It’s not just the weekend for celebrating Canada’s birthday: the June 30 weekend is also the busiest moving weekend of the year.
Here are some numbers: Each year, about 4.4 million of Canada’s 36.95 million residents, or about 1.46 million families, move. Most moves occur between the beginning of June and mid-September, representing about 50 per cent of the year’s business for movers. Of that, 14 per cent occur in June, with about one-third of those happening on June 30.
That translates into to a lot of packing materials, boxes and plenty of assistance to relocate from Point A to Point B.
The period between mid-June and early September includes two major holiday long weekends. And this year, June 30 is the Saturday of the Canada Day weekend. With the statutory holiday of July 1 falling on a Sunday, many do not have to work on July 2 as a result.
That means there’s more time to unpack and organize new digs, making the move less stressful.
Between school years
It’s also a popular time because children are home for the summer, so it’s easier to schedule a move without juggling school hours. By making the move early in the season, families then have the summer to enjoy before the new school term begins.
Weather is another consideration – it’s far easier to change residences when having to fight ice and snow is removed from the picture.
But a word of caution: You need to plan ahead when anticipating a move on or around June 30, no matter how or with whom you choose to move. This close to the long weekend, it may already be difficult to book a mover, for instance.
Here are a few tips to make moving day go more smoothly:
- Use sturdy boxes and/or containers instead of used boxes from the grocery store.
- Resist over-packing. Use more containers with less in each one. We suggest this rule of thumb: the heavier the item, the smaller the box. Think books and how difficult it is to lift a large box full of them.
- We sell white newsprint paper for packing. Newspaper makes a mess of your possessions.
- For clothing in closets, use wardrobe boxes. Pack folded clothes into suitcases.
- Label boxes on the top and sides.
- Remember to pack a “moving day” box with items you will need right away such as a coffee pot, mugs, kettle, a few towels, toilet tissue, green garbage bags, toothbrushes and toothpaste and band-aids, for example.
- Make sure your moving day box is placed on the truck last so it can be unpacked first.
