“I grew up French and English”: French-speaking native of Alex Trebek, “Mr. Jeopardy”, hails from Sudbury

Hosted by Alex Trebek from 1984 until his death in 2020 Jeopardy on NBC.

The clever quiz game has allowed many Quebecers to improve their English while expanding their general knowledge.

His sense of humor, his famous mustache (which he eventually shaved off) and his way of pronouncing words of foreign origin made him an icon of American sports programming. It has won eight Emmys and holds the record for most shows hosted by a single host: more than 8,200 over 37 seasons!

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Sudbury

Joseph Georges Alexandre Trebek was born on July 22, 1940 in Sudbury. His father, George Edward Trebek (1908–1986), a chef at a hotel, immigrated from Ukraine when he was still a child. His mother, Lucille Lagasse (1921–2016), Franco-Ontarian, 14^e Child of Gaspe of Newport.

The couple married on December 16, 1939, at the Saint-Jean-de-Prebeuf church, named after the martyred Jesuit, about 200 km to the south.

Alex Nickel grew up in the Moulin à fleur district, a historic district of French Canadians in the heart of the capital.

“I grew up French and English,” he told an Ontario newspaper shortly before his death. I spoke French to my mother and English to my father, who was bilingual, but he was a Francophile.”

He attended his primary school at Saint-Louis-de-Gonzague School in Sudbury and his secondary schooling at the Oblates of Mary Immaculate boarding school in Ottawa, making him a true Franco-Ontarian. “Then I went to the University of Ottawa, which at the time was English, French and Latin.”

Since this trilingual era, he has forgotten Caesar’s language, but can mumble without problem. Dolores By his venerable Robert Charlebois.

Despite living in America for more than half of his life, Alex never forgot his studies. In 2015, he donated $2.4 million to the University of Ottawa to build a graduate pavilion.

“I believe that Francophonie has made an enormous contribution to the national culture of our country and that the University of Ottawa has played a very important role in this,” he said in flawless French.

From ÎLE DE RÉ to NBC

The ancestor, André Mignier, also known as Lagasse (1651?-1729), originally from the Île de Ré, came to New France in 1665 with the Carignan regiment to subdue the Iroquois. His nickname, usually given by an official, is associated with provocation according to English-speaking genealogists, and with character according to French-speaking genealogists.

In 1668, she reformed and married Jacquet Michel (1637–1710)., Widow of Jean Cordin. The couple settled in Quebec on the land of Guillemette Hébert, daughter of Louis Hébert and widow of Guillaume Couillard.

In 1682, the Mignier family moved to Beaubassin, pushed by Frontenac, who wanted to extend his influence in Acadia. After a few years in the land of La Sagoine, the Migneurs would put down roots in Pas-Saint-Laurent.

Their son Michel (1682-1738) settled at Cap-Saint-Ignace, and the next generation at Saint-Roch-des-Aulnaies, Rivière-Ouelle, La Pocatière, Percé and Newport, further east, until Benjamin’s departure. (1873-1943), Mr. for Sudbury. The grandfather of Jeopardy.

Photo courtesy of Jacques Noel

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Maternal line of Alex Trebek

I. TREBEK, George Edward (1908-1986)

Lacassie, Lucille (1921-2016)

Married 16 Dec 1939 at Saint-Jean-de-Brébeuf, Sudbury

II. LAGACÉ, Benjamin (1873-1943)

Belanger, Sophie (1877-1955)

Married July 30, 1899, Saint-Anne, Sudbury

III. LAGACÉ, Benjamin (1846-1888)

Smith, Elizabeth (1854-1896)

Married Nov. 23, 1870, at Newport

IV. Lacassie, Nasser (1811-1888)

Duguay, Adele (1821?-1850)

On October 6, 1839, Bersey married

V. MIGNIER dit LAGACÉ, Benjamin (1781-1861)

Olette, Charlotte (1784-1815)

Married on October 21, 1805, at Sainte-Anne-de-la-Bocatière.

VI. MIGNIER SAYS LAGACÉ, JOSEPH (1742-1815)

BÉRUBÉ, Catherine (1743-1814)

On January 9, 1769, Riviere-Olle married

VII. MIGNIER SAYS LAGACÉ, Michel (1714-1773)

Pelletier, Marguerite (1717-1795)

Married at St-Roch-des-Aulnaies, January 9, 1736

VIII. MIGNIER SAYS LAGACÉ, Michel (1682-1738)

Thibault, Angelique (1686-1736)

Married at Cape-Saint-Ignace on July 28, 1705

IX. MIGNIER says LAGACÉ, Andre (1651?-1729)

Michel-Michaud, Jacquet (1637-1710)

Married October 23, 1668, at Notre-Dame de Quebec