A fine of $ 1,500 for posting in English

Restaurant Deli 365 was found guilty of violating the Charter of the French Language for posting commercial advertising exclusively in English. He will have to pay a fine of $ 1,500.

Located in the Mile-End, the Deli 365 restaurant had been the subject of a complaint to theOffice québécois de la langue française (OQLF) in 2019 for advertising and posting in English only.

“Article 58 of the Charter of the French language provides that public display, such as a sign on the exterior facade of a business, and commercial advertising, such as an inscription on a display or on a vehicle, must be made in French, ”recalls the OQLF in a press release.

“They can also be both in French and in another language provided that French is clearly predominant,” he explains.

A recalcitrant restaurant

After noting this breach of the law during an on-site inspection, the OQLF tried in vain to contact the owner of the establishment to encourage him to correct the situation.

“Despite the many exchanges and communications and despite the solutions proposed, the company did not comply,” explains Chantal Bouchard, spokesperson for the OQLF.

The office, whose role is to ensure respect for the Charter of the French language, then noted the violation on May 22, 2019 and forwarded the file to the Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions. It was the latter who found the restaurant guilty and who is now fining it $ 1,500.

“Our objective is to guarantee the presence of French in the linguistic landscape and not to punish businesses,” emphasizes Ms. Bouchard. Companies are also working closely with us in this regard. ”

Almost 98% of them comply with the rule after their expansions with the OQLF, she adds. The OQLF will also follow up with the restaurant to see if the situation is still the same today and propose solutions if necessary.

At the time of posting this article, the restaurant owner had not responded to our interview requests.