The role of the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages
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Acting to bring about change: Information on interventions by the Office of the Commissioner
The Commissioner has set herself the mandate of acting as an agent of change in Canadian society, a mission that she carries out through six complementary roles. Here are some of the main activities carried out in 2002-2003 for each of the Office of the Commissioner's roles.
Ombudsman
The role of ombudsman consists of receiving complaints from the public concerning official languages, reviewing the complaints and investigating them. The Commissioner then makes recommendations and her office works closely with the managers of federal institutions to bring about lasting change.
- Over 1,300 new complaints were investigated.
- Some 500 requests for information were treated.
- Two studies and eight follow-up investigations were conducted.
Auditing
To ensure that institutions comply with the requirements of the Official Languages Act, the Office of the Commissioner monitors and audits the administrative practices of institutions that are subject to the Act in order to play a proactive and preventive role and ensure they are fulfilling their obligations.
- The Office of the Commissioner reactivated its auditing role over the course of the past year by developing a new policy and an audit method.
- The Commissioner will conduct audits during the 2003-2004 fiscal year.
Liaison
The Office of the Commissioner performs a liaison role with the institutions subject to the Act, communities and various levels of government across the country in order to facilitate the communication of needs and expectations concerning official languages. The Office of the Commissioner works to encourage social and administrative change, thereby enhancing linguistic duality.
- Some seven presentations were made to the management committees of various federal institutions.
- The Office of the Commissioner has enhanced the role of the five regional offices by creating new liaison officer positions. These officers work with federal agencies and the communities in British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Quebec. Two more liaison officer positions will be created during the next fiscal year in the Atlantic Region and Ontario.
- There were approximately 65 meetings with parliamentarians, Members of Parliament and deputy ministers at the federal and provincial levels.
- Meetings were held with about 27 associations.
- Over 1,570 letters were sent to partners, companies and members of the public in Canada.
Monitoring
The Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages takes preventive action by intervening when legislation, regulations and policies are being developed, to ensure that language rights remain front and centre among political and administrative decision-makers' concerns.
- The Commissioner made 10 presentations to parliamentary committees.
- Some 115 briefing notes and analyses were produced.
- There was ongoing action on at least 11 major issues such as citizenship, immigration, air transportation, broadcasting, health, sports, the modernization of human resource management, the Internet, the Contraventions Act, instruction in the minority language and the revision of the Northwest Territories Official Languages Act.
Promotion and education
The Office of the Commissioner takes concrete measures to promote linguistic duality within the federal administration and Canadian society. The Commissioner carries out research and publishes studies to raise awareness among decision-makers and the public; she regularly gives speeches before various audiences; and she participates in symposiums dealing with significant issues for our official languages.
- Some 280 interviews were given to the media.
- Thirteen press releases were issued.
- Some 13 of the Commissioner's letters were published in the newspapers.
- The Commissioner gave 29 speeches.
- The Office of the Commissioner took part in 15 information booths across the country.
- Five studies were published.
Court intervention
The Commissioner appeals to the courts as a last resort to ensure full respect for the language rights guaranteed by the Official Languages Act. She also intervenes in court proceedings involving the exercise of the language rights guaranteed in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
- Intervention in two new actions taken by plaintiffs under the Official Languages Act: Margaret Temple v. Via Rail,59and Thibodeau v. Air Canada; and
- Intervention in a new case under the fundamental constitutional principle of respect and protection of minorities: David Tremblay et al. v. the Corporation of the Town of Lakeshore.
STUDIES PUBLISHED IN 2002-2003
- Official Languages on the Internet: Web sites of Diplomatic Missions and International Organizations (April 2002)
- Official Languages and Immigration: Obstacles and Opportunities for Immigrants and Communities (November 2002)
- The Use of the Official Language Minority Press by Federal Institutions (November 2002)
- Official Language Requirements and Government On-Line (June 2002)
- A Senior Public Service that Reflects Canada's Linguistic Duality (June 2002)
- The Single Window Networks of the Government of Canada (January 2003)
- Language Rights 2001-2002 (March 2003)
- Official Languages in the Canadian Sport System Follow-Up Getting a Second Wind! (June 2003)
Notes
59 The Commissioner has intervened in other similar actions taken by other plaintiffs against Via Rail: Brian Norton v. Via Rail, Brenda Bonner v. Via Rail, and Mark Collins v. Via Rail.
