Leo Bernier

Bernier was born in Sioux Lookout, Ontario, and educated in the area. He worked as a bush pilot and became the general manager of Bernier & Sons Contractors, and served as president of the local Chamber of Commerce.{{cite news |title=Leo Bernier was voice of Northern Ontario |newspaper=Toronto Star |date=June 30, 2010 |page=A10}} He was an honorary member of the Royal Canadian Legion and the Knights of Columbus.

He ran for the Ontario legislature in the 1963 provincial election, and lost to Liberal-Labour candidate Robert Gibson by 840 votes in Kenora.{{cite news |author=Canadian Press |title=78 in Tory Blue Wave -- 23 Is All Grits Saved |newspaper=The Windsor Star |date=September 26, 1963 |location=Windsor, Ontario |page=25 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=QDM_AAAAIBAJ&sjid=T1EMAAAAIBAJ&pg=6134%2C3886120|accessdate=2014-05-24}} Gibson died in 1966, and Bernier was elected in a by-election to replace him. He was returned by an increased margin in the 1967 provincial election,{{cite news |author=Canadian Press |title=Tories win, but... |newspaper=The Windsor Star |date=October 18, 1967 |location=Windsor, Ontario |page=B2 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=TDM_AAAAIBAJ&sjid=VVEMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3673%2C2835192 |accessdate=2014-03-30}} and served as a backbench supporter of the John Robarts administration. When Bill Davis succeeded Roberts as premier on March 1, 1971, he appointed Bernier as his Minister of Mines and Northern Affairs.{{cite news |title=Changes in policies promised: Davis priorities to include environment and jobless |last1=Manthorpe |first1=Jonathan |last2=Slinger |first2=John |newspaper=The Globe and Mail |date=March 2, 1971 |page=1}}

Bernier was easily re-elected in the 1971 provincial election.{{cite news |title=Riding-by-riding returns in provincial election |newspaper=The Globe and Mail |date=October 23, 1971 |page=10}} He was given additional responsibilities as Minister of Lands and Forests on February 2, 1972.{{cite news |title=The Cabinet for Ontario |newspaper=The Globe and Mail |date=February 3, 1972 |page=4}} On April 7 of the same year, his portfolios were restructured as the Ministry of Natural Resources.

Bernier was re-elected without serious opposition in the elections of 1975,{{cite news |title=Table of vote results for all Ontario ridings |newspaper=The Globe and Mail |date=September 19, 1975 |page=C12}} 1977,{{cite news |title=Ontario provincial election results riding by riding |newspaper=The Globe and Mail |date=June 10, 1977 |page=D9}} 1981,{{cite news|author=Canadian Press |title=Winds of change, sea of security |newspaper=The Windsor Star |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=0NtYAAAAIBAJ&sjid=QlIMAAAAIBAJ&pg=1444%2C1388326 |date=1981-03-20 |location=Windsor, Ontario |page=22 |accessdate=2014-04-01}} and 1985.{{cite news |title=Results of vote in Ontario election |newspaper=The Globe and Mail |date=May 3, 1985 |page=13}} He was named Minister of Northern Affairs on February 3, 1977, and held this position for more than eight years.{{cite news |title=Davis names Timbrell new health minister |last1=Allen |first1=David |newspaper=The Toronto Star|date=February 3, 1977 |page=1}} Bernier was the most powerful minister for Northern Ontario in the Bill Davis government, and was sometimes called the "Emperor of the North". Like most Progressive Conservatives of his time, he supported government intervention in economic matters.

Bernier initially supported Dennis Timbrell in the Progressive Conservative Party's January 1985 leadership convention, but crossed to Frank Miller after Timbrell was eliminated. Miller retained him in the Northern Affairs portfolio after becoming Premier of Ontario on February 8, 1985.{{cite news |title=The Ontario Cabinet |newspaper=The Globe and Mail |date=February 9, 1985 |page=4}} The Progressive Conservatives under Miller were reduced to a tenuous minority government in the 1985 election, and were defeated in the house in June 1985. In opposition, Bernier served as his party's critic for Natural Resources and Northern Affairs and Mines. He did not run for re-election in 1987.

In 1975, Bernier selected amethyst as Ontario's mineral emblem.{{cite news |title=Ontario's official stone is no 'dumb jewel' |newspaper=Toronto Star |date=May 16, 1975 |page=B2}}

{{s-start}}

{{Canadian cabinet member navigational box header |ministry=Bill_Davis}}

{{ministry box cabinet posts

| post2preceded = René Brunelle

| post2 = Minister of Natural Resources
Bernier was also Minister of Lands and Forests from February 2, 1972 to April 7, 1972 when it was merged into Natural Resources.

| post2years = 1972–1977

| post2note =

| post2followed = Frank Miller

| post1preceded = Allan Lawrence

| post1 = Minister of Mines and Northern Affairs
On February 3, 1977, responsibility was changed to Minister of Northern Affairs which remained until June 1985.Bernier was retained as Minister of Northern Affairs by Frank Miller in both of his cabinets from February to June, 1985.

| post1years = 1971–1985

| post1note =

| post1followed = René Fontaine

}}

{{s-end}}

He served as chair of the Boreal West Round Table in the 1990s, and remained active in the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party until his death. In 2004, he supported John Tory's successful bid to become party leader.

Bernier died on June 28, 2010, in Sioux Lookout hospital at the age of 81. In 2012, Highway 664 was renamed in his honour.{{cite news |title=Highway 664 dedicated to the "King of the North" |newspaper=Daily Commercial News and Construction Record |volume=85 |number=155 |date=August 13, 2012 |page=1}}

{{Reflist|group="note"}}

{{Reflist|2}}

• {{OntarioMPPbio|id=leo-edward-bernier}}

{{Davis Ministry}}

{{Miller Ministry}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bernier, Leo}}

Category:1928 births

Category:2010 deaths

Category:Franco-Ontarian people

Category:Members of the Executive Council of Ontario

Category:People from Sioux Lookout

Category:Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario MPPs

Category:20th-century members of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario