Montreal-based Frenchside becomes a member of the Globalization and Localization Association (GALA), the industry’s leading international trade body — while maintaining its unique positioning as a single-language-pair agency in a market dominated by multilingual generalists.
MONTREAL, April 22, 2026 — Frenchside, a Canadian French translation agency based in Montreal, today announced that it has officially joined the Globalization and Localization Association (GALA), the world’s largest nonprofit trade association for the global language industry. Founded in 2002 and representing over 400 member organizations across more than 50 countries, GALA connects translation and interpretation service providers, language technology companies, universities, and multilingual enterprises worldwide.
Joining GALA marks a significant milestone for Frenchside, whose positioning stands in deliberate contrast to the industry’s dominant model. While most translation agencies compete on breadth — offering 50, 100, or more languages under one roof — Frenchside has built its entire business around a single language pair since 2014: English and Canadian French. Every translator on the team is a native Quebec linguist, based in Montreal, accredited by provincial professional orders such as OTTIAQ (Ordre des traducteurs, terminologues et interprètes agréés du Québec), ATIO (Ontario), ATIA (Alberta), and STIBC (British Columbia).
“Joining GALA is an honour, and it reflects the recognition that specialization has a real and respected place in an industry often defined by scale,” said Benjamin Beaudor, Founder and CEO of Frenchside. “We’ve built Frenchside on a simple conviction: Canadian French deserves its own agency. Not a language listed in a dropdown menu among dozens of others, but the sole focus of a team that lives and works in Quebec every day. Being part of GALA alongside the industry’s most established players is validation that this focused, human-scale model has a lasting contribution to make.”
Frenchside’s specialization has positioned the agency as a trusted partner for Canadian businesses, law firms, federal agencies, and international organizations with French-language requirements in Canada. Since 2014, the team has delivered certified French translations for more than 1,200 Canadian organizations, including Fortune 500 subsidiaries, the National Film Board of Canada, the Canadian Armed Forces, top-tier Canadian law firms, public health institutions, and SaaS companies expanding into Quebec. The agency’s expertise spans Bill 96 and Bill 101 compliance, IRCC-certified translations for immigration, legal and technical translation, and Quebec French localization for businesses operating across provincial jurisdictions.
The decision to join GALA reflects Frenchside’s commitment to industry standards, knowledge-sharing, and professional excellence — values that sit at the heart of GALA’s mission. Membership provides Frenchside’s team with access to industry research, professional development programs, international networking opportunities, and a platform to contribute to ongoing conversations about best practices in translation, localization, and regulatory compliance.
As a GALA member, Frenchside joins a global community of organizations advancing the language industry through communities, shared knowledge, and advocacy. The agency looks forward to engaging with fellow members, contributing its Canadian French expertise to industry discussions, and deepening its relationships across the international language services ecosystem — all while remaining firmly committed to the specialized mission that defines its work.
About Frenchside
Frenchside is a Montreal-based translation agency specialized exclusively in Canadian French. Founded in 2014, the agency delivers English-to-French and French-to-English translation services to more than 1,200 Canadian organizations, including Fortune 500 subsidiaries, federal agencies, top-tier law firms, SaaS companies, and public health institutions. Every translator on the team is a native Quebec linguist based in Montreal, accredited by Canada’s provincial professional orders for translators. Frenchside’s focus areas include certified French translation for IRCC and legal purposes, Bill 96 and Bill 101 compliance, legal, technical, medical, and financial translation, and Quebec French localization. Learn more at frenchside.ca.
About GALA (Globalization and Localization Association)
GALA is the world’s leading nonprofit trade association for the language industry, serving an international community of organizations and individuals working to facilitate multilingual communication and global business. Founded in 2002, GALA connects over 400 member organizations across more than 50 countries, including translation and interpretation providers, language technology companies, universities, and global enterprises. GALA’s mission is to help its members succeed and to drive industry development through professional communities, knowledge-sharing, and the advancement of best practices. Learn more at gala-global.org.
Media Contact
Benjamin BEAUDOR, Founder-CEO, Frenchside | [email protected] | 514 536-3236 | Website: frenchside.ca
