With its new footbridge, the City of Candiac, located in the suburbs of Montreal, wished to establish a strong landmark while connecting its northern and southern sectors previously separated by a major highway. As the symbolic entry of this growing city, the footbridge had to be harmoniously integrated into the landscape.

Designed for pedestrians as well as for cyclists, the footbridge draws its originality from an architectural concept that generates a sense of motion and energy, a kinetic and theatrical experience. The effect, for both highway and footbridge users, is created by the superposition of two reversed metal screens, located on either side of this link that spans the highway. The vertical slats provide protective screens that still offer a glimpse of the landscape. Finally, the use of ocher is a reminiscence of the grasses that grow abundantly in the territory.

The footbridge, accessible in both summer and winter, connects two green spaces, i.e. parks Handel and Cherbourg, located on each side of the highway. It offers an alternative for users that wish to reach the shores of the St. Lawrence River without having to take their car. The bridge is an major link of the green network of the Monteregian region.

About Lemay

Founded in 1957 as an architectural firm, Lemay is now a leading integrated firm with broad services in architecture, urban design, interior design, landscape architecture, branding and project management. Based in Montreal, the firm also has offices in Quebec City, Toronto, San José (Costa Rica) and Algiers (Algeria). The 130-person multidisciplinary firm brings together a wide range of specialists, from urban planners to interior designers, from architects to graphic specialists.

The firm is well-renowned for its ability to realize large-scale projects with complex issues. It has extensive experience in healthcare, institutional, cultural, residential and commercial projects, as well as well-established reputation in interior design and urban design.

Lemay is at the heart of numerous major projects in Quebec, Canada, United States and Algeria, such as the Commission de la construction du Québec head office, the new city of El-Menia in Algeriaⁱ, the head office of the La Capitale MFQ Real Estateⁱ, the Stinson Transport Centre for the Société de transport de Montréal, 1000 De la Gauchetièreⁱ, and the Centre Bellⁱ. [i] Project executed in consortium

2012 Génie Méritas Award from the Quebec Municipal Engineers Association (AIMQ) 

Names of LemayLab members involved in the project: Michel Lauzon, partner, chief creative officer  
Jean-François Gagnon, architect, main designer
Bryan Marchand, architect, designer
Damien Leman, urban designer

Structural Engineering : Genivar – M. Tony Mailhot, ing., engineering design