Quebec language watchdog orders café to make Instagram posts in French

Quebec's language office has ordered a café in Gatineau to post on Instagram in French or face consequences, but the owner plans to resist the directive.

Petites Gamines, a café and bakery in Hull run by a self-described "neurospicy woman," received a letter from the Office québécois de la langue française (OQLF) on Wednesday. The letter stated that a complaint had been filed regarding the café’s Instagram posts being in English and requested that future posts be in French.

"We are counting on you to take the necessary measures to comply with the law," the OQLF letter stated, warning of potential further action if more complaints are received.

'Kind of revolting'
In response, the café posted the OQLF’s letter on Instagram, commenting in English, "What in the Quebec fascism is going on."

Owner Gabrielle Sexton expressed her refusal to comply, explaining that the café operates in French, with signage and a Facebook page in French, but serves many anglophone customers due to its location near Ottawa.

"I find it kind of revolting that our government can make us comply for social media," Sexton told CBC. "Our demographic on Instagram is mostly anglophone ... like ninety percent of the people that follow us." Sexton noted that the café had been posting in English on Instagram for nine years without issue.

Quebec law requires public signs and commercial advertising to be primarily in French, though other languages can be included. Sexton, however, finds the law’s application to social media posts unclear and burdensome for small businesses.

The OQLF told CBC in a French-language statement that they had informed the café about the complaint process and clarified that legal action is not currently being pursued as the case is closed.

Using both languages 'right thing to do'
Whether social media posts fall under Quebec's language laws remains a grey area, according to Allen Mendelsohn, an internet law expert and professor at McGill University. He noted that the OQLF interprets social media posts as falling under the law, but no court has confirmed this interpretation.

Mendelsohn advised that promoting a business in both official languages is "the right thing to do" in Quebec. However, constitutional lawyer Michael Bergman criticized the OQLF's actions as excessive, stating that it’s difficult to see how the café’s English posts could harm the French language.

Sexton has since changed the café’s Instagram handle to "kleingorenmadchen" and has started posting in German.