Stop signs in the Town of Mont-Royal were plastered with stickers of the French word “Arrêt” in an act of defiance over the weekend.
A separatist political youth group known as Nouvelle Alliance has taken responsibility for the act of vandalism, calling for an end to the “systematic use” of English signs in Anglophone communities.
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In a Facebook post, the political youth group said activists went to “remind the Town of Mont-Royal that it is not a linguistic enclave cut off from the rest of Quebec.”
“The signage has been Frenchified by us.”
Some 20 stop signs were covered, according to the town officials.
Work crews spent the whole day Monday removing the French stickers from the signage.
Looking at the photos of the incident that took place Saturday, it appears three individuals are responsible.
Despite the separatist group flaunting their actions, Montreal police confirm no investigation has been launched into the acts.
Director General Ava Couch said the town did not file any complaints with authorities and did not see a need to do so.
“It is to be noted that signs with the mention ‘Stop’ are in conformity with the Gouvernement du Québec guidelines for road signage and are also recognized as accepted signage by the Office québécois de la langue française,” Couch said.
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According to the regulations on road signs in Quebec, both the French “Arrêt” and English version of the iconic red sign are permitted.
In fact, English-written stop signs are recognized internationally.
The group recognized that English signs are permitted but argued the town needs to change them to resemble those in the rest of Quebec.
“If the designations ‘Arrêt’ and ‘Stop’ are on an equal footing and are equivalent to each other, why not fall back on the first, as the vast majority of Quebec municipalities do,” the posting reads.
“It is necessary to look beyond the simple function of the object and the word: it’s the social dimension that is in question here, as well as what it reveals.”
Resident Raonull Conoper said he didn’t noticed the change over the weekend but added he didn’t see the need because the sign is obvious.
“It’s not really confusing. Actually, I don’t think I acknowledged that it was either way. To be honest, I see a big red sign, I stop,” Conoper said.
Quebec’s minister responsible for the French language condemned the group’s actions on Tuesday.
“The law says you have a choice and each citizen needs to respect the law,” Simon Jolin-Barrette said.
Quebec’s Language minister, Barrette condemned the groups actions while defending English signage.
“The law says you have a choice and each citizen need to respect the law. We don’t accept vandalism,” Barrette said.
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