Quebec’s provincial licensing is not unusually complex. What surprises US operators is the surrounding obligation set.
Filings and public-facing material must be available in French, and signage rules are stricter than most of North America. Translation is a schedule item, not an afterthought.
The municipal business licence is separate from the provincial layer, as it is across most of Canada.
Budget an extra three to four weeks against a comparable US opening, and start the translation work before the licence work.