Quebecers need to install their winter tires by Sunday

Deadline for winter tires Dec. 1 Quebecers need to install their winter tires by Sunday Dec. 1.

The provincial deadline for installing your car's winter tires is Sunday, Dec. 1. Appointments can be hard to find -- and new tires seem to be in short supply for some models.

The next available appointment to get your winter tires installed at L.A. Pneus et Mecanique on Lotbiniere in Vaudreuil is after the deadline. Receptionist and scheduler Alex Daigle says, "we've been trying to squeeze in as many people as I can."

She says all the staff here have been working overtime as the deadline looms.

"We're doing extra hours on weekends to make up for lost time during the week and the flexibility of other people," says Daigle.

Meanwhile, in the garage bays, the team of mechanics change tires on three to four cars every 30 minutes, says owner Lorenzo Arena.

"December 1st is a little early, especially this year. It was nice, nice, nice out. Everybody waited. The weather was beautiful, nobody was thinking of winter tires. So it's been delayed and now there's a lot of last minute people," says Arena.

He adds that not all stock and sizes are available if clients don't order early.

"Very limited tires, especially for Teslas, not a lot of stock left. Big sizes, all the new SUV's come with big tires, so they're very, very limited," he says.

Arena has been in the tire business for more than a decade and has many more years of driving experience. When does the owner install his own winter tires?

"I have my tires on by October 31st, Halloween," says Arena, adding that the weather can be unpredictable.

What to expect is snow -- it's just a matter of when. After Dec. 1, police say Quebec drivers without winter tires who are involved in an accident can face fines.