According to the rules, signage must be updated to comply with these requirements by June 1, 2025. Image courtesy Government of Quebec
Representatives of the business community in Quebec have expressed displeasure at the provincial government’s proposed rules stating French should be “markedly predominant” on commercial signs and displays. In an open letter sent to some French-language daily newspapers in Quebec on April 20, economic organizations such as the Retail Council of Canada (RCC), the Conseil du Patronat du Québec, the Quebec Hardware and Building Supply Association, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, and the Federation of Chambers of Commerce of Quebec said the government should review its position on the proposed regulations.
In January, the provincial government issued draft regulations on the language of commercial signs, as part of Bill 96, which overhauls the Charter of the French Language. The economic organizations said while they were committed to promoting French in the province, they were also concerned the new display rules “will constitute a burden, especially considering that similar changes had already been applied less than five years ago to strengthen the presence of French”. They said the proposed changes would have a limited impact on the quality and sustainability of the French language and would instead pose “disproportionate challenges to our companies and Quebecers”.
The open letter states, “This haste contrasts with the government’s initial commitments, which, in 2022, promised a three-year deadline for the implementation of rules that, to date, have still not been adopted. In addition, each business and company must ensure that any change in display complies with its municipal rules and, often, validated by its property owner.” The organizations said the government should reflect on the real impact of these regulations not only on the French language, but also on the economic health of companies and the well-being of Quebecers. According to the proposed rules, signage must be updated to comply with these requirements by June 1, 2025.
Quebec’s French language minister, Jean-François Roberge, says if companies fail to comply, the government is “convinced” that “competitors will take advantage of these opportunities for the benefit of Quebecers.”
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Roberge is a brain dead idiot