Claude Bouchard Books

What spurred me to write this blog post is a phone call I received this morning from my step-daughter, Sara. She was planning to come pick up some furniture and other belongings we've been storing for her but decided to delay by one day because renting a van today would have cost her $400 whereas tomorrow will cost $20.

Why the huge difference? Because, though no longer a legal requirement, tradition has remained that July 1st in the province of Quebec is Moving Day. Leases in the province typically run from the 1st of July to June 30th, making the days shortly before and after that fateful day a rather hectic period for the unfortunate folks having to move.

Let me give you some numbers, just to illustrate the madness. In 2009, more than 700,000 Quebec households moved on or around July 1st, with approximately 225,000 on the island of Montreal alone. Some use moving companies, if they were smart enough to book the movers six or more months in advance. Others move themselves using vans, minivans, pickup trucks, cars, trailers... It's a nightmare...

Imagine the following: You're moving out of your apartment and have managed to reserve moving services which are scheduled for 1:00 pm. It's 9:30 am and a truck pulls up outside, chock full of the belongings of those moving into the apartment you're vacating. Confusion abounds as you try to make room for the incoming stuff by moving your own possessions out of the way... Later in the day, you arrive at your new apartment, only to find the previous tenants just starting to pack because the truck they'll be using will only be available in the early evening...

Through some kind of miracle, or rather, careful planning, I've never had to deal with the horrors of Moving Day and I swear to the powers that be, I never will.