It's brewing these days in Quebec! Mayor Bruno Marchand, who took office in November 2021, has been talked about for the wrong reasons in recent weeks in the restaurant industry. Indeed, he raised a controversy because of his comments on the French language in a Korean restaurant in the Old Capital in addition to having to defend himself against attacks launched by the management of the 737. Here are the facts…
First, it was in mid-October that Marchand reacted to a piece of news from the daily newspaper Le Soleil which mentioned that the Korean restaurant Bab Sang had failed to serve a customer in French while presenting only a menu in English. The restaurant, owned by newcomers, mentioned having difficulty recruiting French-speaking employees. But according to the mayor, the labor shortage cannot be used as an excuse not to offer service in French.
With all the outcry, the restaurant received dozens of complaints and threats over the phone. In order to protect its employees, the owners decided to close the dining room a few days after Marchand's comments.
Luckily for Korean food lovers, other politicians, merchants and citizens came to lend a hand to the owners by offering their help, among other things to translate the menu and take care of the service. According to them, it was inconceivable to see them close and even leave Quebec, as one of them planned to do, according to the Journal de Québec.
Finally, the Bab Sang managed to put this controversy behind it: the dining room is open again, the menu is translated and there are indeed new employees providing service in French and even volunteers who come to give their time to support these newly arrived Koreans who have decided to start a business.
The 737
But that's not all. Mayor Marchand was also involved in another controversy, this time in connection with the difficulties encountered by the businessmen behind the Le 737 project. creditors due to debts of $3M. She states that it is due to the harassment of the City and a handful of citizens complaining about the noise that the business has taken this disturbing tangent.
After a successful take-off in the summer of 2021, with the presentation of outdoor shows, street trucks and flight simulators, the company had even generated profits at the end of this first year of operation, even if neighbors had accused the contractors from harming the peace of the neighborhood.
From the beginning of the summer of 2022, the citizens came back to the charge and again made several complaints to the municipal council concerning the noise. Inspections have increased, noise tickets have increased and the bad reputation of the place has grown. As a result, revenues fell by 60%.
The contractors were visited by an inspector only seven times during the summer. According to the president of the establishment, Dany Gagnon, this is neither more nor less than harassment and relentlessness. The management has therefore decided to put the City of Quebec on notice.
But according to the mayor, the City cannot be held responsible for the setbacks of the 737 project. He maintains that the location does not seem to be ideal for a project offering outdoor shows every evening in the summer and located near residences .
Will the 737 be able to take off again in 2023?
