Some business owners say implementing these rules will be costly and nightmarish.
This text is a translation of an article from CTV News.
Businesses across the province spent millions of dollars adjusting their signs in 2019 and, five years later, are having to start all over again.
“Until now, the rules required that French signage be much larger, and now it must be twice as large,” lamented Michel Rochette, president of the Canadian Retail Council in Quebec.
“For certain banners, the changes may consist of a width of a few centimeters, but it will cost them millions of dollars because these changes must be applied to the whole of Quebec,” he said.
The rule must be applied to all companies whose language is not French.
Caffe Mille Gusti owner Joe Scalia is moving forward with the required changes and trying to look on the bright side.
“It’s an Italian name in an Italian cafe,” he explains. “It’s a little frustrating, but I’m trying not to let it get to me. I’m trying to be optimistic.”
Mr. Scalia said he does not yet know how much it will cost him, or what exactly it will look like, but he has the right person for the job and is confident in his abilities.
“Jonathan Rheault,” Mr. Scalia said. “He does all the signage for the café. I always tell him he has carte blanche. I’m sure he’ll please me, and as far as the laws and rules go, he’ll follow them, for sure.”
Isabelle Jomphe, an intellectual property expert, believes that the wording of the law is vague.
“Some rules are open to interpretation,” the lawyer criticized. “So we have to advise our clients to make sure they are complying with the law to the best of our knowledge and interpretation.”
She advises clients on everything from product labeling to websites to commercial signage, ensuring all bases are covered.
She adds that there is at least some relief for retailers who will not be required to have markings and devices engraved in French for the time being.
“So, at the moment, companies do not have to worry about translating these prints, which can be very expensive and demanding,” she added.
Although some questions remain unanswered, businesses still have 11 months to comply with the various rules of Bill 96.
