Foreword
I have the impression that no one yet understands just how much work is done by the Commissioner’s Office on a weekly basis. Our work isn’t simply a matter of making sure that all government documents are provided at the same time in both languages, or that all communications, whether on a website, on social media, in person, at a service desk or on the telephone, can be carried on smoothly in either language, without additional delays and in keeping with the same standards of quality. We do handle complaints on these subjects, of course.
However, we do so much more. We deal with human reality in all its complexity and all its vulnerability. So, in this year’s annual report, I’d like to point out that there are real people, who are experiencing real difficulties and need services offered actively in French, in every designated area, indeed in every part of Ontario.
Many people in vulnerable situations will never complain or insist on their rights. Those who dare to do so are few and far between. Meet Ms. Tremblay (a fictitious name to preserve her and her child’s anonymity). Her distressing story has a domino effect because it involves a number of sectors (health centres, health professionals, hospitals, municipal police services, justice, children’s aid, and so on), illustrating the complexity of certain cases. Too many stories like this one go untold.