Language complaints soar in Quebec as English service eclipses concerns about signs

Montreal Gazette

04-07-2025

Quebec News
By
Quebec just recorded a historic high in language complaints, exceeding 10,000 and tripling the total from 10 years ago.
Despite Premier François Legault's new focus on English storefront signs, complaints about signage have plummeted, while those about language in customer service have risen sharply, a Gazette analysis shows.
In 2024-25, 10,371 complaints were filed, a 14 per cent jump over the previous year, according to recent statistics from the Office québécois de la langue française. A decade ago, the language watchdog received 3,159 complaints.
The OQLF's latest figures cover April 1, 2024, to March 31, 2025, with complaints alleging violations of the Charter of the French Language, commonly known as Bill 101.
By far the largest category of complaints — 40 per cent — concerned language of service. A decade ago, only 18 per cent of complaints addressed this issue.
Under the charter, 'consumers of goods and services have a right to be informed and served in French.'
The OQLF does not provide specifics regarding language-of-service grievances.
One high-profile flashpoint, however, has been the bilingual greeting Bonjour-Hi — a sore point for the Legault government, which briefly considered banning the phrase.
'Commercial documentation' was the second-highest source of complaints. At 24 per cent, it was around the same level as 10 years ago. This category includes websites, publications, job applications, invoices and contracts.
The language of public and commercial signs was the third-largest topic. Eighteen per cent of submissions targeted signs, down from 31 per cent a decade ago.
Seven per cent of reports of non-compliance focused on product packaging, down from 13 per cent.
However, complaints about signs and product packaging are expected to rise this year due to new rules that came into effect on June 1, part of the Legault government's effort to reinforce the French language.
Under the sign changes, companies with names or trademarks in English or another language must add enough French wording so that French occupies twice the space of the other language.
Retailers call the rule onerous and say they had too little time to adapt. Many retailers, both large and small, do not appear to have updated their signs to meet the new requirements.
Regarding packaging, under the new measure, 'the generic or descriptive elements of a trademark (such as ingredients, colour, scent or other characteristics of the product) must ... appear in French.'
Some music and hobby stores say the packaging rule is unrealistic and will drive them out of business. They say many of their specialized products are available only with English-language labels and suppliers aren't interested in translating them.
A majority of 2024–25 complaints — 53 per cent — involved situations in Montreal, home to Quebec's largest concentration of English speakers and immigrants.
That percentage represents a low over the past decade. More complainants are targeting the Montérégie and Quebec City regions.
Of the complaints filed during the latest period, 36 per cent led to the situation being corrected, while in 25 per cent of cases, the OQLF offered proactive guidance to the subject of the complaint. Another 22 per cent of complaints were deemed unfounded or inadmissible.
Since January 2024, Quebec courts have imposed $12,000 in fines on six businesses found guilty of language law violations, the OQLF says.
Last year, a Gazette analysis found that complaints about alleged language law violations have rocketed since the Legault government began allowing anonymous grievances and protection for whistleblowers.
Anonymity became an option in 2022 after the National Assembly passed Bill 96, the Coalition Avenir Québec government's extensive overhaul of the language charter.
Complaints are filed via a form on the OQLF website.
A whistleblower who fears reprisals for divulging privileged information can ask that their identity be kept confidential. Under recent changes, a tipster can file a complaint even if they are bound by 'a contract or a duty of loyalty or confidentiality.'
Previously, statistics showed the average number of complaints filed per individual. For example, in Montreal during 2021-22, complainants filed 2.7 complaints on average. This calculation is no longer possible, as the OQLF does not have the addresses for those filing reports anonymously.