A Word From the Commissioner

The day after the 2001 Census data on ethnic origin was published, an article* by Kelly Egan, journalist with the Ottawa Citizen, really caught my attention and piqued my interest. According to Mr. Egan, the most recent data shed light on a page of Canadian history currently being written. Canada's ethnocultural makeup has changed. As a result, how will tomorrow's population define its Canadian identity? At first glance, I would reply that one component of Canadian identity remains constant: it is based on linguistic duality that is open to diversity, regardless of the demographic changes that shape it.

Canada is undeniably undergoing profound change and, because of the growing number of immigrants whose mother tongue is neither English nor French, is becoming a multilingual society. The proportion of persons born outside Canada has reached its highest level in 70 years: 10 percent of the total population. The number of members of visible minorities has tripled since 1981, reaching 4 million in 2001. There are now over 100 languages spoken in Canada.

As Commissioner of Official Languages, I must share my thoughts with you about these census data. I firmly believe that Canada has been able to build a uniquely pluralistic society in large part because linguistic duality is one of the pillars of the Canadian federation. Were it not for bilingualism, our society of tolerance and diversity would never have developed the way it has. I believe our experience with bilingualism has given us a head start to more easily deal with a complex world. The new census data show us that the idea of two linguistic solitudes and a vast number of closed ethnic communities is increasingly removed from reality. The best evidence of this is the way people juggle languages and identities. The intersection between official languages and diversity is an increasingly animated crossroads, something that should please all of us. However, we must not forget that English and French form the very foundation of Canadian society.

Therefore, if the federal government wants to productively manage diversity in Canada, it must ensure that our ability to maintain our country's linguistic duality is preserved.

My Office has a number of other, equally important issues on its agenda, such as language of work in the public service, follow-up on the recommendations of the Romanow Commission, implementation of the federal government's action plan on official languages developed by Minister Stéphane Dion, access to justice (a major issue), and networks of single-window offices established by the Government of Canada. This issue of INFOACTION provides an overview of these issues.

* Kelly Egan, "I am a Canadian. But what does that mean?", The Ottawa Citizen, January 25, 2003, p. B1.

The Right Ingredients to Renew Canada's Linguistic Duality

At the same time this issue of INFOACTION was being completed, the Commissioner was reviewing the official languages action plan. This plan was submitted on March 12 by the federal government after nearly two years of hard work. Entitled, "The Next Act: New Momentum for Canada's Linguistic Duality," the plan consists of three components: education, official language community development and bilingualism in the federal public service. The plan also includes an accountability and coordination framework that seeks to raise awareness among all federal institutions, strengthen consultation mechanisms with communities and establish a coordination of all government processes relating to official languages. The entire plan represents an investment of $751 million over the next five years.

The Commissioner welcomes this plan, but says there is still work to be done. "Although we now have all the necessary ingredients to renew the official languages program, we can only truly measure this plan's effectiveness and impact once we see concrete results," said Dr. Adam, who has been asking for an overall plan to renew the official languages program since tabling her first annual report in October 2000. "The next step--the one that is both the most important and the most demanding--is to implement this plan. Canadians want to see concrete, measurable and lasting results. In order to accomplish this, the government must intensify its efforts, and I will be there to act as a catalyst and ensure that the federal leadership stays on course," concluded the Commissioner.

Language of work: Time for a Fresh Start From Theory to Practice

Change is urgently needed; it is time for a fresh start. That is the essence of the clear message regarding language of work in the federal public service delivered by the Honourable Lucienne Robillard, President of the Treasury Board, to public service managers at the Symposium on Language of Work hosted by the New Brunswick Federal Council in Dieppe on November 6, 2002.

Minister Robillard reminded her audience in no uncertain terms that Treasury Board has set March 2003 as the cut-off date by which managers must meet the language profiles of their positions. What will happen if managers do not meet their language profiles by this date? The Treasury Board President's reply was unequivocal: "There will be consequences. I believe this is an incentive for managers to make official languages a career priority and for government to make sure that the services are available to them to do so."

Minister Robillard believes that the time for change has come and that, in the 21st century, a modern public service must move beyond compliance with rules. Canada's public service has no choice: it must fully integrate the values of the citizens it serves, including linguistic duality. In her view, if the public service is to be representative of the population it serves, it must change its approach to official languages. She wonders how "a public service dedicated to excellence" can "sometimes be so forgetful of the excellence it represents."

Minister Robillard believes it is time to address a situation that has persisted for a long time. Almost 35 years after the introduction of the Official Languages Act, we still face many barriers in creating a public service that reflects Canada's bilingual nature, she noted. The Minister justified the change she is advocating for the public service as follows: "We should also remember that bilingualism is rooted in Canadians' deeply held beliefs in inclusiveness, tolerance and respect for others ... It is part of our democratic belief that government is responsible to the people and that its purpose is to help raise people up, not hold them down."

To bring about this change based on Canadian values, strong and continued leadership is needed, the Minister emphasized. She also questioned the relevance of continuing to use non-imperative bilingual staffing. At the same time, she wants to be fair and ensure that no one is excluded from applying for a public service job. In her speech, the Minister also questioned the effectiveness of the bilingualism bonus.

In closing, the Minister reiterated the urgency of the federal government's obligation to adopt a new approach that is workable and in the best interest of Canadians and of the public service.

The Commissioner of Official Languages, who attended the symposium, wholeheartedly welcomed Minister Robillard's comments, which reflected the main thrust of the recommendations she had made to her a few months earlier in relation to human resources modernization. Addressing the symposium participants, Dr. Adam referred to the Minister's speech, noting that the new approach to official languages put forward by Treasury Board and the government, based on respect, is a real step forward.

A Call That Made a Difference

When it comes to service in both official languages, everything is possible when there is co-operation and understanding. Consider the following example.

Last June, a group of Francophone students from Quebec were visiting a school in Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes, Manitoba, as part of an exchange program. The teacher in Manitoba in charge of the exchange had planned a tour of the Shilo military base. While making the arrangements for the tour with the base administration, she learned that the tour might not be available in French. Unfortunately, there was no guarantee that bilingual staff would be available at the time of the tour.

The teacher then had the good idea of contacting the regional OCOL office in Winnipeg. An officer from this office contacted the administration of the military base, and, although the base is not designated bilingual for the purposes of service to the public, it was agreed that the tour would be given in French. And so it was, to the great satisfaction of the Francophone students.

With goodwill on both sides, solutions can often be found.

Canadian Association for Translation Studies Award

The Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages sponsors the Vinay-Darbelnet Award in Translation Studies offered by the Canadian Association for Translation Studies. The award is presented every two years for the best doctoral thesis in translation studies. On International Translation Day, September 30, 2002, the Canadian Association for Translation Studies presented the 2002 award to Dr. Malcolm Williams, of the University of Ottawa, for his thesis entitled An Argumentation Centred Approach to Translation Quality Assessment. Pictured are, from left to right: Benoît Léger, of Concordia University; Diane Rioux, representing the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages; and the recipient of the Vinay-Darbelnet Award in Translation Studies, Dr. Malcolm Williams.

Part of Everyday Life

Some people think that broad government policies do not affect them personally or touch their day-to-day lives. This is not true, however, when it comes to the building of our social infrastructure, which places Canada at the forefront of modern societies.

As we know, the Federal-Provincial-Territorial Ministerial Council on Social Policy Renewal is currently conducting the three-year review of the Framework Agreement on Canada's Social Union. How important is this framework agreement? Extremely important, given the breadth of issues that government social programs seek to address.

In a brief setting out her views on this matter, which she presented to the Honourable Jane E. Stewart and the Honourable Peter G. Christie, the council co-chairs, the Commissioner expressed her disappointment that the framework agreement makes no mention of linguistic duality. In the Commissioner's view, this omission could, at the least, have negative impacts on Canadian unity by hampering progress toward true equality of English and French and weakening the vitality of official language minority communities. This omission has also carried over to other agreements, such as the Early Childhood Development Agreement concluded in September 2000. Dr. Adam has explicitly stated that "Canada's social union is lived out every day in English and French. It involves all areas of social activity, including health, social services, immigration, culture, the status of women, labour market development, human resources development, poverty in general and child poverty in particular, senior citizens, child care services, housing, the environment, rural development, Northern development and literacy."

Dr. Adam invited leaders to adopt a new approach. She reminded them that it is essential that the Framework Agreement on Canada's Social Union be modified to accurately reflect Canada's linguistic duality and the unwritten constitutional principle of respect for and protection of minorities. She believes that appropriate implementation measures should also be identified in the agreement, since official languages are at the very heart of Canada's fundamental values.

A New Resource Centre

A new resource centre, Heritage Lower St. Lawrence, opened recently in Métis-sur-Mer, Quebec. Eva Ludvig, the Commissioner of Official Languages' representative in Quebec, attended the ceremonies. The new offices are located in the Métis Beach School building.

Heritage Lower St. Lawrence is one of the newest English-speaking associations in Quebec to be funded by Canadian Heritage and is one of 20 groups that make up the Quebec Community Groups Network. Heritage Lower St. Lawrence serves the small and widely dispersed English-speaking population in the Lower St. Lawrence Region. Most of its members are from Métis-sur-Mer and surrounding areas, but some live as far away as Mont-Joli, Rimouski, Rivière-du-Loup, Trois-Pistoles, Cacouna and Bic. According to Statistics Canada's 1996 Census data, the English-speaking population of the Lower St. Lawrence Region represents 0.5 percent of the area's population (890).

Heritage Lower St. Lawrence hopes to act as a resource centre for the English-speaking community and advocate for issues of importance to the community. Some of these issues include the preservation of the Métis Beach School, the only English-speaking school in the region. It will also work to ensure that service in English is made available to the community once known as Métis Beach, which had bilingual status under Quebec's French Language Charter but was recently merged with neighbouring Les Boules to create the new municipality of Métis-sur-Mer.

The association is also working on increasing English-language CBC radio service to the region and is developing a Web site and publications documenting the history of the English-speaking communities of the region. As well, Heritage Lower St. Lawrence is proudly developing a living history project in collaboration with Télévision communautaire de La Mitis.

Diversity in Canada: In Which Languages?

How much do you know about Canada? Probably quite a lot. However, if you were asked the following very topical questions, what would you say?

1. Every year, Canada welcomes...
   
   • between 50,000 and 100,000 immigrants.
   • between 200,000 and 250,000 immigrants.
   • between 500,000 and 550,000 immigrants.
     
2. Through its immigration policy, Canada has always sought to maintain a balance between its English-speaking and French-speaking populations.
   
   • True
   • False
     
3. Proportionally, Canada's French-speaking population has...
   
   • twice as many immigrants as its English-speaking population.
   • the same number of immigrants as its English-speaking population.
   • fewer than one quarter of the immigrants that are part of its English-speaking population.
     

The answers to these questions appear at the end of this article. These are also the themes addressed in a new study* by the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages that traces the experiences of immigrants as they settle and integrate into official language minority communities. Published in November 2002, this study outlines a series of approaches that governments must take to make official language minority communities full partners in the immigration process. At the time the study was published, the Commissioner stated that "linguistic duality is at the heart of our Canadian identity, as is our ethnocultural diversity. I believe that having two official languages has created the type of sensitivity and respect in Canada that has allowed us to welcome people of many different origins. Canadian diversity must be visible and fully expressed in both of our official languages if we are to ensure that the foundations of our country remain strong."

The Commissioner is concerned about that fact that, while one in five Anglophones in Canada is an immigrant, just one in 20 Francophones is an immigrant. Since immigration is now the single most important factor contributing to Canada's population growth, Dr. Adam considers it more important than ever that the government take measures to ensure that all Canadians benefit equitably from immigration.

This study makes practical recommendations regarding the selection, settlement, and integration of immigrants. In addition, it looks at the issues of identity and belonging within official language minority communities. Immigrants must feel that they are part of a community's collective identity in order to become fully contributing members. Dr. Adam calls for increased dialogue between newcomers and established members of Francophone communities. This will allow both sides to preserve the basic aspects of their origins while creating new communities composed of many different identities where the French language serves as a common link and a defining feature.

The study focuses on not only French-speaking communities outside Quebec but also English-speaking minority communities in Quebec. Although the English-speaking minority community in Montreal includes many immigrants, English-speaking minority communities in rural areas of Quebec have not always succeeded in attracting and retaining immigrants.

Dr. Adam expressed great interest in the study on Francophone immigration conducted by the Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne du Canada (FCFA) for the Citizenship and Immigration Canada Francophone Minority Communities Steering Committee. Like the OCOL study, the FCFA document revealed that, although many immigrants may wish to live in French outside Quebec, the resources needed to facilitate their integration are not always available in French.

Dr. Adam is very much hoping that the government will be prompted by these two studies to ensure that immigration enhances the vitality and supports the development of official language minority communities to a greater extent. In other words, the government must take action. The Commissioner notes: "Strong leadership from the federal government on this issue will ensure that both linguistic groups can fully reflect the diversity of voices that make up our country."

*  Official Languages and Immigration: Obstacles and Opportunities for Immigrants and Communities

Encounter

Each summer, young people from across Canada are given the opportunity to improve their second language skills by working in a province other than their own. This is made possible through the Summer Work/Student Exchange program, sponsored by Canadian Heritage. Last summer, the City of Gatineau, Quebec, hosted young people, mostly from Alberta and Ontario, who worked in children's day camps. Everything took place in French only. Since the Commissioner enjoys hearing from the public, especially from young people, INFOACTION asked Stéphanie Côté, an information officer, to meet with Max Duerksen from Stoney Creek, Ontario, and Ashley Geis and Christa Paterson from Edmonton. A few days before this work experience drew to a close, they kindly agreed to share their impressions with us.

First of all, they had to adapt to a situation that was quite different from a classroom, practically the only place where they had heard or spoken French. This time, it was the children at the day camp who talked with them. What an adjustment! But at the same time, what an enriching opportunity. This experience helped the summer students discover a vibrant language, spoken in a cultural context that was new to them, a city in Quebec where both official languages are heard practically everywhere.

Since the children became the teachers, the job was often fun and always very lively. The monitors had never before had the opportunity to converse with Francophone children whose vocabulary and accent were different from the French spoken by their teachers in class. The children's spontaneity did not give them a chance to look things up in a dictionary or search for just the right expression. And very often, the children taught them new expressions.

For the first time, the summer students learned just how important it is to understand and speak Canada's two official languages. They understood that the purpose of learning their second language is first and foremost to be able to communicate. They all agreed that this experience taught them that, if Canadians want to form a truly united country, they must first talk to each other. They will then be able to learn more about each other and respect each other's differences. In short, they discovered that the two linguistic groups are not so different from each other. They feel privileged to have experienced these six weeks, which gave them an opportunity to apply what they had learned, improve their spoken French and broaden their horizons by experiencing a Canadian reality that was once unknown to them.

They felt that living in a Francophone community and, more specifically, communicating with children helped greatly in improving their knowledge of their second language. Unfortunately, they said, too few young people learning French as a second language have this opportunity. Their experience in Gatineau has convinced these summer students that French is not a language limited to books and a classroom. It is a language spoken by millions of people in Canada.

As our discussion progressed, we touched on the issue of official languages in general. The students wondered about opportunities to speak and work in French in Canada. They hear hardly any French outside of class and admit it is not easy to find the motivation to study the language. They would like to see governments invest more in teaching English and French as second languages. They would also like to see Canadian universities offer more French-language programs. They said that, too often, young people who have studied French for 12 years do not have the opportunity to continue their education at the post-secondary level in French without having to "go into exile." Unfortunately, this means they forget what they have learned. The students spoke about intolerance between the two linguistic groups, which they said is often rooted in a lack of familiarity.

These young people give us hope for the future. They are our leaders of tomorrow, and we will not have to convince them of the role and importance of official languages. That is the bright spot on the horizon that came out of our meeting with these three visiting young people.

Come read with me!

A terrific new contest is now open to students at English-language elementary schools in Quebec. The first edition of the COME READ WITH ME! contest was launched on January 27, 2003, by Literacy Partners of Quebec and the Quebec Federation of Home and School Associations, in conjunction with OCOL, at celebrations marking Family Literacy Day.

This contest aims to promote literacy through reading among young Anglophones living in English-speaking minority communities. It is open to all pupils from kindergarten to grade 6 enrolled in a school belonging to one of the nine English-language school boards in Quebec or to the Littoral School Board.

How to enter the contest? Very simple. Information can be obtained from the students' school office or by visiting www.nald.ca/lpq/read.htm, where the contest rules and a registration form are posted. The contest deadline is May 7, 2003. Good luck to all students who take part in COME READ WITH ME!

Figures that send a message

On December 10, 2002, Statistics Canada released the fourth wave of 2001 Census data on Canada's changing linguistic makeup and migration and mobility patterns. These data also provide answers to a new Statistics Canada question about languages regularly used at home. INFOACTION will of course not present the myriad figures from the latest census or provide in-depth analysis of the data. Above all, it wishes to share with readers some thoughts and observations from the Commissioner of Official Languages.

What picture does Statistics Canada paint of languages in Canada in 2001? The census results clearly show that Canada is increasingly a bilingual and even multilingual society.

The growing number of immigrants whose first language is neither English nor French is changing Canada's linguistic makeup.

As the Commissioner noted when these data were published, bilingualism is clearly on the rise, especially in Quebec, where 40 percent of the population considers itself bilingual. Among Anglophones in Quebec, the rate of bilingualism is 66 percent. In Dr. Adam's opinion, Canada increasingly supports bilingualism and multilingualism. If this trend continues, the Commissioner hopes this will also mean that Canadians will be much better equipped to deal with growing globalization.

Dr. Adam is nevertheless concerned to see that, for the first time since 1990, bilingualism has dropped slightly among young people outside Quebec. She wonders whether this drop is due to the cuts in government funding for second language instruction.

The Commissioner also notes a slight increase in the real number of Francophones outside Quebec, as well as migration of Francophones from Quebec to other provinces in Canada. While their number has risen slightly, Francophones account for a reduced proportion of Canada's population. This is due to the higher levels of immigration to Anglophone communities. Dr. Adam stresses the daily challenge to minority French-language communities posed by the healthy coexistence of the two official languages and sometimes even a third language at home or outside the home. In spite of this, French is alive and flourishing in these communities.

The data also show that the English-speaking population in Quebec has dropped, a trend that has continued since the last census. Dr. Adam is concerned about this significant decrease. She hopes Quebec will not lose the critical mass that is essential to the survival of minority institutions such as schools, cultural organizations, social and community services, colleges and universities.

We must nevertheless move past an approach that divides the population into Anglophones and Francophones. Some Canadians participate not only in one of the linguistic communities but in fact in both communities at the same time. The challenge is not to count these people as either Anglophone or Francophone, but instead to recognize that a person may participate in, contribute to and enjoy life in both linguistic spaces. Learning a second language or participating in another language group is not harmful to the initial language group. If the second language learned complements the first language rather than replacing it, the presence of the two languages is enriching and not detrimental to the two language groups in question. The new data on language of work show that the use of both official languages can be complementary.

Dr. Adam sees the census data as a very clear sign that action is urgently needed. She would like to see the new funding announced in the Action Plan tabled by the Minister Stéphane Dion, make the necessary shift in direction to revitalize the official languages program.

The Government and the Use of the Minority Press

The government places ads in newspapers to effectively communicate with the Canadian public. For several years, the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages has received numerous complaints about the fact that, when federal institutions place advertisements in newspapers, they often do not publish them in the minority official language press. These ads are in fact not always printed in the English-language newspapers in Quebec and the French-language newspapers outside Quebec, as required by the Official Languages Act (sections 11 and 30). Between 1998 and 2001, the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages received 850 complaints regarding failure to publish advertisements in the print media. This represents 20 percent of all complaints received.

After receiving numerous complaints, the Commissioner decided to examine this situation and released a study in November 2002.* Dr. Adam recognizes that government advertising process is complex and involves several players. The study examines exactly how this process is managed in some 20 federal institutions.

The study contains a series of specific recommendations providing the government with a more effective framework for this process, to ensure that it acts in accordance with the Official Languages Act. It is incumbent on each federal institution to develop clear and consistent internal guidelines on its official language obligations with regard to advertising. These guidelines must specifically address the requirements of the Act. "Federal institutions need to equip responsible managers with the information and tools required for complying with their official language obligations in all aspects of their advertising. Having done so, they must then ensure that the policies and guidelines are respected," concludes Dr. Adam.

When she released the study, Dr. Adam stated that, with a readership of almost one million people across the country, minority official language newspapers are important communication tools. Official language minority communities rely to a great extent on their newspapers to be informed of current events relating to their community and government activity. The Commissioner does not mince words in urging the government to act: "I expect the government to comply without delay with its language obligations relating to advertising and to improve its processes in order to reach these communities and support the official language minority press by using it as a means of communication." Dr. Adam will closely monitor the government's follow-up on this study's recommendations.

* The Use of the Official Language Minority Press by Federal Institutions

A First

The Commissioner often appears before various parliamentary committees. One of these appearances, last December, was symbolic as it was the first time the Commissioner had appeared before the newly created Senate Standing Committee on Official Languages.

The main purpose of Dr. Adam's presentation was to remind the committee of the major findings of her latest annual report and to present the Office of the Commissioner's major courses of action. The Commissioner emphasized the government's formal commitment to linguistic duality, which was renewed in the most recent Throne Speech. This commitment gives many Canadians hope and create legitimate expectations. The action plan tabled by Minister Dion's will be the cornerstone for the renewal of the government's official languages program. When she appeared before the committee, the Commissioner stated that the plan must include adequate financial resources that will demonstrate the government's will to put its commitment to official languages into action. "The government must not limit itself to a succession of incoherent mini-reforms without a clear end goal. Once more, I call upon the government to develop an overall vision supported by objectives, deadlines and mechanisms to assess results. These are essential for ensuring that the action plan is implemented successfully," said Dr. Adam.

She told committee members how pleased she was with the results of a recent survey showing that federal government employees strongly support the general principles behind the government's language policies. She pointed out that it is time for a change in culture and that management must lead by example. The culture change will be achieved through the modernization of the public service, which should:

• make senior federal officials more accountable by redefining the governance framework for official languages;
• promote bilingualism as a basic skill;
• staff bilingual positions with people who have a knowledge of both official languages (imperative staffing);
• rethink language training;
• emphasize receptive bilingualism.

Dr. Adam gave committee members numerous examples of how she fulfills her monitoring role in a systematic and consistent manner. She takes a proactive approach by getting involved at the drafting stage of acts, regulations, policies and programs with regards to official languages. For example, she has been involved in various issues in areas such as health, physical activity and sport, broadcasting (including subtitling and the broadcast of parliamentary debates), and the new legislation on citizenship and immigration.

In closing, Dr. Adam encouraged members of the Senate Standing Committee to carefully review the government's action plan, the Environmental Scan by the Department of Justice, which looks at the availability of legal services in both official languages, the modernization of the public service, and the status of official languages in Crown corporations and other institutions subject to the Official Languages Act. She hopes that we can create the synergy needed to bring us closer to the overall goal of leading the Canadian public to rightfully recognize linguistic duality as a fundamental Canadian value. Dr. Adam assured committee members of her full co-operation and thanked them for their support.

Canada: A Model to Be Emulated

Canada is not the only country working to ensure the equality of at least two official languages. The government of the Republic of Ireland is currently studying a bill to promote and protect the Irish language. This national and historic language is closely linked to Irish identity, although it is spoken by only 5 percent of the country's population.

In January 2003, Comhdháil Náisiúnta na Gaeilge, an umbrella group of Irish-language volunteer and community organizations, invited the Commissioner of Official Languages to Dublin. Since the Irish government is planning to adopt legal measures with regard to official languages, the organization asked Dr. Adam to share Canada's experience in this area. This bill drafted by the Irish government is largely based on Canada's Official Languages Act. The Irish government even proposes that the position of commissioner of official languages be created. This would be the first such position to exist outside Canada. In Ireland, the Commissioner described her role, her mandate, language rights in Canada, and the obligations of public institutions in this regard.

During her visit, the Commissioner met with the minister responsible for promoting the Irish language. Dr. Adam also gave several interviews to the Irish media.

In a speech she gave in Dublin, the Commissioner explained that recognition of the equality of status of Canada's official languages, English and French, is now part of the values shared by Canadians and that linguistic duality is the glue that holds our society together. She stressed that Canadians have come to recognize that upholding English and French as our country's official languages is closely linked to effectively managing the increasing diversity within our borders.

Dr. Adam was proud to be given the opportunity, in light of Canada's over thirty years of experience, to put forward practical suggestions to assist Ireland in implementing legislative measures relating to official languages. Her Irish hosts remarked that they had been greatly inspired by Canada's experience in respecting language rights.

Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages Award - Best Feature Story

On November 12, 2002, Bianka Bernier, Marjorie Brisson, Stéphanie Godbout, Ève Marier-Marceau, and Catherine Vermette received a $1000 bursary from the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages for the Best Report in a 2002 Rendez-vous de la Francophonie Award contest. These students from École secondaire Saint-Charles, Quebec, travelled to Regina as part of a student exchange program along with 14 other students from their school.

After this exchange, they wrote a report on the differences between young Quebecers and young Franco-Saskatchewanians. Their feature story was very personal and reflected the writers' enthusiasm for the subject. As well, it provided an accurate picture of the lives of young people living in French-speaking minority communities in Saskatchewan.

Single Windows: A Promising Avenue

On January 28, 2003, the Commissioner of Official Languages, Dr. Dyane Adam, published a study* examining the single-window networks created by the federal government to provide access to information on its various services and programs.

Dr. Adam regards this as a promising initiative: "The single-window networks are a new way of meeting the needs of the Canadian public, offering in one location the services of the federal government, and sometimes those of several orders of government or of the private sector as well. This 'one-stop-shopping' model may serve as an effective tool in improving the quality of service delivery in both official languages, in view of the weaknesses my Office noted in several parts of the country during its most recent audits."

So far the federal government has created two major single-window networks. The first is the Canada Business Service Centres Network (CBSC), which is the result of co-operation among 37 federal departments, provincial and territorial governments, and, in some cases, the private sector and universities. It comprises 13 major centres, that is, one in each province and territory, and a wider network of 382 regional partners providing access in small communities across the country. The other major network consists of 229 Service Canada access points for in-person service. This network is supported by the 1 800 O-CANADA line and the Canada Web site.

Dr. Adam believes that the single-window networks have undeniable advantages for Canadians. These advantages are even more apparent for official language minority communities, since 'one-stop shopping' allows them easier access to a wide range of services in their own language without consulting other sources, some of which may not be equipped to provide assistance in their language.

The Commissioner singles out the Canada Business Service Centres in New Brunswick and in Quebec (Info entrepreneurs) as providing an exemplary level of bilingual service. In Manitoba, two in-person access centres opened their doors in 2002, in St. Boniface and St. Pierre-Jolys. As well as offering services from all three levels of government in both official languages in one location, these centres are public spaces where Francophones can use their language in the workplace.

In this study, the Commissioner makes several recommendations to the federal government to ensure that single-window networks meet the requirements of the Official Languages Act. She urges government authorities to take the necessary steps to make this initiative successful: "I strongly encourage the government to commit the necessary resources for the long term to maintain and improve this initiative, which offers many advantages. By adapting the single-window networks to local and regional needs, the federal government is furthering its commitment to enhance the vitality of Canada's minority official language communities."

* The Single Window Networks of the Government of Canada

In Closing... Words from the Commissioner

In her address to parliamentarians, the Commissioner expressed her disappointment at the fact that deputy ministers are currently exempted from language requirements that apply to managers in the public service.

"Paradoxically, the government requires that its managers be bilingual, but does not extend this requirement to the heads of federal institutions. At the time they commence employment, new senior public servants should be informed of the requirements of the Official Languages Act and of the values on which this Act is predicated. It is crucial that they be given information in this regard and that they be equipped to manage the Official Languages Program. They must be made aware that they are ultimately responsible for ensuring that these values are reflected in the organizational culture of their respective institutions. In short, they must exemplify the government's commitment to the equality of status and use of Canada's two official languages and to employees' right to work in their preferred official language."

Address to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Official Languages, on December 9, 2002.

"Much of Canada's diversity is the result of immigration. It is therefore important to note that a new law governing immigration came into effect in June 2002. This law signals the most important change in Canada's immigration policy in 25 years. I am pleased to note that the new law incorporates many of the recommendations that I made to Parliament and to the Minister of Immigration. For the first time ever, the Government of Canada has explicitly set out its commitment to supporting the vitality and development of Canada's English and French linguistic minority communities through immigration. The Minister of Immigration, Denis Coderre, realizes how important it is that all Canadians benefit from immigration. One of his much-publicized concerns is to encourage more immigrants to settle outside Canada's three largest cities. However, he also seeks to achieve a fairer distribution of immigrants between Canada's two official language communities. This is especially important, given that French-speaking Canadians, both in Quebec and in the other provinces, receive only one quarter of the immigrants they should be receiving, in view of their demographic weight."
"My office will itself be starting to co-host some of the 3,000 citizenship ceremonies held in Canada every year. Through our involvement, we hope to make these ceremonies even more special and to celebrate Canada's linguistic duality with the immigrants from every part of the world who join the Canadian family in these ceremonies."
"In order to build on our Canadian framework of duality and diversity, we need two basic ingredients: we need the commitment of our various levels of government, but we also need to develop a mindset that recognizes and understands the interdependence between official languages and pluralism. The future belongs to the communities that welcome all those who wish to join them."

Speech given at the conference The Governance of Diversity in Canada: Prospects and Prospectus,
held in Montreal on January 23, 2003