Quebec's language laws have brewed up another controversy in the province. An Irish pub in Montreal is facing a $1,500 fine if it does not remove some antique signs used as decorations inside the watering hole.

The owners of McKibbin's Irish Pub say the Office de la langue francaise (OLF) has told them that several signs inside their pub are illegal because they don't abide by the language laws. The pub, like other Irish bars across North America, has vintage ads splattered on its walls. They don't actually advertise anything the bar sells, but instead just give the bar a wee bit of Irish flavour.

Regardless, a couple of bar patrons complained to the province's language watchdog. Apparently, some outside menus and some of the decorative posters are only in English, so now the OLF wants the bar to include French translations.

Dean Laderoute, a co-owner of the bar, said he and some of his customers are wondering what officials from Quebec's language police are drinking. Why would anyone come to an Irish pub and have French signs everywhere, he asks.

"It's laughable. It's a laughable issue and that's why it's generating so much buzz. It's gotten to the point of, 'where do they go next,'" Laderoute told CTV Montreal.

Even some of the bar's French customers agree. But they note that everyone has to make an effort at accommodation. One Francophone customer told CTV News that at some restaurants, it's not always possible to order in French.

McKibbin's owners say that the warning that they get in line with Quebec's language laws or face hefty fines isn't very clear. Apparently, some of the posters may be legal, while others aren't.

"If they tell us, by writing, these signs have an historical value, and for that reason we want the signs to be exempt from the charter, if he does that, we will close the file," OLF spokesperson Gerald Paquette told CTV News.

But the owners of the bar have issued a sober invitation to the province's premier. They want Jean Charest to come by for a drink and point out specifically which signs they should pull down and which ones pass the OLF test.

The language watchdog office appears to be under attack from all sides these days.

French-language groups have been demanding that it crack down on Montreal businesses serving customers in English.

It has also been accused of hiding reports that show the French language losing ground in the province.