Above watch: The Quebec Court of Appeal has ruled the French Language Charter does not allow the province’s language watchdog to force companies to add a French component to their name. Caroline Plante has more.
QUEBEC — Premier Philippe Couillard is not excluding the possibility of tightening Quebec’s language law to force major retailers to include French wording in their commercial trademark English names.
READ MORE: Quebec language police target English retail websites
The Quebec Court of Appeal ruled earlier this week the French Language Charter does not allow the province’s language watchdog to force companies such as Best Buy, Old Navy and Curves to add a French component to their name.
Couillard’s government appealed an April 2014 lower-court ruling that was in favour of the companies.
READ MORE: Quebec Superior Court upholds Bill 101
The Opposition Parti Québécois urged the premier in the national assembly today to amend Bill 101 immediately to fix the loopholes.
Couillard replied such a scenario has not been excluded but he wants to analyze the appeals court judgement before deciding on a course of action.
READ MORE: Big businesses head to court against Quebec government over French signs
Several multinationals originally took the province to court after they were told by the language watchdog to change their names or risk running afoul of the rules governing the language of business in the province.
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