Evidence of meeting #39 for Official Languages in the 40th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was vancouver.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Chair, Official Languages Advisory Committee, Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC)
No, we have to be careful there.
Chair, Official Languages Advisory Committee, Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC)
Let's not confuse the Games with the Torch Relay. You are talking about RDI and Radio-Canada--
Chair, Official Languages Advisory Committee, Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC)
No, but--
NDP
Yvon Godin NDP Acadie—Bathurst, NB
We are talking about the Olympic Flame! Francophones all across the country were not given an opportunity to see the arrival of the Olympic Flame when everyone else did. And you are defending that!
Chair, Official Languages Advisory Committee, Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC)
Could I say something?
Chair, Official Languages Advisory Committee, Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC)
As I already stated, agreements on television coverage of the Games have been reached with CTV and RDS for French-language coverage. There you were referring to Radio-Canada, which is not part of the agreement.
NDP
Yvon Godin NDP Acadie—Bathurst, NB
Is Radio-Canada being boycotted? CBC carried it, but there was nothing available for Francophones across Canada. That is an absolute disgrace. It's scandalous.
Chair, Official Languages Advisory Committee, Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC)
I invite you to pass on your complaints to CTV and Radio-Canada.
NDP
Yvon Godin NDP Acadie—Bathurst, NB
I am passing them on to you right now. Don't worry: Radio-Canada has also heard from me.
Do you not find that scandalous?
Chair, Official Languages Advisory Committee, Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC)
I have no opinion in that regard. I am talking about coverage of the Games, during the Games, through the agreements we signed to ensure that everything would be available in French and English.
NDP
Yvon Godin NDP Acadie—Bathurst, NB
You remember what happened with the artists a year ago? We don't want a repetition of that.
We are having the same problem now with the Torch Relay.
Executive Vice-President, Workforce and Sustainability, Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC)
The torch relay program is in two languages. We have made sure that all of our protocol, everything we're doing in every city, is in both languages. The decision for broadcasters at this stage on the torch relay is their decision at this point. I think Mr. Gauthier has addressed where you need to take that question.
NDP
Yvon Godin NDP Acadie—Bathurst, NB
Who is looking after preparations for the arrival of the Olympic Flame in the different regions? Who is responsible for choosing the guests who will be there to greet the Olympic Flame?
Chair, Official Languages Advisory Committee, Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC)
There is a VANOC team looking after the Torch Relay.
NDP
November 5th, 2009 / 9:35 a.m.
Chair, Official Languages Advisory Committee, Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC)
In actual fact, there are three sponsors who are supporting the organization of the relay.
Chair, Official Languages Advisory Committee, Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC)
Coke, RBC and the federal government are all supporting the organization of the Torch Relay.
NDP
Yvon Godin NDP Acadie—Bathurst, NB
That is an insult. For example, when the flame arrived in Nanaimo, the member of Parliament for that riding was invited to go on stage, and then, five seconds later, she was invited to leave the stage.
Conservative
Conservative
Shelly Glover Conservative Saint Boniface, MB
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Welcome to all our witnesses.
I would like to talk a little bit about the three recommendations made by the Commissioner of Official Languages. You referred to the fact that three of the five recommendations had been acted on. I believe two of them, in particular, were implemented thanks to support provided by our federal government.
On September 15, our government announced an additional $7.7 million in funding for the provision, among other things, of translation and interpretation services at the Games, since VANOC was having such trouble meeting the requirements set out in the Multiparty Agreement. You were provided with a specific amount of funding in the wake of intense negotiations with your organization, is that correct?
Chair, Official Languages Advisory Committee, Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC)
For one thing, there is a very close relationship between VANOC and the Government of Canada with respect to official languages. It is also important for you to know that, over the last two years, the demand for translation increased significantly, compared to what was expected. The Turin Games were the most recent example of what was required in terms of translation.
When it comes to translating the biographies of the athletes and all the other documentation, we are talking about a huge amount of work which added to the demand and expectations with respect to translation. So, all those additional requests required increased access to translation services, and the federal government was aware of that. Together we developed a cost estimate for the translation services that are required.
