Skip to content
  1. Home
  2. National Business

Quebec company buys private island with chalet to boost employee happiness

LAVAL, Que. — A Montreal-area company has come up with a novel — if extreme — way to boost employee happiness: buying them a private island.
Canadian Press
2023082413084-f88ee3c3c45948246aef1a3ba7c93eb15754f78756894d7ade2af0aa9823e3b2
A Montreal-area company has come up with a novel — if extreme -- way to boost employee happiness: buying them a private island. A building is seen on an island in an undated handout photo. The Labelle, Que., getaway includes a single, two-bedroom cabin with enough room for eight people, as well as a barbecue, pedal boat, dinghy and other water sport equipment. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Mon Technicien, *MANDATORY CREDIT*

LAVAL, Que. — A Montreal-area company has come up with a novel — if extreme — way to boost employee happiness: buying them a private island.

The 30 workers at IT services company Mon Technicien are now able to book stays on their employer's newly acquired, 930-square-metre island in the Laurentian Mountains northwest of Montreal.

The Labelle, Que., getaway includes a single, two-bedroom cabin with enough room for eight people, as well as a barbecue, pedal boat, dinghy and other water sport equipment.

Mon Technicien president Sylvain Dion says his Laval, Que., company jumped on the opportunity to buy the island as a way to expand its employee benefits package.

Employees aren't directly charged for their stays, but the perk is taxable.

Dion says he expects the prospect of private island sojourns will make his company more attractive to prospective job applicants.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 24, 2023.

The Canadian Press