This road is named in honour of Major-General J.P.E. Bernatchez, CBE, CMM, DSO, CD.
Major-General Joseph Paul Émile Bernatchez was born in Montmagny, Quebec in March 1911. He enlisted at the Royal Military College in Kingston in August 1929, graduating with distinction in June 1934. He joined the Royal 22e Régiment and in April 1935, he left for the UK to round out his military knowledge. He returned to Canada in February 1937. He was promoted to Captain at the beginning of the Second World War and went overseas as the officer commanding “B” Company, Royal 22e Régiment. He was soon promoted to Major and in the fall of 1941, he took command of the unit at the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel. In July 1943, he commanded his battalion during the Pachino peninsula landings in Sicily. In March 1944, he was appointed Commander of the 3rd Infantry Brigade. He was decorated with the Distinguished Service Order in Italy and was also mentioned in Despatches. In March 1945, he arrived in Holland with the other Canadian troops from the Italian front. He remained there until the end of hostilities. In 1951, he became the Commanding Officer of the Canadian military mission in the Middle East and was later promoted to Major-General and Commander of Quebec Command. Major-General Bernatchez died on November 13, 1983.
