Official Languages Committee on May 29th, 2008

[George Da Pont]

There it's harder for me to comment, because as far as I'm aware, that's not been expressed to us directly. But we recognized very quickly that the communications were not what they should have been. That is when we asked one of our francophone directors from the maritime region to go to Îles-de-la-Madeleine. He stayed there a number of days. He became the primary contact with the families to deal with just that lapse that had taken place.

So once we became aware of it, we took immediate steps to correct that unfortunate problem.

[Raynald Blais, Bloc, Gaspésie—Îles-de-la-Madeleine, QC]

The joint coordination centres operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. They handle distress situations, disasters and tragedies. Can you guarantee us that proper bilingual communication services are offered 24 hours a day, seven days a week?

[George Da Pont]

What I can say is that in our bilingual centres, all of the positions are designated bilingual. And in those centres, almost every individual occupying those positions meets the language requirement.

[Raynald Blais, Bloc, Gaspésie—Îles-de-la-Madeleine, QC]

You're saying that all positions are designated bilingual or virtually so, but I would like you to give us more details. What do you mean by “almost”? What does “bilingual” mean in the way you use it?

[George Da Pont]

No, I indicated that nine of our MCTS centres provide bilingual services. In those nine centres, all the positions are designated bilingual at the B level, and the incumbents in all those positions, with only a very small number of exceptions, currently meet that requirement.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Thank you very much, Mr. Blais.

We'll now continue with Mr. Godin.

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. Dumais, earlier I believe you said you were satisfied with the organization from the standpoint of bilingualism. Do you agree?

[LGen Marc Dumais]

In general.

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

Since we're here to talk about bilingualism within the Canadian Coast Guard, I'd like to know whether francophones can take search and rescue training in French.

[George Da Pont]

Yes, it is. French language training is provided for the individuals who operate and work in the MCTS centres and also on the vessel.

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

For example, is the search and rescue mission coordinator course given in French?

[George Da Pont]

To the best of my knowledge, we give all the courses in English and French at the Coast Guard College, but we don't give them each year.

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

Are the sea search planning course and the search operations chief course given in Canada's two official languages?

[George Da Pont]

I would have to verify that, sir, and get back to you.

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

I'd like to give you a document that comes from a website that states that the search and rescue mission coordinator course is currently offered in English only. The sea search planning course is currently offered in English only. To take the search operations chief course, candidates must be able to communicate and take the course in English.

[George Da Pont]

I will look into this situation, sir--

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

Is that part of the 5%?

[George Da Pont]

If I could respond, please, as I indicated, we do offer the courses in French and English. We do not offer them in French and English every year.

I will verify that and advise the committee--

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

Is it in English every year and never, or virtually never, in French?

[George Da Pont]

It depends on the registration for the courses and the linguistic needs of the people who are registering for the course. I will verify that and advise the committee.

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

I've previously filed a complaint with the Commissioner of Official Languages since we had the same problem at the Department of National Defence. There was a form in English, the Admission Form to the Marine Institute, to register for one of the courses.

Are the people who work aboard the Sir William Alexander bilingual?

[George Da Pont]

Yes, from time to time. As I think the deputy minister explained a little while ago, we provide the service as part of the crewing process, and it depends on where the vessel is going to work and what it's going to do. We assess whether there is a need to provide a bilingual service. If there is, we would have people on board.

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

About a month ago, the Sir William Alexander was in the Caraquet region. The Gaétan Haché fishing vessel made a call to find out if there was ice in the entrance to Caraquet. The conversation took place in English only. Mr. Gaétan Haché, who is the boat's owner and captain, spoke in his broken English. He was told that it was open at Bas-Caraquet, but that there was ice as he arrived at the wharf. That was in English. Mr. Haché said in English that he would be there in two hours, and he wound up in the ice.

[George Da Pont]

Again, sir, I'm not aware of that situation. I will have to check into it.

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

There's a problem.

Earlier, Mr. Dumais, you said that you thought the conservation was quite good and that Ms. Aucoin had been required to switch from French to English because she felt she wasn't understood. You can't say there isn't a problem. You're talking to a person who is experiencing emotion. Imagine if that person hadn't understood English. How would he have understood broken French? The lady understood English since she conducted part of the conversation in English.

Will you admit that there is a problem with regard to official languages? It has always been recognized. It's now recognized at the Department of National Defence. At the Coast Guard, they have a problem. Do you admit there is a problem, particularly since some courses are only given in one language?