July 1 was Moving Day in Quebec.

[randomness]

Historically, urban leases in Quebec began on May 1 and ended on April 30, but in 1973 the law was changed so students could move after the end of the school year. That law changed extended all leases that year until July 1, and it removed the requirement for a fixed-term lease.

Nonetheless, most leases in Quebec are still a year long, and they generally start on the first of July. Leases have started to spread out, but July 1st is still known as Moving Day in the cities of Quebec.

The resulting trash-picking opportunities on July 2nd are apparently extensive, as documented in this blog:

Anyone who wants to understand the vast excess of western society need only walk around anywhere in Montreal on July 1. There, you’ll find discarded furniture, empty boxes and lots and lots of garbage.



What gets me most about it, though, is the thought that before today, people had these things in their homes. Now it’s so useless even people walking the streets want nothing to do with them.

This is a post about Moving Day told in photos.

I feel like there must be some business opportunity to take advantage of the July 1 moving day in Montreal and the September 1 moving day in Boston, but I can't figure out what.

Edit: There's also this cheery press release from the Régie du logement: "For many households, July 1 is both a statutory holiday and their moving day! That is why, again this year, the Régie will be just a phone call away so as to respond to information requests from tenants and landlords on that often frenzied day.

"The Régie reminds you that a new tenant's right to occupy a dwelling begins on the first day of the lease, and that the tenant who is moving out does not have a day's grace to vacate the dwelling and remove all personal effects. That said, it is obviously not possible for everyone to obtain a moving truck at the same time. The Régie du logement therefore encourages you to be courteous and civic-minded, and exercise your rights in a reasonable manner."

(http://communiques.gouv.qc.ca/gouvqc/communiques/GPQE/Juin2008/25/c6038.html)

Comments

[rosminah.livejournal.com]

This happens every year in Isla Vista, the college town of Santa Barbara. It's a *mess* and there's even a tradition of burning the discarded sofas on the street.
The last two years there's been some strong campaigning for students to get rid of their junk more responsibly. Volunteer students are helping clean the streets, and on a more pro-active move, everyone is being encouraged to donate it to charity shops. There was a huge rummage sale this year and it raised thousands of dollars for good causes.
I do my fair share of freecycling, but I like the idea of using a charity shop as middleman because of the money it raises.

All that waste really frustrates me. Augh!