The Township of South Stormont has passed a bylaw allowing businesses to use whatever language they want on their signs.

Language activist Howard Galganov spearheaded the move and gave a speech Tuesday night before South Stormont Township's council voted. (CBC)

The move was a response to a bylaw recently passed in the nearby Township of Russell, which obligates its merchants to put up bilingual signs.

In South Stormont, the town council unanimously decided to allow business owners to put up whatever they want, bilingual or otherwise, citing the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

About 250 people showed up to the town's Tuesday night language meeting.

'Today we're making history,' mayor says

Bryan McGillis, mayor of the Township of South Stormont, said he's pleased council voted unanimously in favour of a bylaw allowing business owners to put up signs in whatever language they choose. (CBC)

Bryan McGillis, mayor of South Stormont, said Tuesday that he's pleased with the vote.

"Today we’re making history," he said. "Today we’ve given our taxpayers and our businesses freedom of expression. This motion supports it. And we’ve given them the opportunity to put out signs on their lawns, on their buildings without having any restrictions of language. They can write whatever languages they want. That’s what freedom of expression is and freedom of speech is.”

Language activist Howard Galganov spearheaded the move in South Stormont.

He fought the bilingualism bylaws of neighbouring communities up to the Ontario Court of Appeal.

"It’s about freedom of expression," Galganov said Tuesday. "It’s about our rights to express ourselves. The moment French people are told, 'Hey! You’re not allowed to put up a French-only sign,' they’ve lost a major part of their freedom of expression. Nobody should lose that.”