Moncton pressured for bilingual sign bylaw
Pressure is growing on Moncton to implement a bilingual commercial sign bylaw in the city, similar to its neighbouring Dieppe.
The two southeastern New Brunswick cities form a retail hub that attracts tourists from across the Maritime provinces.
Both cities have also come under fire from citizens for the lack of bilingual commercial signs.
Dieppe passed a bylaw in May that all commercial signs must be in French and English. Now the group that lobbied Dieppe to impose the sign bylaw is pushing Moncton to follow suit.
Martin Leblanc-Rioux, who started the Dieppe sign bylaw push with a 4,000-person petition in January 2009, said Moncton declared itself officially bilingual in 2002 and now it has to do something about the fact that 80 per cent of all commercial signs are only in English.
'Bilingual signage would distinguish Moncton as an inclusive and diverse community, reinforcing Moncton's image as the perfect example that Canadian bilingualism is not only a dream, it is possible, alive and doing well.' — Martin Leblanc-Rioux
A bilingual sign bylaw, Leblanc-Rioux said, would show to people outside of the city how the two language groups can coexist.
"We believe it is a strategic opportunity for Moncton," Leblanc-Rioux said.
"Bilingual signage would distinguish Moncton as an inclusive and diverse community, reinforcing Moncton's image as the perfect example that Canadian bilingualism is not only a dream, it is possible, alive and doing well."
Along with the local benefits, Leblanc-Rioux also said more bilingual signs would help attract more immigration and new businesses to the city.
"Displaying our true image as a diverse, inclusive and forward-looking city would bolster our position in today's global economy," Leblanc-Rioux said.
Dieppe's recently adopted bylaw states that French will have to be either at the top of the sign, above the English text, or on the left of the sign with the English text on the right.
The bylaw will not apply to existing signs or the signs of chain stores.
The only groups that would be allowed to ask council for the right to put up French-only or English-only signs would be cultural or educational institutions, such as a school.
Councillor endorses idea
Moncton Coun. Pierre Boudreau said he supports Leblanc-Rioux's proposal for a sign bylaw in the southeast New Brunswick city.
The population in greater Moncton is 124,055 and according to the city's website 62 per cent of its citizens identify themselves as anglophones and 32 per cent are francophones.
When Moncton declared itself bilingual in 2002, it made it Canada's only officially bilingual city.
Catherine Dallaire, the assistant city manager, said staff and councillors have been grappling with the idea of adopting a bilingual sign bylaw for two years.
She said the city is waiting to hear back from a survey of local businesses about their views on a sign bylaw.
Dallaire said the city has to decide whether to pass a bylaw or maybe first look for ways to encourage businesses to put up more bilingual signs.
She expects to have some suggestions for councillors this summer.
Gabrielle Viger, a member of the province's Acadian society, said it took 10 years to convince councillors in Dieppe to pass a bilingual signs bylaw.
Viger said she hopes Moncton will learn from Dieppe and move faster.
New Brunswick is officially bilingual, but the province's language law does not cover the private sector. So any bylaw covering the language on commercial signs in municipalities must come from a local government.
Municipalities are covered under the Official Languages Act, if they are designated as a city or have an official language minority that forms 20 per cent of the population. That would require, for instance, local bylaws to be published in both official languages, but it would not extend to commercial signs.