Son of Léo and Aurélia Gaudet of La Hêtrière, Etienne played several sports in his youth, including baseball and hockey. A chess enthusiast, he was crowned New Brunswick junior champion in 1985. Having studied in several schools in the village, he graduated from École Mathieu-Martin in Dieppe in 1988.
After graduating from CCNB Dieppe in 1990 and Loyalist College in Ontario in 1996, Etienne embarked on a military career with the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF). First trained as a radio operator and then as a military policeman, he was deployed overseas four times; Afghanistan (2), former Yugoslavia and the Central African Republic for a total of 19 months on foreign soil. His Canadian postings are: Halifax (2), Ottawa (2), CFB Borden (Ont.) and CFB Kingston (Ont.).
Etienne graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from Queen's University in 2006, and a year later received an Officer's Commission from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. He attained the rank of Captain before retiring from the CAF in 2018.
Since retiring from the CAF, Etienne has been a candidate in the 2018 provincial election and operator of a small fruit and vegetable farm. He assumed responsibility for the Memramcook Veterans in 2022 and also contributes his time to the Memramcook Historical Society. In February 2025, Etienne was awarded the King Charles III’s Coronation Medal for his involvement with veterans. He was elected as councillor on April 14, 2025 and sworn into office on May 6, 2025.
