A well-known Armenian bakery in Montreal’s Villeray neighbourhood says it was shocked to receive a notice from Quebec’s language watchdog over the use of English in its social media videos.
Lamajoune Villeray Bakery, a family-run business operating for 40 years, recently received a letter from the Office québécois de la langue française (OQLF) stating that videos posted to TikTok contained too much English and did not comply with the province’s French language charter.
The charter requires that French be the predominant language in commercial communications, including online content.
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“All the family was obviously shocked. We couldn’t believe that we had received this kind of letter,” said Charbel Hannan, who runs the bakery alongside his parents.
Hannan said the family has always aimed to serve its clientele in French and English and never intended to diminish the role of French.
“Our point was never to undervalue French. We are Québécois, let’s not forget this — we are a Québécois company,” he said, adding that the bakery has already been producing content in both languages.
In a statement, the OQLF said English content on social media is permitted, but the amount of French content must be equivalent.
The bakery, known for its homemade Armenian specialties, says it respects its French-speaking customers. One client interviewed in the shop said she had never seen the bakery’s social media content but has always been served in French.
Since news of the notice became public, Hannan said the business has received an outpouring of community support.
He added that the bakery’s social media views have grown significantly in recent days as more people learn about the family business and its story.
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