These two local entrepreneurs had recently received letters from the dreaded Office québécois de la langue francaise (OQLF), ordering them to remove offensive words from their signs. Even a seasoned journalist like Safer could not hide his amusement.
This was not the first time Quebec's dirty linguistic laundry was hung out in full view of its American neighbours, for just a few years earlier Mordecai Richler had sent some ripples across the border with a damning piece in the New Yorker, in which he wrote frankly about the Parti Québécois and the inherent language problems that have plagued this province for years.
The resulting publicity caused a storm of shame. Richler was condemned in Quebec, not only for daring to write the truth but for doing so in an American magazine, where everyone could laugh at us and, when it came time to plan their vacation, tear up their Quebec travel brochures.
The OQLF, as it turns out, has served only to embarrass Quebec, time after time, yet it continues to exist — in fact one of its inspectors was recently in Westmount, writing up the Cavallero grocery store on Sherbrooke Street for some minor lettering complaint.
Can we justify the existence of "language cops," especially during hard economic times? They are among the most expendable of provincial employees and should be delegated to other departments, where they could serve a positive — not negative — purpose.
The French language is a cherished, fundamental feature of Quebec and there is no question that it must be preserved — but at a more cerebral level than squabbling over the size of letters by minor bureaucrats straight out of some Orwellian spoof.
Quebec cannot hold its head high on the international scene until the OQLF is either dismantled or significantly modified, with all savings redirected toward more important areas such as health care and education, which can always use all the help they can get. The result may amount to a mere drop in the bucket — but at least it would be a drop in the right direction.
Still embarrassing after all these years
Still embarrassing after all these years
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- Published on March 25th, 2009
- Published on Febuary 6th, 2010
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Wayne Larsen
About a dozen years ago, Quebec found itself the laughingstock of North America when a 60 Minutes segment exposed the province's wacky language laws, with Morley Safer interviewing the proprietors of two Victoria Avenue business — the Bead Emporium and Café Victoria.
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Comments
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- Gerry Gray
- - February 17th, 2010 at 14:18:14
Well said Wayne, Please keep in mind the reason why we have theses laws in the first place is to support teh ant-american assimilation rule. If you want answers you must contact the Royals Wayne. Heads up, The Quebecoise pawns are doing their job perfectly, let things be please. Sir Gerald E. Gray
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- Chuck Price
- - February 17th, 2010 at 14:18:14
There's a reason why the OLF exists...remember the 50s? English-only signs everywhere even though the majority of the customers were french-speaking. English signs at work imposed by the management, etc, etc. Some miss those days but these days are over. There's nothing shameful to have watchdogs making sure that those who don't respect the 80% french-speakers in Quebec get reminded this is not the US. There's no more ban on English signs, but reminder must be sent to those who forget that they live with a majority of french speakers and that they are the minority in Quebec.
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- Gerry Gray
- - February 10th, 2010 at 12:55:41
Well said Wayne, Please keep in mind the reason why we have theses laws in the first place is to support teh ant-american assimilation rule. If you want answers you must contact the Royals Wayne. Heads up, The Quebecoise pawns are doing their job perfectly, let things be please. Sir Gerald E. Gray
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- Chuck Price
- - February 10th, 2010 at 12:55:41
There's a reason why the OLF exists...remember the 50s? English-only signs everywhere even though the majority of the customers were french-speaking. English signs at work imposed by the management, etc, etc. Some miss those days but these days are over. There's nothing shameful to have watchdogs making sure that those who don't respect the 80% french-speakers in Quebec get reminded this is not the US. There's no more ban on English signs, but reminder must be sent to those who forget that they live with a majority of french speakers and that they are the minority in Quebec.
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- Alex Smith
- - February 8th, 2010 at 11:15:17
North America's laughing stock, because of a tiny segment on 60 Minutes? C'mon, are you serious? Might as well add that we are now the northern hemisphere's laughing stock because a so-called "journalist" criticizes a long-standing bill that protects what he himself calls a "fundamental feature". Democracy, my friend. As a minority, you have to learn to live with it. It's also a legal right prescribed in the British North American Act. You're just like the typical American tourist who refuses to speak any language other than English wherever he goes. Learn to adapt.
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