Quebec hobby shop wants exemption from French-language rule hurting business

A Quebec hobby shop chain says that the provincial French language laws are hurting business.

A Quebec, francophone-owned hobby store chain has decided to take on the province’s French-language watchdog, arguing its rare games might be forced off the shelves if something is not done.

Imaginaire is a large chain that specializes in all kinds of hobbies from Pokemon cards to collectible Matchbox cars to board games, its biggest seller.

Its largest competitor is the internet.

“The hardest part for a retailer these days is competing with the major American online retailers,” said manager Paul Labelle. “When we don’t have something, the first thing somebody is going to do is look online for it.”

Imaginaire and other hobby stores in Quebec have to deal with language laws, which state that each product needs bilingual labelling or a French-only equivalent version. If they do not, they lose sales to customers who simply buy them online.

“This is an example of a game that we would love to be able to offer in French,” said Labelle. “Unfortunately, the manufacturer doesn’t distribute in French. It hasn’t been translated and localized.”

For example, Imaginaire has a French and English version of Scrabble. However, if they sell out of the French version, the store would technically be breaking the law if it only had the English version on its shelves.

Owner Benoit Boyon finds the rule so restrictive that he launched an online campaign to change the law.

“I want to protect French,” he says (in French). “But not at the cost of the hobbies.”

Doyon and his son have gathered 14,000 signatures on petitions, mostly in Quebec.

There is precedent for their campaign. Books, music and video games are exempt from French content requirements.

“We’re not asking for the impossible, and we’re not asking to be the only one that’s going to be a part,” said Doyon. “We just want to jump in that group of exceptions.”

The French-language watchdog (OQLF) says the rules have always existed since Law 101 was passed in 1977, but that short of selling a French version, retailers must make sure that labels and instructions be made available in French.

For hobbyists, however, it’s a requirement that’s not always cost-effective.