Canadians are reacting to the death of former Much Music VJ and the first Black woman to win the Miss Canada Pageant, Juliette Powell.
Powell died last week at the age of 54 after succumbing to acute bacterial meningitis.
The news was shared in an obituary on Tuesday which says Powell died unexpectedly on June 3 due to the illness.
Powell, who grew up in Montreal after moving to Canada from New York City at the age of eight with her mother, was known for many accomplishments, including being the first Black woman to win Miss Canada Pageant.
According to her obituary, she first entered in pageants to “challenge” racial biases in beauty pageants, which lead to her coming in second at the Miss Montreal Pageant, and later winning the 1989 Miss Canada Pageant.
She went on to represent Canada at the Miss Universe Pageant that same year.
Having already been known to Canadians, she went on to grace television screens joining Musique Plus as a VJ in 1992, all while studying finance and business at McGill University.
In 1996, Powell moved to Toronto and became a Much Music VJ, hosting Electric Circus and French Kiss, all while studying economics at the University of Toronto.
A few years later, Powell transitioned to working as a business reporter for CablePulse 24, now CP24, in1999.
Powell held many roles and titles, on top of being a trailblazer in Canadian media and scholar, and went on to start her own media and consulting company, Powell International Entertainment Inc.
Powell’s death has left Canadians taking to social media to share their shock and condolences.
“Juliette was so cool, so French cool. I enjoyed her range of roles, especially on Electric Circus. Such sad news here. Her online tribute captures her big life and impact,” Former MuchMusic VJ Jennifer Hollett said in a post on X.
Before I was a VJ, I was a fan. Watching MuchMusic as much as I could. Juliette was so cool, so French cool. I enjoyed her range of roles, especially on Electric Circus. Such sad news here. Her online tribute captures her big life and impact.❤️ https://t.co/KGtDNhVXzx
— Jennifer Hollett (@jenniferhollett) June 10, 2025
“Growing up, Electric Circus was my gateway to dance music and club culture… RIP to the iconic Juliette,” an X user said.
“I remember watching her on my TV and dancing in my room watching Electric Circus, rest in peace,” an instagram user said.
In recent years, Powell taught at New York University’s Interactive Telecommunications Program.
A celebration of life will take place later this year with details being shared at a later date, according to her obituary.
