parti libéral du Manitoba) is a political party in Manitoba, Canada. Its roots can be traced to the late 19th century, following the province's creation in 1870. Origins and early development (to 1883) Origina ...

(1969–1970).

Biography

Early life

Bend was born in

Poplar Point, Manitoba Poplar may refer to: Plants *'' Populus'', the plant genus which includes most poplars, as well as aspen and cottonwood ** Black poplar (''Populus nigra'') ** Carolina or Canadian poplar, '' Populus × canadensis'' ** Grey poplar (''Populus × ...

, the son of J.P. Bend (who unsuccessfully ran for the Manitoba legislature in 1927 and 1932 as a

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...

) and Annie Ada Wilson. The younger Bend received a

Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University o ...

degree from the

University of Manitoba The University of Manitoba (U of M, UManitoba, or UM) is a Canadian public research university in the province of Manitoba.Bachelor of Education A Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) is an undergraduate professional degree which prepares students for work as a teacher in schools. In some countries such as Tanzania and Kenya, additional tasks like field work and research are required in order fo ...

degree from the University of Manitoba. In 1938, Bend married Laura Kathleen Fisher.

Politics

In 1949, Bend was elected to the Manitoba legislature for the riding of Rockwood. The election was somewhat unusual, in that Bend ran as an "Independent Progressive Conservative" supporting the

Liberal-Progressive Liberal-Progressive was a label used by a number of candidates in Canadian elections between 1925 and 1953. In federal and Ontario politics, there was no Liberal-Progressive party: it was an alliance between two parties. In Manitoba, a party existe ...

- Progressive Conservative governing coalition, while his opponent R.A. Quickfall was an Independent Liberal opposing the government. Bend won with over two-thirds of the vote. The Progressive Conservatives left the governing coalition in 1950, but Bend continued to support the government of

Premier Douglas Campbell. He scored an easy re-election in 1953, this time running as an "Independent Liberal-Progressive". On January 25, 1955, he was named Minister of Health and Public Welfare in the Campbell government.

Defeat and retirement

The Progressive Conservatives under

Dufferin Roblin Dufferin "Duff" Roblin, (June 17, 1917 – May 30, 2010) was a Canadian businessman and politician. He served as the 14th premier of Manitoba from 1958 to 1967. Roblin was appointed to the Senate of Canada on the advice of Prime Minister Pierre ...

won a minority government in 1958, though Bend was again re-elected in the renamed riding of Rockwood-Ibreville. The following year, however, he was defeated by Tory candidate George Hutton. Bend remained out of active political life for the next decade. In 1969, he stood for the leadership of the

(as the Liberal-Progressives had renamed themselves), and scored an easily first-ballot win over his three opponents (none of whom had legislative experience). The selection of Bend proved to be a strategic error for the party. Bend represented the rural populist wing of the Liberal Party, and was unable to reach an urban audience. Under his influence, the party adopted a "cowboy"/"rodeo" theme for the campaign, which made it look and sound dated. The Liberals tumbled to only five seats, the fewest they had ever won. Bend himself was narrowly defeated by Progressive Conservative candidate

Harry Enns Harry Enns (November 30, 1931 – June 24, 2010) was a Manitoba politician. He served as a Cabinet Minister in the governments of Dufferin Roblin, Walter Weir, Sterling Lyon and Gary Filmon, and was an unsuccessful candidate for the leadersh ...

in the riding of Lakeside (which Campbell had previously held for 47 years). He stepped down as Liberal leader shortly thereafter, and did not seek provincial office again. Bend subsequently returned to the education field, serving as superintendent of a rural school division. He died at Rosewood Lodge in Stonewall at the age of 85. Bend spent 50 years as a baseball umpire and was inducted into the Manitoba Baseball Hale of Fame in 1997. There is currently an elementary school named after him in

Stonewall, Manitoba Stonewall is a town in the Canadian province of Manitoba with a population of 5,046 as of the 2021 census. The town is situated approximately north of Winnipeg on PTH 67. It is known for its limestone quarries. The local festival is the Quarry ...

, called "École R.W. Bobby Bend School."R.W. Bobby Bend School website
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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bend, Robert Manitoba Liberal Party MLAs University of Manitoba alumni Members of the Executive Council of Manitoba People from Stonewall, Manitoba 1914 births 1999 deaths