Québec Bollards: Montréal vs Québec City

FRANÇAIS

European charm or big city liveliness? International diversity or French vibe? Sleek and stylish bollards or traditional and historic bollards?

Known as the “Europe of North America,” Québec is a vibrant multicultural province in Canada. Canada’s largest province in area and second largest province in population, Québec is famous for its rolling hills, ample forests, and endless waterways. In the 1960s, Québec’s “Quiet Revolution,” a time of economic and cultural change, led to the improvement of the standard of living in the province that changed much of the way Québecois used and worked on the land. However, this time brought with it a heightened awareness of the province’s patent cultural and linguistic heritage. As a result, some of the most well-preserved historic sites in North America can be found in the province’s capital, Québec City. The French city is recognized as a world heritage site.

It makes perfect sense that the R-7576 decorative bollards are our top sellers in Québec. These architectural bollards feature decorative annular rings for added texture and elegance. Decorative bollards provide physical and visual barriers for vehicles without taking away from the aesthetic of a landscape or architectural style. These historic bollards have classic profiles which offer a formal sense of style to complement Québec’s vintage style and the French vibe.

Montréal Bollards

Montréal’s expanding infrastructure has allowed the city to become a leader in cycling culture in North America. Having infrastructure provides safety to people of many different skill and comfort levels, allowing more people to join in. According to Velo Québec, nearly 9 out of 10 children and adults bike in Québec. This strengthens the argument for providing a safe cycling environment for everyone of all ages. Additionally, 9 out of 10 Québecers believe bike path development is an effective way to guarantee cyclists’ safety. Infrastructure is also vital for winter cycling, with separated bike lanes, plowing or other ice removal, and excellent parking.

It comes as no surprise that our top seller for the city of Montréal has been the R-8323-FL flexible bollards. These bollards are composed of versatile polyurethane plastic that allow them to bend up to 90 degrees without losing their form. They are specifically designed for use in marking dedicated bike lanes and are ideal high-traffic areas. These flexible posts minimize damage to vehicles in case of collision and are easy to install into existing concrete. Reflective stripes are also available to increase visibility for cyclists and drivers. The addition of flexible bollards for bike lanes comes to the delight of Montréalers as nearly 80% of them support a physical separation between cyclists and drivers. Painted bike lanes on the surface of roads are oftentimes not the safest solution for both parties, thus presenting the need for a physical barrier to separate the two. In 2019, the city of Montréal announced their plans of adding an additional 26 kilometers of bike lanes over the next couple years as part of their plan to make bicycling safer. The city’s long-term plan is to have 17 separate bike routes that will span 184 kilometers of streets, from the easter tip of the island to the West Island. The Express Bicycle Network (EBN) or REV (Reseau Express Velo) in Montréal has proven to be quite the success so far, according to Suzanne Lareau, President and CEO of Velo Québec. It is believed that the EBN will change the lives of thousands of current and future cyclists, in conjunction with Vision Zero. The main deterrent to biking, which is safety concern, is well addressed and the EBN allows cyclists to travel without fear of putting themselves in danger. The EBN advocates that human life must take precedence over traffic flow. Québec is dedicated to pursuing their efforts to make cities more cyclist and pedestrian friendly, like San Francisco, New York, and Toronto, and promote developments like the EBN to demonstrate the added value of this type of infrastructure for urban dwellers.

Québec City Bollards

The city with a population of just over 800,000 people, is mainly known for its tourism and relaxing French vibe and charm it presents. Recognized as the administrative and political capital of Québec, Québec City has a lot to offer for its residents as well as tourists. Québec City’s history and natural beauty is recognized by major international organizations, making it a prime tourism spot. From the beautiful scenery the Petit Champlain has to offer, to the famous authentic French cooking from Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac, and the waterfalls taller than Niagara Falls: Montmorency Falls, you can be sure of avoiding disappointment when exploring the vintage city. Québec City’s European-like architecture makes the atmospheric and tourist sights all walkable, as you can pretty much get anywhere within a short distance of walking.

It certainly came to us as a shock when we learned the heritage city’s top buying bollards from us has been the contemporary R-8907 stainless steel bollards. These attractive stainless bollards feature a clean, versatile style designed to complement any landscape or building style and add an elegant furnishing element. We expected Québec City to be scattered with our more traditional and historic bollards, adding to their vintage architectural history. The city’s choice of contemporary and stylish bollards doesn’t seem to be totally surprising however, as it's described as a place to slow down and have a relaxing vacation or romantic getaway with a quintessential French vibe, according to Abroad with Ash. Who would want to miss out on an Instagram photo op with aesthetic stainless bollards as the background scenery?

To check out our full lineup of bollards, please visit our online store. If you have any questions or to inquire about a project, please reach out to our sales team.