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French language complaints in Quebec hit record high, OQLF says

Montreal

Quebec’s language watchdog, the Office québécois de la langue française, released its latest annual numbers on Thursday. The OQLF says it received 11,125 complaints between April 1, 2025 and March 31 of this year, which is up seven per cent from the previous year.

Quebec’s language watchdog reports 11,125 compaints in 2025-26

CBC News · Posted: Jun 18, 2026 9:13 AM EDT | Last Updated: June 19

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The number of complaints received in 2025-26 represents an increase of seven per cent over the previous year. (Fauchon Aubry/Radio-Canada)

The number of language complaints in Quebec is on the rise.

The Office québécois de la langue française (OQLF) says it received 11,125 complaints between April 1, 2025, and March 31 of this year.

The language watchdog says that is a record total and an increase of seven per cent from the previous year.

“The constant increase in the number of complaints in the last few years is an indication of Quebecers’ growing concern when it comes to their right to work, be informed and receive services in French,” reads a statement from the OQLF.

The OQLF says 51 per cent of the complaints came from people in the Montreal region.

It released a breakdown of the most recurring complaints:

  • Language of service (35 per cent).
  • Business communications, including publications online or on social media (33 per cent).
  • Language in signage (16 per cent).
  • Language used on products (six per cent).
  • Language used at work (five per cent).

More than half of the complaints were aimed at businesses in the Montreal region.

The remaining complaints concerned businesses in the Montérégie, Outaouais and Capitale-Nationale regions as well as Laval.

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