The Quebec authorities says it should ask the province’s language watchdog to research after the chief of the Parti Québécois complained a few lack of French on a QMJHL group’s playoff garb.
On Wednesday night time, PQ Chief Paul St-Pierre Plamondon complained on X, previously Twitter, about T-shirts and hoodies studying “Gilles-Courteau Trophy playoffs” worn by gamers from the Drummondville Voltigeurs. The Gilles-Courteau Trophy is awarded to the group that win’s the league championship.
St-Pierre Plamondon posted a second picture that confirmed gamers with the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League’s Chicoutimi Saguenéens in a room with slogans behind them written in English.
“The QMJHL is the QUEBEC league liable for the event of our younger Quebec gamers. Its widespread and official language needs to be French,” he wrote.
On Thursday, French Language Minister Jean-François Roberge stated it is not sensible for Quebec groups to have unilingual English on their shirts or of their locker rooms.
“I feel that this doesn’t respect — on the very least — the precept of the regulation,” Roberge instructed reporters in Quebec Metropolis, including he supposed to file a grievance later within the day. The province’s language regulation declares that French is the official language of Quebec and “the one widespread language of the Quebec nation.”
Sports activities Minister Isabelle Charest stated she did not have the power to impose French on a non-public league, however referred to as on it to behave in good religion. “We’re in Quebec and we wish our younger gamers to talk French,” Charest stated.
The Quebec Maritime Junior Hockey League stated on Wednesday that it has raised the matter of the English-only shirts with the Drummondville group. It chalked the matter as much as a human error, including that the shirts ought to have, on the very least, been bilingual.
In an announcement, the Drummondville Voltigeurs group stated new clothes was being ordered and could be distributed to gamers.
“French has and can at all times be of capital significance in our group,” stated David Boies, director of operations. Inner communications, social media posts, and engagement with followers and companions are carried out solely in French, however because the group is a part of league that operates in 4 province, in some circumstances interactions with gamers and signage is in English, he added.
The 18-team league, which incorporates six groups primarily based in Atlantic Canada, not too long ago added the phrase Maritime to its identify.
Raphaël Doucet, a spokesman for the league, famous that its gamers come from all around the world and English is commonly used to speak with them. The league can also be tasked with making ready gamers to play professionally, the place English is the predominant language.
“We should due to this fact immerse them in an surroundings much like that of the leagues wherein they dream of taking part in,” Doucet wrote in a response to St-Pierre Plamondon on X on Wednesday.
However on Thursday the league launched a stronger assertion, saying it did not know the Voltigeurs had made group shirts in English solely. “As quickly because the league was knowledgeable, it requested the Voltigeurs to rectify the state of affairs, which will probably be carried out.”
The assertion stated French is the “official language” of the league, noting that “every little thing occurs in French at QMJHL headquarters.” It stated the league will remind its 12 Quebec groups of “the significance of French of their each day operations.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first revealed March 28, 2024.
