A brand new home show, District Habitat, is coming to Terrebonne. Presented by the Association of Construction and Housing Professionals of Quebec (APCHQ), Greater Montreal Region, it targets residents of the North Shore of Montreal and seeks to fill a need, says Linda Marchand, General Manager of the organization. Interview.
R. Linda Marchand. The APCHQ owned the National Home Show many, many years ago. For some reason, it was sold, and a clause stipulated that the APCHQ could not launch another salon for x number of years. When I took office seven years ago, I couldn’t believe that our association, which is a major player in the construction and renovation industry, didn’t have a presence in such a large territory as from Montreal, which goes from Sorel to near Vaudreuil, and from Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu to Sainte-Agathe and Saint-Jovite.
A. We had a market study done, which revealed that people both on the North Shore and on the South Shore like to work with people near them, both for the purchase of a new house and for renovation and landscaping. We wanted them to have the chance to meet members of the industry who work in their region, while having access to completely free parking. This is a first edition in Terrebonne, because of the pandemic. It should have been the third.
A. We are not in competition with the salons of Montreal. They have their place, they have their customers. The District Habitat show is 100% dedicated to housing. There are no derivative products. It is smaller than those held at the Palais des Congrès de Montreal and the Olympic Stadium. Last fall, a first District Habitat show was held at Complexe Bell in Brossard. The clienteles of the North Shore and the South Shore are different. Exhibitors too. I remain convinced that people who will come to the Terrebonne Expo Center in the spring will find what they are looking for.
A. The living room was then divided into 10 districts. Even for us, the logistics of fitting out were complicated. This time, we brought together exhibitors that go very well together, so that we have six districts [decor, design and furnishings; sustainable development ; new houses; housing professionals; external reno-expert; interior reno-expert]. If people want to change their doors and windows, for example, they will find them around the same corner. We have made a commitment to exhibitors that there will not be more than five or six of them with the same type of product. We want to have healthy competition and we want to have everything.
A. It is the future. We have a Sustainable Development Committee. For us, it is important to support entrepreneurs and builders on this path. People, too, need to understand what sustainable development is. They have the impression that it increases the costs, but it is not true. They need to have the chance to speak with people who work in both renovation and green construction. There will be a nice variety of exhibitors.
