The municipality is situated west of Saint-Polycarpe, south of Sainte-Justine-de-Newton, north of Rivière-Baudette and east of the provincial border near North Lancaster, Ontario.

The municipality is named for Pope Telesphorus, who reigned from 126 to 138 AD.

Settlement began around 1800 with the arrival of Scottish, Irish, and English immigrants.

At that time, the place was called Rivière-Delisle, Lac-Saint-François, or Rivière-au-Beaudet.

[1] List of former mayors:[9] Commission Scolaire des Trois-Lacs operates Francophone schools.