Battle brewing over bilingual signs in Moncton

MONCTON, N.B. – A protest in front of Moncton’s city hall this week shows there are dual sides to a bilingual signage debate in this East Coast city.

Barry Renouf, an English-speaking business owner who is opposed to a bilingual signage bylaw, participated in a small demonstration Monday before presenting some strong words to city council.

"In no way does the municipality have the right to force language on a business owner," he said. "Basically this is bigotry against my English company in the city of Moncton."

Council was asked to draft such a bylaw last month by a provincial group that pushes for bilingual signs.

"This is an attack on our rights," said Renouf, who also said he is being subjected to "harassment" and threatening phone calls, some of which ask whether he speaks French.

"They’re trying to drive me out of the city," he said. "I’m being threatened. I’m being called and harassed on the phone."

The neighbouring community of Dieppe recently passed a bylaw obligating all new businesses, and existing businesses needing new signs, to advertise in both English and French. When the bylaw passed unanimously on May 26, pressure for the Moncton council to decide on a similar movement was stepped up.

Renouf called Dieppe’s decision "unconstitutional" and said a group of citizens was getting organized to challenge it in court.

"We’re getting a group together that’s going to take care of that . . . going to court," Renouf said, adding he would organize a similar court challenge against Moncton if the city were to pass the suggested bylaw.

Earlier Monday, advocates of the proposal – the Front commun pour l’affichage bilingue au Nouveau-Brunswick – had sent a memo to city council, "proposing the establishment, by the City of Moncton, of an experts’ committee in charge of studying the effects and feasibility of a bilingual sign bylaw."

But no bylaw has yet been drafted, nor is there much indication that the City of Moncton will have a chance to debate one.

"This council will take a reasonable, consultative approach," Mayor George LeBlanc said at Monday’s council meeting. Added Coun. Nancy Hoar: "The city does not belong in the boardrooms of our businesses."

Renouf, whose presentation was applauded by an audience of about a dozen people, also suggested that Quebec will separate from Canada within five years and "there will be no more need for the Official Languages Act."

He stated he believes the New Brunswick Acadian Society may be interested in separating as well because the group met with Bloc Quebecois leader Gilles Duceppe in April.

Renouf is a member of the Moncton-based Facebook group "Canadians Against Forced Bilingualism."