Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante is advocating for the end of the use of the colloquial and bilingual greeting of “bonjour-hi” by local merchants. Plante emphasized that Montreal is a francophone city and that the use of French-only greetings is important to maintain the city’s identity. A recent study by the Office Québécois de la Langue Française revealed that French-only greetings are on the decline in Montreal, with only 71 per cent of businesses using them in 2023, compared to 84 per cent in 2010.
The study also found that bilingual greetings such as “bonjour-hi” are on the rise in Montreal stores, accounting for 11.9 per cent of greetings last year, up from four per cent in 2010. Quebec’s minister for the French language, Jean-François Roberge, emphasized that French is the one and only official language in Quebec and that the use of bilingual greetings sends the wrong message about the province’s language policies. He expressed the importance of promoting the use of French in all interactions in the province.
While bilingual greetings are more common in Montreal, other urban areas in Quebec have lower rates of bilingual welcomes. For example, in Laval, Gatineau, and Quebec City, bilingual salutations accounted for nine per cent, 7.4 per cent, and 6.4 per cent of visits, respectively. Plante highlighted the importance of ensuring that all store employees in Quebec are fluent in French and encouraged business owners to provide employees with the necessary support and resources to learn the language.
Plante acknowledged that there are instances where local merchants in Montreal cannot speak French. In such cases, she emphasized the importance of business owners ensuring that their employees have access to language learning programs to improve their French proficiency. Plante reiterated that French is the only official language in Quebec and emphasized the need to maintain the use of French in all business interactions in the province.
The mayor’s comments come in response to the findings of a recent study on how shoppers are greeted in Montreal stores. The study revealed a decline in the use of French-only greetings and an increase in bilingual greetings like “bonjour-hi.” Plante’s advocacy for the use of French-only greetings aligns with the Quebec government’s language policies, which prioritize the promotion of the French language as the official language of the province.
Overall, the debate surrounding the use of bilingual greetings in Montreal reflects the broader discussion about language policies in Quebec. While there is a push to maintain French as the primary language in the province, the increasing diversity of languages spoken in Montreal poses challenges for language preservation efforts. The issue highlights the importance of promoting the use of French in all aspects of public life in Quebec, including business interactions and customer service.
