Born in New Westminster, British Columbia, Bell was first elected as an alderman in the District of North Vancouver in 1970, and again, topping the polls, in 1972 and 1974.
Bell defeated incumbent MP Ted White who had held the seat for the Reform, Alliance and Conservative parties since 1993.
He was a member and vice-chair of the federal Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, and the Liberal opposition critic for the Asia Pacific Gateway.
Bell served as Chair of a special City of North Vancouver Civic Engagement Task Force from June 2010 to April 2011.
Bell was Public Affairs Director for Canada Safeway, based in Vancouver, from 1982 through 1995, when he then returned full-time to local politics as Mayor of the District in 1996.