Recruiting HVAC technicians and apprentices in Quebec

Quebec's HVAC labour market

Montréal and its suburbs, including Laval and Longueuil, form the largest market, followed by Québec City and Lévis. Gatineau sits across the river from Ottawa, which means Quebec and Ontario employers can compete for the same technicians. Sherbrooke and Saguenay anchor their own regional markets.

Because so many homes heat with electricity, the classic Quebec HVAC job is less about furnaces and more about heat pumps, ductless systems, air exchangers and commercial refrigeration. Ads should reflect that equipment mix, and gas roles should be presented as the specialist positions they are.

French-first recruiting

The OQLF sets out what the Charter of the French Language, as amended by Bill 96, expects of businesses: French has to dominate commercial advertising, and anything online aimed at Quebec customers, from websites to social posts, has to exist in French. English can sit alongside it.

For recruiting, we treat that as a minimum and a strategy:

• write the job ad in French first, using the trade terms Quebec technicians actually use
• build French role pages on your careers section, with English versions if you also recruit English speakers
• run French social and search campaigns
• check translations with a fluent Quebec reviewer, not a machine

CCQ, RBQ and certification

Two bodies shape HVAC employment in Quebec:

• The Commission de la construction du Québec issues competency certification for workers in the construction industry.
• The Régie du bâtiment du Québec licenses contractors, with subclasses for work such as gas, plumbing and pressure equipment. Anyone carrying out construction work for others needs an RBQ licence unless exempt.

Workplace health and safety runs through the CNESST. We link these as sources and don't give compliance advice.

For cross-border recruiting, Skilled Trades Ontario says holders of valid equivalent Quebec certificates are exempt in seven of Ontario's compulsory trades, including refrigeration and sheet metal. That is useful for employers near Gatineau and Ottawa, but confirm the details before you advertise on that basis.

Programs and demand

As of October 2026, Hydro-Québec's LogisVert program is open, and Hydro-Québec notes that a federal heat pump rebate is coming in 2027. Rénoclimat changed on October 1, 2026, and Chauffez vert stopped accepting applications after March 31, 2026. Together, these programs support heat pump installs, and that means sustained demand for refrigeration-skilled installers. Confirm details with the administrators before mentioning them in recruiting.

Seasons and timing

Heating season is long across Quebec and longer still once you leave the St. Lawrence valley. Summers bring growing air conditioning demand. Heat pumps blur the two seasons, so many Quebec HVAC shops are busy most of the year. Recruit installers in late winter and service techs in late summer, and build apprentice intake around the CCQ's system and school calendars.

A note on bilingual teams

Some Quebec HVAC shops, especially in Montréal and the Outaouais, run bilingual crews or serve English-speaking customers. That is fine, and recruiting in both languages can widen the pool. Keep French as the primary version of every ad and page, add English where it helps, and make sure both say exactly the same thing about pay, tickets and schedule. Mismatched versions confuse applicants and undermine trust.

How we would approach Quebec hiring

• French ads first. See our job ad service; translation is planned into the scope.
• Heat pump pathway. Present heat pump installation as a career path with refrigeration skills at the end, using apprentice pathway marketing.
• French role pages with job-posting markup on your careers section.
• Near Ontario, write separate ads for each side of the river, because the certificates and terms differ.

See the areas page for other regions, or call, text or email about a Quebec role.