Arkel x Jodoin Lamarre Pratte architectes: a new bag for active commuting

To mark the launch of its third Bike-to-Work Challenge (Operation), Jodoin Lamarre Pratte architectes unveiled the new backpack being offered to its team members, the result of a collaboration with Arkel—a Sherbrooke-based company that has specialized in the design and manufacture of bike bags and panniers for 40 years.

With the rise of hybrid work and a commitment to promoting sustainable mobility and physical activity among its team, the firm sought to provide an ergonomic and sustainable solution to make it easier to carry work tools and personal belongings between home and the office. The shoulder bag, which creates an uneven weight distribution that can lead to injuries, was quickly ruled out in favor of a backpack designed for active travel: lightweight, comfortable, durable, and waterproof.

Recognized by cyclists for the durability, waterproofness, and superior quality of its products, Arkel naturally emerged as the ideal partner to help strengthen the organization’s cycling culture. The choice of a bag specifically designed for cycling—which demands highest standards of performance and functionality—aligns both with the firm’s Silver VÉLOSYMPATHIQUE certification and with its sustainable development policy. This approach also provides a versatile solution that is equally suited for walking and public transit.

The firm also recognizes, in Arkel’s values and ethics—thoroughness, respect, quality, collaboration, integrity, inclusion, and social engagement—principles that resonate with its own practices.