By Mike Renzella
The Haldimand Press
DUNNVILLE—Former Haldimand-Norfolk MP Bud Bradley has passed at the age of 84, leaving behind a legacy that stretches beyond politics and into the heart of the community he loved so dearly.
“It was a wonderful life. He was very kind, caring, generous,” said his wife, Susan. “He loved his family.”
Bradley was first elected MP in 1979, but his legacy stretches back much further. Born in Niagara Falls, he moved to Dunnville in 1942 but spent much of his younger years travelling to army bases around the country with his father: “Bud lived in almost every province in Canada,” said Susan.
Following in his father’s footsteps, Bradley spent 18 years in the army. After leaving, he attended the University of Alberta and became a dentist, returning to Dunnville, where he worked at a local practice until being elected MP, a position he held throughout the 1980s.
“Bud was the type of man that entered politics for the right reasons. He did so because he cared about his community and his home. He wanted to make it a better place. Also knowing Bud, I expect he thought politics would be a hell of an adventure. An adventure it was,” remembered Bradley’s friend, Albert Marshall.
As it turns out, Bradley is an influential figure to many current local politicians.
“I met Bud early when I first started out,” recalled Haldimand Mayor Ken Hewitt. “Not only was he great for Haldimand County, he was a stalwart for Dunnville…. He gave me a tremendous amount of advice on helping me shape my political career and aspirations.”
MPP Toby Barrett remembered working on Bradley’s original campaign back in the 1970s: “He was a mentor. He was certainly somebody I looked up to.”
He recalled coming across a stack of old election signs for Bradley in his shop, branded with a campaign slogan Barrett has never forgotten, ‘This Bud’s For You’: “In our area, in Haldimand-Norfolk, what better slogan could you ask for to get guys like me to vote for a politician?”
Barrett also remembers a popular series of events Bradley hosted at the time, called ‘Breakfast with Bud’. He would host the events at local spots throughout the riding, where he would speak directly with his constituents about the issues of the day: “Bud Bradley was a great communicator…. He could roll with businesspeople and with farmers.”
Things weren’t always easy for Bradley as MP: “In the 80s, he had one hell of a time with the tobacco industry, which pretty well went under. We lost so many farmers. He was blamed for that. I talked to him about that a fair bit. He said he’d be standing at the Norfolk County Fair and every tobacco farmer was there and they’d just lay right into him. It was very hard on Bud, because he fought very hard for tobacco,” remembered Barrett. “It affected him personally, he told me that.”
Bradley served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence from 1986-1988, during which time he dealt extensively with Turkey and other NATO members on military matters: “I would love to be able to call Bud now and ask him his opinion on the issues of NATO’s role in regard to the war in Ukraine,” said Marshall.
After his political career ended, Bradley set up a dental practice in Dunnville, where he continued to work until 2005: “He had three different careers, successful at all of them,” said Susan.
After retirement, Bud and Susan remained in Dunnville: “We had a motor home and we would travel around. He liked gardening, playing golf, fishing, and then playing golf some more…. He loved to socialize, and people loved to socialize with him,” she said. “He was a wonderful husband. He loved to bake, cook meals, barbecue. He could fix anything. He loved animals.”
Marshall said, “I think the world of Bud. He was always so kind and supportive of me and many, many others. The world will be a darker, less kind place without Bud Bradley.”
“Bud was the picture in spirit of what many in Dunnville aspire to be, but also to many in Haldimand County who’ve given so much of their free time to better their neighbourhoods, their communities, and their county,” added Hewitt.
“He truly loved Dunnville,” concluded Barrett. “He was certainly somebody I looked up to.”
