The construction holiday is an unusual Quebec tradition

KAMOURASKA, QUE.—The onslaught is about to begin. As of next Sunday, millions of people will be off the job in Quebec, and the province will come to a screeching halt. It is the annual construction holiday, which runs from July 23 until Aug. 5. Building sites will be deserted, home construction will stop, and office buildings will be mere shells when everything comes to a standstill. The only exception is road construction, which means traffic snarls are still part of life here, especially when the roads are packed with 10 times the traffic. The massive exodus by Quebecers is somehow part of a tradition that expresses this province’s distinctness. While 150,000 of the province’s 200,000 construction workers are eligible for the holiday, it is not uncommon for others completely unconnected to the construction industry to take the time off, as well. For instance, the English School Board of Montreal is going on a two-week hiatus at the same time. And many large companies join in, so that millions of Quebecers are on vacation simultaneously. While unique to Canada, it is not unusual in other countries: in Europe, the beaches of Spain, Italy, and France are packed with foreigners who have legislated holiday time. Which means the prices of everything increases. Which is exactly what happens in Quebec. Here in Kamouraska, the gîtes (bed and breakfasts) will charge more, because they can. There are festivals from Quebec City to the Gaspé to attract tourists travelling during “La fete de la construction.” We have an art symposium running this week until the end of the month. And everything costs far more: it is the sort of thing that would bring an economist to tears. The source of all this goes back to 1970, when the new government of Robert Bourassa had to deal with a chaotic construction industry, and ensure all workers would down tools at the same time. The first holiday occurred in the last two weeks of July in 1971, and it has been so ever since. This year, the Commission de la construction du Québec, the government agency responsible, will send out more than $560-million in vacation paycheques to workers in the construction industry. Surprisingly, the holiday is not a time for Québécoisto explore their own French-speaking province: less than half surveyed indicate they plan to travel within Quebec. Of the rest, 15 per cent will go to the United States, mostly to the shores of Maine, while 10 per cent will go to other Canadian provinces, with Prince Edward Island a favourite. About 15 per cent will fly abroad. This is a huge change from the years of the pandemic, when Quebec’s vacation spots were inundated with people who could not travel outside of the province or out of the country, and sought destinations close by where they could stay outdoors. Tens of thousands of Quebecers came to Kamouraska on their way to the Gaspé, and we would see them by the hundreds, walking our streets each day. Some must have liked what they saw, as they are coming back. Seen from outside, the construction holiday makes no sense in terms of productivity, efficiency of capital, human resources or competition within the building trades and industry alone. But throw in every other business that shuts down at the same time, and it is even more crazy. Then, for good measure, consider the economic impact of a huge population descending on tourist destinations, skewing the prices and the competition for food, lodging, entertainment, transportation, and maintenance. But this is one of those rare times a government decree is embraced. And it is something that is very much part of the woodwork in Quebec, a place where the call for “Tradition!” is as valued as it was in Fiddler on the Roof. There is a belief it is a consensus that is not questioned. I can’t imagine any other province trying to do the same thing in the middle of summer. Imagine worksites and buildings in Ontario cities deserted, or drilling rigs and farms in Alberta or Saskatchewan abandoned. But in Quebec, it is de rigeur. And one of the differences about living in “the Quebec Nation,” as Premier François Legault likes to call it. Andrew Caddell is retired from Global Affairs Canada, where he was a senior policy adviser. He previously worked as an adviser to Liberal governments. He is a town councillor in Kamouraska, Que. He can be reached at pipson52@hotmail.com. The Hill Times

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The construction holiday is an unusual Quebec tradition

This is one of those rare times a government decree is embraced.

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