# Pastagate

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{{short description|2013 incident in Quebec regarding menu names}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2026}}
'''Pastagate''' is the informal name of an incident that began in 2013 in [Quebec](/source/Quebec), when, on 14 February, an inspector of the {{lang|fr|i=unset|[Office québécois de la langue française](/source/Office_qu%C3%A9b%C3%A9cois_de_la_langue_fran%C3%A7aise)}} (OQLF) sent a letter of warning to upscale [Montreal](/source/Montreal) restaurant Buonanotte, for using Italian words such as {{lang|it|[pasta](/source/pasta)}} on its menu instead of the [French](/source/French_language) equivalent, ''pâtes''. The incident occurred as the [National Assembly](/source/National_Assembly_of_Quebec) was debating [Bill 14](/source/Charter_of_the_French_Language), a bill to toughen the province's [Charter of the French Language](/source/Charter_of_the_French_Language).

Instead of complying with instructions on the letter he received from the OQLF, the owner of Buonanotte went public, and it generated a widespread public outcry across the province, even among francophones, about the OQLF abusing its powers. The incident also received international attention, causing embarrassment to the provincial government.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Pignataro|first1=Luciano|title=Quebec, vietato scrivere pasta nel menu dei ristoranti|url=http://www.ilmattino.it/primopiano/esteri/quebec_vietato_scrivere_pasta_nel_menu/notizie/253405.shtml|access-date=13 October 2016|work=Il Mattino|date=21 February 2013|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130413052200/http://www.ilmattino.it/primopiano/esteri/quebec_vietato_scrivere_pasta_nel_menu/notizie/253405.shtml|archive-date=13 April 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> The incident led to the resignation of Louise Marchand, head of the OQLF, on 8 March.

==History==
Dan Delmar of radio station [CJAD](/source/CJAD) in Montreal first broke the story on his blog<ref>{{cite news|last1=Delmar|first1=Dan|title=The OQLF has a problem with "pasta" (Pastagate)|url=http://www.cjad.com/blog/the-exchange/2013/02/19/the-oqlf-has-a-problem-with-pasta-pastagate|access-date=21 April 2026|work=CJAD 800|date=19 February 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222165021/http://www.cjad.com/blog/the-exchange/2013/02/19/the-oqlf-has-a-problem-with-pasta-pastagate|archive-date=22 February 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> on 19 February 2013. A group called putbacktheflag was credited for fuelling Pastagate by sharing over 20,000 links on its Facebook and Twitter pages within the first day of the initial story breaking. According to Sun News, "the story has gained traction on social media, with the Facebook page entitled 'Put Canadian Flag Back In Quebec Assembly', leading the charge". The group was instrumental in starting protests against Bill 14 in Montreal.<ref>{{cite web|title=Quebec language cops target 'pasta'|url=http://www.sunnewsnetwork.ca/sunnews/politics/archives/2013/02/20130220-135808.html|url-status=dead|website=Sun News Network|access-date=23 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150213051910/http://www.sunnewsnetwork.ca/sunnews/politics/archives/2013/02/20130220-135808.html|archive-date=13 February 2015|date=21 February 2013}}</ref>

Following the Buonanotte incident, other businesses went public with tales of being hassled by language inspectors. The controversy led to the resignation of OQLF chief Louise Marchand.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Chappell |first=Bill |date=26 February 2013 |title=Pastagate: Quebec Agency Criticized For Targeting Foreign Words On Menus |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2013/02/26/172982758/pastagate-quebec-agency-criticized-for-targeting-foreign-words-on-menus |access-date=21 April 2026 |work=NPR |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=La présidente de l'OQLF quitte son poste|url=http://fr.canoe.com/infos/quebeccanada/archives/2013/03/20130308-113447.html|website=canoe.com|access-date=23 September 2015|date=8 March 2013}}{{dead link|date=April 2026|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Vessey |first=Rachelle |date=4 May 2015 |title=Food fight: conflicting language ideologies in English and French news and social media |url=http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17447143.2015.1042883 |journal=Journal of Multicultural Discourses |language=en |volume=10 |issue=2 |pages=253–271 |doi=10.1080/17447143.2015.1042883 |issn=1744-7143|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

==Aftermath==
Following Louise Marchand's resignation, OQLF inspectors were given more discretion in applying the language law. Specifically, the office investigates complaints on the basis of whether they affect an individual or are of concern to the general public. Also, certain culinary terms from other cultures may be used in Quebec restaurants. A position to investigate complaints against the OQLF was established in June 2014.

==References==
{{reflist}}

Category:Culture of Quebec
Category:Quebec language policy
Category:2013 in Canada
Category:Italian-Canadian culture
Category:Language conflict in Canada
Category:Censorship in Canada
Category:Food labelling
Category:Controversies in Canada

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Pastagate](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pastagate) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pastagate?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.