More than 50% of Montreal businesses do not communicate exclusively in French in their interactions with customers, which demonstrates that there remains “a lot of work” to prevent the erosion of the language of Molière in the metropolis, says the City.
Published at 5:00 a.m.
“It’s a worrying statistic, that’s for sure. And it shows that we have to continue to work,” explains in an interview the person responsible for the French language on the executive committee and mayor of Rivière-des-Prairies–Pointe-aux-Trembles, Caroline Bourgeois.
Approximately 47% of Montreal businesses conduct their communications exclusively in French with their Quebec customers, according to a survey conducted last June by the firm BIP Research among 425 merchants, on behalf of the City, that The Press obtained under an access to information request.
Conversely, 43% of respondents say they do it in both French and English, 5% in English only and 5% in one or more other languages.
If she recognizes the problem, Mme Bourgeois nevertheless affirms that the fact of having conducted this survey “demonstrates that we are proactive and that we really want to work with the government on the notion of promoting French for doing business in Montreal.”
“There’s still a lot of work to do, clearly. But I think at the same time that several recent things that we have done in the City demonstrate that we do not sit back and watch the situation deteriorate,” continues the elected official, who names among other things the appointment of a commissioner to the French language and the creation of a Montreal committee on the French language.
Positive, too
Nevertheless, almost all (95%) of the survey respondents believe that French “constitutes an asset for Montreal”. The vast majority of them, in a proportion of 88%, also believe that it is important for customers to be greeted and served in French in a business.
The data is “encouraging,” says Caroline Bourgeois.
PHOTO DAVID BOILY, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
It reassures me that French is seen as a strength, and not as a constraint. And above all, it shows that the situation is not irreversible.
Caroline Bourgeois, responsible for the French language on the executive committee of the City of Montreal
However, only two thirds of entrepreneurs (68%) agree that adopting French constitutes a competitive advantage to stand out in your sector of activity. Barely more than half of them (54%) also believe that adopting French increases staff productivity.
When asked whether French could be more present as the operating language in their establishment, the merchants surveyed were divided: 48% were of the opinion that yes and 52% were of the opinion that no.
Towards an economic meeting?
The City says it is working on holding a “French Business Meeting,” an event that could be held next March, as part of Francophonie Month.
“We would do this with chambers of commerce, business development companies and businesses from everywhere, to ask ourselves clearly: how can we do business in French in Montreal? », explains Mme Bourgeois, maintaining that he wants to repeat the experience, if it goes well.
Last October, the president of the city’s French language committee, Louise Harel, called on the population “to shake this idea that everything is bad” when it comes to the French language in Montreal.
“This is the feeling that is the most widespread, but at the same time, I don’t see where it would lead us, this kind of resignation in the face of a kind of obligation to give up,” argued the former PQ minister. in the press scrum, however also mentioning “a change of direction, an important shift” to be made.
The final report of its committee recommends, among other things, that the City of Montreal set up an office of the French language and the Francophonie, to “prioritize the holding of activities and cultural events in French in municipal institutions and the ‘public space’, or even to ‘strengthen the representation of the City’ in major French-speaking events.
We also suggest that the Plante administration “develop three-year framework agreements” for funding with the Ministry of the French Language to promote French in the long term. This would break the logic of “project financing”, says M.me Harel.
With the collaboration of William Leclerc, The Press
