Quebec music store owners fear closure under new French-language labelling rules

The president of a nationwide chain of musical instrument stores says a whole new twist on D-Day is coming to Quebec next June.

That's when the province has promised to crack down on product labelling, ensuring everything has French wording emblazoned, inscribed or stickered on. The new law, known as Bill 96, requires any label or writing on musical instruments, products or packagingto have a French translation.

"When we get to D-Day, unless there's some changes, it's going to be very traumatic for our stores," said Steve Long, president of Long & McQuade Musical Instruments, which has 100 locations from British Columbia to Newfoundland.

"Wewon't be able to operate in Quebec."

Long & McQuadehas18 stores in the province.

WATCH | What will happen to Quebec's music stores?:

Music stores face 'impossible' task of following new Quebec language law

13 days ago

Duration 2:27

Some Quebec music stores say they could be forced to close with Bill 96 mandating French-language labels on all of their products.

Long is among those raising concerns about the new law's Article 51. It says every inscription on a product, its container, its wrapping or on any document or object supplied with it including the directions for use and the warranty certificates must be drafted in French.

Most of these products are imported, and English is the industry-standard language.

From instruments and electronics to individually packaged accessories like reeds and guitar strings, Long said everything has English labelling and inscriptions.

The law is already in effect, but the province is giving some time for stores to catch up. Long said it spells disaster for theindustry in Quebec.

"If you go by the letter of the law, there won't be any music stores in Quebec," he said.

Xavier Twigg, owner of Twigg Musique Montral, said most brands are small and only create one product label for worldwide distribution.

"So we need to translate everything ourselves," he said.

That's a near-impossible task, explained Twigg, using reeds as an example.

The store carries about 200 types of reeds, which are thin pieces of material used in wind instruments like clarinets and saxophones. Each reed type has its own packaging, and translating all those boxes would be a nightmare, he said.

Twigg said they will prioritize brands that already have French labelling. However, he noted that many American and European brands are less interested in changing their packaging for the Quebec market, as it represents a small portion of their sales about one per cent, he said.

Twigg said he asked Quebec's language watchdog for flexibility, but got nowhere. He was sent a link to the laws, and that's it, he said.

"It's going to be a big challenge and for less revenue," he said. "We need to have an exception for specific stores that sell specific products."

Inscriptions can be in both French and another language, provided that no inscription in the other language is more visible, larger or more frequent than the one in French, according to Chantal Bouchard, spokesperson for the Office qubcois de la langue franaise (OQLF).

Additionally, the inscription in French must be accessible under equally favourable conditions, she noted.

The regulation respecting the language of commerce and business provides for certain exceptions to Article 51 of the Charter, and those exceptions are assessed on a case-by-case basis by the OQLF, which requires a specific analysis of the conditions allowing its use.

"If the exceptions do not apply and suppliers cannot translate the packaging at the source, it is up to the company to ensure that the products they distribute in the Quebec market comply with the law," Bouchard said in an email.

The OQLF assists companies throughout their francization process and provides personalized support, she said.

"The right of Quebec customers to benefit from products in French also applies to musical products," she said. "The issue of packaging for these types of products is no different from other products coming from suppliers outside Quebec."

When the OQLF identifies a violation, it can order the offender to comply or cease the violation within a certain time frame, she said. If the store still fails to comply, the company could be fined.