Volume III - ElectricCanadian.com

26. THOMAS A. BERNIER,Senator and Advocate, St. Boniface,Man., was born August1 5th. 1844, at St. George of Henryville,Iberville County, Que. His parentswere Thomas Bernier and Julie Letourneau,of that place. Mr. Bernier receivedhis primary education in theparish school, and his classical, mentaland moral philosophy course at theCollege of St. Hyacinthe, where hegraduated. He began the study of lawin the office of Judge W. Chagnon.During his law studies, he was for atime chief editor of Le Courrier de St.Hyacinthe, and also became presidentof the debating club u L'UnionCatholique." He wasadmitted to the Bar in July,1869. He then went to St.Johns, P.Q., where he beganto practice, and soon occupiedthe position of CrownAttorney at the assizes. In1880, he removed to Manitobato follow agriculture,and to counteract, by hisexample and exertions, theexodus of French Canadiansto the United States. In1 88 1,he accepted the positionof Catholic Superintendentof Education for Manitoba,and continued to holdthat office until 1890, whenthe Separate School Act wasabolished. From 1881 to1892, he was registrar ofthe University of Manitoba,which he subsequentlyresignedon account of somuch of his time being requiredto attend the Federalsessions, as Senator. Duringthat period, he occupiedother positions, such as assistautclerk of the LocalLegislature, chairman of theEastern Judicial District Board, commissionerto enquire into the workingof the law in connection with the saleof Half-breed lands, etc. He was amember of the Provincial Board ofAgriculture, mayor of St. Boniface,president of the St. Jean-Baptiste Association,etc. He takes a lively interestin whatever tends to promote the interestsof Manitoba. He was appointedSenator in October, 1892. In politics,he is a Conservative, and in religion,a Roman Catholic. Mr. Bernier wasmarried, August i5th, 1871, to JulieMalvina Demers, daughter of A. I.Demers, of Henryville.