The Jacques Cartier Bridge

A testament to Montréal’s many changes, the Jacques Cartier Bridge stands as one of the city’s most iconic symbols today. It’s safe to say that the Jacques Cartier Bridge is no ordinary bridge: in 2017, it became the world’s first “connected” bridge, when it was outfitted with a cutting-edge lighting system that moves to Montréal’s own dynamic beat. 

The illumination

Come dusk, you can see the city’s energy expressed through an intricate system of LED lights pulsing across its delicate, web-like structure. The data used to create these luminous choreographies is culled from numerous sources, including traffic, weather, news and social media. The bridge’s illumination also changes with the seasons: energizing green in spring, bright yellow in summer, rich red in fall and icy blue in winter.  

The best places to see and snap pics of this glowing giant

Double the fun by admiring it near the Stewart Museum in Parc Jean-Drapeau, then walk under the bridge to La Ronde. In summer, soak it up from the urban beach at the Village au Pied-du-Courant. You can climb to the top of Old Port’s Clock Tower and catch mighty cruise ships passing by too, or enjoy panoramic city views from the Mount Royal belvedere. Don’t forget you can cross the bridge by foot or bike for even more arresting angles.

Inaugurated as the Harbour Bridge in 1931, this link between Longueuil and Montréal was rebaptized the Jacques Cartier Bridge three years later in honour of the French explorer and cartographer, and first European to map the St. Lawrence River.