Dozens of former advertising columns are currently standing unused on streets in central Montreal, drawing attention from Tourism Montreal and local merchants who say the structures diminish the city’s visual appeal. The columns were taken out of service in 2024, roughly two years ago, but have not been removed, leaving empty metal frames in several neighbourhoods across the city centre.
Tourism Montreal, the organization responsible for promoting the city to visitors, has noted that the abandoned columns are unsightly and could affect perceptions of the urban environment. Local merchants operating near the sites have echoed this concern, indicating that the presence of the empty structures detracts from the streetscape that draws shoppers and tourists alike.
The advertising columns were originally installed to host commercial messages and public service announcements. When they were decommissioned in 2024, the expectation was that they would be dismantled and either stored or repurposed. Instead, they remain in place, creating a visual gap where vibrant advertisements once appeared. The lack of removal has resulted in dozens of vacant columns dotting the streets of central neighbourhoods, including areas that host high pedestrian traffic.
City officials have not provided a timetable for the removal of the structures, and no public statements have detailed a plan for their disposal or reuse. The continued presence of the columns has become a point of discussion among stakeholders concerned with the aesthetic quality of Montreal’s public spaces.
As the city moves forward with various urban improvement projects, the fate of the abandoned advertising columns remains unresolved. Their persistence highlights a gap between the decommissioning of street furniture and the execution of removal processes, leaving both tourism promoters and local business owners to contend with the visual impact of the empty installations.
The situation underscores the need for coordinated action to address the lingering remnants of former advertising infrastructure in Montreal’s central districts.