Ernie Bernhardt facts for kids

Ernest Bernhardt is a former politician from Canada's northern territories. He served as a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for the Northwest Territories and later as the mayor of Kugluktuk.

Early Life and Challenges

Ernie Bernhardt was born around 1944. When he was very young, he lost his mother. His brothers, sisters, and a kind nun helped care for him. His father was a hunter and trapper, which means he caught animals for food and fur.

Ernie was sent to different residential schools, which were schools where Indigenous children were often forced to live away from their families. He attended schools in Aklavik, Yellowknife, and Fort Smith. At one school, he learned how to trap muskrats, which are small animals. He became very good at it and earned a lot of money, but the school and church took all of it. He also learned to paint with oils and to box while at these schools. Later, he wanted to be closer to his father, so he applied to study in Kugluktuk.

Arctic Sports Achievements

Ernie also learned about Arctic sports, which are traditional games and athletic challenges from the Arctic region. He was taught by Edward Lennie and later became a coordinator for these sports. Ernie even performed a special move called the one-handed leg-kick at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal. He also coached Arctic sports for students at Kugluktuk High School.

Political Career

Ernie Bernhardt became involved in politics to help his community. He was first elected as a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for the Kitikmeot district in the Northwest Territories in 1991. An MLA is like a representative who speaks for the people in their area in the government. He won against Kelvin Ng and three other people.

However, Ernie resigned from his position in 1993 before his term was over. After he left, Kelvin Ng won the special election held to fill his seat. Ernie ran against Ng again in the 1995 election but was not elected that time.

Serving as Mayor

In November 2009, Ernie Bernhardt was chosen to be the mayor of Kugluktuk without anyone running against him. He said he wanted to keep the town council working together. He officially became the mayor on December 7, 2009.

Personal Life

Ernie Bernhardt is married to his wife, Beatrice. He also has an older sister named Wilma. As of May 2022, he lives in Yellowknife, which is the capital city of the Northwest Territories.