Author: support

Let’s take the example of a municipality with 100 pedestals.

Note: Savings are expressed in current dollars; in reality, they will be even higher over time.

50-Year Comparison – 100 Pedestals

Cost reduction: $2.2 million, or 73% savings over 50 years.

The JDP pedestal isn’t just a technical decision — it’s a long-term financial strategy that can save municipalities millions in replacement and maintenance.

The Urbanova project, located at the western edge of the City of Terrebonne, is one of the largest residential developments in the region. For over 15 years, Urbanova has embodied a modern vision: compact, well-designed homes that reflect the new trend in urban planning. This large-scale project will eventually include hundreds of units: single-family homes, semi-detached, and townhouses.

Since 2010, the City of Terrebonne has trusted our connection systems. About one hundred 5th-generation JDPswere installed during Phase 1, delivering exemplary long-term performance. After more than 10 years, these pedestals are still in place, corrosion-free, with an estimated lifespan of over 50 years.

In 2025, the developer, Groupe Mathieu is moving forward with Phase 2, called Natura, with a new series of around fifty JDPs. The goal is to preserve the same look and durability as in Phase 1.

Although it appears unchanged,several improvements have been integrated into the new 7th-generation JDP

These new pedestals offer:

• The same rigid internal steel structure (about 200 kg)
• A fully painted aluminum enclosure resistant to UV rays
• Rolled aluminum doors providing the best price-to-performance ratio
• An improved assembly method with hinges fixed using invisible self-locking bolts, eliminating welding issues
• Several enhanced internal technical features

The result is a maintenance-free product with outstanding climate resilience.

The City of Terrebonne has shown vision by investing in resilient, easily repairable integrated infrastructure. We are proud to have supported this project for 15 years, phase after phase.

Since 2005, our team has been designing and improving multi-use pedestals with consistent rigor. Each generation tells a story—of testing, mistakes, learnings, and most of all, a drive to do better. Here’s a look back at 20 years of real-world evolution.

Generations 2 and 3 (2005): Painted mild steel

The first pedestals were made with mild steel casings, coated with a thin layer of standard baked-on paint. After a few years, rust began to appear—especially around the door edges exposed to snow and salt.

Generation 4 (2006 to 2012): Improved paint, persistent corrosion

We tested various, thicker paint formulas, including primers. While we saw some improvement, rust still came back over time. Repair costs climbed, and municipalities began to lose confidence. Back to the drawing board.

Exemple : Example: The City of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu has JDPs from generations 4, 5, 6, and 7—meaning they experienced this full learning curve.

Generation 5 (2013 to 2017): Stainless steel

A major turning point. The Urbanova real estate project introduced the first stainless steel casings. The result: zero rust, with a projected 50-year lifespan. But the price became unsustainable. We had to find a more cost-effective alternative.

Generation 6 (2018 to 2022): Molded aluminum doors

We invested nearly $100,000 to build industrial molds for casting aluminum doors. But over time, the idea backfired: each door came out slightly different, hard to align, too thick. Rust was no longer a problem—but everything else was.

Generation 7 (2023 to 2025): Rolled aluminum doors

A breakthrough. After years of testing, we perfected a door made from rolled aluminum. The result: consistent, durable, and cost-effective. Welding was eliminated, hinges were fastened with near-invisible rivet-screws. Every detail was optimized for unbeatable value.

The only issue? We now had six generations of casing designs in the field—a maintenance nightmare.

Generation 8 (Today): Total backward compatibility

Generation 8 doors are compatible with all previous generations, up to 2025. Through smart reverse engineering and standardization, we can now retrofit an old pedestal with Generation 8 components.

The difference is striking:

• A Generation 2 casing had around 40 parts and took a full day to replace.
• oday, a Generation 8 casing has only 12 parts, takes about an hour to install, and can be adapted to fit a Generation 2 pedestal.

In addition, when replacing the doors, the entire casing can also be upgraded—offering a simple, scalable, eco-friendly solution that’s fully backwards compatible with the entire network installed over the past 20 years.

This is the power of smart reverse engineering: not only enabling innovation, but also breathing new life into existing pedestals.

Generation 8 marks the culmination of a long journey—a synthesis of past mistakes, real-world constraints, and municipal demands. A mature, stable, field-tested, and future-ready pedestal—built to last the next 50 years.

Conclusion 

Each generation brought its share of lessons. But what truly drove this evolution was our commitment to deconstruct in order to rebuild better.

At MCM, we don’t play with words.

•  Our product is fully designed by Canadian engineers.
•  It’s assembled and manufactured in Canada, from start to finish.
•  The steel is Canadian, and the mechanical components are made here.
• Only the electrostatic paint and the bolts come from abroad—for technical reasons—from Germany and the United States, respectively.

The result: our product meets 98% of the “Product of Canada” criteria. And we’re proud to say: 100% designed and made in Canada.

Why it matters

By choosing a Product of Canada, you:

• Support local jobs and small businesses;
• Reduce the environmental costs of importing;
• Benefit from local quality control and responsive after-sales service;
• Work with a company rooted in Canada’s industrial landscape.

In a market where it’s often hard to tell the difference between marketing and reality, MCM stands out for its authenticity.
No need to sugarcoat it:

Our products are Canadian. Period.

Many contractors reach out to us for information about the MCM BRBT and BRC pedestals. These products are referenced in certain Hydro-Québec standards, including datasheet 10-6005 from standard B.41.21, an excerpt of which is shown below.

(Note: This is not a verbatim copy of standard 10-6005)

Conventional connection pits are only designed for small or medium-sized cables. And while underground junction boxes can accommodate large cables, they are far too expensive.

LVDP and JDP pedestals: the optimal solution for large cable configurations.

With today’s electric equipment […], now is the time to ask the question.

And ideally… even before you buy your house.

An undersized electrical service can lead to costly upgrades — and sometimes, it’s not even possible to fix after the fact.

Power required for typical household electrical equipment

Without an EV charging station

With a standard EV charger (8 kW)

With a high-speed EV charger (50 kW)

* A load controller is required to keep total usage below 320 A.

What’s the difference between “connected load” and “required capacity”?

It all comes down to the usage factor. Any equipment expected to run more than 2 hours at a time is considered 100% active — so it gets a usage factor of 1.0.

Using devices at full power for too long can overload your system — or worse, cause a fire. That’s why the Electrical Code includes safety margins to prevent the risks of overuse.

Electrical service sizes available for homes

At 120/240V, residential services are available in 200A, 300A, and 400A capacities.
The Code requires a safety margin: your actual load should never exceed 80% of the rated capacity of your panel, wires, and outlets.

Important: You are not allowed to have two electrical services of the same voltage at the same address.

What if your system isn’t powerful enough? You’ll need to:

• Contact your utility provider to increase your service size, and

• Hire an electrician to replace your electrical panel (expect several thousand dollars), and/or

• Consider complementary solutions like batteries, solar panels, or a load controller to manage your usage.

Make your life easier: plan it right from the start.

When designing infrastructure, whether for transportation or electricity networks, it is crucial to integrate preventive maintenance and upgrade strategies from the start. These measures ensure long-term durability and efficiency while generating cost savings.

Preventive Maintenance: Anticipating to Avoid Costs

Preventive maintenance helps prevent major failures before they occur. For example, in electrical networks, regular inspections can prevent costly breakdowns and avoid emergency repairs. This approach reduces service disruption risks while keeping repair costs under control.

Why Poor Design Choices Can Be Costly

Failing to anticipate future challenges can lead to significant expenses. For instance, networks built on wooden poles have become highly vulnerable to climate change. Had different criteria been applied from the start, repair costs after storms could have been significantly reduced.

Continuous Upgrades: Ensuring Easy Evolution

A well-designed infrastructure must be scalable and capable of integrating updates without invasive work. For example, smart control systems in electrical networks allow for the adoption of new technologies without requiring a complete infrastructure overhaul, reducing long-term costs.

Real-World Example: Subway Modernization

Cities like New York and London have integrated real-time monitoring systems into the design of their new subway lines. These systems enable predictive maintenance, helping to reduce long-term maintenance costs.

Investing in preventive maintenance and continuous upgrades from the initial infrastructure design phase helps lower costs, enhance safety, and ensure long-term efficiency.

The January 2025 wildfires plunged several regions, particularly California, into a major crisis, highlighting the vulnerability of telecommunications networks to natural disasters. Thousands of residents and businesses were cut off from communication, further complicating situations for both authorities and citizens.

In California, the fires destroyed more than 300 cell towers, especially in the Sonoma region. For several days, thousands of people were left without access to mobile and Internet services, disrupting not only businesses but also emergency response efforts. In some rural areas, 50% of relay stations remained inaccessible for over a week.

The economic impact was significant. An online business estimated a $2 million revenue loss due to the Internet service disruption, emphasizing the importance of ensuring infrastructure resilience to minimize economic disruptions.

Had more resilient infrastructures been in place, repair costs could have been significantly lower. In 2020, similar wildfires had already cost California around $1.5 billion in telecommunications infrastructure repairs. According to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), investments in stronger networks could have reduced these costs by 30% to 40%, representing savings of $450 million to $600 million.

Integrating real-time monitoring technologies and mobile relay stations could speed up service restoration, as seen in some regions after past wildfires. The cost of a mobile relay station is approximately $250,000, but it allows for a rapid return of coverage, which is crucial in times of crisis.

Ultimately, while investing in infrastructure resilience may seem costly in the short term, it provides considerable long-term benefits, both economically and in terms of public safety.

The events of January 2024 highlight the urgent need to incorporate resilience into the very design of telecommunications networks.

Sources:

https://www.itu.int/en/mediacentre/backgrounders/Pages/emergency-telecommunications.aspx
https://www.cpuc.ca.gov/-/media/cpuc-website/divisions/news-and-outreach/reports/annual-reports/ar2024_web_012825.pdf https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/099121724111526960/pdf/P1785971617dfc0361b79b10ed943988d67.pdf https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/southern-california-edison-seeks-recover-16-bln-wildfire-related-losses-2024-08-29/ https://www.reuters.com/technology/un-body-protect-vulnerable-submarine-cables-after-ruptures-2024-12-12/

We are very proud of our ECORESPONSIBLE™ Certification, level 1. Commitment.

It demonstrates our values ​​and our desire to improve from a sustainable development perspective. ECORESPONSIBLE™ Certification has allowed us to understand all aspects of sustainable development, social, economic and environmental. Our perception is no longer limited to the environmental impact alone. We now interpret sustainable development in its entirety.

The benefits of certification

An asset on the market

Thanks to our ECORESPONSIBLE™ Certification, we have an additional advantage when entering the international market. Our Certification positions us as a cutting-edge organization and allows us to add value to our service offering. Eco-responsible practices are a factor increasingly considered by clients.

Concrete results

We identified areas for improvement that turned into concrete results, including:

• Integration of a horizontal management model
• Transparent remuneration
• No longer using single-use plastic packaging
• 100% offset of carbon emissions linked to the transport of materials
• Encourage our employees to use public transportation

A united, mobilized team

Our entire team mobilized with conviction in this stage of preparation for change. Our ECORESPONSIBLE™ Certification proved to be a success because all members of our team, including members of senior management, adhered to it and contributed to it. The exercise had an undeniable mobilizing effect.

We are proud to be part of ÉCOLEADERS du Québec!

Learn more about certification : www.ecoresponsable.net

Since high-speed telecommunications connections have become essential today, ensuring better protection of these network infrastructures was necessary, which is now possible with the Maestro enclosure.

Standard boxes with bollards

Fibre optic network infrastructures include local distribution points called “optical nodes” in all the connected areas. The optical node, the entry point to each area, consists of an above-ground enclosure connected by an underground optical cable containing fibers for hundreds or thousands of customers. Bollards generally protect these above-ground enclosures.

Despite the protective bollards, above-ground enclosures remain vulnerable to impacts, particularly during an incident with a heavy vehicle (truck or snow loader) where contact with the cabinet is probable. The foreseeable consequence of such an impact is the movement of the cabinet on its base, which may result in the cutting of the leading optical cable, causing the interruption of service for customers connected to this optical node. Getting this strategic point back into operation can take considerable time and effort, especially during the cold season when incidents are more likely.

Furthermore, very violent winds can tear away objects and throw them all around during a hurricane, including onto above-ground cabinets containing critical equipment. We then find a situation comparable to an incident involving a heavy vehicle, with consequences like those described above. In all these circumstances, the quality of the anchoring of the above-ground enclosure becomes an important element.

A standard cabinet typically has four (4) anchors in the folded sheet metal forming the sides of the enclosure. Eight (8) large anchors are in the steel structure’s base in the Maestro cabinet, creating a solid and fixed cage in the lower part. This configuration prevents movement of the cabinet base as much as possible and, therefore, prevents accidental cutting of the leading optical cable.

The Maestro XT+ cabinet, a solution of choice

The Maestro XT+ cabinet, with its internal steel structure, is designed to protect critical components during major incidents, including climatic events. In the current context where high-speed telecommunications connections are essential, it becomes essential to strengthen the security of these network infrastructures.

Thus, although the Maestro cabinet can be used in several ways, for example, to make required energy/telecom connections for an event site, its exceptional solidity characteristics are particularly appreciated during incidents or extreme events, as seen more and more on the environmental level.

In the current context where high-speed telecommunications connections are essential, it becomes essential to strengthen the security of these network infrastructures. The Maestro XT+ cabinet, with its internal steel structure, is designed to protect critical components during major incidents, including climatic events.