A video published by the Montreal team of the Professional Women’s Hockey League (LPHF) provokes reactions due to the lack of French in it.
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In the Facebook post, we can see the athletes of the LPHF Montreal, one of the six teams in the women’s hockey league, receiving their jerseys for the next season.
The team’s head coach, Kori Cheverie, leads the discussion with the players, “in English”.
The only version of the promotional video was published in English, while small French subtitles were inserted at the bottom of the 45-second extract.
The posting of the extract, filmed at the summit of Mount Royal, sparked its share of reactions on social networks.
“The insensitivity of this organization towards French speakers is very disappointing,” the Équipe-Québec Foundation said on its X account.
TVA News /
“I don’t know who takes care of marketing in this team, but sending a video in English with small French subtitles is a mistake that even the major Montreal clubs don’t make. Really ordinary,” added radio host Patrick Marsolais.
Questioned by TVA Nouvelles on the controversy affecting the team whose captain is Marie-Phillip Poulin, passers-by denounced, among other things, a “lack of tact”.
“In Quebec, it’s at least in French and English,” said one man.
“In Quebec, we know that the French language is essential,” admits a motorist, adding that the English video allows it to be understood by Anglo-Canadians.
The president of the French Imperative movement, in an interview on LCN, denounced a “sign of aggression” against Quebecers.
“It’s against our vision of the future. It’s a gesture that deserves to be described as violent,” said Jean-Paul Perrault.
“They’re unbelievable […] those responsible for this deserve to be punished, deserve to be called to order in the public square […] This calls for an apology from this team.
The Bloc Québécois spokesperson for official languages, Mario Beaulieu, implores the sports organization to respect the use of French in its publications on social networks.
“It’s unacceptable, it’s really clumsy of them […] We are happy to have a new professional women’s hockey team, but respect for French is essential,” he said.