Bonjour-Hi graffiti pops up in N.D.G., but some question its quick removal

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Colourful Bonjour-Hi graffiti has appeared on Notre-Dame-de-Grâce sidewalks over the past few weeks and, for the most part, is bringing smiles to the faces of locals.

Residents have been posting sightings on Facebook community group Thrive NDG, where many have also questioned the pace at which the art seems to be removed by borough crews.

“I just find it curious that they’re so quick to act on this particular series of artworks when other stuff that seems to be more pressing can go unattended for weeks or months,” said John Jordan, who curates the Alley Cat Gallery on Sherbrooke St., between Wilson and Harvard Aves. “I don’t understand why they’re so gung-ho about it.”

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The anonymous artist behind the work painted “Meow-Bonjour-Hi” in front of Alley Cat Gallery early one morning last week — but by 7:30 a.m., crews were already removing it, Jordan said.

“It’s such a welcoming message, you know, it’s not like it’s hate speech or anything,” Jordan said. “I thought it was amazing. I thought it was such a nice addition to the block.”

Other photos show “Woof-Bonjour-Hi” in front of various N.D.G. dog parks and the simpler “Bonjour-Hi” with a smiley face scattered on sidewalks around the borough.

The use of Bonjour-Hi as a greeting has long caused controversy in Quebec, with those against it — including the provincial government — pointing out French is Quebec’s only official language. In January, the Société des alcools du Québec published a memo on its website reminding employees the greeting “is neither suggested nor encouraged by SAQ management” after a Bloc Québécois MP complained about employees using it during his visit.

In April, Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante said she would insist on being served in French if a worker greeted her in English. She made the comments following a survey by Office québécois de la langue française, which revealed people shopping in Montreal are greeted in French alone 71 per cent of the time, down from 84 per cent in 2010. At the same time, bilingual greetings such as “Bonjour-Hi” account for 12 per cent of cases in the city, up from only four per cent in 2010.

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“We’re in Quebec; the only official language is French,” Plante said at the time. “We need and we should be offering services in French. If the person isn’t fluent, then we have to make sure the store accompanies the employee in getting French right.”

In a manifesto posted anonymously on the Thrive NDG Facebook group, the artist said his paintings are not being done out of “spite or anger,” calling the work “a celebration of who we are, of our past, present and future.”

“A love for community, a spirit that binds us — it’s always stronger than we think,” the manifesto reads. “Please say Bonjour-Hi to your neighbours — to perfect strangers. Let us be there for each other. In these dark times, let us remember that humanity is a kindred spirit. We are all united in this collective journey on this fragile planet. We all laugh and cry. We are far more alike than different.”

N.D.G. resident Cat Myth, who has taken to photographing the art whenever it pops up, said she doesn’t understand why the greeting is considered a threat by some.

“A two-letter word is a threat to the French language?” she said. “I mean, come on, it’s ridiculous. I’m fluently bilingual, French is my maternal language, I have no problem speaking in either language.”

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In response to questions about why the graffiti appears to be removed quickly, a spokesperson for the borough said in an email that graffiti in general is removed from public spaces “as soon as they are spotted by our teams or reported via an official request to 311.”

Some of the people in the Thrive NDG group have taken issue with the art, saying the artist is defacing public property, but “they seem to be in the minority,” Jordan said.

Either way, the swift removal has left some questioning the borough’s priorities.

“We have potholes, we have homeless (people), the rise in prices — we have people in our community who can’t afford to eat or feed their families or pay their rent,” Myth said. “Where are their priorities?”

With files from The Gazette’s Jason Magder and Philip Authier. 

kthomas@postmedia.com

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