Quebec’s language watchdog saw a seven-per-cent jump in language complaints last year, but fewer were about store service and signs.
There were 11,125 complaints filed in 2025-26, according to statistics published Thursday by the Office québécois de la langue française.
That’s 754 more than 2024-25, or a seven-per-cent jump.
Complaints have more than tripled since the Coalition Avenir Québec took office in 2018.
“The steady increase in the number of complaints over the past few years reflects the growing concern of Quebecers regarding their right to work, to be informed and to receive services in French,” the OQLF said in a statement.
In 2025-26, complaints from people who said they could not receive service in French remained the top category, but the number dropped.
Thirty-five per cent of complaints were about language of service, down from 40 per cent in 2024-25.
That appears to track with a 2025 inspection blitz of almost 1,000 stores in three commercial areas in and around Montreal. It found that 98 per cent of stores could provide French service.
The OQLF’s latest figures cover April 1, 2025, to March 31, 2026, with complaints alleging violations of the Charter of the French Language, commonly known as Bill 101.
The statistics show that fewer Quebecers contacted the OQLF about commercial signs.
Sixteen per cent of the complaints were sign-related, down from 18 per cent in 2024-25.
However, signage continues to be a flashpoint.
Last week, the OQLF sparked an uproar by telling Arthurs Nosh Bar, a St-Henri restaurant, to change its signage after receiving a complaint about its use of the Yiddish word “nosh.”
The language watchdog has said the restaurant’s current signage does not comply with a Quebec language law that stipulates that the French language must “clearly predominate.”
This week, Premier Christine Fréchette said she is exasperated by language controversies, suggesting “maybe we can improve the tone used by the OQLF.” Liberal Leader Charles Milliard also called for a “change of tone” by the OQLF.
Some complaint categories saw big jumps.
There were more reports filed about a lack of French in printed and online commercial material.
Thirty-three per cent of complaints were about documentation, up from 24 per cent.
The same trend showed up online: 28 per cent of complaints were about websites and social media, up from 19 per cent.
A majority of the complaints — 51 per cent — targeted businesses on Montreal Island, home to Quebec’s largest concentration of English-speakers and immigrants.
The other top sources of complaints were in the Montérégie (10 per cent) and Laval and Quebec City (six per cent).
Of the complaints filed during the latest period, 34 per cent led to the situation being corrected, while in 21 per cent of cases, the OQLF offered proactive guidance to the businesses in question.
Another 24 per cent of complaints were deemed unfounded or inadmissible.
The state of the French language is expected to be a key campaign issue in the Oct. 5 Quebec election.
Polls have found that francophone Quebecers are concerned about the future of French.
In a Léger survey published this week, 39 per cent of respondents said they wanted Quebec to reinforce language laws. Another 35 per cent wanted them maintained, and 21 per cent wanted them softened.
During the CAQ’s first full year in office, there were 3,665 complaints.
Under former premier François Legault, the province toughened the charter, encouraged Quebecers to file language complaints and allowed people to file them anonymously.
The government also more than doubled the OQLF’s annual budget to $49 million.
That has allowed the watchdog to handle the increase in complaints, conduct more inspections, and complete more undercover operations to check the language businesses use to greet and serve customers.
In the 2025 calendar year, Quebec courts have imposed $11,200 in fines on six businesses found guilty of language law violations, the OQLF says.
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A Montreal native, Andy Riga has been with The Gazette since 1991. He covers politics, language and other Quebec issues, and writes the On Quebec Politics newsletter. Montréalais d’origine, Andy Riga travaille au Montreal Gazette depuis 1991. Il couvre la politique, les enjeux linguistiques et d’autres sujets, et est responsable de l’infolettre On Quebec Politics.
ariga@postmedia.com