Quebec construction holiday: 5 things to know about the tradition
Global News
It's a 50-year-old tradition unique to the province that has a major effect on the region's tourism industry — and on its roads.
It’s one of Quebec’s many idiosyncrasies that in the dog days of summer, when everyone wishes they were on holiday, virtually the entire construction industry and a good chunk of the rest of the province close up shop for two weeks.
On Sunday, Quebec’s annual construction holiday will officially begin. It’s a 50-year-old tradition unique to the province that has a major effect on the region’s tourism industry — and on its roads.
Here are five things to know about the construction holiday.
In 1970, the Quebec government mandated two weeks of summer vacation for construction workers across the province. The decree went into effect during the summer of 1971.
“This ensures better co-ordination on construction sites and among the different trades that must often be present at the same time to maintain the rhythm of work,” said Johanne Brunet, a public affairs adviser at the Quebec construction commission. “It allows for a better synergy of work.”
These days, the obligatory two-week vacation is enshrined in the construction industry’s collective agreements.
This year, almost 200,000 construction workers will be on holiday from July 21 to Aug. 3, and will receive more than $647 million in vacation pay, according to the construction commission.
The two-week break also has a ripple effect across the economy. Brunet said about 28 per cent of Quebec’s population will take vacation during the construction holiday, more than half of whom will spend their time off in the province.
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