Biography
He went to sea in 1866.
He was Master in 1869.
He was appointed as the Governor of the Quebec Jail. As Master of the CGS Arctic he wintered in the Arctic 1904-05, 1906-07, 1908-09, 1910-11. On these voyages through the Arctic Islands he carried out surveys, established cairns and proclaimed Canadian Sovereignty in the North.
In 1906-07 he landed in fifteen places in Lancaster Sound and Melville Sound, hoisting the Canadian Flag and reading a proclamation and building a cairn claiming the Arctic archipelago for canada.
He also collected money for fisheries licences from any whaling vessel he encountered. Bernier spent ten years in the private sector prospecting and trading furs.
He commanded the Minnie Maud in private voyages to Pond Inlet 1910-11 and 1912-13.
In 1922 he returned to Government service and took the Arctic north to establish RCMP posts, to carry out scientific work and to supply settlements.
He was retired at the end of the 1925 voyage.
In 1927 he commanded two tugs towing a scow and dredge from Halifax to Churchill MB.
References
Davis, Richard C. (Ed.) (1996)
