Another Montreal restaurant gets letter from OQLF over English stickers

At least two Montreal restaurants have received letters this week from Quebec's French language watchdog over English stickers posted near their front doors.

The Office québécois de la langue française says the stickers, which advertise Interac and TripAdvisor, contravene the French Language Charter.

"I started laughing when I received the letter because I found it very, very funny that we're spending the time, the energy, on a thing like this," Imad Nabwani, owner of Le Pois Penché, said Friday.

He is the second business owner to come forward this week about a warning letter from the OQLF.

I don't know how an inspector could come and take the time and go through every door in the city.- Imad Nabwani

Owners of The Burgundy Lion pub in Little Burgundy received a letter as well, for a "Recommended by Trip Advisor" sticker in their front window.

In Nabwani's case, he opted to remove the stickers, which say "Say Yes to Interac" and "Recommended by Trip Advisor." 

He says he's more concerned with promoting his business and that, prior to receiving the letter, he didn't notice the stickers were in English.

"I own the place, and I never noticed that this is how it's written," he said.

"I don't know how an inspector could come and take the time and go through every door in the city."

The OQLF letter included links to websites where French-language versions of the stickers can be ordered — something Nabwani says he'll consider.

'The sticker's staying'

Paul Desbaillets, co-owner of the Burgundy Lion, said Friday he has no intention of taking his Trip Advisor sticker down.

"The sticker's staying," he said.

However, fellow co-owner Toby Lyle said later in the day he had ordered the French version and will stick it beside the English one.

For his part, Desbaillets stressed that he's always cooperated with the language laws. He says creating an issue out of the sticker crosses a line.

"We're all very proud Quebecers," he said, "but this is such an extreme waste of taxpayers dollars."

The letters did not include deadlines for the stickers to be removed.

In a Facebook post on Friday, Lyle tried to clarify his pub's position after receiving messages and emails suggesting "we may have an issue with the French language and that is simply not the case."

"My issue with the letter from the OQLF was less the subject matter and more the massive waste of taxpayer money and time," he wrote. 

"If we had received a French only sticker, we would have treated it in exactly the same manner and posted it in the same place."