Special Report on French Language Health Services Planning in Ontario

In 2009, the Commissioner pointed out in his Special Report on French Language Health Services Planning in Ontario¹⁰ that according to research studies, Francophones did not know where to go to obtain French-language health care services. Eight years later, the situation is virtually unchanged. Francophones still do not know what door to knock on to get access to health services in French.

During that period, the Commissioner’s Office has observed many situations affecting Francophone organizations like the Centre francophone de Toronto. At a discussion forum held by the Centre for newcomers in September 2016, many questions were voiced: “Where can we find a family doctor who speaks French?” “Which hospital provides French-language services?” The Commissioner’s Office also receives these kinds of questions from Francophone citizens across Ontario. It is not unusual for them to ask how they can find a family physician in Sudbury or a psychologist in Toronto. In many cases, they are vulnerable people.

Francophones’ specific needs remain acute, and the French-language services available to them still vary widely from region to region and language to language. For example, it takes just one mouse click to find an English-speaking speech disorder specialist on the website of the College of Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists of Ontario, but you need plenty of patience to find a French-speaking one.

Nevertheless, there have been some excellent initiatives in recent years. One example is the North Simcoe Muskoka LHIN, which has a health system navigator for Francophones. This service is provided through the Chigamik Community Health Centre in Midland. The Commissioner’s Office commends this initiative and hopes it will spread to areas where there is still no central system for identifying Francophone health professionals and hospitals that provide French-language services. Currently, an up-to-date database or an entry point into the system that has this kind of information for the Francophone population is sadly lacking in the health system.

10. Supra note 3.