Honouring cultural impact of Musique Plus with Canada Post stamp

Launched in 1986, Musique Plus was an iconic television station for many here in Quebec and became the first French-language specialty channel.

It helped launch local artists, shine a light on Canadian talent, make their VJs house-hold names, and connect music fans to their favourite musicians with interactive shows – changing the way we view music.

Now, Musique Plus’ legacy is being honoured with a new Canada Post stamp.

On Thursday, a celebration was being held in the shows former building to celebrate the stations cultural impact, and unveil the stamp set.

“It is a seal of approval. It’s a stamp of approval, and it’s quite the honour,” said former Musique Plus VJ, Pierre Landry.

Landry recalls his days as a VJ, and says he got emotional as he and his former colleagues unveiled the stamp by taking the curtain off a Canada Post truck.

“The bands I got to meet, the friends I got to make, to see the old VJs again. I mean, we don’t get the chance to see each other all that much. And when we do, that magic comes back immediately. It’s like we never left,” he said.

The station began its broadcasting out of Montreal, and quickly made its way to the top, establishing themselves as a top platform, and giving local Francophone artists a platform to showcase their talent.

Former Musique Plus VJ, Geneviève Borne, recalls the days where she landed her dream job.

“I’ve always been in love with music, and I always wanted to have a job related to music. This was a dream because you could talk about music all day, meet your idols, and be super creative and do whatever you want. So it was, and still to this day for many people who worked at Musique Plus, the best job I had in my life,” she said.

Fans used to gather both inside and outside the station to catch a glimpse of artists from Britney Spears, to Nelly Furtado, Simple Plan, and so many more. The design of the stamp is drawn from their perspective.

“The stamp brings us back. If you look at it, it’s super colorful. It’s the original building, and you can see all the people in the stamps are from that era. Studies were made to make sure that we picked the right clothes, the right hairdos, and the right jewelry. So if you’re picking up a stamp, have a close look. You know, it’s the MuchMusic Musique Plus logo, and it’s just really from that time. From 1986 and ’88, you can really tell that it’s a stamp that truly describes the times we were in back then,” said Aurélie Walsh, General Manager of communications at Canada Post.

“When we unveiled the stamp altogether, I was wow, so excited because, yes, the building is there, the logo is there, but what you see first are the fans—the music fans. Because people were always knocking on the windows and watching the shows,” said Borne.

Moses Znaimer and Pierre Marchand, who were Executive Producer and Director of Music Programming respectively – founded the channel.

VJs Marc Carpentier, Sonia Benezra and Catherine Vachon were there right at the start on Sept. 2, 1986 with a gala launch at Montreal’s Spectrum.

Canada Post is also honouring Much Music in Toronto with stamp, also unveiled on Thursday.

Although Musique Plus is no longer around, its legacy will live on.

“Musique Plus was the best way to connect the artists with their fans, and we were right in the middle of it. I do miss it,” said Borne.