Official Languages Committee on March 25th, 2021

[Denis Vinette]

When it comes to senior management meetings, we undertake to hold management meetings and regional management meetings in both official languages. All of our executives are bilingual. Rest assured that people can speak in the language of their choice.

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

Do managers address participants in English or in French?

Under the policy, they have a choice, but what really happens on the ground?

[Denis Vinette]

Meetings take place in the language of the individuals they are speaking to or the language of the person who asked the question. For example, as a francophone, I strive to answer in French when I am asked a question in French, and in English when I am asked a question in English.

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

I have a solution for you. Instead of looking for bilingual workers, you might be better off finding francophone workers and putting them in the right place at the right time. It is indeed hard to find people who are bilingual, not to mention how difficult it is to find workers at all.

That's my suggestion to you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Emmanuel Dubourg]

Thank you.

We now go to Mr. Arseneault for five minutes.

[René Arseneault, Liberal, Madawaska—Restigouche, NB]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

My questions are for the French Language Services Commissioner of Ontario, Ms. Burke, whom we are honoured to have with us today.

Ms. Burke, whether in New Brunswick, Manitoba or Acadian areas in the Atlantic provinces, you have witnessed the trend on the ground—the French language is receiving second-rate treatment—and the pandemic has only exacerbated that feeling among people. That was my understanding when you were describing the complaints you had received.

Between 2009 and 2010, the H1N1 influenza pandemic hit. Your predecessor wrote a report and recommended that clear services be provided in French during an emergency.

Let's turn the clock back to April 2020, when you met with Premier Ford. In connection with the H1N1 pandemic, the then commissioner said in his report that, in an emergency, being able to deliver high-quality communications to the public in both official languages is essential. When you met with Mr. Ford, you both agreed doing so was essential in this pandemic as well. That was in 2020. What has happened since? Where do things stand today, after your meeting with Premier Ford?

[Kelly Burke]

Thank you for your question.

One thing is for sure: between the two pandemics, there was a lack of planning. The planning should have happened immediately, in the wake of former commissioner Boileau's recommendation. I have been asking myself why that never happened since January of last year, when I took on the role of commissioner. I realized very quickly, just eight weeks before the pandemic hit, that the government was not adequately prepared for such situations. Of course, I am referring to not just the Ford government, but also the provincial government overall, which had not put forward plans to ensure the delivery of French-language services in a crisis.

My understanding was that the government was prepared to help the province's French speakers receive the services they were entitled to. As French Language Services Commissioner, I was adamant that that happen, in accordance with the French Language Services Act. I received a message from the government indicating that it was able to put the necessary technology in place, and that's what was done.

Since April, there has been a commitment to post information online, especially from the ministries of health and francophone affairs. The Ministry of Francophone Affairs has been working around the clock, since April of last year, to make sure the service is available to Ontario's French-speaking community.

[René Arseneault, Liberal, Madawaska—Restigouche, NB]

Very good. I have under a minute left. We could spend a lot longer on this, but my time is running out.

If I understand correctly, when you met with the premier in April 2020, he accepted and understood his responsibility to communicate in both official languages, especially during a pandemic. Today, you told us about all the services that had been added, namely online.

Fingers crossed it never happens, but let's say another pandemic strikes in three, four or five years' time. Do you think Ontario will have learned from this pandemic and automatically address the needs of French-speaking communities?

[Kelly Burke]

I like the word “automatically”. That's exactly the message I want to drive home to the government. Taking an automatic approach would make French one of the government's priorities right from the get-go, as soon as communications and discussions happen in relation to policies being implemented. In other words, French would come first, not second.

My expectations of the government are clearly laid out in my annual report. The report makes it very clear to the government the planning that has to happen immediately. We expect the plans to go to the executive council by April 2022. Furthermore, the Minister of Francophone Affairs should report annually on the implementation of these plans in relation to ministries' obligations under the French Language Services Act and the quality of services provided in the province.

[The Chair, Liberal, Emmanuel Dubourg]

Thank you, Ms. Burke.

[René Arseneault, Liberal, Madawaska—Restigouche, NB]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Emmanuel Dubourg]

The next two committee members who will take the floor will each have two and a half minutes for their questions. So I would ask that the questions and answers be short.

I give the floor to Mr. Beaulieu for two and a half minutes.

Go ahead, Mr. Beaulieu.

[Mario Beaulieu, Bloc, La Pointe-de-l'Île, QC]

I will ask my question again. How many agents of the Canada Border Services Agency are bilingual?

[The Chair, Liberal, Emmanuel Dubourg]

Mr. Vinette, we are listening.

[Denis Vinette]

My colleague, Ms. Youdale has the data on hand.

[Louise Youdale]

We have 6,500 employees at our ports of entry, and 30.3% of them are bilingual.

[The Chair, Liberal, Emmanuel Dubourg]

Mr. Beaulieu, go ahead.

[Mario Beaulieu, Bloc, La Pointe-de-l'Île, QC]

That's pretty surprising. It's considerable.

I will move on to my other question. I said earlier that it was sometimes, even frequently, difficult to get served in French in Quebec. I spoke to a lawyer who does a lot of work in immigration. He told me that he very often communicated with the agency in French, but that he was responded to in English. I would like to know what you think about that.

As the common language in Quebec is French, I would like to know what proportion of superintendents primarily speak French there.

[Louise Youdale]

The proportion of bilingual officers in Quebec is actually quite high. A review of the data shows that, in most locations, it's close to 100%. So, while 30.3% of our frontline workforce is bilingual, that percentage is not equal across the country, and it's highest in Quebec.

[Denis Vinette]

To complete this answer, I would add that, in Quebec, all our positions are designated bilingual. That is why the numbers are so high.

Concerning your question about correspondence, people who address us in French should receive a response in French. It is not out of the question for them to receive reports drafted by other agents and containing information provided in only one language, but the correspondence should be drafted in the same language as the one used in the request made.

[Mario Beaulieu, Bloc, La Pointe-de-l'Île, QC]

As far as I have been able to check, that was not the case. It was rather the opposite.

[The Chair, Liberal, Emmanuel Dubourg]

I'm sorry, Mr. Beaulieu, but your time is up.

The remaining two and a half minutes will go to the next speaker, Mr. Boulerice.

Mr. Boulerice, go ahead.

[Alexandre Boulerice, NDP, Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

My first question is for the French Language Services Commissioner of Ontario, Ms. Burke.

Do you think a significant bilingual bonus would be a useful tool to attract and retain bilingual employees, which would help provide better services, especially in French?

[Kelly Burke]

That is always an incentive. Of course, I think the labour shortage may be related to the fact that we don't have enough bilingual individuals. However, the incentive to also work in French is among the options to consider.

I think that is the case at the federal level, where there is a bilingual bonus. That's not necessarily the case in Ontario. It is obviously an option that could be used as an incentive.

[Alexandre Boulerice, NDP, Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC]

Okay.

Do you think the Official Languages Act has an impact on the quality of services in French in Ontario?

If so, what is that impact?