MONTREAL – New rules took effect in Quebec on Sunday requiring French to be the dominant language on store signs and imposing stricter guidelines for product packaging.
The changes are part of Quebec’s 2022 overhaul of its French-language law, known as Bill 96, which the government said was essential to protect French in the province.
The new rules came into force on June 1 despite a request from business groups to extend the deadline for companies to comply. They say businesses haven’t been given enough time to make changes that can be onerous and costly.
Here are five things to know about the latest language regulations.
French must be “markedly predominant” on store signs
Under the new rules, French must take up twice as much space as other languages on store signs and commercial advertising. That means stores with English names, like Canadian Tire, Best Buy and Second Cup will have to include generic terms or descriptions in French on their storefronts that take up two thirds of the space devoted to text.
Michel Rochette, Quebec president of the Retail Council of Canada, said businesses must ensure they’re complying with municipal bylaws and landlords’ requirements when changing their storefronts, which can be time-consuming.
“They want to comply with the rules. It’s not a question of willingness,” he said. “It’s a question of capacity and authorization.”
But last week, French-language Minister Jean-François Roberge said many companies have already updated their signs, and pointed specifically to food retailer Bulk Barn as being largely in compliance. “It’s possible to do it,” he said.
Product packaging rules have been tightened
Labels on product packaging must already be translated into French. But there’s an exception for trademarks in other languages, which don’t have to be translated.
The latest regulations take aim at generic terms sometimes included in trademarks, like “lavender and shea butter” hand soap, for example. Those descriptive terms will now have to be translated as well.
This particular rule caused the U.S. government to list Bill 96 as a trade irritant earlier this year.
Rochette said if global suppliers choose not to modify their labelling to comply with the rule, Quebec businesses won’t be able to stock those products and could lose customers to online retailers. “So this is really frustrating for many of them,” he said.
Smaller businesses must register with language watchdog
Quebec already requires businesses with 50 or more employees to undergo a “francization” process to ensure French is the dominant language in the workplace. That requirement is now being extended to companies with 25 to 49 employees.
The businesses must register with Quebec’s language watchdog, the Office québécois de la langue française. François Vincent, Quebec vice president of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, said the majority of small businesses in the province already operate in French.
“We’re going to ask small entrepreneurs … to fill out paperwork, only to be told that everything is fine,” he said.
Fines can reach $30,000 a day
Businesses in violation of the new rules can be fined $3,000 to $30,000 per day for a first infraction, and up to $90,000 per day for a third offence.
“This can lead to huge fines,” Vincent said.
However, Roberge has said the language office won’t be looking to slap immediate fines on non-compliant businesses, as long as they’re taking steps to fix the problem.
Business groups asked for more time
Rochette and Vincent issued an open letter last week asking for an extension from the Quebec government. They say the province had promised companies would have three years to adapt to the new rules. Bill 96 became law in 2022, but the final version of these regulations was only published in June 2024.
The government confirmed Friday that the regulations would take effect on June 1, as planned. “In one year, there’s time to do a lot of things,” Roberge said earlier in the week.
“We are disappointed because we thought it was important to give more time for business owners to comply,” said Vincent. “These are complex rules that will create more red tape and more costs for small businesses.”
Jean-Philippe Mikus, an intellectual property lawyer, said there will likely be legal challenges around the interpretation of the new rules.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 1, 2025.
