Coronavirus: What will Quebecers do first after they are vaccinated?

As COVID-19 vaccinations ramp up in Montreal, one recent study found that for Montrealers, one popular activity means more to them than any other — eating out.

In a survey conducted by the Leger-Association for Canadian Studies from Feb. 12-14, of six Canadian cities, most respondents said they miss dining at a restaurant.

According to the study, the number was highest in Montreal at 69 per cent.

“I wasn’t surprised about the restaurant enthusiasm,” said Jack Jedwab, president of the Association for Canadian Studies (ACS). “I guess I would partake in the same thing and many others I know as well.”

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Among Montrealers, there’s a split, according to the survey. Eighty per cent of Francophones want to rush back to eating out compared to half the number of non-francophones.

“Some of that is related to different levels of anxiety about COVID-19,” Jedwab explained.

Last spring a study by Jedwab’s group found that English-speaking Quebecers were more afraid of the virus.

That so many Montrealers miss eating out is good news, according to Martin Vèzina, spokesperson for the Quebec Restaurant Association.

“The restaurant scene in Montreal is fabulous,” Vèzina beamed. “That’s why we’re talking about the North America gastronomic capital!”

He thinks there’s a pent-up desire to eat out since restaurants have been closed for so long in the province.

Jedwab noted that though there is still anxiety across the country for many activities people see restaurants as one of the safer options.

“Since you know a lot of the safety measures are in place in a lot of those establishments,” he pointed out.

There is one activity that many Montreal residents aren’t in a hurry to return to, according to the findings in the study — cruise ship travel.  It says just eight per cent of residents are looking forward to that.

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Jedwab believes there’s still a stigma attached to cruises since many coronavirus outbreaks started on ships.

As for other activities, he said it could take some time, even after vaccinations, for people to feel comfortable engaging publicly.