The Eaton Centre Montreal in downtown Montreal on Feb. 5, 2019. The Eaton’s department store chain was forced to remove the apostrophe from its name to comply with Quebec’s new language law in 1977.Ever since the Eaton’s department store chain was first forced to remove the apostrophe from its name to comply with Quebec’s new language law in 1977, retailers have been on the front lines of political battles to protect the French language in La Belle Province.
Even after the Supreme Court of Canada struck down the ban and the Quebec government amended the law to require “predominantly French” signage, Eaton’s never reverted to its English nameplate. In Quebec, it remained Eaton until the chain went bankrupt in 1999, proving there was no going back to an era when major retailers could remain indifferent to the francophone majority.
Until now, “recognized” English trademarks have been allowed on commercial signs and packaging. That explains why the names Canadian Tire, Starbucks, McDonald’s and Best Buy dominate commercial streets and strip malls just as much in Quebec as elsewhere in Canada. “Businesses that wish to continue to do business in Quebec will have to incur additional costs to do so,” warned Jenny Simmons, the INTA government relations director, in a recent Globe and Mail op-ed. “To be sure, some businesses and brands have elected to translate their names, which is their choice. But this is a choice companies should be able to make of their own volition.”