Quebec politicians have passed a unanimous motion calling on businesses to greet their customers with a simple, warm "bonjour," rather than the "bonjour/hi" often heard in Montreal's shops and restaurants. Introduced by the Opposition Parti Québécois, a staunch defender of the French language, the motion "invites all businesses and workers who enter into contact with local and international clients to welcome them warmly with the word 'bonjour.'" The motion, which carries no legal weight, comes after two days of heated debate at the province's National Assembly over the bilingual welcome, bonjour/hi. The greeting is used by many Montreal businesses as a way to signal customers are welcome to speak in either French or English. With the term "irritant" removed from the motion, Couillard said he decided to support the motion because he wanted to affirm the predominance of French.

Source: CBC News November 30, 2017 20:01 UTC