Quebec’s language police are getting a surge of complaints and most of them are in Montreal

If you feel like you’ve been hearing more about Quebec’s language watchdog lately, it’s because they’ve been busy.

The Office québécois de la langue française received 11,125 complaints between April 1, 2025 and March 31, 2026, according to newly published data on the OQLF’s website. That accounts for a 7% jump from the 10,371 complaints filed the previous year, and it continues a trend the organization has been tracking for a few years now.

“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 press release.

More than half of those complaints were aimed at businesses in the Montreal area, which accounted for 51% of the total. Montérégie followed at 10%, then Outaouais at 9%, with Capitale-Nationale and Laval each at 6%.

As for what people are actually complaining about, the language of service was the most common grievance at 35%. Commercial documentation, including what businesses post on websites and social media, came in at 33%. Public and commercial signage accounted for 16%, product labelling for 6%, and workplace language for 5%.

Social media and online content, has been one of the more contentious areas of Quebec’s language laws. Earlier this year, Lahmajoune Villeray, an Armenian bakery that has been serving the Villeray neighbourhood for over 40 years, received a formal OQLF complaint notice over the language used on its TikTok page.

The case drew widespread attention and strong public pushback, with both francophones and anglophones rallying behind the business.

More recently, Arthur’s Nosh Bar, a restaurant on Notre-Dame Street West in Montreal, was flagged by the OQLF over the Yiddish word “nosh” written on its window. The local breakfast spot has commented on the incident multiple times over the past few weeks, even launching a new piece of merch based on the fiasco.

The agency’s position is that French must occupy twice as much space as any other language visible on public signs.

The complaint surge comes four years after Quebec adopted Bill 96, which strengthened the Charter of the French Language and expanded requirements for the use of French across public administration and workplaces.

When a complaint is found valid, the OQLF works with the business to implement changes. According to the organization, companies have followed through in 95% of cases.