Toronto, November 26, 2012 — Canada’s Commissioner of Official Languages, Graham Fraser, and Ontario’s French Language Services Commissioner, François Boileau, signed an agreement today that will allow their organizations to optimize their support to the citizens and communities they serve.
The memorandum of understanding signed by commissioners Fraser and Boileau is unprecedented in Canada. It will allow their two offices to share information about investigations that fall under both jurisdictions and to work together on promotional initiatives and studies on how their respective governments are meeting their language obligations.
“The Official Languages Act and the French Language Services Act apply to separate and well-defined jurisdictions, but the citizens who contact us don’t always know which services fall under the federal government and which fall under the provincial government,” said Commissioner Fraser. “Better communication between our offices will help us to react more quickly and efficiently to problems identified by the public.”
“We are taking a step forward for all Francophone communities in Ontario today,” said Commissioner Boileau. This memorandum will give Francophones more direct access to our respective services and expertise, which will allow us to better respond to their needs and concerns in terms of their language rights.”
The memorandum of understanding was signed in the Toronto offices of French-language public television channel TFO.
“Establishing strong partnerships is one way in which organizations can fully contribute to the vitality of Francophone communities,” said Glenn O’Farrell, President and CEO of TFO. “GroupeMédia TFO recognizes the value of these initiatives and is proud to participate in the development of the Francophonie in Ontario and in Canada.”
For more information or to schedule an interview, please contact:
At the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages: Nelson KALIL
Manager, Strategic Communications and Media Relations
Telephone: 613-995-0374
Cellular: 613-324-0999
Toll free: 1-877-996-6368
E-mail: nelson.kalil@ocol-clo.gc.ca
At the Office of the French Language Services Commissioner: Simon CÔTÉ
Public Relations and Communications Officer
Telephone: 416-314-8247
Toll free: 1-866-246-5262
E-mail: communications.flsccsf@ontario.ca
November 20, 2012 – Ontario is making it easier for Francophones to access the justice system in the official language of their choice.
The government is establishing a steering committee with representatives from the justice sector and other organizations to review and develop an implementation plan that responds to the recommendations outlined in the French Language Services Bench and Bar Advisory Committee’s report — Access to justice in French.
Access to justice in French was released on Aug. 2, 2012 and describes the steps needed to ensure that French speakers have effective access to justice in French while making the most efficient use of existing resources.
The McGuinty government is committed to ensuring that all Ontarians have fair and seamless access to the Ontario justice system in the official language of their choice.
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“Our government is committed to ensuring that all Ontarians have fair and seamless access to the Ontario justice system in the official language of their choice. We’re very proud of efforts made thus far by all justice stakeholders to support access to justice in French in Ontario, and we’re looking forward to helping them even further with a roadmap to provide French services in a cost and time sensitive manner.”
— John Gerretsen, Attorney General
“In renewing our commitment to enhance access to justice in French in Ontario, our government is ensuring that French speaking citizens are provided with the supports and services they need to deal with our justice system.”
— Madeleine Meilleur, Minister Responsible for Francophone Affairs
“I wish to thank the Attorney General for his leadership in continuing to ensure access to justice in French in Ontario, as it is a fundamental right. I am pleased that the Bench and Bar Advisory Committee’s recommendations have been heard and that the needs of French-speaking citizens are being put amongst the Ministry of the Attorney General’s top priorities.”
— François Boileau, French Language Services Commissioner
QUICK FACTS
Access to justice in French in Ontario outlined 17 key recommendations in nine activity sectors for which accountability and evaluation methods were defined.
The Attorney General established the French Language Services Bench and Bar Committee in 2010 following a recommendation made by the Commissioner.
Three pieces of legislation form the current legislative framework for French-language rights in the justice sector in Ontario: the Criminal Code, the Courts of Justice Act and the French Language Services Act. These pieces of legislation confirm the official status of French in the justice system.
TORONTO, October 4, 2012 – French Language Services Commissioner François Boileau welcomes the final report of Ontario’s Expert Roundtable On Immigration, entitled Expanding Our Routes To Success, which was published yesterday by the Government of Ontario.
In the report, the Expert Roundtable emphasizes how important it is for the government to work closely with the Francophone communities, among others, to design immigration policies and provide programs that meet their needs.
With this report, in addition to the recommendations in the Commissioner’s 2011-2012 Annual Report, the government now has a number of important tools to assist in developing a genuine strategy for welcoming Francophone newcomers to Ontario, providing them with language training and integrating them into the labour market.
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“It is important that as soon as newcomers arrive in Canada, and particularly in Ontario, they can be referred to the right organizations, in French, and that they understand that they can live and participate fully in the province’s Francophone community,” said the Commissioner.
“The Francophone communities play an active role in Ontario’s economic, social and cultural growth and, in so doing, they strengthen the province’s capacity to build relationships around the world. Now more than ever, Ontario must also strive to attract its fair share of Francophone immigrants, and the government needs to set immigration targets. I am counting on the government to build a strategy that reflects this reality and takes the Francophone communities’ specific needs into account.”
QUICK FACTS
The mandate of Ontario’s Expert Roundtable On Immigration was to advise the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration on the planning of Ontario’s first Immigration Strategy. The panel was to provide advice on immigrant selection and settlement and on labour market integration issues. The Expert Roundtable’s final report contains 32 recommendations. (AJEFO).
In his 2011-2012 Annual Report, the French Language Services Commissioner recommended that the government establish an advisory committee to guide the Ministry’s efforts in the area of Francophone immigration in Ontario.
The Commissioner also recommended that, using a consultative and interministerial approach, the government develop a strategy to welcome Francophone newcomers, provide them with language training and integrate them into the labour market.
The Office of the French Language Services Commissioner works to ensure active, integrated delivery of French-language services in support of the development of the Francophone community and Ontarian society.
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Simon Côté, Public Relations and Communications Officer
Office of the French Language Services Commissioner
Phone: (416) 314-8247 ou 1-866-246-5262 (toll free)
E-mail: communications.flscCSF@ontario.ca
TORONTO, August 3, 2012 – The French Language Services Commissioner welcomes the report on Access to justice in French in Ontario that was published yesterday by the French Language Services Bench and Bar Advisory Committee to the Attorney General of Ontario.
The report precisely describes the steps necessary to ensure that French speakers have meaningful and effective access to justice in French in Ontario while making the most efficient use of existing resources.
From the Law Society of Upper Canada to Legal Aid Ontario hereon to the Ontario Judicial Appointments Advisory Committee and law schools, the report presents solutions that ask for the mobilization of a diversity of partners in the judicial system.
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“The Committee’s report confirms that the current status quo relating to the access to justice in French is unacceptable. Its recommendations have the potential to generate significant progress and to finally ensure equal access to justice for Francophones, as long as solutions are implemented efficiently and efforts are well-coordinated,” said the Commissioner.
“I thank all members of the Committee and more particularly its co-chairs for their tremendous work and their holistic approach towards the access to justice in French. In light of this thorough report, the time for conducting studies and analysis is now over. I rely upon the leadership of the Ministry of the Attorney General for the implementation of this action plan and I am fully committed to closely monitor this important process.”
QUICK FACTS
The French Language Services Bench and Bar Committee was established in 2010 in response to a recommendation that the Commissioner made in his 2008-2009 Annual Report. The Committee is co-chaired by the Honourable Paul Rouleau, an Ontario Court of Appeal judge, and Paul Le Vay, president of the Association des juristes d’expression française de l’Ontario (AJEFO).
The report contains 17 important recommendations gathered in nine activity sectors for which accountability and evaluation methods are defined.
The current legislative framework for French-language rights in Ontario is articulated in three pieces of legislation: the Criminal code, the Courts of Justice Act and the French Language Services Act. These pieces of legislation confer and confirm the official status of the French language in the justice system.
The Office of the French Language Services Commissioner works to ensure active, integrated delivery of French-language services in support of the development of the Francophone community and Ontarian society.
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Simon Côté, Public Relations and Communications Officer
Office of the French Language Services Commissioner
Phone: (416) 314-8247 ou 1-866-246-5262 (toll free)
E-mail: communications.flscCSF@ontario.ca
TORONTO, June 27, 2012 – The French Language Services Commissioner is urging the Government of Ontario to the pressing need to develop and implement concrete, decisive action to correct the very low French-language postsecondary education access rates (0% to 3%) in Central-Southwestern Ontario.
The Commissioner presents the findings of his investigation in a report entitled The State of French-language Postsecondary Education in Central-Southwestern Ontario: No Access, No Future, published today.
The report examines the limited options, long distances and fragile autonomy of some institutions, which have a negative effect on recruitment and retention, resulting in a loss for the Franco-Ontarian community. The Commissioner recommends that the government establish a new, independent, publicly accountable structure to determine both needs and delivery of French-language postsecondary education programs and services in Central-Southwestern Ontario, particularly in the Greater Toronto Area.
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“With the rapid growth of Central-Southwestern Ontario’s Francophone population, it is more critical than ever to remedy the insufficient number of colleges and universities in that region that offer French-language programs and services,” said the Commissioner.
“These deficiencies have the effect of pulling the rug out from under elementary and secondary students, newcomers and Francophiles who want to pursue a postsecondary education in French. The same could be said of the self-serving interest of the government in maintaining and improving its capacity to provide the public with quality French-language services.”
QUICK FACTS
According to the 2006 Census, there are 201,630 Francophones in Central-Southwestern Ontario, more than one third of the province’s total Francophone population.
The Francophone community of Central-Southwestern Ontario has a higher growth rate than any other Francophone community in the province.
Yet the French-language postsecondary education access rate ranges from 0% to just 3% in Central-Southwestern Ontario, compared with the programs offered in English in the same region.
Only five postsecondary institutions in Central-Southwestern Ontario offer some French-language programs.
LEARN MORE
You can view the report on The State of French-language Postsecondary Education in Central-Southwestern Ontario at www.flsc.gov.on.ca, in the “Publications” section.
The Office of the French Language Services Commissioner works to ensure active, integrated delivery of French-language services in support of the development of the Francophone community and Ontarian society.
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Simon Côté, Public Relations and Communications Officer
Office of the French Language Services Commissioner
Phone: (416) 314-8247 ou 1-866-246-5262 (toll free)
E-mail: communications.flscCSF@ontario.ca
TORONTO, June 6, 2012 – French Language Services Commissioner François Boileau recommends that the Government of Ontario amend the French Language Services Act to have the position of Commissioner report directly to the Legislative Assembly. This issue is the subject of the first recommendation in the Commissioner’s annual report for 2011-2012 that was submitted today to the Minister Responsible for Francophone Affairs, the Honourable Madeleine Meilleur.
Even though the Commissioner says that he has enjoyed substantial independence of action while reporting to Minister Meilleur since he took office nearly five years ago, he firmly believes that the rights of Franco-Ontarians would be better protected if the French Language Services Commissioner were directly accountable to all Members of Parliament.
“The French Language Services Act is a quasi-constitutional statute that takes precedence over all other legislation passed by the Legislative Assembly, with a few exceptions. It is therefore desirable that elected representatives be asked to participate in implementing the Act in support of the development of the Francophone community and of Ontarian society,” said Commissioner Boileau.
In his fifth year-end report, entitled Annual Report 2011-2012: Straight Forward, the Commissioner also addresses the issue of the public-private partnerships announced in the last budget. Although the Commissioner is delighted with the new Regulation 284/11, which governs French-language services provided by third parties, the regulation, according to the Commissioner, does not offer sufficient protection when dealing with partnerships. Consequently, the Commissioner recommends that all new public-private partnerships be subject to the French Language Services Act.
“Regulation 284/11 cannot cover all of the many different forms that future partnerships could take. To protect French-language services and guarantee the delivery of services that are equivalent and of equivalent quality in both languages, it would suffice to ensure that any entity or agency created by such partnerships is subject to the French Language Services Act.”
In another recommendation, the Commissioner asks the government to review the designation process for agencies under the French Language Services Act. According to the Commissioner, the deficiencies to be addressed have to do primarily with the designation criteria, the accountability of designated agencies and Francophone representation in those agencies.
In addition to presenting an overview of the investigations conducted by the Commissioner’s Office and a sample of resolved complaints, the Commissioner’s fifth annual report recommends, among other things, that:
the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration set up an advisory committee by the end of 2012-2013, that will be responsible for guiding Ministry efforts related to the Francophone immigration file in Ontario;
the government conduct an independent interministerial assessment of the roles, responsibilities and processes designed to support French-language services within the government; and
the Minister of Consumer Services take all the necessary measures to ensure that all newly-created delegated administrative authorities or similar entities are subject to the French Language Services Act.
QUICK FACTS
The position of French Language Services Commissioner was created in September 2007 following an amendment to the French Language Services Act.
The French Language Services Commissioner is one of the few ombudsmen who report to a minister rather than directly to the Legislative Assembly.
In its last budget, the government announced its intention to implement certain partnerships by engaging the private sector, not-for-profit organizations or any other third party under negotiated agreements.
The Commissioner continues to see such partnerships as opportunities for Francophone organizations to provide bilingual services on the government’s behalf.
Designated agencies are required to provide quality French-language services just as government ministries and agencies are, but under the current process, designated agencies are not subject to any continuous assessment or monitoring by the government.
The Commissioner’s Office received 371 complaints in 2011-2012, down slightly (-2.6%) from the previous year.
However, the Commissioner’s Office processed more individual complaints on a wider variety of subjects. In addition, admissible and resolved complaints increased by 35% compared to the previous year.
The Office of the French Language Services Commissioner is an agency of the Ontario Government that is responsible for ensuring compliance with the French Language Services Act in the delivery of government services. The Act was passed unanimously by the Legislative Assembly of Ontario in November 1986.
LEARN MORE
You can access our annual report online at www.flsc.gov.on.ca in the PUBLICATIONS section.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Gyula Kovacs, Public Relations and Communications Officer
Office of the French Language Services Commissioner
Phone: (416)314-8247 or 1-866-246-5262 (toll free)
Email: communications.FLSCcsf@ontario.ca
