Official Languages Committee on Nov. 27th, 2012

[Guy Laflamme]

About 20% of our revenue comes from rental activities, but not just for restaurant services. That is part of the rental portfolio.

[Joyce Bateman, Conservative, Winnipeg South Centre, MB]

What is your total budget, approximately?

[Guy Laflamme]

The commission's total budget is about $100 million, and that includes funds from the Treasury Board Secretariat and self-generated amounts.

[Joyce Bateman, Conservative, Winnipeg South Centre, MB]

I've also heard that you mentioned initiatives for artists across Canada. You mentioned artists from various areas of the country. Is that a large part of your expense budget? What is the percentage for artists?

[Guy Laflamme]

For all the commemorations, interpretation, major events, we're talking about 25% of the commission's budget, but that percentage doesn't represent what is allocated through contracts with Canadian artists.

Whether it's for events like Canada Day or Winterlude, we need to acknowledge that producing a sound and light show also involves people from the artistic field. For commemorations that we carry out and that involve visual artists, for example the public art program, we are probably talking about 10% to 15% of the budget, whether it is performance art or visual arts that are involved.

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

Thank you.

We will now go to Dionne Labelle.

[Pierre Dionne Labelle, NDP, Rivière-du-Nord, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you to the witnesses for being here.

My questions are mostly for the representatives from the National Capital Commission.

I must admit that, before being elected, I did not come to Ottawa regularly. However, I have been struck by the poor level of bilingual services offered to unilingual francophones arriving in Ottawa. I looked at where the Commissioner of Official Languages went, which is in his most recent report, and I saw that his path looked a little like mine. He went to the Byward Market, the Rideau Centre and Sparks Street. He observed that 74% of restaurants or people who offered services could not do so in French and, in the case of restaurants, the menus were not bilingual.

You made a commitment to require certain provisions with lease renewals. Can you explain to us what these provisions are and how they will be applied?

[Guy Laflamme]

That is an excellent question. I must point out that the commissioner applauded the level of bilingualism for services provided by commission staff, namely, 100%, and the very high level of active bilingualism of those same employees.

As for public establishments that have leases with the commission, we conduct checks with them every three months. The company that takes care of the maintenance and management of these rental buildings on behalf of the commission is required to do the checks. Should signage and service obligations not be met, a verbal warning is given. Then, a written warning is provided. If they still do not comply, the requirements are increased.

[Pierre Dionne Labelle, NDP, Rivière-du-Nord, QC]

Are these requirements in the lease?

[Guy Laflamme]

Yes. There are clauses in the leases. I would be pleased to provide you with a copy of one.

[Pierre Dionne Labelle, NDP, Rivière-du-Nord, QC]

Could you also send us the outcome of those inspections, so that we can see how the application of these clauses develops?

[Guy Laflamme]

We have seen an improvement, but I'll be honest that there is still progress to be made. The commission considers it a very important issue.

[Pierre Dionne Labelle, NDP, Rivière-du-Nord, QC]

If you could submit that information to our committee, we will take a look at it.

[Guy Laflamme]

No problem.

[Pierre Dionne Labelle, NDP, Rivière-du-Nord, QC]

We spoke about tenants of government buildings, but let's talk about private companies now.

An initiative from 2000 aims to raise awareness among private companies, restaurant owners and hotel owners about linguistic duality and offering services in French.

Where is this project at? To what extent is the private sector working with you?

[Guy Laflamme]

Together with the Coalition of Businesspeople, we are going to encourage groups to use translation services, which can be supported by the Coalition of Businesspeople. You spoke about private sector organizations, but the ones holding events in the region on commission land, especially for the 2017 celebrations, are also important players. Still, there is a clause in black and white in the agreement for using our land. Under that clause, the signage and services of those organizations must be bilingual.

[Pierre Dionne Labelle, NDP, Rivière-du-Nord, QC]

That is sort of what I was wondering. Thousands and thousands of tourists will invade Ottawa for the 150^th anniversary, and a good number of them will be francophones.

How do you intend to respond to this increased demand for services in French? Are you going to hire more bilingual employees? What is the plan? Do you need financial resources or are you able to operate with the resources that you have?

[Guy Laflamme]

In our case, I think that we can have a big impact when we show the advantages of providing bilingual services. We have best practices, and we show leadership with stakeholders to influence them, among other things, in the tourism industry in the region.

Of course, Canadian Heritage also plays a role in that respect, by providing support to the Coalition of Businesspeople in the funding of translation services.

[Pierre Dionne Labelle, NDP, Rivière-du-Nord, QC]

Will you be able to deal with the increased demand for services in French?

[Guy Laflamme]

For interaction with the organizations that are in our buildings or that use our property, we are able to manage that demand. As for an increased demand that would put pressure on the Coalition of Businesspeople, that would come under the Department of Heritage.

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

Okay. Thank you.

Thank you to the witnesses for their testimonies.

I have four quick things to say.

First, our next meeting, on Thursday, will take place in Centre Block because we need to make sure it is accessible to all our MPs.

Second, representatives from CBC/Radio-Canada told me that they will not be available as witnesses. So, they will provide us with a written brief. They are currently before the CRTC to renew their mandate. They don't have enough resources to appear before us, which is why they will give a written brief.

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

They only need to bring the president. He isn't before the CRTC, so he can come.

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

They don't have the resources to prepare a full briefing for us in front of the committee, so I think we need to let them give us a written submission. I can understand it's been all-consuming. They've been in front of the committee for weeks now for their mandate, so they are very much consumed with that.

If you demand, and if the committee wants to, I will demand that they appear, but I think to be accommodating to them—

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

I think they should, really, because this is public broadcasting and they play a big role in it. I honestly believe that.

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

What would the committee like to do?

I could go back to them and demand that they come, but they are really, really stretched. They've been appearing in front of the commission for weeks with respect to their mandate renewal, which happens once every five years or so. They've told me they are stretched and that they are going to have difficulty coming in front of our committee.