Ruling on ANBL Agent Stores could have provincewide implications for bilingual services

A new ruling says New Brunswick liquor stores will be required to have bilingual staff.

A complaint about French-language service at an Alcool NB Liquor (ANBL) Agent Store in Saint-Antoine in February 2025 has resulted in a ruling that affects over 90 locations across New Brunswick.

Mathieu Gérald Caissie filed a complaint with the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages after an experience at an ANBL Agent Store located inside an Irving Circle K.

“I went to buy a bottle of wine at an Irving Circle K in Saint-Antoine and I asked for service in French,” said Caissie. “There were three employees and I said, ‘So nobody can speak to me in French?’ and the answer was, ‘We only speak English.’”

Caissie says the issue wasn’t simply that an employee couldn’t speak French.

“When somebody says to you, ‘We only speak English,’ it kind of closes the door,” he said.

The Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages investigated the complaint and concluded that ANBL Agent Stores must comply with the province’s Official Languages Act because they are delivering services on behalf of a Crown corporation.

“The Official Languages Act talks about third parties,” Commissioner Shirley MacLean told CTV News. “If a government institution hires a third party to conduct work that the institution is required to do, then that third party has the same obligations as the institution.”

For Caissie, the ruling came as a surprise.

“Honestly, I wasn’t expecting the Commissioner of Official Languages to give me reason,” he said. “When I opened the envelope and it said I was right 100 per cent, I was like, ‘Oh wow.’”

The decision could affect dozens of ANBL Agent Stores operating across New Brunswick.

Moncton lawyer Mike Murphy says the ruling extends beyond the sale of alcohol.

“In law, it’s a very solid, solid decision,” Murphy said.

Asked whether the ruling is historic, Murphy said it likely is because of its broader implications.

“The question of third-party agencies delivering services to the public is going to go way beyond the corporation,” he said.

Murphy believes the decision could have implications for other organizations and services delivered through third-party arrangements.

“This is a very significant decision because the expansion through all of these agencies or government-funded organizations is going to be a real substantial financial circumstance the province has to face,” he said.

He added the issue won’t be limited to one part of the province.

“Agency stores in Caraquet and Shippagan and Edmundston are thinking the same thing as the agency stores in Alma, Sussex or St. Stephen. It’s the same dilemma with regard to delivery in both official languages,” said Murphy.

In a statement to CTV News, ANBL said it takes its linguistic obligations seriously and is reviewing the Commissioner’s report but had no further comment.

For Caissie, the ruling is about ensuring New Brunswickers can access public services in the official language of their choice.

“This decision doesn’t force all employees to be bilingual,” he said. “What it says is you have your right to have a service in French or English.”

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