Posted at 5:00 a.m.
The most discerning will have noticed that our section titles have been changed in recent days: we have replaced “Élections Québec” by “Élections québécoises”.
Or, should I rather write, “we were forced” to replace each other on all our platforms after I was sent last Wednesday the equivalent of a formal notice obliging us to make this change “as soon as possible”.
A formal notice to which we could not help but comply, reluctantly. Because you see, dear readers, we do not have the right during elections in Quebec to use the words “Elections” and “Quebec” in that order.
The authorities are afraid that you are confused…
Yes, the organization Élections Québec, which has the mandate to organize the consultations every four years, has the time to closely monitor the section titles of all the media in the midst of the election campaign.
“Quebec 2022” on TVA and Montreal Journal : it’s good.
“Provincial elections 2022” at Noovo: great.
“Quebec 2022 Elections” at To have to and at Radio-Canada: hum, it’s limited, but with the year, it’s OK.
Oh… “Élections Québec” at The Press !
Quick, a formal letter to put her on notice right away.
No phone call from Elections Quebec representatives. No discussion, no polite suggestion. Just an email of a few words that was sent to me on September 7 at 2:37 p.m. by the assistant director of the communications department: “Please read the attached documents. »
Documents in which the organization “asks us to adjust the title of the Elections Quebec section as soon as possible”. And this, in order to avoid “any confusion with [sa] social reason “.
And the organization goes so far as to suggest that we use “Provincial Elections 2022” instead. By adding a copy of the certificate from the trademark register which confirms the approval in 2018 of the expression born from the juxtaposition of the words Elections and Quebec…
This is how an organization whose mandate is to “inform voters” and “educate them about voting” targets an institution that produces content every day with the aim of enabling voters to exercise their right to vote in an informed manner. .
We agree: there is nothing serious about modifying our title. Most of you probably didn’t notice the change, by the way.
But I admit to wondering about the priorities of Élections Québec, which not only has the time and resources to hunt for titles, but which does so with astonishing zeal in the middle of an election campaign.
I know that Élections Québec has four years to prepare for D-Day, but the organization still has a lot to do once the political party buses have left the garage: supervising electoral activities, recruiting and training of electoral staff, reservation and preparation of polling stations, etc.
And in light of the starving participation rates of the last polls, it seems to me that Elections Quebec should focus its energies on mobilizing voters for the big night, right?
And despite this, he evokes the Trademark Law in order to create from scratch a problem that is not one, while attacking an unconditional ally of the democratic process.
Tell me frankly, dear readers, have any of you wondered if a single one of our articles came from Elections Quebec? Was there anyone who was confused when reading our content about the Quebec elections under the subtitle “Élections Québec”?
The last time I looked at the organization’s mission, it was to ensure the integrity and reliability of elections and to promote Quebec democratic values. Not to ensure the inviolability of its mark.