Vancouver, December 2, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
VANOC needs to aim for gold, says Commissioner of Official Languages
The Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) will only be able to hold Games that are truly bilingual if its commitments are accompanied by the necessary resources and by proactive and thorough preparations. This is the key finding in a study released today in Vancouver by the Commissioner of Official Languages, Graham Fraser.
"VANOC has developed a strong vision of linguistic duality that accurately reflects Canada’s character, stressed the Commissioner. It must now put the necessary resources in place to make this vision a reality on the ground next year. Special attention must be paid to communications with the general public, the media and the athletes—three groups that will play a critical role in the perceived success of the Games."
The Commissioner of Official Languages’ study, entitled Raising our Game for Vancouver 2010: Towards a Canadian Model of Linguistic Duality in International Sport, examines the steps taken by VANOC to hold Games that reflect Canada’s linguistic duality, and provides an overview of the necessary next steps. The study is intended to help VANOC hit the ground running on February 12, 2010. VANOC has achieved positive results in terms of official languages, but challenges remain, especially where the recruitment of bilingual volunteers and the need for simultaneous interpretation are concerned.
"I am very encouraged by VANOC’s vision. However, as is the case for the athletes, the desire to be the best must be accompanied by thorough preparation. This is why my office has undertaken this study, in cooperation with VANOC and Canadian Heritage," explained Graham Fraser.
"I am pleased that VANOC has increased its targeted number of volunteers, as the initial estimates were inadequate. It is now crucial for VANOC to develop a strategy that will enable it to recruit an adequate number of bilingual volunteers in British Columbia and elsewhere in the country. As well, the resources allocated to translation and simultaneous interpretation must be increased, especially since the needs will only continue to increase in the run-up to the Games," said Graham Fraser.
"The 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games are a high-profile global event, and a unique opportunity to show the world that linguistic duality is a fundamental Canadian value. This event is also an opportunity to celebrate the richness of the English- and French-speaking minority communities across the country," reaffirmed Graham Fraser.
In this study, the Commissioner makes 18 recommendations. In addition to simultaneous interpretation and the recruitment of bilingual volunteers, the recommendations refer to signage, sponsors, the role of the Federal Games Secretariat and the resources allocated to the Official Languages Function.(See the list of the study’s recommendations on the following page.)
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The study can be found on the Web site of the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages.
For more information, please contact:
Robin Cantin
Manager, Media Relations
Telephone: 613-995-0374
Cellular: 613-324-0999
Toll free: 1-877-996-6368
Recommendations
Recommendation 1
The Commissioner of Official Languages recommends that, in future agreements, Canadian Heritage strengthen provisions pertaining to services provided by third parties and establish provisions for sponsors to ensure the equal treatment of both language groups.
Recommendation 2
The Commissioner of Official Languages recommends that VANOC revise its official language policy as promptly as possible to comply with the requirements of the Multiparty Agreement.
Recommendation 3
The Commissioner of Official Languages recommends:
3.1 That a progress report on official languages, including a summary highlighting the main challenges for the period in question, be regularly submitted to: a) VANOC’s management team; b) the board of directors’ human resources committee.
3.2 That Canadian Heritage, through the Federal Games Secretariat, henceforth prepare a formal quarterly progress report that will more systematically advise the relevant administrative and departmental authorities of key elements that could require action on their parts.
Recommendation 4
The Commissioner of Official Languages recommends that officials of Canadian Heritage and Public Works and Government Services Canada promptly undertake consultations with VANOC to provide the latter with the Translation Bureau’s expertise in translation and interpretation at a reasonable cost.
Recommendation 5
The Commissioner of Official Languages recommends that VANOC immediately hire at least one additional full-time employee for the Official Languages Function.
Recommendation 6
The Commissioner of Official Languages recommends that VANOC make the greatest possible effort to fill its positions, and particularly those at key levels, with individuals who have the necessary skills and who are also fluent in both official languages.
Recommendation 7
The Commissioner of Official Languages recommends that VANOC:
7.1 Rigorously and promptly complete its process of identifying volunteer positions that require knowledge of both official languages, as well as the necessary degree of bilingualism, in consideration of the very large number of points of contact with the public and the nature of communications with the public.
7.2 Promptly establish a targeted strategy for seeking applications from bilingual volunteers, by reaching out to groups, including the entire network of French-speaking communities and associations that promote French as a second language learning.
Recommendation 8
The Commissioner of Official Languages recommends that VANOC:
8.1 Promptly modify its practices regarding telephone interviews to ensure that Francophone applicants have the same opportunity to demonstrate their language abilities as their Anglophone counterparts do.
8.2 Ensure that in-person interviews are conducted in the applicant’s preferred language by providing for language clauses to that effect in agreements with any third parties conducting such interviews.
8.3 Ensure that volunteers who are selected receive training in their language of choice.
Recommendation 9
The Commissioner of Official Languages recommends that VANOC explore all accommodations possibilities for bilingual volunteers coming from outside the province, to accommodate those who have not made arrangements on their own.
Recommendation 10
The Commissioner of Official Languages recommends that Canadian Heritage, together with VANOC, promptly pursue initiatives with the Province of British Columbia, the City of Vancouver and the Municipality of Whistler to persuade these entities to provide bilingual signage pertaining to the Games and to provide their services in both official languages.
Recommendation 11
The Commissioner of Official Languages recommends that VANOC implement a process for checking posters prior to their production to ensure that they appear in both official languages and to ensure their linguistic quality.
Recommendation 12
The Commissioner of Official Languages recommends that VANOC take the necessary steps to find companies that can produce souvenirs with French lettering, and ensure that these items are offered nationwide, to treat Anglophone and Francophone consumers in an equal manner.
Recommendation 13
The Commissioner of Official Languages recommends that VANOC add language clauses to agreements with future sponsors and, with the support of the Federal Games Secretariat, strongly encourage existing sponsors to use both official languages in their advertising activities.
Recommendation 14
The Commissioner of Official Languages recommends that VANOC immediately adopt the necessary measures to ensure that contracts pertaining to French project submissions can be prepared in that language.
Recommendation 15
The Commissioner of Official Languages recommends that officials of VANOC and Canadian Heritage pay special attention to ensuring that linguistic duality, including the diverse ways in which such duality is expressed throughout Canada, is fully reflected in the Games’ opening and closing ceremonies.
Recommendation 16
The Commissioner of Official Languages recommends that VANOC establish a route for the Olympic Torch that will make it possible to adequately reach both the Anglophone and Francophone majority and minority communities, and that it ensure Canada’s linguistic duality is reflected in the activities surrounding the Torch Relay.
Recommendation 17
The Commissioner of Official Languages recommends that an advisory committee for the Francophonie be created, comprising VANOC, Canadian Heritage, the Fédération des francophones de la Colombie-Britannique, Fondation Dialogue, the governments of Quebec and New Brunswick and the Grand Témoin de la Francophonie, to ensure a more integrated approach by the various stakeholders of Canada’s Francophonie.
Recommendation 18
The Commissioner of Official Languages recommends that VANOC take the measures required to establish agreements with French-language newspaper publishers so as to reach the largest possible number of Francophones, taking different market sizes into account in its requirements.
