The little chicks can breathe a sigh of relief. No, Passe-Partout’s costume did not perish in the flooding of the Télé-Québec archives last Friday in Montreal. It is safely dry at the Musée de la civilisation in the old capital.
The famous colorful outfit worn by Marie Eykel became the subject of a real saga on Wednesday.
The saga, worthy of an Alakazou story, began in the middle of the day at the National Assembly, when the Minister of Culture and Communications, Mathieu Lacombe, declared that the gray and pink ensemble had “been seriously damaged” after a water pipe burst and submerged the basements of Télé-Québec’s headquarters, where its archives were located.
PHOTO JOSIE DESMARAIS, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Minister of Culture and Communications, Mathieu Lacombe
Reached by telephone, the head of the broadcaster’s press relations department, Catherine Lebœuf, then denied the information, indicating that it was impossible to determine exactly “which costumes had been affected”, even if it was “probable” that relics from the cult youth show were found there.
As he left the Council of Ministers in Quebec City a few hours later, Mathieu Lacombe corrected the situation. The minister said he did not know the extent of the damage, but that he knew that a good number of the costumes, stored in numbered protective covers, had been affected by the flood.
But since Télé-Québec did not have access to its computer system to identify these famous covers, the uncertainty remained, explained Catherine Lebœuf.
New twist in the evening: the costume has been resting at the Museum of Civilization for several years. Green shoes included. Its official record speaks of an artifact dating from the “4e quarter of the 20the century” (more precisely, 1976) in cotton as well as synthetic fiber.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE MUSEUM OF CIVILIZATION
The original Passe-Partout costume at the Museum of Civilization in Quebec
The item was part of the exhibition The time of Quebecersheld from April 2017 to January 2023, confirms Rosemonde Gingras, head of press relations for the museum.
Even Mrs. Cuckoo is reassured.
Losses
Although Passe-Partout’s original costume escaped the torrent, the show’s other physical archives were “probably” affected. Located just a few meters from the famous “geyser”, under the Jacques-Cartier Bridge, the historic Télé-Québec building was not spared. Under the pressure of the water, windows of the building burst. And the water seeped in.
There are three to seven feet of water in our basements. There will definitely be losses. We’re waiting to see what we can save.
Catherine Lebœuf, head of press relations at Télé-Québec
Catherine Lebœuf confirms that a company specializing in restoration is currently taking care of the damaged costumes. “Our archives, our artifacts, are important to us. We want to save as many as possible.”
PHOTO PATRICK SANFAÇON, THE PRESS
The historic Télé-Québec building was not spared by the water main rupture.
Friday’s massive water leak also caused significant flooding at Bell Media, which is home to TV channels Noovo, RDS and CTV.
On Thursday, Télé-Québec is expected to hold its 2024-2025 programming launch as planned. The broadcaster had chosen Maison Alcan, located in the west of downtown Montreal, to host the event. In addition, the broadcaster has requested certain facilities to continue its activities. The TV5 premises, in the heart of Old Montreal, will be used. Teleworking will also be favored.
With the collaboration of Hugo Pilon-Larose, The Press