Latest news with #Officequébécoisdelalanguefrançaise
Montreal Gazette
6 days ago
- Business
- Montreal Gazette
Quebec language watchdog targets barber for ‘too much English' — on sign, website, even Instagram
When Jesse Padulo opened The Corner Shop barber business in Montreal's St-Léonard neighbourhood, he never imagined his biggest challenge would be Quebec's language watchdog. 'I've been open a year,' he said. 'Six months in, the watchdogs came.' Since then, the 42-year-old father of six says he's been hounded by the language office over everything from his store signage to his online presence. He's taken down his website, removed his 'open' sign and started adding French subtitles to his Instagram posts, all in an effort to comply with demands he says keep changing. At the heart of the dispute is Bill 96, Quebec's sweeping language law passed in 2022. It gives the Office québécois de la langue française (OQLF) expanded powers to ensure businesses prioritize French. 'They said my shop was too much English. I said: 'OK, no problem. So what do we do?' They told me to contact them. I think it was March. I said: 'I don't work for you. I'm not going to contact you. Contact me. I'm running a business.' And they never contacted me,' Padulo said. 'Then I got two more letters saying my website had too much English, so I shut it down. Then they sent me another letter saying I'm too loud on Instagram with my English. Since when do you have jurisdiction over a public platform? 'They didn't really know how to answer me,' he added. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Pads the barber (@the__pad) But Padulo believes the complaints began shortly after he started speaking openly about his Christian faith online. A devout Christian, he named the shop in reference to the Bible's 'cornerstone.' 'The cornerstone in the Bible was the stone of the community. We're a community barber that we're trying to teach kids how to barber, about the Lord, you know, good values — and that's where the name came from,' he said. 'We're not even on a corner,' he added. Now, Padulo says he feels stuck after being told he must change the sign out front. That would cost him about $4,000 — money he says he doesn't have. But if he doesn't, he could face fines of up to $30,000 per day, which would force him to close the store. His sign already includes French, but Padulo says the OQLF told him that wasn't enough. 'They said the French has to be bigger than the English.' He points out all his customers are English-speaking, making the changes feel forced and out of touch with the reality of his business. He's planning to launch a GoFundMe campaign this week to help cover the costs. 'People know me here,' he said. 'The community supports me. What I don't get is why I'm being punished for serving the people who actually come through the door.' Padulo has a phone call scheduled with the OQLF this afternoon. 'I'm not expecting good news,' he said. 'I'm not the problem,' he said. 'I just want to run a business, not fight a government.' The OQLF did not respond to The Gazette's request for comment before publication time. But in a statement to CTV News, the watchdog said that online videos must be in French, adding: 'They may also be in other languages, provided that they are accessible in French under conditions that are at least as favourable.' This story was originally published July 18, 2025 at 4:40 PM.
Montreal Gazette
07-07-2025
- Politics
- Montreal Gazette
Letters: Give the OQLF a reason to investigate
Maybe it's time to overwhelm the Office québécois de la langue française with a flood of complaints about English signage — call it peaceful bureaucratic resistance. If the agency is going to micromanage every sign, let them chase shadows. And once the absurdity reaches a peak, people should alert international media. Let the world see how language policy can tip into parody. Lois Baron, Montreal Not the time for language complaints Re: ' Spike in service complaints to OQLF ' (The Gazette, July 4) Quebec's medical system cries out from a lack of funds, and now the education system will see much-needed services affected after the government ordered at least $570 million in cuts. Plus, seeing as we eagerly encourage tourists to come boost our economy, we need to be at minimum bilingual. In these circumstances, how can the OQLF be justified? It is time to give Montreal a break and allow it and its population to survive. Sandra Sterling, Snowdon Bilingual signs boost water safety Re: ' There have been five drownings near Verdun beach in last four years ' (The Gazette, June 25) It is alarming that in Quebec, protecting French from a sea of English apparently includes endangering the well-being of English-speaking Montrealers and tourists. After two tragic drowning deaths recently at Verdun beach, the local TV news showed several apparently French-only signs at beaches along with Raynald Hawkins, the Lifesaving Society's executive director for Quebec, declaring that all beach visitors should follow water safety instructions. Along with French-only provincial road signs, one wonders if unilingual safety signs may have had a part in some deaths and injuries over the years. George McArthur, Montreal Other options for Alzheimer's patients Re: ' Canada is falling behind on treatments for Alzheimer's disease ' (Opinion, June 26) Hope is a dangerous thing, and although we should welcome treatments for insidious and devastating diseases such as Alzheimer's, we shouldn't let enthusiasm cloud our judgment. The scores we should be looking at for these new drugs — clinical improvements in cognitive scores — have barely shown more significance than placebo, and we still don't know how long the benefits persist. Not to mention high dropout rates in trials due in part to side effects such as brain swelling. Factor in the price of over $20,000 per year, and there are other interventions that are more cost efficient for patients in our publicly funded health-care system. Aylon Wisbaum, pharmacist, Côte-St-Luc Respect from U.S. in the cards Re: ' Canadian mistrust of the U.S. remains high, new poll finds ' (NP Montreal, July 3) I play online bridge against players from all over the world. You get to play two deals against new opponents, who then move on to other opponents. When they arrive, I always chat: 'Hello from Montreal, bonne chance.' I've been amazed at how many Americans reply: 'We love you, I didn't vote for him, ' or words to that effect. Gary Bernstein, N.D.G. Submitting a letter to the editor Letters should be sent by email to letters@ We prioritize letters that respond to, or are inspired by, articles published by The Gazette. If you are responding to a specific article, let us know which one. Letters should be sent uniquely to us. The shorter they are — ideally, fewer than 200 words — the greater the chance of publication. Timing, clarity, factual accuracy and tone are all important, as is whether the writer has something new to add to the conversation. We reserve the right to edit and condense all letters. Care is taken to preserve the core of the writer's argument. Our policy is not to publish anonymous letters, those with pseudonyms or 'open letters' addressed to third parties. Letters are published with the author's full name and city or neighbourhood/borough of residence. Include a phone number and address to help verify identity; these will not be published. We will not indicate to you whether your letter will be published. If it has not been published within 10 days or so, it is not likely to be.
Global News
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Global News
Quebec language watchdog now says it's OK to use ‘go' to support sports teams
Quebec's language watchdog has changed its tune on whether it's acceptable to use the word 'go' to cheer on sports teams. In a new guideline posted in its online dictionary, the Office québécois de la langue française says that while 'allez' is the preferred term, it's now 'partially legitimized' to use the English word to show encouragement. The flip-flop comes after the office took a hard line with Montreal's transit agency, pressing it for months in 2024 to scrub the word 'go' from the electronic signs on more than 1,000 city buses. The watchdog confirmed it had changed its position after The Canadian Press obtained a series of emails through access to information legislation, revealing it gave the transit agency a green light to use 'go' in June. The reversal followed a public outcry on the eve of the Montreal Canadiens' first playoff home game in April, when the Montreal Gazette reported how the transit agency had replaced 'Go! Canadiens Go!' with 'Allez! Canadiens Allez!' to stay on the watchdog's good side. Story continues below advertisement The revelations prompted French-language Minister Jean-François Roberge to intervene, declaring that the expression 'Go Habs Go' is part of Quebec culture, and that any future complaints about the slogan would be dismissed. That statement verged on political interference and placed the watchdog in a difficult position, according to one expert. 'The office had to respond to a political order,' said Benoît Melançon, emeritus professor of French literature at Université de Montréal. 'The minister said, 'You will accept this,' so the office had to find a way to accept it.' The transit agency says it hasn't decided whether it will put the word 'go' back on its bus displays. On Wednesday, a spokesperson said the agency is now 'beginning its reflection on the subject.' Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy In an April statement, Dominique Malack, the president of the language office, agreed that the slogan 'Go Habs Go' is anchored in Quebec's history. Still, she went on to say that the word 'go' is an anglicism, and that public bodies have an obligation to use 'exemplary' French, which includes using only French words in their signage. Emails released to The Canadian Press show the transit agency asked the watchdog in May, following the uproar, for authorization to start using 'go' again. A month later, on June 6, the language office directed transit officials to its new entry for the word 'allez' in its online dictionary of terminology, a reference guide for the proper use of French in Quebec. Story continues below advertisement The page notes how the anglicism 'go' has been used in Quebec since at least the 1980s and is 'well-established' in common parlance. 'It is considered to be partially legitimized,' the entry says. When asked by The Canadian Press to comment on the newly released email correspondence, the watchdog confirmed it had updated its position. 'The office now considers that a public body can use the interjection go in a context of encouragement … without this compromising the duty of exemplarity incumbent upon it under the Charter of the French Language,' spokesperson Gilles Payer told The Canadian Press in an email. Payer confirmed the entry was newly published on May 30. 'The media coverage of the case concerning the use of the borrowed word 'go' in a sports context led the office to officially assess the acceptability' of the word, he said. Melançon, the French literature professor, said the new rationale – especially the term 'partially legitimized' – suggests the office was uneasy with the change. 'This must have given rise to some pretty intense internal debates,' he said. ''Do we take into account what the minister is telling us or do we not take it into account? If we don't take it into account, what are the consequences? If we do, how do we justify changing our minds?'' At least one transit agency official felt dubious about the original complaint, which related to a bus displaying the words 'Go! CF Mtl Go!' in support of Montreal's professional soccer club. She called the issue a 'grey zone' in a June 2024 email to colleagues. Story continues below advertisement 'We've been using the word 'go' for years without a problem,' she wrote. 'Are we going to change everything because of one complaint?' But by later that month, the agency had decided to scrap the word, which involved manually updating the display on each of more than 1,000 buses over a period of months. The agency has said no further change will be made before the buses undergo regular maintenance in the fall. The language office has received at least two other complaints about the word 'go' in the last five years, according to a response to a separate access-to-information request. In 2023, someone complained about the slogan 'Go Habs Go' appearing on an outdoor billboard. That complaint was dismissed because the expression is a trademark. A similar complaint in 2021 targeted the hashtag #GoHabsGo that appears in oversized letters outside the Bell Centre in Montreal, the home arena of the Canadiens. The person who filed the complaint suggested that to comply with Quebec's language rules, the expression 'Allez les Habitants allez' should appear alongside the English slogan, in larger letters. 'And yes, I'm serious, if the law applies, then apply it! :)' the person wrote. According to the language watchdog, that complaint was resolved following an intervention, though it provided no details. A spokesperson for the hockey team declined to comment. Story continues below advertisement The #GoHabsGo sign remains in place. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 3, 2025.
National Observer
03-07-2025
- Politics
- National Observer
Quebec language watchdog says it's OK to use 'go' to support sports teams
Quebec's language watchdog has changed its tune on whether it's acceptable to use the word "go" to cheer on sports teams. In a new guideline posted in its online dictionary, the Office québécois de la langue française says that while "allez" is the preferred term, it's now 'partially legitimized' to use the English word to show encouragement. The flip-flop comes after the office took a hard line with Montreal's transit agency, pressing it for months in 2024 to scrub the word "go" from the electronic signs on more than 1,000 city buses. The watchdog confirmed it had changed its position after The Canadian Press obtained a series of emails through access to information legislation, revealing it gave the transit agency a green light to use 'go' in June. The reversal followed a public outcry on the eve of the Montreal Canadiens' first playoff home game in April, when the Montreal Gazette reported how the transit agency had replaced 'Go! Canadiens Go!' with 'Allez! Canadiens Allez!' to stay on the watchdog's good side. The revelations prompted French-language Minister Jean-François Roberge to intervene, declaring that the expression 'Go Habs Go' is part of Quebec culture, and that any future complaints about the slogan would be dismissed. That statement verged on political interference and placed the watchdog in a difficult position, according to one expert. Quebec language watchdog now says it's OK to use 'go' to support sports teams. #Polqc 'The office had to respond to a political order,' said Benoît Melançon, emeritus professor of French literature at Université de Montréal. 'The minister said, 'You will accept this,' so the office had to find a way to accept it.' The transit agency says it hasn't decided whether it will put the word 'go' back on its bus displays. On Wednesday, a spokesperson said the agency is now 'beginning its reflection on the subject.' In an April statement, Dominique Malack, the president of the language office, agreed that the slogan 'Go Habs Go' is anchored in Quebec's history. Still, she went on to say that the word 'go' is an anglicism, and that public bodies have an obligation to use 'exemplary' French, which includes using only French words in their signage. Emails released to The Canadian Press show the transit agency asked the watchdog in May, following the uproar, for authorization to start using 'go' again. A month later, on June 6, the language office directed transit officials to its new entry for the word 'allez' in its online dictionary of terminology, a reference guide for the proper use of French in Quebec. The page notes how the anglicism 'go' has been used in Quebec since at least the 1980s and is 'well-established' in common parlance. 'It is considered to be partially legitimized,' the entry says. When asked by The Canadian Press to comment on the newly released email correspondence, the watchdog confirmed it had updated its position. 'The office now considers that a public body can use the interjection go in a context of encouragement … without this compromising the duty of exemplarity incumbent upon it under the Charter of the French Language,' spokesperson Gilles Payer told The Canadian Press in an email. Payer confirmed the entry was newly published on May 30. 'The media coverage of the case concerning the use of the borrowed word 'go' in a sports context led the office to officially assess the acceptability' of the word, he said. Melançon, the French literature professor, said the new rationale – especially the term 'partially legitimized' – suggests the office was uneasy with the change. 'This must have given rise to some pretty intense internal debates,' he said. ''Do we take into account what the minister is telling us or do we not take it into account? If we don't take it into account, what are the consequences? If we do, how do we justify changing our minds?'' At least one transit agency official felt dubious about the original complaint, which related to a bus displaying the words 'Go! CF Mtl Go!' in support of Montreal's professional soccer club. She called the issue a 'grey zone' in a June 2024 email to colleagues. 'We've been using the word 'go' for years without a problem,' she wrote. 'Are we going to change everything because of one complaint?' But by later that month, the agency had decided to scrap the word, which involved manually updating the display on each of more than 1,000 buses over a period of months. The agency has said no further change will be made before the buses undergo regular maintenance in the fall. The language office has received at least two other complaints about the word 'go' in the last five years, according to a response to a separate access-to-information request. In 2023, someone complained about the slogan 'Go Habs Go' appearing on an outdoor billboard. That complaint was dismissed because the expression is a trademark. A similar complaint in 2021 targeted the hashtag #GoHabsGo that appears in oversized letters outside the Bell Centre in Montreal, the home arena of the Canadiens. The person who filed the complaint suggested that to comply with Quebec's language rules, the expression 'Allez les Habitants allez' should appear alongside the English slogan, in larger letters. 'And yes, I'm serious, if the law applies, then apply it! :)' the person wrote. According to the language watchdog, that complaint was resolved following an intervention, though it provided no details. A spokesperson for the hockey team declined to comment. The #GoHabsGo sign remains in place.
Toronto Star
03-07-2025
- Sport
- Toronto Star
Quebec language watchdog now says it's OK to use ‘go' to support sports teams
MONTREAL - Quebec's language watchdog has changed its tune on whether it's acceptable to use the word 'go' to cheer on sports teams. In a new guideline posted in its online dictionary, the Office québécois de la langue française says that while 'allez' is the preferred term, it's now 'partially legitimized' to use the English word to show encouragement.
