‘We’re in Quebec,’ responds Quebec City mayor about buskers forced to sing in French

A singer performs outside a café. (Lachlan Ross/pexels.com)

Quebec City Mayor Bruno Marchand says he was surprised that a pilot project demanding buskers sing only in French has received such intense criticism.

“We’re in Quebec City here,” the mayor tells Noovo Info. “It’s not everywhere. Those who are unhappy can go to other sites.”

In May, the city modified its regulations regarding public entertainers in the Petit Champlain area, particularly Félix-Leclerc Park and Place Royale.

Marchand says he was “flabbergasted” when opponents criticized the measure on the pretext that “English attracts tourists.”

“We are not subject to an Anglophone diktat,” he insisted. “Quebec City is French. We will embrace that. French is part of our culture.”

Quebec City officials note that the pilot project is a trial and does not prevent Indigenous artists from singing in their native language.