The Quebec Government Doesn't Want Shop Employees To Say "Hi" Anymore

    O hai.

    Lauren Strapagiel
    by Lauren Strapagiel

    BuzzFeed Staff

    In Quebec, especially in Montreal, it's not uncommon to hear "bonjour, hi!" as you walk into a store.

    Ablokhin / Getty Images

    It's a nice way of saying, "Hello stranger, I can help you in either French or English!"

    Which sounds all fine and well, unless you're a member of the Quebec National Assembly, which passed a motion asking shop staff to please stop.

    The motion, put forward by the Parti Quebecois, invites shop staff to only greet customers with a warm "bonjour" and was passed unanimously. Being a motion, it's not a law, is not enforceable, and may very well change absolutely nothing.

    The issue inspired heated debate in the Assembly on Wednesday, including a back-and-forth between Liberal premier Philippe Couillard and PQ leader Jean-François Lisée.

    Jacques Boissinot / THE CANADIAN PRESS

    It started with Lisée reminding Premier Couillard that the Liberal languages minister had called "Bonjour, hi" an "irritant" during a recent TV interview.

    "Will the premier get up today and say, yes, 'Bonjour, hi' is an irritant or will he disavow his minister of language?" asked Lisée.

    "There are a lot of irritants, Mr. Speaker, including Francophones who do not speak our language correctly, and who do not teach it properly, and who do not take care to ensure consistent quality in the French language," Couillard replied.

    Couillard took exception with the original wording of the motion, which included the word "irritant," but voted in favour of it once the word was removed.

    The motion's passage got #BonjourHi trending on Twitter.

    Your Favourite Canadian @MgniM

    The rest of the world is going to hell in a hand basket, but in Quebec people are arguing over whether or not we sh… https://t.co/4uc6s3vZE5

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    A lot of people were wondering if this was really such a pressing issue.

    Darth Grouch @DarthAlexander9

    Of all the problems in this universe, I'm glad we took care of the greatest one of all: what people say at the cash… https://t.co/EkyBkgsmry

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    Others said the usual greeting is merely a sign of respect for customers.

    Maude Lussier-Racine @maude_lr

    I’m a french-canadian bilingual hostess in a restaurant and it’s the first thing I say when I greet customers. It’s… https://t.co/iTXBKd3Wm1

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    While others wondered why bilingualism is considered so irritating.

    K. Craven-Fisher @kassandra_cf

    I wish the Quebec government showed more value for having a population that speaks both English and French (and oth… https://t.co/5gCRfAerjw

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