Historian and sovereignist Marcel Tessier is no more

Historian Marcel Tessier passed away Monday at the age of 90. Over the course of his career, he wrote several books, served as a teacher and became known for his many columns on the TVA morning show Hello HelloHe was also known for his pro-independence beliefs, having campaigned for the Rally for National Independence and the Parti Québécois.

Originally from the Montreal district of Saint-Henri, he was awarded the Patriot of the Year prize by the Société Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Montréal in 2001. This award is given to a personality who has distinguished himself in his attachment to Quebec.

Guy Mongrain, who has long hosted Hello Helloshared a message in honor of his friend on his Facebook page on Tuesday. “I received this unwanted call [lundi] morning from the love of his life. The hours were numbered. Rest in peace my friend, the teacher, the historian, the Patriot,” he wrote.

The leader of the Parti Québécois, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, also shared his thoughts on social media. “Quebec mourns the loss of a true Patriot, a talented historian who was always faithful to the national cause of Quebecers. The greatest tribute we can pay to Marcel Tessier is to continue his fight for both the teaching of history and for independence.” He also thanked him “for all these years of commitment, eloquence and struggle alongside us.”

In a press release, the president of the Rally for a Sovereign Country, Benoit Roy, offered his condolences to the historian’s family and friends. “Mr. Tessier was a beacon in the difficult times of our political project, when gloom set in after 1995,” he added.

Mr. Roy also remembers a phrase from the historian that the latter used to insert in his speeches: “If Quebecers knew their history, we would have been independent a long time ago!”

To see in video