Beyond service, inspectors flagged stores that did not comply with other Quebec language rules in place at the time \u2014 or a new rule that was about to come into effect.<\/p>\n
The Quartier Latin, adjacent to downtown Montreal, is anchored on St-Denis St. and extends along surrounding side streets, between Ste-Catherine and Sherbrooke Sts.<\/p>\n
The OQLF said the Quartier Latin\u00a0was chosen after \u201cseveral media articles raised issues regarding the language of service in businesses located there.\u201d<\/p>\n
Overall, inspectors found that French-language service was available in 98 per cent of stores visited. <\/p>\n
The rate was 96 per cent on Taschereau, and 99 per cent in both the Quartier Latin and Laurentides sectors, the OQLF said. <\/p>\n
In the Quartier Latin, only one of 109 stores visited could not provide service in French.<\/p>\n
An OQLF document obtained by The Gazette through an access-to-information request shows a similar picture on signage.<\/p>\n
Only eight of the 958 stores inspected \u2014 less than one per cent \u2014 were identified as not meeting requirements they would be subject to under a major new trademark signage rule that was set to take effect in June 2025. The OQLF\u2019s published report did not include that figure.<\/p>\n
Ninety-five per cent of the OQLF visits opened with store workers greeting inspectors in French.<\/p>\n
That includes French greetings such as bonjour, as well as the bilingual \u201cbonjour-hi<\/a>,\u201d a greeting that the National Assembly has urged merchants to drop in favour of a French-only bonjour.<\/p>\n The OQLF launched the inspection blitz to determine whether businesses in the areas complied with specific requirements of the Charter of the French Language, commonly known as Bill 101:\u00a0<\/p>\n Signage: Between eight and nine per cent of businesses contravened rules that require French to be predominant.\u00a0<\/p>\n Receipts: Eleven per cent could not provide receipts at least partially in French.<\/p>\n Payment terminals: Thirteen per cent did not have French as an option on terminals.<\/p>\n Just over three-quarters of stores passed inspection, while 23 per cent were found to be breaking the law in at least one way, most commonly through payment terminals and receipts that lacked French.<\/p>\n Local business associations were told in advance that the OQLF employees would be visiting.<\/p>\n Where violations were found, the OQLF contacted businesses, walked them through the problems and set a timeline for fixes. About 70 per cent of the requested changes have since been made, the OQLF said.<\/p>\n Inspectors also looked ahead to the new signage rule<\/a> about to take effect. As of June 2025, companies with names or trademarks in English must add enough French wording so that French occupies twice the space of English.<\/p>\n Laberge said part of the goal of the inspections was to make businesses aware of that incoming sign requirement.<\/p>\n He noted the OQLF did not open a formal file for every infraction, particularly minor violations handled through education rather than enforcement. That means a full compliance rate for the new sign law cannot be calculated from its records, he said.<\/p>\n A survey last year<\/a> found that 72 per cent of francophone Quebecers think the French language is in danger.\u00a0<\/p>\n OQLF inspections are on the rise. In 2024-25, the agency conducted 9,813 inspections, compared to 3,601 six years earlier.<\/p>\n Since taking office in 2018, the Coalition Avenir Qu\u00e9bec government has toughened the charter, encouraged Quebecers to file language complaints, and doubled the OQLF\u2019s annual budget to $49 million.<\/p>\n Language complaints have soared<\/a> since the CAQ government permitted Quebecers to file them anonymously in 2022.<\/p>\n \t\tEditor\u2019s Picks\t<\/p>\n
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