Traffic signs, alerts must be clear to everyone

Safety should trump language, Harold Staviss and Ruth Kovac say.

Bonjour-Hi.

One year ago, on March 14, 2017, a petition we spearheaded was tabled in the National Assembly by David Birnbaum, the MNA for D’Arcy-McGee. The petition, which was just short of 7,000 signatories, requested the Ministère des Transports du Quebec (MTQ) and the Ministère de la Culture et des Communicatons to take the necessary steps so that all traffic signs and electronic alerts or messages dealing with public safety or health be in both French and English, when no symbol or pictogram exists.

The request was made in view of the fact that the second paragraph of Section 22 of the Charter of the French Language clearly states that: “In the case of traffic signs, the French inscription may be complemented or replaced by symbols or pictographs, and another language may be used where no symbol or pictograph exists that satisfies the requirements of health or public safety.”

Traffic signage, as well as electronic alerts or messages, such as “Respectez les feux de voies,” “Risque d’acquaplanage,” “Allumez vos phares” and “Ralentir” deal solely with public safety — everyone’s safety regardless of language — so why have the ministries abstained, and why are they continuing to abstain, from applying the second paragraph of Section 22 of the Charter?

Since the petition was deposited in the National Assembly, there has not been a single change dealing with public safety on any highway signage in and around the Island of Montreal — not one — and we highly doubt that any changes have taken place anywhere in the province. Where there is no pictogram, every single highway sign dealing with safety is still only in French. There has been no increase whatsoever in any pictograms dealing with the safety issue. In fact, about six weeks ago, while driving from Dorval to Montreal, there was an electronic sign advising motorists that there was fog in the area. I think we would all agree that a fog advisory is a safety issue and not merely information. So where was the English?

We are frustrated and taken aback that absolutely nothing has been done to improve the highway signage and messages as regards public safety since last March. In fact, nothing has been done since we initially communicated with the MTQ well over three years ago. The responses and excuses given then are the same responses and excuses given today. In a nutshell, our concerns were not even addressed; they were just simply ignored and swept under the rug, apparently in the hope that we will just go away.

It is very evident indeed that the Transport and Communications ministries and the Quebec Liberal Party are happy to see the least amount of English possible. So such being the case, if pictograms are feasible, great, let’s see those unilingual French safety signs converted into pictograms. If not, then the province should do the responsible thing, make the bold move and implement bilingual highway signage when it is a matter of safety. Is there really a belief that English signage dealing with everyone’s safety will threaten the French language? As Emmanuel Macron, the president of France said, “defending the French language does not mean refusing to speak other languages.”

It is interesting to note that on many highways in Ontario (and most probably other provinces as well), signage, whether for safety or information purposes, is in both English and French. It is very sad indeed that in Quebec, language still trumps safety. What a shame!

A majority Liberal government is in power, with a newly appointed minister responsible for relations with English-speaking Quebecers, but it continues to treat the English language as nonexistent or as a disease. Our concerns have nothing to do with language, they have all to do with everyone’s safety. Harold Staviss is a Montreal attorney and Ruth Kovac is a Côte-St-Luc city councillor.

I think we would all agree that a fog advisory is a safety issue.