In Montreal, there is a flashing neon sign on top of a former flour factory [1]. This sign originally read: FARINE FIVE ROSES FLOUR The first line

In Montreal, there is a flashing neon sign on top of a former flour factory [1]. This sign originally read: FARINE FIVE ROSES FLOUR The first line is French for “flour”, the second line is the brand name, and third line is, well, “flour” in English. When Bill 101 passed, they had to remove “flour” from the sign as it was an English word. However, they were allowed to keep “Five Roses”, as opposed to “Cinq Roses”, since it’a a brand name, so now it simply reads: FARINE FIVE ROSES The owners have apparently tried to take the sign down, since the brand has since been sold to their competitors, but capitulated to public outcry. Apparently, it’s quite expensive to maintain, but I can see why locals don’t want it to go. It adds a lot of character to the skyline. [1] https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/farine-five-roses-sign https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/farine-five-roses-sign