Ministry of Finance
VICTORIA – Former Attorney General and MLA for Kamloops and current Kamloops resident Bud Smith, QC, has been appointed chair of the British Columbia Lottery Corporation board of directors, Finance Minister Michael de Jong announced on July 24.
Smith has been a director on the BCLC board since May 2012. He is an active Kamloops-based businessman with ownership interests in engineering, construction, lending and travel companies operating in B.C. and Alberta.
Smith also brings experience as a former minister of regional economic development, and principal secretary to the premier of British Columbia.
He has served on a number of Crown corporation boards, including Canada Post Corporation, B.C. Development Corporation, Prince Rupert Port Authority and Ridley Terminals Inc.
Smith has given his time to a number of community services and programs including as chancellor of the Diocese of Cariboo, the Kamloops Chamber of Commerce, and trustee of the Western Canada Theatre Company.
He received his B.A. from the University of Victoria in 1970 and his
L.L.B. from the University of British Columbia in 1974. He has been a member of the Law Society of British Columbia since May 1975.
Smith replaces the current board chair John McLernan, who has served as chair of the BCLC board since 2005.
BCLC is a commercial Crown-owned by the government of B.C. that is responsible for managing and operating lottery, eGaming, casino and bingo gambling in British Columbia. Most of these products are sold day-to-day by private-sector service providers at more than 3,800 lottery retail locations, 17 casinos, 19 community gaming centres and seven commercial bingo halls. Secure, regulated online play is offered on PlayNow.com.
While BCLC manages and operates commercial gaming, all gaming in B.C., including the operations of BCLC, is independently regulated by the Gaming Policy and Enforcement Branch of the Ministry of Finance.
Smith grew up in Birch Island and graduated from Clearwater Secondary School.