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FEATURE
of Kaj Hasselriis who ran against Mayor Sam
Katz. During his involvement with the Hasselriis
campaign he met others who were active with
the provincial Greens and he quickly took out a
provincial party membership. Connections with
other Greens developed, with Beddome working
on economic policy and trying to build up the
Green Party’s provincial platform for 2007.
“We were in need of candidates and
I suggested running where I had
grown up in rural Manitoba, the Little
Saskatchewan River Valley, three miles
north of Rapid City. I took a bid out there
in 2007 and it was really fun! I just got
on my bike and pedaled around rural
Manitoba, sleeping in campgrounds at
night and knocking on people’s doors
during the day. It was a great!”
His star continued to rise within the party ranks,
first as president for a year and then as party leader
in November 2008. Meanwhile, he received the
good news that he had been accepted into law
school. “I was in a bit of a precarious position. I’d
always wanted to go to law school and didn’t want
to pass up the opportunity.”
It was clear that something had to give, so he
decided to move to part-time law studies in
January 2009. “That’s how I’ve basically balanced
things out. When you serve as leader, the days
are different all the time. Many events and
spokesperson-type roles come up. There’s a lot of
administrative stuff too. We are all volunteers, so
you really have to do a little bit of everything.”
get the chores done before or after my events. I
don’t have a problem with that and, from my
understanding, when I go on to article after law
school, that kind of work day will be pretty much
expected. I guess this is perfect training.”
His farming lifestyle also imbued him with a
keen awareness of environmental issues at the
grassroots level. “When I started studying at the
U of M, my interests took on a quasi-obsession,
especially when I started realizing how broad and
serious the issues are.”
He continues to hone his skills as a politician. “I
think that as a politician you need to have a touch
of a chameleon, to be able to relate to different
types of people all the time.”
As to what makes a good leader, he says, “I think
the most important thing is understanding
people’s strengths and weaknesses, and then
trying to fit them where it makes most sense. It’s an
all-volunteer organization and so you really have
to have a knack for gauging people’s abilities and
getting to know their passions.”
“I’ve really appreciated the education I’ve
received at the University of Manitoba, both in
my undergrad and now in law school. Whatever
life brings or wherever it takes me, I think the
knowledge that I’ve gained and my own personal
development will be invaluable.”
Mr. Beddome credits his farm upbringing for
instilling his strong work ethic. “There were chores
to do before and after school, so if I was playing
hockey or going to 4H, I would have to try to
2011 Provincial Leadership Campaign - James Beddome with
Green Party Leader Elizabeth May and volunteers.