Albert Tessier

Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pérade cemetery, tombstone Mgr Albert Tessier (1895-1976), Mgr. F. X. St-Arnaud (1902-1988), Canon C. H. Lapointe (1909-1997), Jean-Claude Chevalier (1926-2014) Albert Tessier (; March 6, 1895 – September 13, 1976) was a French-speaking Canadian priest, historian and a film maker.

He was born in Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pérade, Mauricie.

Tessier made over seventy films.

Tessier started taking photographs with his Kodak Brownie in 1913.

Life as a Priest and Educator

He was ordained priest by Monsignor François-Xavier Cloutier in June 1920 and received a PhD in Theology in Rome in 1922. He moved back to his native area in 1924 and began a career as a teacher and professor of history and literature. In 1937, he replaced Thomas Chapais and took over the Chair in History of Canada at the Université Laval.

Promoting Local Identity

Tessier was known to be very proud of his area of origin. He coined the word Mauricie in 1933 to designate his native area. Before then, the expression "Saint-Maurice Valley" had been used. Many of the movies that he produced informed the public about the area's background.

Filmography From 1925 until his death, Tessier made more than seventy non-fiction films. His favorite subjects were nature, history, religion, education and culture.

Film Date 1942-1943 1939-1942 1950 1937 1940 1942 1942 1935 1934 1941 1939 1942 1925-1930 1933-1936 1941-1944 1952 1954 1939-1940 1942 1942 1938 1948 1942-1943 1935-1950 1942-1943 1938 1939 1939 1939 1939 1936 1938 1938 1939 1951 1937-1940 1940-1950 1942 1938-1948 1949-1951 1950 1950 1936 1949 1932 1934 1937 1936-1942

Death Albert Tessier died at the Saint-Joseph Hospital in Trois-Rivières on September 13, 1976.

Legacy

The following were named in Tessier's honor:

The Prix Albert-Tessier award; Avenue Albert-Tessier, located in Shawinigan, Quebec. Pavillon Albert-Tessier, located at Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières