An incrasing number of businesses in the Montreal area are complying with Quebec's language laws, according to new study by the agency tasked with enforcing those laws.
The seven-year study by the Office Québécois de la Langue Française, released Thursday, concludes there's been a "significant rate" of compliance with Bill 101's sign laws in 2017, compared with the rate in 2010.
The OQLF's report says on the island of Montreal, the compliance rate is at 78 per cent, compared with 72 per cent seven years ago — the rate west of Atwater Ave., meanwhile, stands at 67 per cent.
As for the names of businesses, 88 per cent of them are now above-board, according to the OQLF's standards, compared with 83 per cent in 2010..
65 per cent of all public signs were found to be in French only, while 7.8 per cent were in French and English — which is legal as long as French is predominant — and just over 5 per cent were in English only.
"Compared to previous studies, the trends suggest that business owners on the island of Montreal may have gained a better knowledge of the legislative provisions of the Charter concerning public signage," the 44-page report concludes.