MERIDIAN RAPID DEFENSE GROUP ACCELERATES MAJOR EXPANSION ACROSS CANADA
Rapid growth brings advanced mobile barriers, certified training, and enhanced public-safety services to cities across Canada wide
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA, December 22, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- In 2025, Meridian Rapid Defense Group significantly expanded its presence across Canada, deploying its Archer® mobile barriers and gates to help safeguard hundreds of thousands of Canadians at major events nationwide. In light of recent tragic incidents involving vehicles being driven into crowds, cities and municipalities are increasingly prioritizing vehicle-free zones to better protect pedestrians and public gatherings.
Meridian’s Archer® barriers and gates are now a cornerstone of crowd safety efforts, forming what some public-safety officials have described as a “ring of steel” around high-risk locations. From street festivals and parades in Toronto to major events such as the Vancouver Marathon and the Calgary Stampede, Meridian teams have actively supported municipalities in keeping people, communities, and places safer.
“We've experienced significant growth in the Canadian market over the last eight months,” said Meridian’s CEO, Peter Whitford. “Particularly so after the tragic event last April in the suburbs of Vancouver at a festival where 11 people lost their lives when a driver drove into a crowd celebrating the Filipino Heritage Festival.”
Another 32 people were injured, making it, along with the 2018 Toronto van ramming, where 11 people died, the deadliest vehicle attack in Canada’s history. Three months earlier, a terrorist drove his truck through crowds on Bourbon Street, New Orleans, also causing mass casualties. Fourteen people were killed, and more than 50 were injured.
Looking ahead, Meridian will play a leading role in pedestrian-protection planning for the FIFA World Cup fan events hosted in Vancouver and Toronto, and working closely with city partners to secure event perimeters on an international scale.
Confirming the purchase of a Meridian mobile barrier system, Vancouver mayor Ken Sim said, “It is one of the most urgent challenges we all face, and that is how to protect people from the growing threat of vehicles being used to cause harm. These barriers are needed because they can be deployed quickly at public events or any emergency around the city.”
Mr. Whitford said, “Meridian moved into Canada eight years ago. For a while, we used a local distributor, but since becoming a direct-to-customer company, we have maintained tighter control over our operations. We're a company that doesn't want to be a step removed from our customers, and it’s clear from the feedback that’s what makes us so attractive to our Canadian clients.”
The Archer mobile barrier is made of 320 kilos of Canadian steel, manufactured in Ontario by Arrow Machine and Fabrication Group. Meridian provides a 25-year lifetime guarantee. Several incidents where vehicles have rammed the Archer barriers show that on each occasion, the barriers can be put back in place and are ready to stand guard again.
Meridian Archer 1200 barriers and gates are “SAFETY Act Certified” by the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS), setting the standard for keeping people, communities, and places safer. For more information about Meridian Rapid Defense Group and the Archer 1200 vehicle barrier, visit www.meridian-barrier.com
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
Information contained on this page is provided by an independent third-party content provider. Frankly and this Site make no warranties or representations in connection therewith. If you are affiliated with this page and would like it removed please contact [email protected]
