OQLF to send observers to Quebec businesses to monitor French service

Businesses across several Quebec cities will soon receive anonymous visits from observers evaluating whether customers can receive service in French.

The initiative, led by Quebec’s language watchdog, the Office québécois de la langue française (OQLF), is part of a research study designed to measure the availability of French as a language of service in everyday commercial interactions.

English-speaking community group raises concerns

Representing the English-speaking community, Talking, Advocating, Living in Québec (TALQ) has raised questions about the OQLF study and its potential impact on small businesses in English-speaking areas. Eva Ludvig, president of TALQ, said the focus on these areas could create unnecessary pressure.

“We worry about the impact on our small businesses, the mom-and-pop businesses, who are there to make a living. Many of them are run, like in immigrant areas, by immigrants themselves; they know their clientele, they’re used to dealing with them.”