Official Languages Committee on June 5th, 2008

[Graham Fraser]

Thank you Mr. Chair.

I presume that all members have the right to ask any question they want.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Mr. Commissioner, questions must normally be relevant to the issue under consideration. That is up to the chair's discretion.

The floor is now yours.

[Graham Fraser]

I apologize, Mr. Chair, for having presumed to know the committee's role.

As I pointed out in my annual report, my office has undertaken a study on the bilingualism of the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The study focuses on the readiness of the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games (VANOC) to meet the language requirements identified in Annex A of the multiparty agreement signed in November 2002. Our study does not examine the broadcasting of the games in both official languages. This study is a preventive step, because I do not want to go to the organizers after the games, with complaints in hand, telling them what they should have done. Our study, which was done with the cooperation of VANOC, should help it address potential shortcomings before the games.

I emphasize that VANOC clearly considers linguistic duality to be an important value and a key consideration in planning the games. VANOC is committed to exceeding its official languages responsibilities. Although study of this matter is still underway, we have already identified some key issues, particularly regarding resources allocated to official languages within VANOC, growing demand for translation and simultaneous interpretation, signage, and volunteer recruitment. VANOC would be much better able to become a model of bilingualism for the next games and achieve the vision of a bilingual games were it to implement effective solutions to resolve these issues.

In terms of signage in the Vancouver-Whistler corridor, the federal government, along with VANOC, should provide leadership and work with its provincial and municipal counterparts to ensure that Canada's linguistic duality is apparent to everyone in any location where the games are featured.

Recruiting a sufficient number of qualified bilingual volunteers from across the country is essential to the provision of high-quality bilingual services at all sites to athletes, Olympic officials, the media and the public.

However, we cannot forget that not everything happens at the games site. Many federal institutions (border services, the RCMP, airport security, etc.) will play a key role in projecting Canada's image as a host country in both official languages. My office is already working with these institutions to ensure that this aspect of the games is also successful. I believe that the 2010 Olympics and Paralympic Games are a golden opportunity to showcase Canada's linguistic duality to the world.

Thank you very much.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Thank you, Mr. Commissioner.

We will begin the first round of questions with Mr. Coderre.

[Denis Coderre, Liberal, Bourassa, QC]

Mr. Commissioner, based on your thoughts prior to your statement and the request by my friend Petit, I should perhaps ask you whether any future Supreme Court of Canada justice ought to be bilingual and attend bilingual Olympic Games. That way, you could talk to me about those two issues at the same time.

Following the blunder in Nagano, I had the Canadian Olympic Committee sign an agreement to ensure that everything would henceforth be bilingual. Today, the Canadian Olympic Committee makes sure that everything is bilingual, whether it be its dealings with the media or with people in general.

I am hearing a lot of “shoulds” in your statement, and that is of some concern. I know Messrs. Poole and Furlong of the organizing committee quite well, and I know that they are quite attuned to this issue.

Also, we should not simply depend on the system. Based on what you know, what has the government done? Have agreements already been signed with the Campbell government and the cities of Whistler and Vancouver to ensure that, first, the signage is being prepared, and second, the services will be bilingual? And coming back to what you have said about the interdepartmental committee, do all the ministers, including Mr. Emerson, the minister responsible for the Olympic Games, have an agreement to ensure that all services will be bilingual, and that bilingualism will be guaranteed, not only on the Games site, but in all other areas as well?

Furthermore, there is a key issue—and I think that everyone is aware of it—that is the broadcasting of the Olympic Games. Some francophones will not be able to watch the Olympic Games in their own language, unless they pay for the broadcast. There is a discrepancy between the French language network and CTV.

I therefore believe that all these questions require not only a response but also some follow up. So what has been done up until now? Between now and 2010, what can you do to ensure that all these issues are resolved, and how can we help you to ensure that the government no longer be reluctant to show some true leadership, as you indicate in your report?

[Graham Fraser]

I have already met with Mr. Emerson on a number of occasions and I got the impression that he was determined to ensure the full respect of linguistic duality during the Games.

As for the specific agreements between the federal government, the province and municipalities, I am not aware of them.

[Catherine Scott, Director General, Policy and Communications Branch, Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages]

To my knowledge, the multiparty agreement on signage between the federal government and VANOC deals with signage produced by VANOC, that is all official signs for the Olympic Games. Our study is still ongoing, but what we have heard during our interviews leads us to believe that VANOC has some concerns as to whether the cities and the province will produce all their signage in both official languages. That is why, at this point in time, this appears to be a concern that should be addressed.

[Denis Coderre, Liberal, Bourassa, QC]

We are not sure that things will be taken care of. So far, the issue has yet to be addressed. Is that what you are saying? Is there no agreement?

[Catherine Scott]

That's correct.

[Denis Coderre, Liberal, Bourassa, QC]

We therefore have to ensure that people can obtain those services. Signage is one thing, but service delivery is another. Having a sign in English and in French is simply not enough.

You could perhaps talk to me about your relations with the francophone community in British Columbia. I hear that it has done exceptional work. Work done at the Canada Games in Whitehorse, for example, was quite remarkable. Can we ensure that the same level of service will be delivered at the Games? There will also be a need for volunteers.

You could perhaps end your response by addressing the broadcasting issue.

[Graham Fraser]

Indeed, volunteer recruitment is part of our study. I have yet to see the results. I know that there have been contacts, discussions and cooperation with the francophone community of British Columbia as well as other communities. However, I do not wish to get into the report's findings since I have yet to read the preliminary report.

[Denis Coderre, Liberal, Bourassa, QC]

Are you satisfied that each time the management committee needs to discuss services, there is a representative in attendance? I know that there are francophones on the management committee, but did you make sure that there is a francophone presence on the executive committee to ensure the issue is addressed?

[Catherine Scott]

We will be looking into that as part of our study. We will check to see whether the executive committee regularly addresses the official languages file to assess the situation.

[Denis Coderre, Liberal, Bourassa, QC]

And what about the broadcasting?

[Graham Fraser]

We are closely monitoring the broadcasting file. I recently met with CTV officials. I shared some of my concerns with them. We had a positive meeting, but a number of elements still need to be determined. I spoke about my concerns regarding hotels. CTV assured me that that would not pose a problem, that a free service would be offered to hotels. They will be responsible for hooking up to the service provided.

I do not know whether you have ever experienced the same thing as I have, Mr. Chair, but I have often arrived at a hotel looking for something that I thought was available and found out that it was not. I definitely would not want to see athletes' parents or francophone journalists arriving at a hotel and not being able to access the service that is provided free of charge, thanks to a cable television system. I have been assured that it would be available, but hotels have to be made aware of the situation.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Thank you, Mr. Coderre. I found all of your questions relevant.

We will now move on to Mr. Malo.

[Luc Malo, Bloc, Verchères—Les Patriotes, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I would like to continue with the issue of CTV. During your discussions with the broadcaster, you were told that a team had been set up to study the issue and make sure that the service would be available not only in hotels, but everywhere. If I am not mistaken, it is not enough to simply extend the service offer, services also have to be provided to each and every client group. You spoke about clients staying at hotels, but there are a number of specific clienteles.

Has a team been assigned to this task? Did they confirm this with you?

[Graham Fraser]

I have the impression that they are taking this issue seriously. Some of the elements are not yet ready. They have had some discussions with the owners of both the large and small cable companies with which they had yet to reach an agreement. I underscored the fact that this was an essential element. But a gap remains: a number of households do not have cable or satellite access. This remains an ongoing issue because there is a limit to how much CTV can do in terms of traditional, live broadcasting. The dialogue is continuing, this is being taken seriously.

I had never heard of this before, but apparently a simultaneous French-language service will be available on the Internet at all times. This innovation was news to me.

[Luc Malo, Bloc, Verchères—Les Patriotes, QC]

If I understand correctly, your study will be conducted through to the completion of the Olympic Games, so that you can have an ongoing oversight of all the aspects of the games.

[Graham Fraser]

The study focuses rather on the state of readiness. We wanted organizers to have our study sufficiently ahead of time so that they could make the necessary corrections.

[Luc Malo, Bloc, Verchères—Les Patriotes, QC]

And so that you could then react to the corrections as they are made.

[Graham Fraser]

Yes, that is correct. A preliminary version will be available this summer, and the final version will be issued in October.

[Catherine Scott]

The goal is to have a final study and a series of recommendations by this fall, giving VANOC the time needed to implement the relevant measures, but once the study is published, we will undoubtedly continue to closely monitor the file and how the recommendations are implemented.

[Graham Fraser]

We will be using the Olympic Games to gain leverage with other institutions. I touched on that earlier. I do not want the linguistic duality and the games' success, in terms of linguistic duality, to be limited to the games sites. Visitors arriving at the airport or border crossings will have their first Canadian experience dealing with an RCMP officer. We are looking to work with all institutions. Do they know that it will be even more important for them to fulfil their obligations during the Olympic Games? People arriving in Canada for the games have to be made aware that Canadians place great importance on their country's linguistic duality.

[Luc Malo, Bloc, Verchères—Les Patriotes, QC]

In your study, you go beyond the facade, the signage and the people speaking French. You also speak about the understanding of how the francophone network operates. People within that network must therefore think and act with the knowledge that their clients come from different networks.