Archived - Annual Report 2011-2012

Unifying force

Linguistic duality is a fundamental Canadian value. The great majority of Canadians think that it is important to live in a country where English and French stand shoulder to shoulder. Nearly 6 in 10 Canadians think that the Official Languages Act is good for Canadian unity^{Footnote 9} and that linguistic duality is a unifying force for Canada. Nearly half of all Canadians think that official bilingualism is a key element of national identity.^{Footnote 10}

Canadians show their support for linguistic duality in many different ways. One of these is evident in the popularity of second-official-language learning support programs for young Canadians. In fact, 71% of Canadians living outside Quebec agree that French should be compulsory in all elementary schools, while 68% think it should be compulsory in high school.^{Footnote 11}

Description – Figure 1: Canadians in favour of bilingualism across Canada^{Footnote 12}

Region	Percentage
Quebec	91%
Maritimes	77%
British Columbia	68%
Ontario	66%
Manitoba	66%
Saskatchewan	66%
Alberta	58%

Canadians also think that major sports and cultural events in Canada, such as the Olympic Games, should be held in both official languages, and that politicians' speeches should be given in a combination of English and French, regardless of where they are in Canada.^{Footnote 13} Most Canadians (81%) think that bilingualism should be compulsory for senior federal public officials.^{Footnote 14}

Impact of linguistic duality

The importance of linguistic duality has long been recognized in Canadian law. The Constitution Act, 1867 stated that the records and journals of both houses of Parliament must be written in both English and French.^{Footnote 15} The 1969 Official Languages Act was a response to one of the recommendations of the Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism (1963–1971). The 1982 Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms stipulated that "English and French are the official languages of Canada and have equality of status and equal rights and privileges as to their use in all institutions of the Parliament and government of Canada."^{Footnote 16} The 1988 Official Languages Act committed the government of Canada to fostering the full recognition and use of both English and French in Canadian society and enhancing the vitality of official language minority communities in Canada and supporting and assisting their development.^{Footnote 17}

These laws were adopted because they reflected the image of Canada at the time and the vision that most Canadians had of their country. They continue to resonate today because linguistic duality is still a strong factor in Canada's development and in how this country is seen by both its citizens and its visitors.

Canada is slowly changing under the influence of immigration and globalization. Some things are not changing, however, such as the fact that there are two languages—English and French—at the heart of Canadian identity. It is important for the federal government, other levels of government, organizations, businesses and individual Canadians to celebrate linguistic duality and make it part of their daily lives.

Extraordinary opportunity

"It is an incredible opportunity for people [to] master both the English and French languages—which are two strong and powerful languages throughout the world," says Pape Ousmane Sine, a young multilingual Afro-Canadian who lives in Atlantic Canada. "And having this proficiency, as well as a country with an international reputation for being bilingual, is an incredible privilege. [translation]"^{Footnote 18}

Most Canadians agree with Mr. Sine: 70% of English-Canadians wish they were more proficient in French,^{Footnote 19} and 90% of French-Canadians think that learning English is valuable if you want to travel, get a better job or explore other cultures.^{Footnote 20}

For example, although they are surprised at the lack of French spoken in their area, "recent immigrants [to Alberta] still want their children to learn both official languages and aspire to pick up the languages themselves."^{Footnote 21}

Advantages of bilingualism

Millions of Canadians believe that there is an advantage to being fluent in English and French, and with good reason.

Bilingualism gives people a competitive edge in the Canadian job market. For example, in Quebec, CEGEP and university graduates who speak both official languages at work earn upwards of 5% more than those who do not, and this is only five years after graduating.^{Footnote 22} Outside Quebec, knowledge of French is sometimes considered to be an asset for people who are looking for work. Out of 107 Monster.ca job postings for people with 10 or more years' experience looking to work in Toronto, five were for executive positions where fluency in both official languages was listed as a requirement or an asset.^{Footnote 23}

Bilingual employees often have greater job mobility than unilingual staff. Bilingual Francophones can take advantage of employment opportunities created by the natural resources boom in Western Canada and in the territories. Bilingual Anglophones can fit right into professional environments where French is preferred or required. "[Say] you live in Kelowna and you're starting a family there," explains Robert Rothon, National Executive Director of Canadian Parents for French. "Living in the middle of British Columbia, it doesn't really seem to matter whether your young children can speak French. One day, however, they may very well decide to move to another part of Canada or even to another country, and they'll find themselves wanting or having to work in a community where French is spoken. Giving your children the chance to become bilingual will greatly improve their job mobility. [translation]"^{Footnote 24}

Bilingualism also opens doors for people who want to work abroad or travel overseas for work. Knowing the English language is a valuable passport for French-speaking Canadians working in fields like finance, aerospace science or leading-edge research. English-speaking Canadians who speak French find their language skills very useful when travelling or working abroad, especially in countries like Belgium and Senegal, and the other 26 countries where French is an official language, as well as in countries like Tunisia^{Footnote 25} or Portugal,^{Footnote 26} where French is relatively common. They can also find work in organizations or fields where French is important.

"I believe that we Canadians are extremely fortunate to have the two most predominant languages of the fashion industry at our fingertips,"^{Footnote 27} says Paul Davis, an English-Canadian from Victoria who learned to speak French in Montréal, where he was studying design. When he moved to Paris, Mr. Davis quickly realized that being bilingual was essential in his chosen field: "I have witnessed many hopefuls, some of them wildly talented, turned away due to a lack of proficiency in both English and French."^{Footnote 28}

Three years ago, Mr. Davis moved to Berlin to make his mark. "I'm convinced that had I not learned French as a second language, I would never have been able to meet the challenge of learning German," says Mr. Davis. "When I was immersed in the French-speaking world of Quebec, something clicked in my brain. I now know that, wherever I go, I'll be able to learn the language. [translation]"

Knowing Canada's two official languages not only provides professional and financial benefits, it also gives Canadians an opportunity to expand their personal horizons. "Like many other kids in Ottawa … I started learning a second language at age 4, when I was enrolled in French immersion school,"^{Footnote 29} says writer Melanie Ho, who now lives in Asia. Ms. Ho sees her knowledge of French as a professional benefit. As a reporter in 2008, she was assigned to cover the Olympic equestrian events, where her French skills enhanced her ability to communicate with the French equestrian team. Earlier this year she also worked with a French start-up company in Hong Kong. "But learning a new tongue is important beyond that," Ms. Ho explains. "Language provides insight into another way of thinking, another mind-set… Maybe you don't need to be fluent in multiple languages, but life might be more interesting if you were proficient in more than one."^{Footnote 30}

The fact that Canada has a large pool of people who can speak both official languages also contributes to its economic development and to its vitality. Bilingual Canadians play a crucial role in bridging the gap between the country's unilingual English speakers and French speakers. They can help their own linguistic majority to understand the other group, and they help the federal government to function effectively in both official languages.

Federal government's responsibilities

Since the passing of the Official Languages Act, the Government of Canada has committed to promoting English and French second-language learning by creating the Federal-Provincial Program for Cooperation for the Promotion of Bilingualism in Education. This and other subsequent initiatives have helped to increase the number of Canadians who can speak both official languages. In fact, 12% of English-speaking Canadians between the ages of 20 and 24 living outside of Quebec report knowing both official languages, compared to only 5% of those between the ages of 60 and 64, who did not have access to such programs.^{Footnote 31} Overall, however, the proportion of bilingual Canadians remains low at 17%.^{Footnote 32}

The federal government therefore needs to increase its efforts to support second-language learning in Canadian society. Specifically, it should ensure that young Canadians have more opportunities to participate in language exchanges and practise what they have learned.

Helping Canadians experience bilingualism

Second-official-language education is essential at the elementary, high school, college and university levels. It also needs to happen outside of the classroom in order to spark the interest of students, inspire them to become bilingual and help them maintain their skills.^{Footnote 33}

"Too often, French second-language students only speak French with their teacher," says Max Cooke, Canadian Parents for French (Ontario) board member, Vice-President of French for the Future and Director of Communications of the Canadian Education Association. "Most don't use it with their friends and they don't use it at home, so they don't understand why they need it. To convince these kids to value and nurture their emerging bilingualism as an invaluable life skill, we have to build their intrinsic motivation to learn French. We need to provide them with more exposure to Francophone culture. For example, I was in Grade 8 when my class went on a student exchange to the Lac-Saint-Jean region of Quebec. For a whole week, I lived with a family that didn't speak English and interacted with my unilingual Francophone peers. This was when I realized that I had a window into another culture and a gift that few other kids had. This was so empowering that it changed my life! Don't try to convince young people that learning French as a second language is important. Get them to experience it for themselves."

There are a number of programs in Canada that help young people to discover the value of bilingualism for themselves. The Explore program, funded by Canadian Heritage and managed by the Council of Ministers of Education (Canada), enables young Canadians to visit another part of the country for five weeks and strengthen their second-official-language skills by taking courses at an academic institution. The YMCA Youth Summer Work Student Exchange Program, a Canadian Heritage and VIA Rail Canada initiative, gives 16- and 17-year-old Canadian students the opportunity to learn English or French as a second language, to discover Canada's other language community, and to gain work experience that will help them when they eventually enter the job market. The PÉLIQ-AN program, which was created following a Canada-Quebec bilateral agreement, encourages communication between English- and French-speaking students in Quebec and allows students to practise their second official language. Other programs, such as the now defunct Katimavik, may not necessarily focus on promoting linguistic duality, but still make it possible for young Canadians to participate in exchanges and develop their English or French second-language skills.

There are not nearly enough opportunities, however, for young Canadians to participate in a language exchange through which they can spend several days, weeks or months using their second language in an intensive learning environment. According to the Council of Ministers of Education (Canada), "every year close to 20,000 people want to participate in a program that gives them this opportunity, but only 8,000 actually get a spot. [translation]"

This situation needs to be rectified. As the Commissioner of Official Languages recommended in the study, Two languages, a world of opportunities: Second-language learning in Canada's universities, and reiterated in various speeches, the federal government and its partners should establish the Canadian equivalent of the European Union's ambitious Erasmus Programme. Since its creation 25 years ago, Erasmus has enabled nearly 2.5 million European students and teachers to study or teach abroad while learning or perfecting another language at the same time.

The idea of establishing this kind of program in Canada generated a great deal of interest among participants at the Manitoba Forum on the Continuum of Second-language Learning Opportunities, organized by the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages in November 2010. According to many participants, "[e]xchanges, especially in the Canadian context, are also a great way to demystify second-language learning… [T]he fear of failure must not be overlooked as a factor that can discourage students from pursuing second-language learning."^{Footnote 34} Creating a Canadian Erasmus program would also help resolve the current situation wherein it is often more difficult for Canadian students to participate in a language exchange with a post-secondary institution in their own country than with a college or university in another country.

At the high school level, Canada should establish an initiative similar to the European Union's Comenius Programme, which gives secondary school students (age 14 and up) and student teachers the chance to go on a long-term exchange (three to ten months).

Renew federal support for second-language education

The Roadmap for Canada's Linguistic Duality 2008-2013: Acting for the Future recognizes the importance of increasing the level of bilingualism among young Canadians and sets out federal investments of some $8 million a year for language exchanges.^{Footnote 38}

These programs are working. A study conducted by the Society for Educational Visits and Exchanges in Canada found that students who had participated in short-term exchanges "viewed the exchange as an opportunity; have confidence in their language abilities; continue to use their second language; choose leisure activities that help to maintain their language; and seek and take opportunities for second language use."^{Footnote 39}

Businesses, the federal government and other levels of government also benefit from these exchanges because they need bilingual employees to effectively respond to the needs and expectations of Canadians and to ensure that their operations are productive.

The Commissioner of Official Languages therefore believes that the federal government's next five-year official languages plan should not simply maintain the status quo regarding language exchange programs. To maximize the positive effect of exchanges on young Canadians and on Canadian society as a whole, the government needs to go further. Many more short- and long-term exchanges are needed so that Canada can fully celebrate its linguistic duality at its 150th birthday in 2017.

Learning the other language without changing schools

Although exchanges are important, participants at the Manitoba Forum on the Continuum of Second-language Learning Opportunities said that post-secondary institutions should also improve their own English or French second-language courses, as well as other courses taught in the second official language. These courses "are often perceived as the sole responsibility of the arts or education faculties … [however,] proficiency in both official languages is an added value in many fields and should therefore be reflected in a wider range of programs."^{Footnote 41}

Some institutions and teachers already understand this. Ian Greene, Caroline Dufour and Diane Woody, three professors at Toronto's York University, recently created the French for Public Administration course to help graduate and undergraduate students in disciplines such as political science and health service management acquire knowledge of public administration and the French language at the same time. This course is also intended for people who have knowledge of the field of public administration, such as federal employees, and want to improve their understanding of the French language in the workplace. "I learned French many years ago when, as an undergraduate student in political science, I started translating texts from Le Devoir," says Professor Greene. "That quickly helped me master the vocabulary I needed to read specialized journals in my field or watch news in both official languages. So I thought that by applying a similar method, by building a French-only public administration course that would make students focus on the vocabulary they really need on the job, we would help them in their careers more than if we offered them any other type of French course. This course really fills a need because demand is very heavy."

In Manitoba, an interesting project promises to strengthen law students' French skills. With funding from the Department of Justice, the University of Manitoba's Faculty of Law will soon offer a program that features required and optional courses in French for aspiring lawyers who want to become proficient in French legal terminology. The program will also enable law students to take Common Law courses in French.^{Footnote 42}

In Quebec, French-language post-secondary institutions are offering students more and more opportunities to register for programs that include some courses in English. For example, students in the French-language Risk and Insurance Management program—part of the Université Laval Bachelor of Business Administration—can take "Risk Management and Insurance" and "Risk Assessment" in English.

Post-secondary institutions across the country will need to offer more of these kinds of programs so that linguistic duality can become a commonplace experience for future generations.

A visitor's experience in Ottawa

Federal institutions and linguistic duality

According to the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages' observations of selected federal institutions, services in French were readily available in some parts of Canada's capital; however, there is room for improvement regarding the in-person active offer. Most federal institutions serving visitors to the capital did not systematically make an in-person active offer. This means that federal employees or third parties acting on behalf of federal institutions did not use verbal expressions like "Hello, bonjour!" or "Next, suivant!" to let visitors know that they can request service in the official language of their choice.

There are ways to help federal employees get into the habit of regularly making the in-person active offer, and federal institutions can play a major role in making this happen. Canada's National Arts Centre and the National Capital Commission improved their performance in providing the in-person active offer by responding promptly to the average results they received on the Office of the Commissioner's 2009 report cards. Canada's National Arts Centre held meetings with its front-line staff to raise awareness of the importance of the active offer, and the National Capital Commission adopted internal policies and procedures that seem to have had a positive impact. Both institutions make a point of recruiting employees who can serve clients in the official language of their choice.

Almost all the federal institutions succeeded in creating a visual environment in which English and French were relatively equal, as well as an environment where clients can receive quality and timely service in the official language of their choice. The only ones that seemed to have difficulty with the in-person active offer and availability of service in both official languages were third parties hired by the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (i.e., screening officers) and the Ottawa International Airport Authority (i.e., retailers and concessionaires).

Federal institutions and raising awareness among businesses

The Canadian Air Transport Security Authority is not the only federal institution that knows how to strengthen linguistic duality in Ottawa by providing quality service in both official languages and encouraging its private-sector partners to do the same. Public Works and Government Services Canada and the National Capital Commission are also committed to making efforts in this area.

Since 2006, Public Works and Government Services Canada has been adding language clauses to all new leases and renewals for commercial spaces in its buildings. The Department is closely monitoring compliance with the language clauses in its leases.

The National Capital Commission also requires its new tenants to be able to serve both English- and French-speakers. It conducts quarterly inspections to ensure that businesses on its properties post signs and serve their clients in both official languages.

Public Works and Government Services Canada and the National Capital Commission understand that creating a bilingual image of Canada's capital city can only be achieved by raising awareness among the Ottawa business community about the importance of linguistic duality and by helping Ottawa businesses incorporate it into their operations. Consequently, these two federal institutions joined Canadian Heritage to support the City of Ottawa in creating a business assistance project.

This project was started in the early 2000s and Canadian Heritage has played a key role over the past 10 years. A study commissioned by the City of Ottawa revealed that businesses in the Byward Market and St. Laurent Shopping Centre "were truly interested in improving their French-language services, but … lacked the necessary expertise and resources"^{Footnote 56} to make it happen. This study inspired the City of Ottawa and its federal partners to enlist the help of an association called the Regroupement des gens d'affaires de la Capitale nationale to coordinate the innovative project.

Since 2006, the 600-member Regroupement des gens d'affaires de la Capitale nationale has been raising awareness among Ottawa's business community about the importance of using both official languages. The association helps businesses access services from the Translation Bureau of Public Works and Government Services Canada to translate their signs and documents, and provides workshops to give front-line employees a quick primer on key phrases in French and to help them develop good linguistic reflexes. It also helps businesses recruit bilingual staff by putting them in contact with university employment offices and creates demand by encouraging visitors to use English and French in stores. "All of these efforts have produced very positive results and raised awareness among businesses in the capital about the importance of serving clients in the official language of their choice; it's good for business! [translation]"^{Footnote 57} says Joanne Lefebvre, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Regroupement des gens d'affaires de la Capitale nationale.

To ensure that Ottawa businesses are taking optimal advantage of the best linguistic duality practices and that a bilingual phrase like "Hello, bonjour" becomes one of the capital's hallmarks, federal institutions and their partners, including the City of Ottawa, must continue to support and assist the capital's business community.

The Canadian Air Transport Security Authority is both able and willing to do better. In June 2010, the institution developed a manual to help standardize its overall signage requirements. The quality of its visual active offer has since improved. In November 2011, it also enhanced its requirements regarding the presence of bilingual screening officers at airport pre-board screening checkpoints subject to Part IV (Communications with and Services to the Public) of the Official Languages Act. In the fall of 2011, the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority reviewed its contracts with its third parties to improve the active offer and delivery of services in both official languages by its contractors' screening officers. Consequently, travellers passing through the Ottawa airport and other Canadian airports should receive better service in the official language of their choice.

A well-kept secret

Geographer Mathieu Besmier noted that Ottawa has not always been able to take full advantage of the strong symbolic power of some of its natural wonders— such as the Ottawa River, Rideau Falls and Gatineau Park—which today are the cornerstone of the national capital's image. Emblematic of Canada's beauty and vastness, these attractions were, for a long time, "mostly ignored and were never set off in an impressive overall scheme."^{Footnote 58} Similarly, the fact that the national capital was home to Canada's two official language communities, as well as tens of thousands of bilingual Canadians, was an asset that was undervalued by the capital's pioneers for decades. This advantage should have been celebrated, promoted and strengthened from the very beginning.

In a few years, Ottawa will play a key role in celebrating the 150th anniversary of Canadian Confederation. It is critical for the Government of Canada and its partners to continue to pave the way linguistically so that the capital can truly rise to the occasion. Ottawa is more than capable of serving as a bridge between English- and French-Canadians, and of realizing its potential to become a truly Canadian symbol.

The advantage of serving clients in their own language

For Canadians, being proficient in English and French is a great advantage. Businesses operating in Canada also benefit from working effectively in both official languages.

Businesses that want to succeed in the Canadian market are more competitive when they use both English and French, because clients generally prefer to do business in their first official language and also feel more comfortable when they use it. This is true not just for unilingual Canadians, but also for people who are fluent in both official languages. Language is much more than a simple communication tool, and for many, it is strongly connected to identity. In the words of Nelson Mandela, former President of South Africa and leader of the anti-apartheid movement, "If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart."^{Footnote 59}

A study conducted in Quebec and Finland found that clients who were served in the language of their choice were prepared to pay more for a product.^{Footnote 60} International businesses located on the Acadian peninsula have conducted market studies and learned that they benefit from advertising in both of Canada's official languages. However, some Canadian businesses assume that, outside of Quebec, they can afford to operate in English only.

Researchers have found that, when businesses provide documents in the language the client knows best, the client processes the information more effectively and remembers it better.^{Footnote 61} Another study found that corporate messages are more likely to be received favourably if they are in the client's first language.^{Footnote 62}

Kellogg's was one of the first companies to see the advantages of marketing to Canadians in the official language of their choice. In 1907, just one year after it was founded and some 60 years before the Official Languages Act was passed, this U.S. corporation decided—completely of its own volition, despite popular belief—to print information in both English and French on its cereal boxes sold in Canada. According to a representative of Kellogg's Canada, "'Canada was the first foreign market, and it just must have seemed right' to print the essential product information as well as the accompanying educational and health messages in the two languages of the country."^{Footnote 63}

Since then, other businesses have shown that they understand that Canada is a bilingual country, and that this means that there are certain obligations.

Gatineau businesses and official languages

In February 2012, the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages conducted a series of observations^{Footnote 64} to learn whether it was possible to be served in English on the Quebec side of the National Capital Region. Observations were made at businesses located near the Canadian Museum of Civilization, near Lac Leamy and at skiing facilities. It appears that these businesses understand the many benefits of linguistic duality in a region that straddles the border between Quebec and Ontario.

Based on the Office of the Commissioner's observations, hotels located near major tourist sites in Gatineau are doing an exemplary job of taking both of Canada's official languages into account. They all had bilingual signage and other visual elements to show visitors that they encourage the use of English and French. At the time of the observations, every one of the hotels served their guests quickly and effectively in English. Hotel employees were always able to answer questions in English like "Do you have a swimming pool in the hotel?" or "Do you allow pets?"

The Office of the Commissioner found that Gatineau restaurants visited were less likely than the hotels to visually encourage clients to use the official language of their choice: only 54% made a visual active offer of service in English and French. However, 95% were able to serve visitors in English. Furthermore, 88% of full-service restaurants, fast-food restaurants and coffee shops were able to provide English or bilingual menus— either immediately or upon request.

The in-person active offer of service in English and French—greeting clients with "Bonjour, hello" or something similar— seemed to be used infrequently in Gatineau; only about 10% of businesses at most were using it in February 2012.

In general, most hotels and restaurants in Gatineau set an example that other Canadian cities would do well to follow.

Building a bilingual organization

An estimated 46% of the economic activity of southeastern New Brunswick depends on French-speaking residents, organizations and tourists. The other 54% relies on English-speaking residents, organizations and tourists.^{Footnote 65} The Delta Beauséjour hotel in downtown Moncton is well aware of this reality and of the importance of addressing it.

To show that bilingualism is an intrinsic part of the Delta Beauséjour's guest service principles, hotel management has ensured that all signage is in English and French and that all staff greet each guest with a "Hello, bonjour". According to General Manager Raymond Roberge, guests can expect to receive fast and effective service in the official language of their choice at any time of the day or night.

To position his Moncton hotel as bilingual, Mr. Roberge prioritizes candidates' language skills right from the moment they are hired. "We do sometimes hire good unilingual candidates, but when that happens, we offer them a free second-language course that focuses on the vocabulary they need to do their jobs. And we make sure that new hires develop good linguistic reflexes while they are being trained. But most of all," says Mr. Roberge, "the Delta Beauséjour operates in both languages because we believe in linguistic duality, because over the years we have been able to develop a corporate culture that values linguistic duality. You don't know how happy it makes my colleagues and me to see employees who used to be unilingual get up at an event like our General Meeting and speak publicly in their second language. [translation]"^{Footnote 66} This is a great example of a business that considers bilingualism to be a corporate value.

Bilingualism a sound business choice

Although the path to linguistic duality can be challenging for any company, when the Commissioner of Official Languages met with two representatives of Rogers Communications on January 24, 2012, he learned that the Toronto-based company had been making significant efforts for several years to operate in both English and French in many parts of Canada.

To meet the needs of clients and employees in Quebec, New Brunswick and parts of Ontario, regardless of their preferred official language, Rogers Communications created a committee specifically responsible for establishing rules and procedures regarding language and for putting them into effect. For example, "whether it's for a new product, when a new sales representative comes in, etc., [the rule is] all the documentation is in two languages," explains Garrick Tiplady, Senior Vice-President of Customer Experience at Rogers Communications. "That includes the knowledge database available to all representatives."

Rising to the challenge of linguistic duality, Rogers Communications has also taken care to establish some of its call centres in areas that have a bilingual workforce. Some businesses say it is difficult to find workers who can speak both English and French, but Rogers Communications has not had any problems, according to Mr. Tiplady. "Offering services in both languages is in the DNA of the company, simply part of doing business in a bilingual country."

Second nature

Mountain Equipment Co-op, an outdoor retail co-operative with over 3.5 million members, understands that linguistic duality is a fundamental Canadian value. One of the Co-op's objectives is to "earn the respect of its French-speaking members so they can feel at home in their co-op and make it their own. [translation]"^{Footnote 67} Mountain Equipment Co-op makes sure that it has at least one French-speaking employee present at all times in stores located outside of Quebec. It ensures that the staff of its Vancouver headquarters includes bilingual personnel who can effectively meet the needs of French-speaking clients and employees. The Co-op also provides high-quality information in both English and French on all of its packaging and has created an illustrated bilingual dictionary of outdoor recreation and gear terminology called Le Petit MEC.^{Footnote 68} The Office québécois de la langue française has even included a number of Petit MEC terms in its Grand dictionnaire terminologique.

"Working in both languages really is second nature to us," says David Labistour, Mountain Equipment Co-op's Chief Executive Officer. "We've been doing it long enough that we don't discuss it anymore. We don't even think about it, it's part of the business. When we bring in a new product, when we add something to our website, when we conduct marketing efforts, we use both languages, without thinking, just because that's how we do things. Each of Canada's language communities deserves to be treated with respect. If you set up that philosophy right from the beginning, the rest will follow."

One step at a time

Making the shift towards linguistic duality may seem intimidating, but it shouldn't be, explains Peter Robinson, Chief Executive Officer of the David Suzuki Foundation and former Chief Executive Officer of Mountain Equipment Co-op. "You need to start by stating the importance of having all regions of Canada represented in the enterprise, the fact that you cannot be national if some parts of the country are missing. Once this is accepted and understood, you start talking about what's required to represent all regions. To do business in Quebec and Francophone communities, you certainly need to speak French, so the onus is on you to develop the capacity to serve people in the official language of their choice."

The rest is just logistics, according to Mr. Robinson. So as not to panic people or give the impression that everyone will have to become bilingual, an organization needs to start by determining how it will make use of both official languages. This might mean that managers in Quebec will need to know French; that branches or stores located in predominantly English-speaking cities like Vancouver will need to have at least one bilingual employee on duty at all times; or that language specialists will need to be hired by the head office to produce documents in French.

"Top managers also have to show commitment and leadership by becoming more conversant in their second language, by using it as much as possible, and by sending the message that the organization will support people who want to become bilingual. Firms don't do enough to support bilingualism," concludes Mr. Robinson, who grew up in British Columbia and learned French as an adult in Rwanda and Chicoutimi. "The idea with linguistic duality is not to get all the pieces together overnight. It's to have the attitude to do just a little more every day."

Cooperation: A win-win scenario

Businesses can improve their bilingualism by cooperating with each other. In 2007, for example, 11 insurance companies in the Québec City / Chaudière-Appalaches region decided to develop their English capacity collectively. This was one of the main reasons for creating the not-for-profit Centre de développement en assurances et services financiers.

"The situation has changed a lot in the Quebec insurance and financial services industry in our region, especially in Québec City and Lévis," says Gilles Juneau, the Centre's Executive Director. "Twenty years ago, everything happened in French. But with some of our members buying businesses outside of Quebec and getting into new geographical markets, the sector now needs to serve a greater number of English-speaking clients and do business with partners who don't necessarily speak French. [translation]"

To respond to these new linguistic challenges, the companies each took individual measures, Mr. Juneau explains. However, they also looked to the Centre for help "because they have to work together to foster a newly emerging bilingual workforce in such a predominantly French-speaking region. [translation]"

To address the fact that 30% of the jobs created in this industry in Québec City and Lévis in the coming years will be bilingual, the Centre is working with Université Laval and local CEGEPs so that they can offer more specialized insurance or finance courses in English. The Centre is also helping to create internships for young French-speaking students to learn their future profession in an English-speaking environment. In addition, it recently began developing a series of on-line courses to train call centre employees who use a very technical vocabulary in English. "Only a group like this could come up with a solution like this, [translation]" says Mr. Juneau.

Businesses supported by federal institutions

Some Canadian and international businesses distinguish themselves by the efforts they make on a daily basis to meet the needs and expectations of English-and French-speaking Canadians. Others seek to improve their ability to operate in both official languages. Many small and medium-sized companies as well as large corporations would certainly take action if they were more aware of the benefits of linguistic duality and the possibility of better meeting the needs of their English-and French-speaking clients without necessarily making radical changes to the way they do business.

This is why it is important for the Government of Canada to continue to support Canadian businesses and international businesses located in Canada that foster linguistic duality. Federal institutions, especially Industry Canada and Canadian Heritage, should look at some of the projects they fund that encourage the use of English and French in business, such as the Regroupement des gens d'affaires de la Capitale nationale's Business Assistance program, and work to ensure that these types of projects are undertaken in other parts of Canada.

Complaints

Part of the Commissioner of Official Languages' mandate is to ensure that federal institutions respect the language rights of their employees and of the general public. The Commissioner fulfills this responsibility both proactively—for example, by intervening with institutions to help them comply with the Official Languages Act—and reactively, by investigating complaints brought to his attention.

In 2011–2012, the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages received a total of 643 complaints, 518 of which were deemed to be admissible (81%). As Figure 2 shows, 341 involved communications with and services to the public (Part IV of the Act); 79 pertained to language of work (Part V); 45 were related to the advancement of English and French (Part VII); and 42 concerned the language requirements of positions (Part XI, section 91).

In 2011–2012, almost half (48%) of all incidents resulting in a complaint occurred in the National Capital Region, with the Ontario part generating four times as many incidents as the Quebec part. Outside of the National Capital Region, most of the violations of the Act were observed in Ontario (15%), Quebec (11%) and New Brunswick (7%).

In 2011–2012, most of the complaints were related to Part IV of the Act and focused on the following three areas: services in person (79 complaints), services in writing (63) and services in airports (60).

Description – Figure 2: Admissible complaints in 2011-2012 by part of the Official Languages Act

• 341 complaints about communications with and services to the public (Part IV)
• 79 complaints about language of work (Part V)
• 1 complaint about equitable participation (Part VI)
• 45 complaints about the advancement of English and French (Part VII)
• 42 complaints about language requirements of positions (Part XI, section 91)
• 10 complaints about other parts of the Act

In 2011–2012, the Office of the Commissioner received 45 complaints about the way in which the federal government and its institutions complied with their obligations related to the advancement of English and French (Part VII), compared with 109 Part VII-related complaints received the year before. It should be mentioned, however, that the decision to eliminate the long-form census questionnaire alone resulted in 84 complaints. Removing these complaints from the equation, Part VII-related complaints nearly doubled in 2011–2012 (45) compared with 2010–2011 (25).

Investigations

The following sections provide examples of some of the investigations of complaints processed by the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages during the 2011–2012 fiscal year. They reflect some of the recurring problems that federal institutions need to address.

Audits

Court Remedies

Meetings with federal institutions

Federal institutions must take strong action in order to make Canada a place where English and French are on an equal footing, where English- and French- Canadians engage in an open dialogue and where living in an officially bilingual country is a shared source of pride. Many of the 13 institutions the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages met with this year during its study of the visitor's experience in the national capital understand this and have taken action.

While the initiatives described in the following sections do not constitute positive measures for fostering the use of both official languages within the meaning of Part VII of the Official Languages Act, overall, they help strengthen linguistic duality in Canadian society.