Quebec language watchdog received record number of complaints last year

People walk by a Quebec flag during a Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day event in Montreal, Friday, June 24, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes

Quebec's language watchdog received a record number of complaints from citizens last year and carried out an increasing number of inspections on employers.

The Office québécois de la langue française (OQLF) released its annual report on Tuesday, revealing that its staff logged 9,125 complaints in 2023-2024, the largest increase in a single year. It marks an increase of more than 32 per cent compared to the previous year and a jump of 154 per cent over the last five years.

The increase "reflects the population's growing concern about the protection of the French language and respect for its linguistic rights," the report stated.

"This was the third consecutive year in which the number of complaints reached a new high. In order to strengthen compliance with linguistic rights and obligations, the Office conducted major monitoring operations and carried out a greater number of inspections compared to the previous year," Dominique Malack, the OQLF's president and CEO, said in the report.

"It also continued its approach of supporting businesses to increase compliance with their francization obligations. In 2023–2024, the Office issued almost twice as many registration certificates and francization certificates as in the previous year."

With more complaints come more inspections, which increased by 40 per cent. Inspectors carried out 9,367 inspections, up from 6,673 from the previous year. Inspections are sparked by complaints but also from proactive monitoring throughout the year.

The OQLF, which employs 416 employees (up from 345 in 2022-2023), has also increased its budget in the last year. The language watchdog has a budget of nearly $42 million, which is a slight increase of $7 million year-over-year.

This year's annual report marked the first since the OQLF unveiled its 2023–2027 Strategic Plan, noting that all of its targets were met in the first year.