Thomas Alfred Bernier (1844-1909)

Lawyer, municipal politician, civil servant, Senator.

Born in County of Iberville, Canada East on 15 August 1844, the son of Thomas Bernier and Julie Letourneau. He was educated at the Séminaire de Saint-Hyacinthe, Canada East from 1857 to 1865 and was admitted to the Bar in 1869. He married Julie Malvina Demers in 1871, with whom he had five children, including Joseph Bernier, Alexandre Bernier and Noel Bernier. He began his practice in St. John’s,Quebec, where he became crown attorney. He came to Manitoba in 1880 under the influence of Father Albert Lacombe and bought farm land in Ste. Agathe. In 1881, he was appointed a member of a commission to investigate the working of the law with respect to Metis lands.

From 1881 to 1890, Bernier was Catholic Superintendent of education for Manitoba. The Greenway government abolished the dual educational system in 1890, but in 1892 Bernier was appointed to the Senate as a Conservative, and there he spoke often on the Manitoba Schools Question. He was French clerk of the Manitoba Legislative Assembly, a member of the Provincial Board of Agriculture, and chairman of the Eastern Judicial District Board, registrar of the University of Manitoba 1882-1893. He served frequently as Mayor of St. Boniface (1883, 1884, 1886, 1891, and 1897) and was registrar of the University of Manitoba from 1882 to 1893. He wrote several pamphlets, including Le Manitoba, champ d’immigration (1887).

Bernier died in St. Boniface in 1909. He is commemorated by Bernier Bay in Winnipeg.

His papers are at the Archives of Manitoba and the St. Boniface Historical Society.

More information:

Thomas Alfred Bernier, Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online

Sources:

Profile revised: 24 November 2009

A collection of noteworthy Manitobans from the past, compiled by the Manitoba Historical Society. Search the collection by word or phrase, name, place, occupation or other text: Custom Search Browse surnames beginning with: A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | Y | Z Send inquiries to the Memorable Manitobans Administrator at biographies@mhs.mb.ca Suggest a Memorable Manitoban  |  Sources  |  Acknowledgements