Quebec construction holiday begins Friday, deadliest time on provincial roads

Quebec’s “construction holiday” kicks off Friday, the most popular time for summer vacations in the province.

In 1970, Quebec legislated an annual holiday for the construction industry that begins on the second to last Sunday of July and lasts two weeks.

The holiday officially came into effect in the summer of 1971.

Many Quebecers outside the construction industry also take their holidays during this time.

It’s also one of the deadliest times for road accidents and fatalities when it comes to waterways in the province.

“The Sûreté du Québec (SQ) would like to encourage all users of the road and recreational tourism networks to be careful,” said provincial police in a press release.

The SQ “will be stepping up its interventions to encourage caution, on the road network as well as on bodies of water and trails, from July 21 to August 6.”

“In 2022, for the same period, 12 people lost their lives in 11 fatal collisions on the road network. There was also one fatality in a fatal collision involving an off-road vehicle.”

À l’aube du début des vacances de la construction, la Sûreté du Québec tient à inciter l’ensemble des usagers des réseaux routier et récréotouristique à la prudence, autant sur le réseau routier que sur les plans d’eau et les sentiers. https://t.co/2S1Vr1eT5a

— Sûreté du Québec (@sureteduquebec) July 20, 2023

Data quoted by the Sûreté du Québec indicate that around a third of Quebecers are on vacation during this period, resulting in a considerable increase in travel on the road network.

The Sûreté du Québec advises the public that they can follow the various police operations during the long construction vacation on their social networks.

With files from The Canadian Press