Montreal real estate broker fined $1,500 for English-language social media ad
A Montreal real estate broker has picked up a hefty fine for posting a social media ad in English only.
REMAX Broker Qiang Zhong said he was issued the ticket of $1,500 by the Office québécois de la langue française (OQLF) over the post, which advertised one of his properties.
Zhong said he didn’t mind picking up the bill. “I know the government just wants to promote the French language,” he said. “I don't have any personal emotion against this stuff.”
The fine came from a violation of Article 52 of Quebec’s French Charter, which states that, “catalogues, brochures, folders, commercial directories and any similar publications must be drawn up in French.”
The OQLF said it became aware of the infraction after a complaint on Oct. 23, 2019.
Zhong said he’s been working as a broker in Montreal for more than a decade after moving from China, where he’s used to navigating between languages: Mandarin, the official language of Mainlaind China, and Cantonese, which is also common in his home province of Guangdong.
He said he’s still connected with his home communities, and has helped several new Chinese immigrants find homes in Montreal. He said he also encourages newcomers to learn French -- the province’s official language.
“Even though I got the bill, I still love Montreal,” he said. “I could get double or triple the money in Toronto or Vancouver, but I want to stay here.”
He also said the ad brought prospective buyers to the REMAX website, which can be viewed in both French and English.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'They needed people inside Air Canada:' Police announce arrests in Pearson gold heist
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
House admonishes ArriveCan contractor in rare parliamentary show of power
MPs enacted an extraordinary, rarely used parliamentary power on Wednesday, summonsing an ArriveCan contractor to appear before the House of Commons where he was admonished publicly and forced to provide answers to the questions MPs said he'd previously evaded.
Leafs star Auston Matthews finishes season with 69 goals
Auston Matthews won't be joining the NHL's 70-goal club this season.
Trump lawyers say Stormy Daniels refused subpoena outside a Brooklyn bar, papers left 'at her feet'
Donald Trump's legal team says it tried serving Stormy Daniels a subpoena as she arrived for an event at a bar in Brooklyn last month, but the porn actor, who is expected to be a witness at the former president's criminal trial, refused to take it and walked away.
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
Doug Ford calls on Ontario Speaker to reverse Queen's Park keffiyeh ban
Ontario Premier Doug Ford is calling on Speaker Ted Arnott to reverse a ban on keffiyehs at Queen's Park, describing the move as “needlessly” divisive.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Woman who pressured boyfriend to kill his ex in 2000s granted absences from prison
A woman who pressured her boyfriend into killing his teenage ex more than a decade ago will be allowed to leave prison for weeks at a time.
Customers disappointed after email listing $60K Tim Hortons prize sent in error
Several Tim Horton’s customers are feeling great disappointment after being told by the company that an email stating they won a boat worth nearly $60,000 was sent in error.