"While we obsess over the legality of the language of signage, Montreal English speakers are taking the city, district by district, based on institutional bilingualism imposed on us by our cowardly politicians. They are laying the foundations of a future Anglophone metropolis in the heart of Quebec, dispossessed of it's native language."
Louis Prefontaine, Quebec language zealot
If ever there's a place where Anglos would flaunt the Quebec signage law, the one that forbids English from taking a predominant form on commercial signage, it would be in that bastion of Anglo arrogance, Westmount Square, the shopping mall that sits under the office and apartment complex on St. Catherine in the city of Westmount.
In my second instalment, I confidently confront the popular myth and urban legend that Montreal is going English in terms of commercial signage.
With my trusty IPhone camera I snapped a couple of photos before a grouchy security guard demanded to know what I was doing and ordered me to cease and desist when I told him the truth.
Notwithstanding, here's a photo montage of what I found. I swear to all the gods of journalistic integrity that I am reporting fairly. In fact, I made it a point to search out any illegal signs.
There's two types of signs in the mall, those placed by the management of the mall and thoses placed by the merchants. Let's start with the first category.
Hmmm. Not a lot of English here. What are all those old English biddy's to do. The English on the parking signs is so small, they probably need to learn French to understand what's going on....It's a plot!
By the way, the tiny "STOP" as opposed to the large "ARRET" is a perfect touch, demonstrating that language also trumps safety!
Now for the stores;
Nope , no big English scofflaws here, but I did try to find a sign that brazenly humiliated the the sign laws and after almost giving up the search, I found this pearl in the garage;
Call in the POLICE!!!!!!
