The tradition began as a humanitarian measure of the French colonial government of New France, who forbade seigneurs, the semi-feudal landlords of the seigneuries, from evicting their tenant farmers before the winter snows had melted.[citation needed]. Historian Yvon Desloges notes that it was common to move in the spring in the 18th century, citing a 1750 bylaw by Intendant François Bigot.[1] Additionally, Jean-Philippe Warren, a sociologist at Concordia University in Montreal, noted in a 2013 interview for The New York Times that French law in the 18th century set May 1 as the starting date for all legal agreements, including leases.[2]
Later, this evolved into a requirement that urban leases begin on May 1 and end on April 30. In law, this date was set in the Civil Code of Lower Canada of 1866.[3] May 1 thus became "Moving Day", the day during which renters who wished to vacate their current premises physically changed domiciles.
In 1973, the Quebec government decided that it would be better to move Moving Day to the summer. This measure would allow children, especially the ones in primary school to complete their full year at the same establishment.[4][2] Also, by moving the date to a holiday, workers would not have to sacrifice a working day. This argument was strong for the tenants rights groups representing the average poorer class.[5] Moreover, they moved the date from May 1st to July 1 because of the rough weather of May.[6] The law repealed sections of the Civil code setting fixed terms for leases as of 1974, but mandated a two-month lengthening of leases for following year as a transitory measure.[3] However, tradition has held sway, and the vast majority of leases are still a year long and begin around July 1. In 2004, approximately 120,000 households moved on or around July 1, corresponding to 4% of the population.[7] In 2013, the government of Montreal estimated that about 115,000 city residents moved each year, or about 7% of the city's 1.6 million people.[2]
In the aforementioned interview, Warren added sociological reasons why July 1 has persisted as Moving Day. He noted that Francophone Quebecers move much more frequently than other Canadians, but generally stay in their old neighbourhoods, with some moving only across the street. According to Warren, a higher frequency of moves in the Francophone community makes a standard moving date more convenient for people changing their residences. As he put it, "They are constantly on the move, but they don’t go anywhere."[2]