Thomas-Alfred Bernier
Encyclopedia
Thomas-Alfred Bernier was a Canadian
journalist, lawyer, and senator
.
Born in Saint-Georges-d'Henryville, County of Iberville, Quebec, the son of Thomas Bernier and Julia Létourneau, Bernier was educated at the College of St. Hyacinthe. He was married in August 1871 to Julia Malvina and they had ten children, three of whom died in infancy.
He worked in journalism and was a lawyer who practiced for some years in St. John d'Iberville, and in 1880, he moved to Manitoba
. He was Superintendent of Education for the Catholic schools in Manitoba from 1881 to 1890 until public funding for the Catholic schools was abolished. From 1881 to 1893, he was Registrar of the University of Manitoba
. He was a member of the Executive Committee of the Provincial Agricultural Board, and Chairman of the Eastern Judicial District Board. Bernier was Mayor of St. Boniface
in 1883, 1884, 1886, 1891, and 1897. He was also a Commissioner to revise the municipal law, and a Commissioner to inquire into the working of the law in connection with the sale of Métis
lands.
In 1892, he was appointed to the Senate on the advice of John Joseph Caldwell Abbott representing the senatorial division of St-Boniface, Manitoba. A Conservative
, he died in office in 1908 after serving for 16 years.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
journalist, lawyer, and senator
Canadian Senate
The Senate of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the House of Commons, and the monarch . The Senate consists of 105 members appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister...
.
Born in Saint-Georges-d'Henryville, County of Iberville, Quebec, the son of Thomas Bernier and Julia Létourneau, Bernier was educated at the College of St. Hyacinthe. He was married in August 1871 to Julia Malvina and they had ten children, three of whom died in infancy.
He worked in journalism and was a lawyer who practiced for some years in St. John d'Iberville, and in 1880, he moved to Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
. He was Superintendent of Education for the Catholic schools in Manitoba from 1881 to 1890 until public funding for the Catholic schools was abolished. From 1881 to 1893, he was Registrar of the University of Manitoba
University of Manitoba
The University of Manitoba , in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, is the largest university in the province of Manitoba. It is Manitoba's most comprehensive and only research-intensive post-secondary educational institution. It was founded in 1877, making it Western Canada’s first university. It placed...
. He was a member of the Executive Committee of the Provincial Agricultural Board, and Chairman of the Eastern Judicial District Board. Bernier was Mayor of St. Boniface
Saint Boniface, Manitoba
Saint Boniface is a city ward of Winnipeg, home to much of the Franco-Manitoban community. It features such landmarks as the Cathédrale de Saint Boniface , Boulevard Provencher, the Provencher Bridge, Esplanade Riel, St. Boniface Hospital, the Collège universitaire de Saint-Boniface and the Royal...
in 1883, 1884, 1886, 1891, and 1897. He was also a Commissioner to revise the municipal law, and a Commissioner to inquire into the working of the law in connection with the sale of Métis
Métis people (Canada)
The Métis are one of the Aboriginal peoples in Canada who trace their descent to mixed First Nations parentage. The term was historically a catch-all describing the offspring of any such union, but within generations the culture syncretised into what is today a distinct aboriginal group, with...
lands.
In 1892, he was appointed to the Senate on the advice of John Joseph Caldwell Abbott representing the senatorial division of St-Boniface, Manitoba. A Conservative
Conservative Party of Canada (historical)
The Conservative Party of Canada has gone by a variety of names over the years since Canadian Confederation. Initially known as the "Liberal-Conservative Party", it dropped "Liberal" from its name in 1873, although many of its candidates continued to use this name.As a result of World War I and the...
, he died in office in 1908 after serving for 16 years.