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office quebecois de la langue francaise

quebec news

New French signage rules hit Quebec businesses June 1 — Here's what changes

Starting June 1, Quebec's French language laws are getting stricter for businesses, and many storefronts across the province could start to look a little different.

Under new rules coming into effect as part of Bill 96, all companies in Quebec with 25 to 49 employees will now be required to register with the Office québécois de la langue française (OQLF) to prove that French is being used broadly in the workplace. Previously, this rule only applied to businesses with 50 or more employees.

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A Montreal restaurant must halt its free meal system because it's not in French

Montreal restaurant Mama Khan — known for its delicious Pakistani cuisine — has fallen victim to Quebec's language police after receiving a letter from the OQLF.

The Plateau restaurant, located on rue Saint-Denis, recently posted a series of updates to its Instagram page following a letter demanding that its online and social media services and initiatives be made available in French, according to article 52 of the Quebec Charter.

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Quebec's Language Watchdog Says Most French Business Signs In Montreal Have Mistakes In Them

An Office québecois de la langue française (OQLF) study of over 10,000 outdoor signs and notices on 2,161 businesses in Montreal, Quebec City, Gatineau and Sherbrooke found that the vast majority deviated from Quebec French language standards, even if those "deviations" were minor.

They included "borrowing" from languages other than French (10% of all deviations), spelling (19%) and grammar (15%) mistakes. In total, 74% of evaluated signs had some form of deviation.

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All The Montreal Companies Fined For Language Law Violations In 2021 According To The OQLF

Ah, the OQLF, the Quebec agency charged with promoting the French language and enforcing laws that protect it.

In addition to providing resources for French learners and launching campaigns to encourage its use, the office also investigates possible violations of the Charter of the French Language, or Bill 101. Commonly referred to as the collection of the province's "language laws," Bill 101 establishes rules for the use of French in commercial activity.

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The OQLF Says A Montreal Company Was Fined $1,500 For Not Having Facebook Posts In French

The OQLF is working to keep French as the language of business. The office announced that on October 21, a Quebec court fined a Montreal-based real estate broker $1,500 for violating the language law on ads and publications.

Qiang Zhong Inc., a real estate broker, was accused of "not having written in French the commercial publications posted on its Facebook page," according to a press release. The accusation followed a complaint.

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Quebec's Language Watchdog Is Pimping French Alternatives To Internet Lingo Like 'Selfie'

Let's take a mot-clic #égoportrait. In November 2021, the Office québécois de la langue française (OQLF) conducted a campaign to get young Quebecers to use French on social media.

Partage ton françaisOffice québécois de la langue française | YouTube

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