View source for Manmeet Bhullar

{{short description|Canadian politician}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| image = File:MLABhullar.png
|imagesize = 150px |
| honorific-prefix   =
| name = Manmeet Bhullar
| caption =
| birth_date = March 1, 1980
|birth_name = Manmeet Singh Bhullar 
| birth_place = [[Calgary]], [[Alberta]], Canada
|alma_mater = [[University of Windsor]]
| death_date = {{nowrap|{{death date and age|2015|11|23|1980|03|01}}}}
| death_place =[[Red Deer County, Alberta]], Canada
| residence = Calgary
| office = Member of the [[Legislative Assembly of Alberta]] for [[Calgary-Greenway]]
| term_start = March 3, 2008
| term_end = November 23, 2015
| predecessor = [[Hung Pham]]
| successor = [[Prabhdeep Gill]] 
| party = [[Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta|Progressive Conservative]]  
| occupation =
| profession=Lawyer
| office1 = Minister of Human Services
| term_start1 = December 13, 2013
| term_end1 = May 24, 2015
| predecessor1 = [[Dave Hancock]]
| successor1= [[Irfan Sabir]]
| office2 = Minister of Service Alberta
| term_start2 = October 12, 2011
| term_end2 = December 13, 2013
| predecessor2 = [[Heather Klimchuk]]
| successor2= [[Doug Griffiths]]
}}

'''Manmeet Singh Bhullar''' (March 1, 1980 – November 23, 2015) was a Canadian politician and Member of the [[Legislative Assembly of Alberta]] who represented the constituency of [[Calgary-Greenway]] as a [[Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta|Progressive Conservative]]. He served as a cabinet minister from 2011 until the defeat of the [[Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta|Progressive Conservative]] government in 2015. He was widely seen as a rising star in the Progressive Conservative caucus. Bhullar was killed when he was struck by a tractor trailer on a road when he went to help a stranded motorist on November 23, 2015.

==Early life==

Bhullar was born March 1, 1980, in the community of [[Penbrooke Meadows, Calgary|Penbrooke Meadows]] in [[Calgary]]. His family then moved to the community of [[Whitehorn, Calgary|Whitehorn]] where he attended Chief Justice Milvain School and Annie Gale Junior High School. Manmeet then attended [[Lester B. Pearson High School (Calgary)|Lester B. Pearson High School]] in [[Pineridge, Calgary|Pineridge]], where he was a member of the school's football team.

==Education==

Bhullar earned his [[Bachelor of Arts]] with a [[Sociology]] concentration from [[Athabasca University]] in 2005. Bhullar also attended [[Mount Royal University]] as part of his post-secondary education. In 2011, Bhullar received his [[Bachelor of Laws]] from the [[University of Windsor]].

==Community involvement==

Manmeet became very active in the community early on. Bhullar was the founder of a youth organization called "Inspire." Bhullar co-ordinated the Walking Hunger Away campaign in Calgary and led a team of volunteers to raise money on behalf of the Calgary Health Region. Bhullar also worked with other youth groups in that time. Because of his community work Bhullar was a recipient of the [[Alberta Centennial Medal]], the Centennial Medallion, and the Athabasca University Leadership Award. Bhullar has been a strong advocate for the issues of East Calgarians in the Alberta legislature.

==Political life==
Bhullar became active in politics early on by helping Rick D. Orman, the first MLA for Calgary-Montrose, in his re-election campaign. While seeking his post-secondary education, Bhullar was an organizer for Jim Prentice's leadership campaign for the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003.

Bhullar then worked with [[Jim Prentice]] when he was [[Member of Parliament (Canada)|MP]] for [[Calgary Centre-North]], aiding him with his role as Regional Minister for Alberta and the Territories.

Bhullar first sought public office in the 2008 provincial election in the constituency of [[Calgary-Montrose]]. At 28 years of age, he became the youngest member elected to Alberta's 27th legislature. He was appointed to the position of Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Advanced Education and Technology on March 12, 2008, making him the youngest politician to serve as a parliamentary assistant or secretary in Canada at the time.<ref name="leg bio">{{cite web|url=https://www.assembly.ab.ca/net/index.aspx?p=mla_bio&rnumber=17|title=Bhullar's Legislative Assembly of Alberta biography|publisher=Assembly.ab.ca|accessdate=2015-11-25}}</ref> In January 2010 he was made Parliamentary Assistant to Municipal Affairs.

==Minister of Service Alberta==
On October 12, 2011, Bhullar was appointed to Cabinet as Minister of Service Alberta making him the first turbaned Sikh to hold a ministerial position. In this portfolio, Bhullar oversaw the province's vast network of registry agents, led Alberta's open government initiative and was the lead consumer advocate in government.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.servicealberta.ca/635.cfm|title=Service Alberta: Our Ministry|author=Government of Alberta|work=servicealberta.ca}}</ref>  He is credited with finishing the "final mile" that has connected 98% of Albertans to high-speed internet<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.airdriecityview.com/article/20131219/ACV0801/312199992/high-speed-internet-access-to-rural-areas-achieved|title=High-speed Internet access to rural areas achieved|work=Airdrie City View}}</ref> and for pushing the CRTC to implement a national wireless code to protect mobile phone users.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/crtc-announces-new-wireless-code-rogers-telus-and-bell-mobility-respond-1.1309577|title=CRTC announces new wireless code, Rogers, Telus and Bell Mobility respond|work=Edmonton|date=2013-06-03}}</ref>  Bhullar also received accolades for his work to crack down on unscrupulous contractors taking advantage of citizens after Alberta's flooding in 2013<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www2.canada.com/calgaryherald/iphone/news/latest/story.html?id=8623945 |title=Braid: Spirit of generosity strong, but beware of cheaters |accessdate=August 13, 2014 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140813214338/http://www2.canada.com/calgaryherald/iphone/news/latest/story.html?id=8623945 |archivedate=August 13, 2014 }}</ref> and for laying the groundwork for a stronger condominium act, including a new dispute resolution system for condominium owners.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://beaconnews.ca/blog/2013/10/alberta-condominium-property-act-changes-will-reduce-disputes/ |title=Alberta Condominium Property Act changes will reduce disputes |accessdate=August 13, 2014 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140813210943/http://beaconnews.ca/blog/2013/10/alberta-condominium-property-act-changes-will-reduce-disputes/ |archivedate=August 13, 2014 }}</ref>

==Minister of Human Services==
On December 13, 2013, Bhullar was promoted to the position of Minister of Human Services putting him in charge of the third largest ministry by expenditures in government and overseeing more than 4,000 employees.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.finance.alberta.ca/publications/budget/estimates/est2014/listing-of-government-entities.pdf |title=LIST OF GOVERNMENT FINANCIAL ENTITIES |publisher=Finance.alberta.ca |accessdate=2015-11-25}}</ref>  There he has been credited with fixing Alberta's child intervention system.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://calgaryherald.com/Braid+Bhullar+candour+child+deaths+powerful+astonishing/9373992/story.html|title=Braid: Bhullar's candour on child deaths powerful, astonishing|author=Don Braid|work=www.calgaryherald.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.calgaryherald.com/life/Editorial%2BNameless%2Bmore/10060006/story.html |title=Editorial: Nameless no more |website=www.calgaryherald.com |access-date=17 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140815091702/http://www.calgaryherald.com/life/Editorial%2BNameless%2Bmore/10060006/story.html |archive-date=15 August 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www2.canada.com/edmontonjournal/news/opinion/story.html?id=ddf31614-a5d2-41d6-a955-50547ca809b7 |title=A new era for Alberta children |accessdate=August 13, 2014 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140813225959/http://www2.canada.com/edmontonjournal/news/opinion/story.html?id=ddf31614-a5d2-41d6-a955-50547ca809b7 |archivedate=August 13, 2014 }}</ref> He changed the law to empower families to speak up about their experiences with the system,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.edmontonsun.com/2014/07/24/alberta-lifts-publication-ban-on-deaths-of-children-in-care|title=Alberta lifts publication ban on deaths of children in care|work=Edmonton Sun}}</ref> made new investments in mental health supports for families involved in child intervention,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/alberta-sets-aside-5-million-to-help-children-get-mental-health-services-faster/article16672202/|title=Alberta sets aside $5-million to help children get mental-health services faster|work=The Globe and Mail}}</ref> hosted the first ever Alberta Minister's Forum on Child Sexual Abuse<ref>{{cite web|url=http://globalnews.ca/news/1318669/experts-seek-solutions-to-end-child-sexual-abuse-at-calgary-forum/|title=Experts gather at Calgary forum with aim of ending child sexual abuse|author=Melissa Ramsay|date=8 May 2014|work=Global News}}</ref> and began a campaign to find a mentor for every child in care in the province.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sunnewsnetwork.ca/sunnews/canada/archives/2014/07/20140716-181209.html |title=Wanted: 8,000 mentors in Alberta |accessdate=August 13, 2014 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140718044607/http://www.sunnewsnetwork.ca/sunnews/canada/archives/2014/07/20140716-181209.html |archivedate=July 18, 2014 }}</ref>

==Minister of Infrastructure==
Bhullar was appointed as Minister of Infrastructure in Fall 2014 by newly elected premier [[Jim Prentice]]. He held the position until dissolution of the Legislature in 2015.

==Opposition==
Bhullar was one of only 10 Progressive Conservative MLAs who were returned in the [[2015 Alberta general election|2015 provincial election]] that defeated the Prentice government. He sat on the opposition benches in the Alberta legislature until his death.

== Death ==
Bhullar died in a motor vehicle collision north of [[Red Deer, Alberta]] while driving from Calgary to Edmonton in bad weather on the [[Alberta Highway 2|Queen Elizabeth II highway]], on November 23, 2015. Bhullar had stopped to assist a driver involved in a collision and sustained fatal injuries after he was struck by a semi truck that had lost control descending a hill.<ref>{{cite news|title = Alberta Conservative MLA Manmeet Bhullar killed in car crash|url = http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/alberta-conservative-mla-manmeet-bhullar-killed-in-car-crash-1.3331978?cmp=rss|website = www.cbc.ca|accessdate = 2015-11-24}}</ref>

== Legacy ==
In 2015, the [[Lester B. Pearson High School (Calgary)|Lester B. Pearson High School]] Manmeet Singh Bhullar Memorial Scholarship was created by the teacher Sunny Minhas. On June 30, 2016, the [[Calgary Board of Education]] announced a new public elementary school in the Martindale neighborhood would be named after Bhullar. The school was opened in September 2016. On November 19, 2016, the Calgary Board of Education Legacy Award was posthumously awarded to Bhullar. In 2017, the [[Mount Royal University]] Manmeet Singh Bhullar Inspire Award was started by the Mount Royal University Sikh Students Association. In January 2019, a park named after Bhullar was opened in Rotary-Mattamy Greenway in Taradale, Calgary, close to where Bhullar and his wife lived. In December 2021, the constituency Calgary-McCall was renamed to [[Calgary-Bhullar-McCall]].

==Election results==
{{Alberta provincial election, 2008/Calgary-Montrose}}
{{Alberta provincial election, 2012/Calgary-Greenway}}
{{Alberta provincial election, 2015/Calgary-Greenway}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Prentice Ministry}}
{{Hancock Ministry}}
{{Redford Ministry}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bhullar, Manmeet}}
[[Category:1980 births]]
[[Category:2015 deaths]]
[[Category:Accidental deaths in Alberta]]
[[Category:Athabasca University alumni]]
[[Category:Canadian people of Indian descent]]
[[Category:Canadian Sikhs]]
[[Category:Lawyers from Calgary]]
[[Category:Members of the Executive Council of Alberta]]
[[Category:Politicians from Calgary]]
[[Category:Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta MLAs]]
[[Category:Road incident deaths in Canada]]
[[Category:University of Windsor alumni]]
[[Category:University of Windsor Faculty of Law alumni]]
[[Category:21st-century members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta]]