Joseph Gérard Léonce Bernard, (May 23, 1943 in Abram Village, Prince Edward Island – March 25, 2013 in Prince Edward Island) was an

Acadian The Acadians (french: Acadiens , ) are an ethnic group descended from the French who settled in the New France colony of Acadia during the 17th and 18th centuries. Most Acadians live in the region of Acadia, as it is the region where the de ...

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

politician, who was the 26th

Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island The lieutenant governor of Prince Edward Island () is the viceregal representative in Prince Edward Island of the , who operates distinctly within the province but is also shared equally with the ten other jurisdictions of Canada, as well as the ...

, the third Island Acadian to hold this position. Born in Abram Village,

Prince Edward Island Prince Edward Island (PEI; ) is one of the thirteen Provinces and territories of Canada, provinces and territories of Canada. It is the smallest province in terms of land area and population, but the most densely populated. The island has seve ...

, he received his early education at Evangeline School in Abram Village, becoming a member of the first class to graduate from the school after the completion of its construction, in 1962. He then went on to take courses in

bookkeeping Bookkeeping is the recording of financial transactions, and is part of the process of accounting in business and other organizations. It involves preparing source documents for all transactions, operations, and other events of a business. Tr ...

and

accounting Accounting, also known as accountancy, is the measurement, processing, and communication of financial and non financial information about economic entities such as businesses and corporations. Accounting, which has been called the "languag ...

while a member of the

Royal Canadian Air Force The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; french: Aviation royale canadienne, ARC) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environm ...

. Soon after, he married Florence Gallant of Cap-Egmont, located in the same area as Abram-Village. Together, they have four children, Michel, Pierre, Francine, and Charles, as well as two grandchildren. Before entering politics, Bernard served as office manager with McGowan Motors in Montague and as general manager of the Evangeline Credit Union in Wellington, Prince Edward Island. He was first elected to the Legislative Assembly, as a member of the

Liberal Party of Prince Edward Island The Prince Edward Island Liberal Party (officially the ''Prince Edward Island Liberal Association'') is a political party in the province of Prince Edward Island, Canada. The PEI Liberals are affiliated with the federal Liberal Party of Canada. H ...

, representing the district of

3rd Prince 3rd Prince was an electoral district in the Canadian province of Prince Edward Island, which elected two members to the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island The Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island (french: Assemblée législative ...

in a

by-election A by-election, also known as a special election in the United States and the Philippines, a bye-election in Ireland, a bypoll in India, or a Zimni election (Urdu: ضمنی انتخاب, supplementary election) in Pakistan, is an election used to f ...

in 1975, and was re-elected in

1978 Events January * January 1 – Air India Flight 855, a Boeing 747 passenger jet, crashes off the coast of Bombay, killing 213. * January 5 – Bülent Ecevit, of Republican People's Party, CHP, forms the new government of Turkey (42nd go ...

1979 Events January * January 1 ** United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the ''International Year of the Child''. Many musicians donate to the ''Music for UNICEF Concert'' fund, among them ABBA, who write the song ...

1982 Events January * January 1 – In Malaysia and Singapore, clocks are adjusted to the same time zone, UTC+8 (GMT+8.00). * January 13 – Air Florida Flight 90 crashes shortly after takeoff into the 14th Street bridges, 14th Street Bridge in ...

1986 The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles. **Spain and Portugal ente ...

, and

1989 File:1989 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Cypress Street Viaduct, Cypress structure collapses as a result of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, killing motorists below; The proposal document for the World Wide Web is submitted; The Exxo ...

, serving as a member of the Official Opposition from 1979 to 1986. He was Minister of Industry and Chairman of the P.E.I. Development Agency from 1986 to 1989, and from 1989 to 1991 was Minister of Fisheries and Community Affairs. Bernard was always a strong supporter of the co-operative movement, both provincially and nationally, having served as President of the ''Conseil de la coopération de l'Î.P.É'' as well as vice-president and Treasurer of the ''Conseil Canadien de la coopération''. Among other positions, he also served on the Advisory Committee of the Federal Minister responsible for co-operatives. He was also very active in community affairs, having held executive positions throughout the years with such organizations as the Federation of Prince Edward Island Municipalities, the French Language School Board, the Wellington Boys and Girls Club, and the Evangeline Tourism Association. He was appointed Lieutenant Governor on May 28, 2001. His term ended in 2006.

Coat of arms

References

External links

Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bernard, J. Leonce 1943 births 2013 deaths People from Prince County, Prince Edward Island Lieutenant Governors of Prince Edward Island Prince Edward Island Liberal Party MLAs Members of the Order of Prince Edward Island Members of the Executive Council of Prince Edward Island