COVID-19 complicates Quebec moving season

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COVID-19 complicates Quebec moving season

The French-speaking region has reported more than half of Canada's coronavirus cases

Published: July 03, 2020 19:05 AFP and Compiled by Christian Borbon, Digital Content Editor

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Copy of 229398-01-02-1593788319284 — Moving house is a palaver at the best of times, but in the Canadian province of Quebec it is even more testing as the majority of leases end on the same day. Image Credit: AFP

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Copy of 229441-01-02-1593788307207 — Hundreds of thousands of people in the French-speaking region move on July 1, and in Montreal alone 80,000 to 100,000 households change their address around this time of year, according to official city figures. Image Credit: AFP

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Copy of 229394-01-02-1593788316795 — The tradition reportedly dates from the 18th century, when landlords were forbidden from evicting tenant farmers until all snow had cleared. Image Credit: AFP

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Copy of 229406-01-02-1593788287820 — This year moving season has been further complicated by the coronavirus epidemic sweeping Canada. Image Credit: AFP

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Copy of 229401-01-02-1593788285087 — "I was worried," said Sheila Dassin, a 46-year-old fashion designer, directing masked workers from a distance as they strained under the weight of her furniture. Image Credit: AFP

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Copy of 229439-01-02-1593788304696 — "People are going to touch your things. With the crisis outside, we are afraid of people, that strangers will bring it inside our house." Image Credit: AFP

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Copy of 229434-01-02-1593788302275 — Quebec has reported more than half of Canada's approximately 104,000 confirmed coronavirus cases and nearly two-thirds of its 8,600 deaths. Image Credit: AFP

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Copy of 229425-01-02-1593788299550 — The lease-date quirk - most end on June 30 - coincides with Canada Day, a national holiday on July 1, which gives Quebec residents some spare time to complete their moves. Image Credit: AFP

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Copy of 229412-01-02-1593788292916 — But given the fraught situation this year, more people than usual feared they would be made homeless by a housing shortage compounded by the ongoing health crisis. Image Credit: AFP

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Copy of 229336-01-02-1593788309568 — "The number of calls for help exploded," said Veronique Laflamme, spokeswoman for housing rights group FRAPRU. Image Credit: AFP

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Copy of 229410-01-02-1593788290325 — She said 171 households had found themselves without a lease this year in Montreal, compared with 98 in 2019. Image Credit: AFP

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Copy of 229418-01-02-1593788297133 — To help stop the spread of COVID-19, authorities recommended that people not ask friends and neighbors for help with their move, but instead use a moving company, because they are able to take health precautions. Image Credit: AFP

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Copy of 229415-01-02-1593788295285 — "It's an additional expense, which piles on for households already struggling to make ends meet," Laflamme said. Image Credit: AFP

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