Bernadette Smith aiming to replace Kevin Chief in Point Douglas

One day after Kevin Chief announced he would step down, someone has stepped up to fill his seat in Point Douglas.

Bernadette Smith will formally announce her plans to seek the NDP nomination in the electoral district Friday morning at Neechi Commons.

The Drag the Red co-founder went to school in Point Douglas and lived there for more than 30 years,according to a release sent late Thursday.

"I want to continue the great work that Kevin Chief has been doing in that community," Smith said Thursday evening.

"I love that community. It's a vibrant, resilient, beautiful community filled with people who love living in that neighbourhood."

Smith became heavily involved in Indigenous women's issues afterher sister, ClaudetteOsborne, went missing in 2008.

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Smith said she'd been thinking about running in the next provincial election before Chief resigned.

She said she's been a lifelong NDP supporter and grew up in an NDP household.

"When he put his name out there it was just like, 'Wow, this is something that I really want to continue to do,' and carry on the great work of not only Kevin but those before him," she said.

"I just feel like I have the capacity to be able to continue that work. I do a lot of work in that community already."

Current NDP MLAs Nahanni Fontaine (St Johns) and Wab Kinew (Fort Rouge) will join Smith at her 11 a.m. press conference.

Bernadette Smith's resume includes:

• Current Assistant Director ofWayFindersProgram in the Seven Oaks School Division.
• Co-founder ofthe Manitoba Coalition of Families of Missing and Murdered Women in Manitoba.
• Co-founder of Drag the Red.
• Organizes the No Stone Unturned Concert for Missing and Murdered in Manitoba.
• Recently receivedthe Order of Manitoba.
• Mom of three.

• Point Douglas MLA Kevin Chief resigns seat

On Wednesday afternoon,Chief announced he wasleaving politics for "family reasons." His resignation will take effect at the end of the year.

He'd been rumoured as a possible next leader for the party after its fall from power in the April election.

A by-election has not yet been called, but recent changes mean the date will have to be announced within 180 days of Chief stepping down.

• Kevin Chief's resignation met with good wishes and 'profound sadness'