On Monday night, Desjardins issued "sincerest apologies to all those who were offended" by what they called an "unacceptable situation" — and that "situation" is the most Quebec thing ever.
Headquartered in Lévis, the financial service cooperative's big mistake revolved around National Patriots' Day (Journée nationale des Patriotes) and the Canadian flag.
Can you already see where this is going?
The controversial Desjardins poster hangs on a window.Guy Nantel | Facebook
Apparently, certain Desjardins credit union branches put up a poster that said "National Patriots' Day" in big font, followed by "Our offices will be closed on Monday, May 20." Beneath the text, there's a hexagonal image of a man facing away from the camera toward some trees, holding a big Canadian flag across his back.
National Patriots' Day — Quebec's answer to Victoria Day — honours the 1837 and 1838 uprisings against British rule to "underline the importance of the struggle [...] for the national recognition of our people, for its political liberty, and to obtain a democratic system of government," according to former Parti Quebecois premier Bernard Landry.
Naturally, the poster ruffled the feathers of folks who see the day as a point of national Quebecois pride, and those people took to social media to complain over the weekend, including prominent figures like humourist Guy Nantel.
"I was sure it was a hoax but it seems that this obnoxious and shameful ad is real. I've been a Desjardins member for over 50 years and I'm considering closing my accounts. Alphonse Desjardins must be turning in his grave because his movement has been so misrepresented. And then we wonder what history classes are for," Nantel wrote on Facebook.
Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, current leader of the Parti Quebecois, penned a long and strongly worded post on X (formerly Twitter) demanding that Desjardins "correct the situation."
"More than 48 hours after citizens complained about this infographic, it's clear that Desjardins is not taking the situation seriously," he said on Monday evening. "Let's think about all the countries in the world that have a day commemorating their liberation from a colonial regime, could we be so disrespectful in these countries?"
A few hours later, Desjardins posted its apology message on its official Facebook page.
"In addition to the measures taken over the weekend, we can confirm that further meetings will be held to ensure that this unacceptable situation does not reoccur. As we were quick to point out as soon as this situation was brought to our attention, the poster should never have been put up in the first place. It was an initiative taken by certain credit unions without the approval of Desjardins Group. As early as Saturday morning, we asked all the credit unions to check whether they had used this unauthorized poster, and if so, to remove it."
The apology post has drummed up 1,400 reactions and 1,500 replies from commenters, most of whom are expressing their outrage.
This news comes as the Parti Quebecois launches a pro-sovereignty TV ad campaign in English for the first time.
Meanwhile, a study by Angus Reid Institute released in February suggested that 67% of Quebecers are proud to live in Canada — more than in Alberta (58%) and Saskatchewan (49%), and around the same as in British Columbia (66%).
This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.