July 1, was moving day in Quebec. And like so much of Quebec, it is the ONLY place within North America, and perhaps in the entire world where virtually EVERY apartment, condo and home rental unit’s lease comes up for renewal on the SAME day.
The result is always catastrophic.
The fact that ethnocentric nationalistic Quebec chooses July 1, CANADA DAY, as its OFFICIAL moving day can not be lost on Quebec’s disdain for Canada’s ONLY national holiday.
On Quebec’s “national holiday”, La Fete Nationale, aka La Fete de St Jean Baptist, it’s ILLEGAL to work in Quebec. But on Canada Day within Quebec, now that’s a different story.
Forcing all Quebecers to move on just one day of the year, creates a bottle-neck of gigantic proportions. As one moving group is waiting to off-load their furniture into their new home, another group is in the process of on-loading their furniture on a truck from the same home.
It is absolutely common and predictable that two groups of people moving, literally pass each other on the stairs. One going in, while the other is going out. This leaves very little time for tenants to clean up their new premises before they move in, let alone paint.
The other significant problem is in how to move. When everyone who is moving, moves on the exact same day, where do they get movers? After-all, there are just so many moving companies. So, what inevitably happens, is that there are not enough movers.
And then there is a question of rates. If you own a company where you know that virtually ALL of your business is going to happen on just ONE day, and that there is a severe shortage of competition for your service, how would you charge?
Then there are the landlords. Because of a one day moving date, landlords come under enormous pressure to negotiate leases, arrange for access to movers, and deal with a myriad of logistical and legal issues on just one day.
And then there are the people who can not find an apartment in which to move and find themselves on the streets or in shelters.
Quebec has another HUMONGOUS rental problem.
Because of Quebec’s ridiculous rental board laws which make it nigh impossible for a property owner (landlord) to exercise control over his/her own property, not to mention the inability to turn a profit, ALL of Quebec’s building entrepreneurs are building condominiums, NOT rental apartments. Hence, a HUGE shortage of rentals.
Take all of this together, and you have a moving mess, however, it is not a mess that can not be easily fixed without the government of Quebec spending a penny of tax payers’ money or investing more than a moment’s time in the legislature.
REPEAL THE MOVING DAY LAW!
If Quebec would stop micro managing the lives of people, and allow them the freedom to move whenever they want, like the rest of the world, the problem would be instantly solved.
But that’s not the way of Quebec. Quebec loves to get into everyone’s private business; something Jean Charest has said his new government will not do. Here’s a very simple test. Quebec should simply change the moving day law and allow landlords to manage their investments like any business person can.
Then the problem will be fixed, and Jean Charest will have proven in a rudimentary gesture, that he is really serious about changing the business culture of Quebec, and getting the government of Quebec out of the private lives of its residents.
To do less will prove Charest to be nothing more, and nothing less than the buffoons who preceded him in the Premier’s office.
One Comment
Your voice, whether as a politician or as a “freedom fighter” is ALWAYS valued, especially if you can get the press to report, which is a huge problem in our very biased main stream media. There’s a huge trucker’s rally this Saturday, May 10th at 10 AM at Canadian Tire Place (Scotiabank place) in Kanata to protest outrageous trucking costs. Please come and take the mike, Howard. Trucker’s costs affect our costs and we need to show GOTA support, whether in truck, car or motorcycle.
Comments are closed.