A general contractor's job is to take responsibility for the whole project: planning it, scheduling every phase, and answering for the result. That's worth a lot on a renovation with several trades, but only if you hire the right one.
Start with the licence. In Quebec, contractors doing construction or renovation work must hold a licence from the Régie du bâtiment du Québec (RBQ). You can look up any licence number in the RBQ's online registry to confirm it's valid and see which categories of work it covers. Ours is 5858-5621-01.
Ask who is responsible for the work. A good general contractor plans every phase, supervises the work on site, and stays your single point of contact from start to finish.
Get everything in writing: the scope of work, the price, what's excluded, the payment schedule, and the approximate timeline. A written scope protects both sides, and it's the document you'll come back to if something changes on site.
Finally, look for membership in a professional association such as the APCHQ, read recent reviews, and ask to see photos of similar projects. A contractor who stands behind their work will be glad to show it.