Esse arts + opinions was founded in 1984. In 2002, an administrative and editorial overhaul revitalized the magazine, and a new legal denomination (Les éditions Esse) was adopted in 2005. The magazine became bilingual (French-English) in 2007 and introduced international distribution.

The years that followed were also marked by major changes to the publication’s layout, which opted for a new design signature for each issue, in line with the thematic issues. All issues are published on eco-responsible paper (FSC).

In 2021, the new esse.ca platform, equipped with a paywall, was launched, enabling subscribers in HTML format to access all content deployed with an autonomous graphic line that nonetheless resonates with each theme of the magazine. The site also offers original content.