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New French signage rules hit Quebec businesses June 1 — Here’s what changes
<img src="https://www.mtlblog.com/media-library/line-of-people-wearing-masks-and-keeping-social-distancing-waiting-outside-to-enter-best-buy-store-montreal-canada.jpg?id=60345045&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C0"/><br/><br/><p>Starting June 1, <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/tag/quebec-language-laws" target="_blank">Quebec's French language laws</a> are getting stricter for businesses, and many storefronts across the province could start to look a little different.</p><p>Under <a href="https://educaloi.qc.ca/en/capsules/francization-rules-for-employers/?utm_source=chatgpt.com" target="_blank">new rules</a> coming into effect as part of <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/tag/bill-96" target="_blank">Bill 96</a>, all companies in Quebec with 25 to 49 employees will now be required to register with the <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/tag/office-quebecois-de-la-langue-francaise" target="_blank">Office québécois de la langue française (OQLF)</a> to prove that French is being used broadly in the workplace. Previously, this rule only applied to businesses with 50 or more employees.</p><p>Once registered, companies will need to complete a self-assessment on their use of French internally. If French is deemed "generalized" by the OQLF, a francization certificate will be issued. If not, the business must submit a language improvement plan. </p><p>That's not the only change. Businesses will also need to rethink their storefront signs and product labels. Starting June 1, any trademarks displayed publicly that are not in French must now be accompanied by French text that is "markedly predominant."That means French must take up at least twice the space of the other language and be just as legible and visible. It’s no longer enough to simply add a small French tagline. Now, a slogan or product description in French must stand out clearly next to an English or non-French trademark.</p><p>According to the OQLF, an example like "Best Beef" would no longer comply unless French descriptors are added in a dominant way. Think of store signs that say "Les quincailleries Canadian Tire" or "Les aliments en vrac de qualité" beside the brand logo.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image"> <img alt="A signage example from the Office qu\u00e9b\u00e9cois de la langue fran\u00e7aise." class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="02385e175f0b37e621cf4af5536f13bd" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="bd213" loading="lazy" src="https://www.mtlblog.com/media-library/a-signage-example-from-the-office-qu-u00e9b-u00e9cois-de-la-langue-fran-u00e7aise.webp?id=60345031&width=980"/> <small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="Add Photo Caption...">Here are some display options that would meet the OQLF's criterion.</small><small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit..."><a href="https://www.oqlf.gouv.qc.ca/francisation/entreprises/affichage-marques-noms.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Office québécois de la langue française</a></small></p><p>As for packaging, the rules are also tightening. If a product displays a non-French trademark and includes a descriptor, that descriptor must now also appear in French.</p><p> There's a grace period before changes are enforced, though. Products made before June 1, 2025, can still be sold until June 1, 2027, but new products must comply immediately or risk fines.</p><p>In a <a href="https://ici.radio-canada.ca/ohdio/premiere/emissions/tout-un-matin/episodes/926327/rattrapage-jeudi-29-mai-2025" target="_blank">recent interview with Radio-Canada</a>, Quebec's Minister of the French Language, Jean-François Roberge, said the goal is not to force literal translations like "Second Cup" becoming "Deuxième Tasse," but to ensure French is clearly visible in public. "We’re not in Ontario, California, or England. It’s just normal for Quebec to have a strongly francophone visual identity," he said.</p><p>At the same time, the province just announced a <a href="https://www.newswire.ca/fr/news-releases/lancement-d-un-nouveau-programme-pour-la-valorisation-et-la-vitalite-de-la-langue-francaise-875989408.html" target="_blank">new $14.5 million fund to support French language initiatives</a> across Quebec over the next three years. Non-profits, schools, municipalities, and co-ops can apply for up to $300,000 per year to fund projects that promote French in public spaces.</p><p>More details about the law and its requirements are available at <a href="https://educaloi.qc.ca/actualites-juridiques/droits-linguistiques-de-nouvelles-regles-pour-les-entreprises/" target="_blank">Éducaloi</a> and the <a href="https://www.oqlf.gouv.qc.ca/" target="_blank">OQLF's website</a>.</p>
