Interview with Commander (Ret'd) Michele Tessier (March 10, 2022)

Interviewer: Kate Benkendorf Interviewee: Commander (Ret'd) Michele Tessier Rank: Commander (Cdr) Medals and Honours: Ceremonial Decoration (1st clasp); Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal; Officer of the Order of Military Merit (69th list); Women’s Executive Network ‘Canada’s Most Powerful Women Top 100’ (2017) ABSTRACT: 0:00 – 5:26 Growing up in Grand Bank, Newfoundland, experience at Memorial University in St. John’s, first interest in the military; NCSTTP program at Marine Institute, HMCS Cabot Reserves Division, MARS officer 5:27 – 9:12 Starting in the Navy, family involvement, early career, discussions of Naval Warfare Officer (NWO) training, Sea Readiness Inspection (SRI) 9:13 – 15:04 Career timeline; HMCS Thunder, HMCS Moresby, HMCS Nanaimo, HMCS Edmonton, Fleet Navigating Officers Course in Frigate, HMCS Whitehorse as Navigating and Operations Officer, Aide to the Commander of Maritime Forces Pacific during 9/11 attacks 13:44 – 17:35 Timeline continued; experience on HMCS Nanaimo; Operations Officer, Executive Officer, managing reservists during the Olympics with OP Podium, Leadership Division at Naval Fleet School, Command of Naval Reserve Division 17:36 – 23:40 Life as Commander of Coastal Division, backfilling for Commander for Canadian Fleet Pacific (Commodore) while still a Naval Reservist, transferred to regular force and Command of HMCS Margaret Brooke, medical release from the Navy 23:41 – 32:36 Being a female officer in the Navy, first female commanding officer on West Coast, HMCS Nanaimo and HMCS Margaret Brooke, Aide to the Admiral during the 9/11 Attacks and travelling to the Middle East 32:37 – 39:51 Reflecting on career; first command of HMCS Nanaimo; diesel alternator explosion at sea off the coast of California, transferring command, highlight being Commander of Coastal Division 39:52 – 50:33 Response to the Deschamps report; reflecting on her own experience over career, comments on changes necessary to military culture, positive changes that have occurred in the Navy 50:34 – 58:32 Discussion about views on CAF quota for 25% women by 2026, experience of current female officers as role models, changes throughout career 58:33 – 1:08:10 Career reflections; medical release, giving up command of HMCS Margaret Brooke, recognition as female Navy officer; named to Order of Military Merit 1:08:11 – 1:16:47 Life as a retired officer; still feeling like a military officer, processing the transition to civilian life, skills and attitudes gained 1:16:48 – 1:19:26 Final comments on experience as a female officer in the CAF, family connection to military and support, person outside the uniform

In Collection:

• Canadian Military Oral Histories

Contributor

• Benkendorf, Kate
• Tessier, Michele A., 1973-

Subject

• Personal narratives--Canadian
• Women soldiers
• Canada. Royal Canadian Navy
• Military history
• Canada. Canadian Armed Forces
• Tessier, Michele A., 1973-
• Armed Forces--Officers
• Personal narratives
• September 11 Terrorist Attacks (2001)

Language

• eng

Identifier

• Interview #SC141_TMA_889

Keyword

• Operations Officer
• Frigate
• OP Podium
• Bahrain
• NCSTTP
• Raven Program, Thunder Bay
• Aide to the Commander
• Memorial University
• Commanding Officer
• Bridge Watchkeeper, HMCS Edmonton
• HMCS Thunder
• Deck Officer
• Deschamps Report
• Middle East
• Order of Military Merit
• Woodpecker Squadron, California
• Naval Fleet School
• Navigation and Operations Officer
• Maritime Forces Pacific Headquarters
• Executive Officer
• NWO
• Sea Training
• HMCS Cabot
• HMCS Whitehorse
• Reserves Division, MARS, Royal Canadian Navy
• HMCS Moresby
• HMCS Nanaimo
• Naval Reserve Division, Coastal Division, HMCS Margaret Brooke, Aide to the Admiral
• Fleet Navigating Officer
• 9/11 Attacks
• Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), Grand Bank, Newfoundland
• J15/N15
• Olympics
• Maritime Forces Pacific
• St. John’s, Newfoundland

Date created

• March 10, 2022

Relation

• Part of the Military Oral History Class collection of interviews (HIST 426, Spring 2022).

Resource type

• Moving Image

Rights statement

• In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Extent

• 01:19:56

Alternative title

• Being the Change Within: Female Officers in the Canadian Armed Forces

Geographic coverage

• Newfoundland and Labrador

Coordinates

• 52, -56

Physical repository

• University of Victoria (B.C.). Library

Collection

• Canadian Military Oral History Collection

Provider

• University of Victoria (B.C.). Library

Genre

• video recordings (physical artifacts)
• reminiscences
• interviews
• oral histories (literary genre)

Archival item identifier

• Accession Number: 2022-020; Series: I; Item: 889

Fonds title

• Military Oral History collection

Fonds identifier

• SC141

Is referenced by

• Special Collections Finding Aid: https://uvic2.coppul.archivematica.org/military-oral-history-collection

Date digitized

• March 10, 2022

Technical note

• Interview done through an online video call, MP4, 4.91 GB. Metadata by KD.

Rights

• This interview has been posted with the understanding that it may be used for research purposes only. Should the interviewee or their heirs have any objections to this interview being accessible on the Internet, it will be removed promptly. Contact UVic Special Collections for permission if using for other than research purposes: speccoll@uvic.ca

DOI

•  https://doi.org/10.58066/shyw-7g89