A specter haunts Quebec: in June 2025, on all commercial storefronts, almost everything that is readable will have to be, two-thirds, in French. Other languages, including the most invasive, will no longer be able to have the lion’s share. Except for those who chose a proper name as their commercial emblem — Tim Hortons, McDonald’s, Reitmans. An English designation, such as Holiday Inn, must be surrounded by words taken from Vigneault’s language cumulatively twice as imposing. For Holiday Inn are available: running water, heating included, color TV and water bed on request.
If you had the impression that the two-thirds/one-third rule had been in effect since Robert Bourassa, so for almost 30 years, you are missing the point. This ratio specifically excluded, almost in all cases, the trademark. And at the last count, there were still 22% of Montreal commercial facades that did not comply with this already lax requirement.
The recovery effort required by Quebec from small and large businesses is therefore considerable. And is greeted with loud ritual cries in this matter. The Employers’ Council (CPQ) asks the central question: “Is this a reasonable way to strengthen the French language in Quebec or ensure its protection?” The CPQ believes no. » The council led by Karl Blackburn is calling for postponements, reductions and exceptions. (Challenge to readers and researchers: find a case where the CPQ demanded, applauded or simply did not oppose a language requirement imposed on businesses.)
At the CBC, last month, journalist Isaac Olson deployed great graphic creativity to show us what Canadian Tire should do to comply with Quebec’s new language fad: above its giant sign, it should place the word “store” twice as large. This is obviously false, because if the other inscriptions on its facade are monolingual French and cumulatively take up twice the name space, its business is ketchup.
But let’s focus on this case for a moment. There is another solution: change the name for the French-speaking territory. It’s not legally required, but it’s not prohibited. Certainly, when we imagined a name as rich and impactful as “Canadian Tire” for a business that does not only sell tires (and not only Canadian tires), we hold on to it like the apple of our eye. And if we had to translate it as “Canadian tire”, the mediocrity of the original choice would burst our eyes, that’s for sure.
But did you know that, in a stroke of marketing genius otherwise unimaginable, Staples decided that it would be more successful with its Franco-Quebec clientele by renaming itself here Bureau en gros. Were they right? A Léger survey just published by the Association of Business Development Companies of Montreal offers a clear answer. French-speaking Montrealers choose their retail businesses first for the prices (18%), then for “the welcome, displays and service in French” (13%). My father was a grocer: if he had been offered a simple way to increase his market share — even if only by 5% — by attracting a potential additional customer base of 13%, he would have jumped at the opportunity.
We can even surreptitiously seduce ourselves with this linguistic makeup. I have the weakness to admit that until very recently, I thought that L’Équipeur was Quebecois, given the local flavor that its name exudes. Nenni, this is the French delicacy brought to us by the Canadian chain Mark’s. (Another disturbing discovery: the popular P’tit Québec cheeses are all made in Ontario.)
Take the example of Toys “R” Us. How much did its owners pay a communications agency to come up with an understandable and attractive name for all English toddlers aged 5 and over? And how did they not understand that they were depriving themselves of this asset by not having it translated for young French speakers? They have an expression for that at HEC: market failure (market failure). This is when the invisible hand of the market, which is supposed to be led towards good business decisions, is also blinded by its cultural bias.
It happens that public authorities must come to the rescue of these invisible blind people to enable them to… become richer. This is what the most left-wing of our Ministers of Culture, Gérald Godin, did by forcing the major American studios in the early 1980s to present their films in French in Quebec on the day of their release in English. The representative of the majors Jack Valenti, with his legendary bad temper, asserted that it was impossible, that the Quebec market was too small anyway. It was after the first part of the Star wars, and Valenti threatened to deprive us of the sequel. But his accountants discovered that if you think about it, French dubbing wouldn’t be that complicated to insert into post-production. The big studios have bowed to Godin. Their films have increased their market share in Quebec, and therefore their profits.
Today, we are told that it will be absolutely impossible to translate the instructions on household appliances into French, especially when they are engraved on the device. The international trademark lobby warns us: don’t you think about it? These things are molded, in an immutable production line (except every six months for new models, but let’s move on). It’s clear, they will stop selling their products with us.
We have already, literally, starred in this film. If Gérald Godin managed to convince Darth Vader, I think we can make the Maytag repairman bend.