Aime Benard

Aime Benard (November 21, 1873-January 8, 1931) was a Manitoba politician. He served as interim leader of the provincial Conservatives in 1915, and was later appointed to the Senate of Canada.

Born in Henryville , Quebec, Benard moved to Manitoba to work as a farmer. He was first elected to the Manitoba legislature in 1914, winning by acclaimation in the riding of Iberville .

Conservative Premier Rodmond P. Roblin resigned amid scandal in 1915, and another election was called later in the year. Benard was one of only five Tories elected in the resulting Liberal landslide.

In the 1915 election (and contrary to developments at the federal level), Conservative support was strongest in the francophone regions of Manitoba -- four of the party's five elected members were francophone. This was because the provincial Tories were seen as more supportive of francophone rights in the province than the Liberals (and, indeed, Tobias C. Norris's government eliminated all state funding for French-language education soon after being elected). It was not a great surprise when Benard was chosen as the party's interim leader. In 1916, the party chose another francophone, Albert Prefontaine, as its leader in the house.

Benard was appointed to the Canadian Senate on September 3, 1917, by Prime Minister Robert Borden. He served in the Senate until his death.