Jules Fournier

Jules Fournier (August 23, 1884 - April 16, 1918) was a Canadian writer and newspaper owner.

Biography Jules Fournier was born on August 23, 1884, to parents Isaïe Fournier and Marie Durocher in Coteau-du-Lac, Quebec. His family was not wealthy, and Fournier attended a local parish school, where he was taught basic Latin. In 1897, Fournier entered the second form at Collège de Valleyfield in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield. He was an exceptional student, and was described by one of his teachers as advanced beyond his fellow students and the majority of his instructors. Following a verbal encounter with his school principal, Fournier was expelled from Collège de Valleyfield in December 1902.

In 1903, Fournier joined the La Presse newspaper in Montreal, where he met the prominent Quebec nationalist Olivar Asselin. In 1904, Fournier moved to the Le Canada newspaper. In his position there, he travelled around New England investigating the lifestyles and affairs of Franco-Americans. In 1906, Fournier was made a political reporter at Le Canada, but began writing for Asselin's Le Nationaliste publication under the name Pierre Beaudry the same year. Fournier became Le Nationaliste'''s editor in 1908.

In 1910, Fournier worked at Le Devoir for three months before travelling to France as a correspondent for La Patrie. Fournier formed his own weekly newspaper L’Action in April 1911, featuring contributions by his friend Asselin as well as Arthur Beauchesne, a parliamentary expert and National Historic Person of Canada, several writers and many poets. The paper was sued twice during its existence - once by the editor of Fournier's former employer, La Patrie'', and once by the Mayor of Montreal for calling him a 'big thief', the latter of which Fournier won.