Fined for speaking English - Pending Quebec Language Law

My mother works and runs a retail store in Quebec, she is french. A couple of her employees were approached by customers who over heard them speaking english to each other. They told them that they shouldn't be speaking english and that a new law is going to be passed that would fine them if they get caught speaking any other language besides french in the work place.

This law apparently is pending. If any posters now any information on it , please post.

And how would that work for businesses catering to English speaking tourists?

Can you spell Isolationists?

Hasnt it been like that in Quebec for a while. Not neccesarily with speaking English but with signs and all that. And of course the infamous parrort homicide that was commited by the language police. Looks like it might just be Quebecs little way of saying hey, we only speak french, so you dont want us sticking around if you have no chance of understanding us.

I think someone is pulling your leg. Come on do you really believe this?

As a Quebecer and a former buiness operator I would not be suprised. I have not heard first hand about this but I am going to do some checking on it.

I have some stories about my dealings with the french language police the would get blood pressure dangerously high. Also the sort of thing simmilar to the story told here. It is easy to have these things passed of as incredible by those in the rest of canada. I have also been told by those that would dismiss me that I am exagerating the story.

The language office is suposed to be in place to promote the french language & culture. It is my opinion that by fineing others for their own they foster an anger and unease in the public the fuels seperation. This is done in a number of ways. First by story like this that anger people in the rest of canada and cause us all to throw our collective hands up in discust and say "let them go their own way if thats how they think". Secondly to anger the non-fracophone population of quebec to move out and make the margen closer for the next referendum. Finaly it insites the separatist extreamists in to frenzy mode.

Totally untrue.

Bill 101 says that any signs must be in french and that you should be able to be served in french.

But there's nothing like being fined for SPEAKING in english.

And there's no law pending on that matter. Nothing like that would pass.

From what I understand from Bodah's story it is not sevice to customers that is at issue but, the day to day operation of business between empolyer and employee, as well as any operation beetween co-workers. This is just the sort of thing that would not suprise me about the working minds of quebec language legislaters. As I said I have no knowledge of this in current law but I will be diong some research.

We are talking about a commerce here.

From what I understand from Bodah's story it is not sevice to customers that is at issue but, the day to day operation of business between empolyer and employee, as well as any operation between co-workers. This is just the sort of thing that would not suprise me about the working minds of quebec language legislaters. As I said I have no knowledge of this in current law but I will be diong some research.

They can not enforce such a law but that can not stop them from putting such a law in place. Then it would only take one case to be investigated by the regie then an exaple made of some company. Then the usual media sound and fury and that all that is needed.

Jaded view? You bet, I have seen it over & over & over for decades in quebec, and don't say quebecers haven't as well. Most of the new the day to day issues in quebec do not even get coverage in the rest of canada. It's one of those issues the the rest of canada just does not hear about unless things get either realy nasty or silly. The two solitudes thing is not just a saying, its very true!

I find that Quebec reaks of arrogance. Their way or the highway. The stuff that happens there drives me mental! In some ways I wish they would just seperate allready. But that would make them happy and in turn make my unhappy. The problem is that Canada allows a seperatist party on a federal level. Sorry got off topic. Cheers.