TORONTO, June 1, 2016 – French Language Services Commissioner François Boileau today submitted his ninth annual report, entitled FLSA 2.0, to the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, the Honourable Dave Levac.
In the 2015-2016 annual report, the Commissioner recommends that the government undertake the task of completely overhauling the French Language Services Act so that it will better meet the needs and aspirations of the 612,000 citizens who make up Ontario’s Francophone community.
As 2016 marks the 30th anniversary of the passage of Bill 8, the Commissioner believes it is time for a comprehensive revision of the statute.
“The Act was progressive in 1986, but it is no longer so today,” says Commissioner Boileau. “The face of the Francophonie has changed. Cultural diversity has taken hold. Attitudes are different, as are modes of communication. In my view, modernization of the Act is necessary, perhaps even critical.”
Consequently, in the 2015-2016 annual report:
The Commissioner recommends that the Minister Responsible for Francophone Affairs propose to the Legislative Assembly a comprehensive revision of the French Language Services Act.
The Commissioner recommends that the Minister Responsible for Francophone Affairs initiate the process of revising the Act during the current session of parliament, no later than the fall of 2016, in connection with the Act’s 30th anniversary.
The Commissioner recommends that the Minister Responsible for Francophone Affairs launch, without delay, a mechanism for consulting the residents of Ontario, particularly the Francophone community, as a first step in the process of revising the Act.
The report also contains 16 recommendations on specific issues, including the Act’s statement of purpose, the use of the Inclusive Definition of Francophone, active offer, social media, designation of areas, government agencies, and the roles of the Minister Responsible for Francophone Affairs, the Office of Francophone Affairs, the French-language services coordinators, and the Commissioner.
“In developing these recommendations, I wanted to identify the Act’s current shortcomings and determine the most direct and effective means of remedying them,” explains Commissioner Boileau.
QUICK FACTS
The Office of the French Language Services Commissioner processed 229 complaints in 2015-2016.
In nine years, the Commissioner’s Office has received a total of 2,706 complaints. Of those, 2,047, or more than 81%, were investigated.
Over the years, only 497 complaints (18%) have been deemed inadmissible.
The French Language Services Commissioner is one of nine officers who report to the Legislative Assembly.
In 2016, Ontario celebrates the 30th anniversary of the French Language Services Act.
The Office of the French Language Services Commissioner reports directly to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. Its principal mandate is to ensure compliance with the French Language Services Act in the delivery of government services.
Sorinna Chim
Communications and Public Relations Officer
Office of the French Language Services Commissioner
Phone: (416) 906-7021 or 1-866-246-5262 (toll free)
Email: sorinna.chim@csfontario.ca Disponible en français
TORONTO, May 26, 2016 – Today, the French Language Services Commissioner of Ontario, François Boileau, submitted to the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, the Honourable Dave Levac, a special report entitled Active Offer of Services in French: The Cornerstone for Achieving the Objectives of Ontario’s French Language Services Act. In the report, the Commissioner states that more regulation of the obligation to “actively” offer services in French is needed, and recommends that the government propose an amendment to the French Language Services Act to include active offer in the delivery of services by government ministries and agencies.
This report highlights the need for the Government of Ontario to put concrete measures in place and acquire the tools that are needed for government ministries, agencies and entities and third parties that provide services on behalf of the government to implement the active offer of services in French. Indeed, the Commissioner identifies the absence of active offer as a significant shortcoming in the province’s language regime, a shortcoming that stands in the way of the full achievement of the Act’s objectives. Moreover, Francophone Ontarians in vulnerable positions are hardest hit by this shortcoming, as the personal stories related in this report illustrate.
“Active offer of services in French is a prerequisite for honouring Ontarians’ right to receive their services in French. French-speaking Ontarians (both Francophones and Francophiles), like their English-speaking fellow Ontarians, must be able to communicate in their language without feeling uncomfortable or ill at ease, and without experiencing negative reactions or unpleasant consequences for the quality of the services received,” said Commissioner Boileau.
Although the Act does not expressly refer to the right of Francophones to actively obtain services in their language, some organizations have made active offer the norm in delivering services, a fact the Commissioner is quick to recognize. Absent an express reference to this obligation in the Act, however, progress on active offer may be difficult and slow.
This is the backdrop against which the Commissioner recommends that the Minister Responsible for Francophone Affairs take the necessary steps to ensure that (1) the Act is amended to include a provision relating to active offer. This amendment should come into force no later than May 2018. In addition, the changes to the Act should (2) be based on an action plan setting forth clear directives and best practices to guide executives and managers responsible for implementing the active offer of services in French. (3) The Commissioner also recommends the development of a provincial strategy to promote the implementation of the active offer of services in French by government agencies and institutions subject to the Act. The strategy should be developed in cooperation with community partners that can offer useful expertise and invaluable help in achieving the objectives.
QUICK FACTS
Active offer implies that service providers are proactive. It also entails guaranteeing that services will be equivalent in quality to the services provided in English.
For this report, 18 users of Ontario provincial public services were interviewed in order to understand the impact that not receiving active offer of services in French has on the Franco-Ontarian population.
In 2016, Ontario is celebrating the 30th anniversary of the French Language Services Act.
The Office of the French Language Services Commissioner reports directly to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. Its principal mandate is to ensure compliance with the French Language Services Act in the delivery of government services.
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LEARN MORE
You can access the special report at flscontario.ca in the PUBLICATIONS section.
Sorinna Chim
Communications and Public Relations Officer
Office of the French Language Services Commissioner
Phone: (416) 906-7021 or 1 866-246-5262 (toll free)
The Office of the French Language Services Commissioner of Ontario announces the appointment of Mr. Jean-Gilles Pelletier as director general. Mr. Pelletier is the first person to hold this newly created position in the Commissioner’s Office. Reporting directly to Commissioner François Boileau, he took office on January 5, 2016. The creation of this position was made necessary by the increase in the human and financial resources of the Commissioner’s Office.
During his career, which spans more than 20 years, Mr. Pelletier has acquired extensive experience in the public sector, holding a number of executive positions. Until very recently, he was Vice-President, Community Investments, with the Ontario Trillium Foundation.
From 2008 to 2014, Mr. Pelletier was Director, Administration and Official Languages, for the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada. Before that, he was executive director of the Centre francophone de Toronto (CFT), a multidisciplinary service centre, from 1997 to 2008. Under his leadership, the CFT merged with the Centre médico-social communautaire de Toronto.
As a member of many provincial advisory committees, Mr. Pelletier played a key role in the establishment of the French-language health planning entities. In 2007, he was the first chair of Health Minister George Smitherman’s French-language services advisory committee. Previously, he worked for the Ontario government for about 10 years in the Ministry of Finance and the Office of Francophone Affairs.
Mr. Pelletier studied sociology and political science at Laval University, Simon Fraser University and the University of Toronto.
In the Office of the French Language Services Commissioner, Mr. Pelletier has a range of duties. As operations manager, he is responsible for human, financial and administrative resources and oversees day-to-day operations. His role also extends to setting strategic objectives and developing programs and policies. Mr. Pelletier’s initial assignments will be to hire staff and move the Commissioner’s Office to new spaces.
Quotes
“We are fortunate to be able to count on the expertise of a person of Jean-Gilles Pelletier’s calibre to support us in the all of the major changes on the horizon. He is a seasoned manager with a well-established reputation. He has outstanding qualities, both as a human being and as an administrator. His experience in the health, education and community affairs sectors and the negotiating skills he has demonstrated at the provincial and federal levels are major assets. I am certain that he will provide the Commissioner’s Office with the kind of guidance that will benefit all of the province’s Francophone residents.”
— Mr. François Boileau, French Language Services Commissioner of Ontario
“It is an honour for me to join the Office of the French Language Services Commissioner. The Commissioner’s Office is entering a pivotal period of its history, which includes the expansion of its team and its impending 10th anniversary, as well as the 30th anniversary of the French Language Services Act in 2016. I hope to help make the Commissioner’s Office even more proactive in its mission of ensuring the integrated delivery of French-language services in support of the development of the Francophone community and Ontarian society.”
— Mr. Jean-Gilles Pelletier, Director General, Office of the French Language Services Commissioner of Ontario
The Office of the French Language Services Commissioner reports directly to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. Its principal mandate is to ensure compliance with the French Language Services Act in the delivery of government services.
For inquiries or interview requests:
Sorinna Chim
Communications and Public Relations Officer
Office of the French Language Services Commissioner
Telephone: 416-314-8247 or 1-888-305-8247 (toll free)
Email: sorinna.chim@ontario.ca
