Tourisme Montréal and a coalition of local merchants have reported that dozens of advertising columns, taken out of service in 2024, are still standing abandoned in the city's central neighborhoods. The structures, which once hosted street‑level advertisements, have been left untouched for almost two years, and officials say their presence is contributing to a noticeable visual degradation of the streetscape.
The columns are scattered across areas such as the Plateau, Ville‑Marie and the Quartier des Spectacles. Each unit is a metal pole topped with a rectangular billboard frame, now empty and rusting. Pedestrians and cyclists encounter the silent fixtures on sidewalks and intersections, where they contrast sharply with the surrounding storefronts and public art. The accumulation of unused poles has been described by merchants as an eyesore that detracts from the aesthetic appeal of commercial corridors.
Tourisme Montréal explained that the removal of the advertising network was part of a citywide effort to reduce visual clutter and modernise street furniture. While the programme succeeded in taking the advertising function off the poles, the subsequent lack of a disposal or repurposing plan has left the physical objects in place. Local business groups have called for the municipal authorities to either dismantle the columns or find an alternative use, citing the impact on neighbourhood appearance and on foot traffic.
The abandoned columns are remnants of a citywide advertising system that once dotted major thoroughfares. When the program was halted in 2024, the metal fixtures were scheduled for removal, but the logistics of dismantling large numbers of poles proved challenging. As a result, the structures have remained in place, standing as silent indicators of the halted initiative.