Quebec’s language protection office conducted nearly 10,000 inspections in the past year as part of the province’s ongoing efforts to enforce its language legislation. A total of 9,813 inspections were carried out between April 1, 2024, and March 31, 2025, marking a 47% increase compared to the previous period of 2022 and 2023. These details were disclosed in the latest annual report released by the office this week.
The surge in inspections was driven by a record number of complaints received by the office and its proactive monitoring initiatives. Over the specified period, the office received a total of 10,371 complaints, showing a nearly 14% rise from the previous year and a substantial 140% increase from five years ago, according to the language watchdog’s data.
The report highlighted that the heightened number of complaints reflects a growing public concern for preserving the French language and ensuring linguistic rights are respected. Most complaints were related to instances where French was not used in customer service or prominently displayed in commercial websites and signage.
Approximately 94% of the complaints led to corrective actions by the non-compliant businesses. The report noted a notable increase in complaints concerning the absence of French language use by staff in retail establishments and public services, constituting 40% of all reported issues, a significant rise from five years ago when it comprised just 25% of complaints.
Furthermore, the office’s expenses amounted to $49 million in the past year, representing a substantial increase compared to the previous fiscal year. The surge in expenses primarily focused on managing complaints and ensuring businesses adhered to the updated language legislation in Quebec.
The language watchdog emphasized its continued emphasis on surveillance activities. A comprehensive operation targeting businesses in the greater Montreal area is ongoing, with a goal of conducting 1,200 inspections by March 31, 2026, in response to the new requirements introduced earlier this year. These requirements mandate that French occupies double the space of other languages on storefront signs and advertisements.
The updated language law also stipulates new guidelines for incorporating French in product packaging and requires businesses with a minimum of 25 employees to use French as the primary language in the workplace, a change from the previous threshold of 50 employees. As of March 31, a total of 14,366 businesses in Quebec had registered with the language watchdog for the francization process, indicating an increase from the previous year.
Businesses found violating Quebec’s language legislation face fines ranging from $3,000 to $30,000 per day for initial infractions, escalating up to $90,000 per day for subsequent offenses.