The Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec holds more than 30 of his original scores in its collection.
[1] Born in Saint-Clet, Canada East, Fortier received his initial musical training at the Petit Séminaire de Saint-Thérèse just outside Montreal where he was a pupil of Father Sauvé.
[2] In 1890 Fortier returned to Canada to join the teaching staff at the Institut Nazareth in Montreal where he was an instructor for classes in counterpoint, harmony, and singing.
Some of his notable pupils included Jean-Noël Charbonneau, Gabriel Cusson, Frédéric Pelletier, and Édouard LeBel.
He later worked in Ottawa for many years as a French to English translator for the Canadian federal government, beginning in 1900.