Ray Brunka
Encyclopedia
Raymond Brunka is a politician in Manitoba
, Canada
. He was a member of the Winnipeg City Council
from 1974 to 1977, and has since become a perennial candidate
for office at several levels.
Brunka graduated from the Manitoba Institute of Technology (a forerunner to Red River Community College) in 1963. He worked as a baker
in private life, was a board member of the St. Gerard Catholic School Board and was a founder of the Elmwood High School parent council. He was a resident of Winnipeg
for many years, and is the recipient of an exemplary citizen award from the city. He has more recently relocated to Brandon
. He is retired from the baking trade, and owns a karaoke
bar.
He began his political career at a member of the Liberal Party
, and unsuccessfully sought election under its banner in the 1973 provincial election
. He was subsequently elected to the Winnipeg City Council in 1974
, winning in the Riverton ward as a candidate of the Independent Citizens' Election Committee. He served for three years, and was a member of the city's finance committee and police commission. The size of city council was dramatically reduced for the 1977 election, and Brunka was forced to seek re-election in the new Elmwood ward. He was narrowly defeated by fellow incumbent Alf Skowron
, a candidate of the New Democratic Party
.
Brunka later won the Liberal Party of Canada
's nomination for Winnipeg—Birds Hill
, and planned to be its candidate in the 1979 election
. He resigned after he described Prime Minister
Pierre Trudeau
as a millstone around the neck of Liberal candidates, and called for John Turner
to become the party's leader. He later left the Liberal Party entirely, and ran for the Progressive Conservative Party
in the 1986 provincial election
.
Brunka ran for Mayor of Winnipeg in 1979, following the death of Robert Steen
. He finished well behind victorious candidate Bill Norrie
and runner-up Joseph Zuken
. He later sought re-election to City Council in 1980, 1983
, 1986
, 1995
, 1998
, 2002
. The closest he came to re-election was in 1983, when he finished 66 votes behind Skowron. When he lost in 1995, he accused rival candidate Henry McDonald of splitting his vote and allowing Lillian Thomas
to win.
He ran for a seat on the Brandon City Council in 2006, and was again defeated.
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. He was a member of the Winnipeg City Council
Winnipeg City Council
The Winnipeg City Council is the governing body of the city of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.Members represent wards throughout the city, and are known as councillors.-2006-2010:Council elected in the 2006 election:-2010-2014:...
from 1974 to 1977, and has since become a perennial candidate
Perennial candidate
A perennial candidate is one who frequently runs for public office with a record of success that is infrequent, if existent at all. Perennial candidates are often either members of minority political parties or have political opinions that are not mainstream. They may run without any serious hope...
for office at several levels.
Brunka graduated from the Manitoba Institute of Technology (a forerunner to Red River Community College) in 1963. He worked as a baker
Baker
A baker is someone who bakes and sells bread, Cakes and similar foods may also be produced, as the traditional boundaries between what is produced by a baker as opposed to a pastry chef have blurred in recent decades...
in private life, was a board member of the St. Gerard Catholic School Board and was a founder of the Elmwood High School parent council. He was a resident of Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
for many years, and is the recipient of an exemplary citizen award from the city. He has more recently relocated to Brandon
Brandon, Manitoba
Brandon is the second largest city in Manitoba, Canada, and is located in the southwestern area of the province. Brandon is the largest city in the Westman region of Manitoba. The city is located along the Assiniboine River. Spruce Woods Provincial Park and CFB Shilo are a relatively short distance...
. He is retired from the baking trade, and owns a karaoke
Karaoke
is a form of interactive entertainment or video game in which amateur singers sing along with recorded music using a microphone and public address system. The music is typically a well-known pop song minus the lead vocal. Lyrics are usually displayed on a video screen, along with a moving symbol,...
bar.
He began his political career at a member of the Liberal Party
Manitoba Liberal Party
The Manitoba Liberal Party is a political party in Manitoba, Canada. Its roots can be traced to the late nineteenth-century, following the province's creation in 1870.-Origins and early development :...
, and unsuccessfully sought election under its banner in the 1973 provincial election
Manitoba general election, 1973
The Manitoba General Election of June 28, 1973 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada. It was won by the social-democratic New Democratic Party, which took 31 of 57 seats...
. He was subsequently elected to the Winnipeg City Council in 1974
Winnipeg municipal election, 1974
The 1974 Winnipeg municipal election was held on October 23, 1974 to elect a mayor, councillors and school trustees in the city of Winnipeg.Stephen Juba was re-elected in the mayoral contest.-Results:...
, winning in the Riverton ward as a candidate of the Independent Citizens' Election Committee. He served for three years, and was a member of the city's finance committee and police commission. The size of city council was dramatically reduced for the 1977 election, and Brunka was forced to seek re-election in the new Elmwood ward. He was narrowly defeated by fellow incumbent Alf Skowron
Alf Skowron
Alf Skowron is a retired politician in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. He was a member of the Winnipeg City Council from 1971 to 1989, originally a member of the New Democratic Party and later as an independent.-Councillor:...
, a candidate of the New Democratic Party
New Democratic Party of Manitoba
The New Democratic Party of Manitoba is a social-democratic political party in Manitoba, Canada. It is the provincial wing of the federal New Democratic Party, and is a successor to the Manitoba Co-operative Commonwealth Federation...
.
Brunka later won the Liberal Party of Canada
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
's nomination for Winnipeg—Birds Hill
Winnipeg—Birds Hill
Winnipeg—Birds Hill was a federal electoral district in Manitoba, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1979 to 1988.This riding was created in 1976 from parts of Selkirk and St. Boniface ridings...
, and planned to be its candidate in the 1979 election
Canadian federal election, 1979
The Canadian federal election of 1979 was held on May 22, 1979 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 31st Parliament of Canada. It resulted in the defeat of Liberal Party of Canada after 11 years in power under Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. Joe Clark led the Progressive...
. He resigned after he described Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
Pierre Trudeau
Pierre Trudeau
Joseph Philippe Pierre Yves Elliott Trudeau, , usually known as Pierre Trudeau or Pierre Elliott Trudeau, was the 15th Prime Minister of Canada from April 20, 1968 to June 4, 1979, and again from March 3, 1980 to June 30, 1984.Trudeau began his political career campaigning for socialist ideals,...
as a millstone around the neck of Liberal candidates, and called for John Turner
John Turner
John Napier Wyndham Turner, PC, CC, QC is an English Canadian lawyer and retired politician, who served as the 17th Prime Minister of Canada from June 30 to September 17, 1984....
to become the party's leader. He later left the Liberal Party entirely, and ran for the Progressive Conservative Party
Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba
The Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba is the only right wing political party in Manitoba, Canada. It is also the official opposition party in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba.-Origins and early years:...
in the 1986 provincial election
Manitoba general election, 1986
The Manitoba general election of March 18, 1986 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada. It was won by the New Democratic Party, which took 30 seats out of 57. The Progressive Conservative Party won 26 seats and formed the official opposition...
.
Brunka ran for Mayor of Winnipeg in 1979, following the death of Robert Steen
Robert Steen
Robert Ashley Steen was a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He was a Progressive Conservative member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1966 to 1969, and later served as the 38th Mayor of Winnipeg from 1977 to 1979.Steen was educated at the University of Manitoba and the Manitoba Law...
. He finished well behind victorious candidate Bill Norrie
Bill Norrie
William Norrie, CM, OM, QC was the 39th Mayor of Winnipeg, Manitoba and is the former Chancellor of the University of Manitoba....
and runner-up Joseph Zuken
Joseph Zuken
Joseph Zuken was a popular Communist politician in Winnipeg and the longest serving elected Communist party politician in North America....
. He later sought re-election to City Council in 1980, 1983
Winnipeg municipal election, 1983
The 1983 Winnipeg municipal election was held on October 26, 1983 to elect a mayor, councillors and school trustees in the city of Winnipeg. There were also two referendum questions, on bilingualism and nuclear disarmament....
, 1986
Winnipeg municipal election, 1986
The 1986 Winnipeg municipal election was held on October 22, 1986 to elect a mayor, councillors and school trustees in the city of Winnipeg.Bill Norrie was re-elected to a fourth term as mayor, defeating former Member of the Legislative Assembly Russell Doern and ten other...
, 1995
Winnipeg municipal election, 1995
The 1995 Winnipeg municipal election was held on October 25, 1995 to elect a mayor, councillors and school trustees in the city of Winnipeg.Susan Thompson defeated Peter Kaufmann and Terry Duguid in the mayoral contest.-Councillors:...
, 1998
Winnipeg municipal election, 1998
The 1998 Winnipeg municipal election was held on October 28, 1998 to elect a mayor, councillors and school trustees in the city of Winnipeg.Centre-left candidate Glen Murray defeated populist right-winger Peter Kaufmann in the mayoral contest.-Councillors:...
, 2002
Winnipeg municipal election, 2002
The 2002 Winnipeg municipal election was held on October 23, 2002 to elect a mayor, councillors and school trustees in the city of Winnipeg.Glen Murray, the city's centre-left mayor, was re-elected to a second term over challenger Al Golden.-Councillors:...
. The closest he came to re-election was in 1983, when he finished 66 votes behind Skowron. When he lost in 1995, he accused rival candidate Henry McDonald of splitting his vote and allowing Lillian Thomas
Lillian Thomas
Lillian Thomas is a city councillor in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. She has served on council continuously since 1989, initially for Elmwood and later for its successor ward of Elmwood-East Kildonan.-Early life:...
to win.
He ran for a seat on the Brandon City Council in 2006, and was again defeated.