Letters: Montreal Gazette Readers on the Latest ‘Bonjour-Hi’ Debate

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We are international and multilingual.

The latest study by the Office québécois de la langue française has revived complaints about shoppers in Montreal not being greeted solely in French.

Meanwhile, the study also shows that stores in Quebec’s largest cities can serve customers in French 98 per cent of the time. It’s not perfect, but it’s pretty close!

Politicians can say all they want about French being the official language of Quebec, but they must recognize that Montreal is not an exclusively French city just because they say it is. Montreal (certainly downtown Montreal, with its many tourists and businesses) is bilingual/multilingual on the ground.

The province may be French, but the city is actually international. In my opinion, “Bonjour-Hi” should be used to describe the city as welcoming and inclusive.

Jim Fares, N.D.G.

Best regards, happy customers.

My impression is that people who don’t like “Bonjour-Hi” have never owned a business or don’t realize how important it is to greet customers warmly and maintain good relationships.

Gerry Raven, Hampstead

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Vermont and New York are more welcoming

I can only imagine what our neighbors to the south, in upstate New York and Vermont, think when they read or hear about “Bonjour-Hi.”

From what I can see, they do everything they can to welcome Quebecers in French; For example, there are shops with signs indicating that they speak French. They should receive the same respect when they come to Montreal.

W. Glen Grossman, Montreal

When anxiety triumphs over evidence

Historian Yuval Noah Harari suggests that conflicts do not originate in the fight for land or food, but in the stories people tell themselves. I think it is perfectly applicable to individuals whose behaviors are often guided by their own stories rather than facts.

An example of this is the “Bonjour-Hi” enigma that haunts us from time to time. The argument that a decrease in the use of “Bonjour” alone and an increase in “Bonjour-Hi” demonstrate a threat to the French language suggests anxiety rather than evidence to me.

Additionally, for me, Mayor Valérie Plante’s observation that Montreal is an international city further underscores “Bonjour-Hi” as an appropriate way to welcome all people with kindness and an open mind.

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Using my own story, I would suggest that using “Bonjour-Hi” reflects a sense of security and trust, rather than a threat. So could we all try to change the story we tell ourselves?

Ella Amir

In the ROC, it’s not “Hello, Bonjour!”

So, according to some, we in Quebec should welcome shoppers with a “Bonjour-Hello!” I’m all for it, when the rest of Canada offers a “Hello-Bonjour!”

After all, we are an officially bilingual country, n’est-ce pas?

Iris Shestowsky, Montreal

Bonjour, how much did it cost to study?

The Office québécois de la langue française has completed its analysis of how “greetings” are managed in stores in several regions. We are told that “trained observers” completed 10,000 visits at 7,314 locations.

What was the cost of this informational study? like youAll taxpayers have the right to know.

Also, in retrospect, does French Language Minister Jean-François Roberge think the money could have been better spent on, for example, healthcare, roads, public safety or homelessness?

Meanwhile, Mayor Valérie Plante agrees with the unilingual “Bonjour” greeting in stores, saying that “the only official language is French.” I would like to point out, in case everyone forgets, Quebec is still in Canada, which has two official languages.

Rob Scholefield, Montreal

Show respect and courtesy too.

I find it petty for Mayor Valérie Plante to say that a greeting exclusively in French should be used in Montreal stores.

No one disputes that employees should be able to provide services in French. But the use of “Bonjour-Hi” is respectful of the French language and a courtesy to the city’s important and vital English community.

I think the mayor should spend a little more time addressing the deplorable state of the city’s roads and the hugely disruptive construction closures and detours, and fostering the kind of inclusive culture that sets us apart from other cities on our continent.

Robert Sugar, Westmount

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