Leo Bernier, known affectionately as the Emperor of the North, died this week at 81, leaving behind a political legacy that will be hard to match.
Provincial cabinet ministers are few and far in this area, a region that typically shies away from Conservatives.
First elected in Kenora in 1966, Bernier did it all before first seeking election in 1963.
He spent time in the bush as a pilot, managed a general store and spent time working in the family lumber business.
His larger-than-life personality attracted the attention of voters and party leaders, serving as Minister of Mines and Northern Affairs, as well as Natural Resources, under then premier Bill Davis.
It was a time of prosperity not since seen in Northwestern Ontario, and Bernier could take credit for helping it along, dedicating his public-service life to bettering the lives of the people who lived in the region.
His legacy is still being felt today, 23 years after he retired from office in 1987.
Men like Leo Bernier come along perhaps once in a generation, committed to the public good in ways most of us can never understand.
He left Northwestern Ontario a better place, a region much the better for having known him.
