Joseph Bernier

Who was Joseph Bernier?

Joseph Bernier was a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba on four occasions between 1900 and 1932. Bernier was a member of the Conservative Party, and served as a cabinet minister in the government of Rodmond P. Roblin. His father, Thomas A. Bernier, was a member of the Canadian Senate.

Bernier was born in St. Jean d'Iberville, Québec, and educated at St. Boniface College and the Manitoba University. He received a Master of Arts degree. Bernier was called to the Manitoba bar in 1896 and began practising as a barrister-at-law in Winnipeg in 1897. He was first elected to the Manitoba legislature in a by-election held on November 24, 1900, defeating Victor Mager by 154 votes in the St. Boniface constituency. He lost his seat in the 1903 provincial election, losing to Liberal Horace Chevrier by a single vote.

Bernier was re-elected to the legislature in the 1907 election, defeating Chevrier by 71 votes. Returned without difficulty in the 1910 campaign, he was appointed to cabinet on May 22, 1913 as Provincial Secretary.

Bernier was again re-elected in the 1914 provincial election. Early in 1915, the entire Roblin administration was forced to resign after the Lieutenant Governor issued a report which found the government had been guilty of corrupt practices in the tendering of contracts for new legislative buildings. Bernier did not seek re-election in the 1915 campaign, and the St. Boniface constituency was won by Liberal Joseph Dumas.