Born in Jamaica, Bernard immigrated to Upper Canada in 1851 and settled in Barrie, where in 1856 he established a law practice. He was chief clerk, 1858-66, in the office of the attorney general for Canada West, John, A. Macdonald, and later became his brother-in-law. Bernard accompanied Macdonald to the Charlottetown Conference (1864), and was the secretary of the Quebec (1864) and London (1866-67) Conferences, at which the groundwork was laid for Confederation. A lieutenant-colonel in the militia, he served as aide-de-camp to two governors-general, Viscount Monck and Baron Stanley of Preston. He also served as deputy minister of justice, 1868-76. Bernard died at Montreal in 1893 and is buried at Ottawa.

Location

In Centennial Park, Lakeshore Drive, Barrie

Themes

• People
• Politics and law