Hobby shops say it will be game over for their businesses due to Quebec’s language law

Some hobby shops say they’re at risk of going out of business due to Quebec’s new language law because the products they sell are unavailable in French.

They are now asking for an exemption.

“I realized that about 90 per cent of my shop is illegal,” Marc-André Lalande, owner of La boutique Tabletop game store in Sainte-Marthe-sur-le-Lac, Que., told CTV News.

That’s because products he sells are made abroad and the packaging is primarily in English.

“Right now, we do have a bit of French on the top of the box here. We have this. That’s all,” he explained.

For example, Para Bellum Games, a company based in Athens, Greece, makes the Conquest game, but Lalande says there is no other language than English on the box.

At BD Cosmos in Laval, it’s a similar story. Owner Julien Vazquez says about 30 per cent of his store, including games, cards, and art supplies, would be in violation of the law, commonly known as Bill 96.

“I would have to liquidate the entire line or close that portion of the store to Quebec customers and only sell online to the rest of Canada,” Vazquez said Tuesday.

The store owners say these materials simply aren’t available in French, and under strengthened language laws, wouldn’t be available to customers here. Lalande said many playing games, miniature games, as well as paints and brushes are manufactured in England, Spain and Denmark.

“There’s no way they’re going to make a box for Quebec, which represents a 10th of 1 per cent of the western world,” Lalande said.

The retailers are asking for an exemption to the law, saying much like bookstores, it’s a cultural industry. Without a reprieve for stores like La Boutique Tabletop, it would be a fatal blow.

“[I’ll] close … if I have to do that, it’s just not possible,” the owner said.

“I’ve survived COVID. I’ve survived, you know, floods and now that would be the end of it. That would be really sad.”

“Unfortunately, the repercussions that it’s going to have on our little community are massive,” said customer Valentin Puchkarov.

Another customer, Mathieu Courtemanche, added: “My main concern is that my hobby will be unattainable in Quebec.”

If that’s the case, it would be game over for these players.