Quebecers take distinct pleasure in being different than the rest of Canada. Sometimes this difference manifests as a sort of joie de Vie that is unique to Quebec such as the summer festival season or St Jean Baptiste ceremonies. Sometimes they manifest as a form of collective madness such as the “provincial“ Moving Day on July 1st.
Source: Photo by Nicolas Huk
No, we are not kidding you, every July 1st the streets of Montreal and other Quebec cities fill up with moving vans, pick-up trucks, vans and even bikes that are loaded down with the contents of apartments. Thousands of people move on the first day of July in Quebec in what is a strange mix of collective social solidarity, organized madness and epic comedy. Passage down some smaller residential streets becomes near impossible as moving trucks and vans jockey for limited parking spots and even end up on lawns and sidewalks.
It’s a little bit crazy and in many parts of the world would probably result in an elevated homicide rate, but Quebecers handle it with mostly good humour, perseverance and the certain knowledge that once done they can focus on all the good things summer brings to those living in La belle Provence.
You might wonder how something so crazy as a “day” when everyone moves could come about. The short version is that in 1974, a Quebec law came into effect because the then common lease ending date of April 30th was wreaking havoc with tens of thousands of students being forced to move right in the middle of exams. The law was passed so that for that year all leases were extended until June 30th and ever since the majority of apartment leases in cities such as Montreal have run July 1st until June 30th. While a lease can be signed with any dates that both parties are agreeable to, many have remained on July 1st and to this day, every Canada in Quebec, tens of thousands of mainly young people can be found moving.
If you are not living in an apartment then of course it’s not much of an issue, but it is a good idea to keep in mind that moving in or out of your house in Montreal should not be planned for June 30th or July 1st.
Looking for more tips on how to best move and what to expect in your new town, please check out our other blogs and tips.
Moveit.ca can help you find the best movers at the best prices, even in July in Montreal!
