Rod Bruinooge facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Rod E. Bruinooge
Rod Bruinooge 2016
Member of Parliament for Winnipeg South
In office January 23, 2006 – October 19, 2015
Preceded by	Reg Alcock
Succeeded by	Terry Duguid
Personal details
Born	(1973-05-06) May 6, 1973 (age 52) Thompson, Manitoba, Canada
Political party	Conservative
Spouse	Chantale Bruinooge
Residences	Winnipeg, Manitoba
Profession	Entrepreneur, CEO, executive director, film producer

Rod E. Bruinooge (born May 6, 1973) is an Indigenous Canadian politician, businessman, and filmmaker. He served as a Member of Parliament (MP) for Winnipeg South from 2006 to 2015. During this time, he was also a Parliamentary Secretary for Indigenous affairs.

Mr. Bruinooge is a member of the Conservative Party of Canada and is of Métis background. After leaving politics in 2015, he became the CEO of Eventride in 2016. In 2021, he was appointed the first Indigenous Film Commissioner for Manitoba. He also became the Chief Executive Officer of the Manitoba Research Network in 2024.

Early Life and Career Journey

Rod Bruinooge was born in Thompson, Manitoba. His father came from the Netherlands and married an Indigenous woman in Canada. Rod studied political science at the University of Manitoba.

In the late 1990s, he became the head of a company called Abject Modernity Internet Creations Ltd. He also worked as a consultant. Rod has helped out as a director for places like the River View Health Centre and the Manitoba Children's Museum. He also helped organize events like the Winnipeg Aboriginal Film and Video Festival and the North American Indigenous Games.

Creating The Stone Online Game

In 1995, Rod Bruinooge created an internet game and mystery called The Stone. It was released to the public in 1997. The game was inspired by the Publius Enigma, a mystery linked to the band Pink Floyd's album The Division Bell.

The Stone was featured in magazines like Forbes in 1999, and also in USA Today and Entertainment Weekly. In February 1999, Rod held an event in Time Square in New York City, where 999 copies of the game were given out. News channels like CNN covered the event. The game was fully completed in 2007.

Film and Television Work

In September 2004, Rod Bruinooge and Scott Jaworski released a film called Stoners. This movie was about the online gaming community that grew around The Stone game. The film's soundtrack included music from Pink Floyd's The Division Bell, with their permission.

In 2005, Rod started the Winnipeg International Film Festival and was its executive director until 2006. His film Stoners was shown at the festival's first year.

In 2020, Rod Bruinooge appeared in an episode of CBC's TV show Burden of Truth. He has been a member of the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA) union since 2019.

In 2021, Rod was named Interim-CEO for Manitoba Film and Music, a government agency. At that time, he also became Canada's first Indigenous Film Commissioner. In this role, he led a group of film industry and government officials on a trip to Los Angeles.

Becoming a Politician

Running for Office

Before he was elected in 2006, Rod Bruinooge ran for public office several times. He first tried to become a candidate for the provincial Progressive Conservative party in 2002.

He then ran as the Conservative candidate for Winnipeg South in the 2004 federal election. He even made a short, 15-second film advertisement for his campaign. Rod was one of only three Indigenous candidates for the Conservative Party in that election. He finished second in the election against the Liberal candidate, Reg Alcock.

Rod tried again for the Conservative nomination in Winnipeg South in 2005 but lost. However, the person who won the nomination later decided to run for provincial politics instead. So, Rod Bruinooge was chosen as the Conservative candidate for the 2006 election.

In the 2006 federal election, Rod Bruinooge won against Reg Alcock by a small number of votes. This was seen as a big surprise by many political experts.

Working in Parliament

The Conservatives won a minority government in the 2006 election. In February 2006, Rod Bruinooge was appointed as the parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development. He was the only Indigenous member of the government until 2008. In January 2007, he helped sign a deal with Siemens to create more jobs for Indigenous people.

Rod Bruinooge and Phil Fontaine in the House of Commons

During his time as Parliamentary Secretary, Rod helped guide important laws through the House of Commons. These laws were related to the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement and the creation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. On June 11, 2008, when Canada officially apologized to the victims of Residential Schools, Rod was part of the group that walked into the House of Commons with Indigenous leaders and the Prime Minister.

Rod also worked on a law that gave First Nation reserves access to the Canadian Human Rights Act. This law, called Bill C-21, was important because it allowed people like Cindy Blackstock to file claims on behalf of First Nations children. Years later, in 2023, a settlement of 23 billion dollars was reached for First Nations children affected by the child welfare system, thanks to the initial claim made possible by Bill C-21.

Rod Bruinooge was re-elected in the 2008 federal election. After this election, he chose not to continue as Parliamentary Secretary so he could focus more on his local area and his family.

In February 2009, Rod Bruinooge started the Conservative Post-Secondary Education Caucus and became its chair. This group focused on issues related to colleges and universities. In 2013, he led a group to Washington D.C. to meet with education leaders there. He also served as vice-chair of the Canada-U.S. Interparliamentary Group.

In May 2011, Rod wrote an article celebrating the improvements in Winnipeg, especially with the return of the Winnipeg Jets hockey team. He said Winnipeg was a "best kept secret" with new attractions like the Canadian Museum for Human Rights.

Rod was re-elected again in May 2011. In January 2015, he announced that he would not seek re-election in the next federal election.

Electoral Record (Winnipeg South)

All election information comes from Elections Canada.