Quebec wants to force businesses to add French to outdoor signage

The Quebec government has proposed a modification to the province's sign rulesthat would require Quebec businesses to add French to their outdoor signage, without alteringregistered trademark names.

HlneDavid, acting minister responsible for the protection and promotion of the French Language, madethe announcement Tuesday afternoon.

"Thanks to this change, every person, whether driving on a highway, on a sidewalk, in an industrial area orin a commercial parking lot, will know they are in Quebec, because they will see French on the signs," she told a news conference in Montreal.

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Under the new rules, businesses withatrademark name thatis not in French wouldbe required to add a French word, description or slogan to their outdoor signage.

The modification does not apply to trademarks which are names, for example McDonald's or Tim Hortons.

'Sufficient French presence'

The province says the changes would also requirethat the added French words be well lit at night. The French wordsdo not have to be bigger than the non-French trademark name.

The goal is to have a "sufficient French presence" at every business in Quebec,whether it is arestaurant, factory, shop or hotel.

The government is looking for public feedback on the new proposed regulationsfor the next 45 days.

Following that period, anynecessary adjustments will be made and cabinetwill makeits decisionabout the modification.

Walmart happy, PQless so

The regional president at Walmart, Xavier Piesvaux, said the regulation "gives our companies the flexibility to communicate in French while keeping the integrity of our brand," he said.

But nationalistpolitical parties and organizations like Mouvement Qubec franaissay the proposed changes are notenough.

"Too little, too late," said MakaKotto, the PartiQubcois critic on language.

"Without a changeto Law 101, contesting the regulation will always be possible, and its application will depend on the will of companies," he said.

Quebec Community Groups Network director Sylvia Martin-Laforge says her members are,for the most part, unconcerned with the announcement.

The English-language community groups that comprise the network are more worried about signs in hospitals and everyday personal activity in this province, Martin-Laforge said.

Changes follow legal battle

In 2014, major retailerssuch as Walmart, Costco and Best Buy won a court battle with the province overtheir signage, with the Quebec Superior Court rulingbusinesses that have storefront signs with their trademark name in a language other than French do not contravene the Charter of the French Language.

The Office qubcois de la langue franaise (OQLF) wanted the companies to change their signs to either give themselves a generic French name or add a slogan or explanation that reflectswhat they are selling.

But the judge hearing the case ruled in favour of the major retailers a list including Best Buy, Costco, Gap, Old Navy, Guess, Wal-Mart, Toys "R" Us and Curves.

Thedecision was later upheld by the Quebec Court of Appeal.

Karl Filion, press secretaryfor Quebec Language Minister Luc Fortin, says he isconfident the revisions announcedTuesday wouldbe legal.