More than 150,000 construction workers will be on vacation for two weeks today, a break that will do them good as this sector has never been so active in Quebec.
“It’s fun, it’s really nice to see the holidays coming,” said Michel Plante, steel fabricator at a site in Pont-Rouge.
For the first time in three years, holidaymakers are enjoying complete freedom again thanks to the relaxation of hygiene measures, an opportunity that Mr. Plante does not want to miss.
“We’re flying to New York. The gas price? It does not bother me. We’re going to have a big check,” he added.
More than 150,000 employees and 20,000 employers go on vacation.
According to figures from the Commission de la Construction du Québec (CCQ), 196.2 million hours were worked in this industry in 2021. This is a 21% increase compared to 2020, a year marked by multiple site closures due to the pandemic.
The 2021 figures are even more impressive when compared to the all-time high of 2019, when 177 million hours worked were recorded.
The upward trend is expected to continue in 2022 as the number of construction holiday checks issued increased by 7% and the total value of those checks increased by 10%.
This indicates that not only has the number of employees increased, but also that more hours have been worked.
“I’m really looking forward to the holidays. We’re finally free,” says roofer Juan Urrea, who wants to spend most of his vacations in Quebec, Gaspésie and Montreal.
For Angelo Fillion, who works in isolation, the holidays become synonymous with the continuation of a tradition.
“We have been riding motorcycles for eight years in a row. This year it’s Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean, last year it was the Côte-Nord. And now that people can travel anywhere, we expect there will be fewer people in this region,” said the man, who believes his transport choices are less influenced by the price of gas.
Mathieu Rheaume didn’t try to hide the fact that he was really looking forward to the holidays.
“I’m tired, exhausted. It looks like it’s going to get worse because we know the holidays are coming,” the skilled worker noted.
His original intention was to go to Prince Edward Island, but problems with the necessary reservations forced him to abandon the project. He’d rather go to Lanaudière.
“After all, given the rise in gas prices, I was pretty happy that I only had to drive three hours!” he laughed.
His colleague Jean-François Pleau will go to Bas-du-Fleuve and Montreal.
“With the heat this week and the humidity after the storms today, it’s going to be fine,” he said. He only had 30 minutes of work left to finish his semester and already enjoy the holidays.
For his part, Alexandre Perreault intends to stay at home. The latter works in a residential area owned by the Malo group in the Ahuntsic neighborhood of Montreal.
“I will take the opportunity to rest with my family. Sometimes we don’t have much time at work and life goes by quickly,” he says.
Do you have any information about this story that you would like to share with us?
Do you have a scoop that might be of interest to our readers?