1. Introduction
Page 3 of 11
1.1 Objectives of the Study
The City of Vancouver and the Municipality of Whistler in British Columbia have been selected by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to host the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.1 The Government of Canada is one of the event’s main partners. Canadian Heritage is representing the Government through the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Federal Secretariat.
Other partners include the Province of British Columbia, the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC), the Canadian Paralympic Committee (CPC), the City of Vancouver
and the Municipality of Whistler, in consultation with the Four Host First Nations Society. The Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) is a non-profit organization that must establish financial, material, informational and other legacies.
Although Vancouver and Whistler are hosting the 2010 Games and play a primary role, all partners understand that these are Canada’s Games and that, as such, they must reflect the country’s values. Linguistic duality is one of Canada’s fundamental values: it is part of the country’s history and social fabric and is written into the country’s core legal documents—the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the Official Languages Act. English and French are not only Canada’s official languages, but also official languages of the IOC.
In winter 2008, the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages began studying how VANOC is preparing to meet the requirements in Annex A of the Multiparty Agreement. The study examines how Canadian Heritage is fulfilling its responsibilities as the government’s representative with respect to the Official Languages Act. In this study, we report on whether the requirements set out in Annex A have been fully satisfied, and whether Canadian Heritage is adequately supporting and monitoring VANOC with regard to these requirements.
The goal of this study is to describe observed strengths and potential weaknesses and to propose recommendations designed to help both organizations fully meet the requirements of the Multiparty Agreement and the Act.
After describing VANOC and the role of official language communities, this report will present results under six main themes: official languages governance, the status of required resources, VANOC’s bilingual capacity, communications with the public and other client groups, cultural programming and ceremonies, and the relationship with Canada’s Francophonie. The first theme pertains to the organization and management of official languages within VANOC and Canadian Heritage for the Games. The second theme deals with the key resources needed to meet the requirements of the Agreement. The last four themes group VANOC’s obligations under Annex A of the Multiparty Agreement by category.
1.2. Methodology
This section describes the data collected (documents, interviews, consultations and observations) as well as the procedure used for analyzing these data.
1.2.1. Documents
We analyzed documents (see Appendix 1) pertaining to one or another of the following four categories:
- Official languages requirements;
- Collaboration agreements with French-speaking communities and action plans;
- Documents pertaining to readiness for the 2010 Games, as well as examples from the Turin and Athens Games;
- Various other documents.
Our review of these documents gave an idea of the existing situation and helped pinpoint areas for further investigation. We then drew up a list of people to be interviewed and a set of questions for each group of participants. Finally, we compared participant statements with official documents, in order to validate and supplement the information (triangulation of data).
1.2.2. Interviews and consultations
A preliminary list of participants was drawn up for the sample in consultation with the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages, VANOC and the Federal Games Secretariat. The sample was finalized using a snowball effect and participant suggestions, to ensure the representativeness of the key stakeholders up to a theoretical saturation of information.2 We met with 51 representatives (see Appendix 2) from all of the key stakeholder groups (different levels of government, VANOC, sports organizations [COC/CPC] and Francophone communities). An interview guide was prepared for each of them. In-person and telephone interviews (depending on the participant’s availability) lasted an average of 75 minutes.
1.2.3. On-site observations
To supplement data collected through documents and interviews, we also conducted on-site observations and, where appropriate, evaluated the degree and quality of bilingualism:
- In the City of Vancouver and at the Olympic venues (Richmond Oval, the University of British Columbia’s sports centre and the future site for the Vancouver athletes’ village);
- On the Internet;
- At VANOC’s offices.
1.2.4. Data analysis
The data were converted into an electronic format for analysis. ATLAS.ti 5.2, a qualitative data analysis application, was used to manage the database and facilitate analysis through open and conceptual coding, which allowed data to be grouped by similar concepts, based on the data themselves and the study’s points of interest. Axial coding was then used to relate the codes to each other. These trends were subsequently compared to establish the main themes. Each of the authors performed axial coding and defined the main themes to verify the reliability of the results. Preliminary results and trends were discussed with the main parties concerned by the study (VANOC and Canadian Heritage) to validate the results.3 Canadian Heritage and VANOC had the opportunity to comment on a draft of the study in the fall of 2008. The final report integrates their comments and reflects the status of the implementation of the various measures at that point in time. The Fédération des francophones de la Colombie-Britannique (FFCB) and the Canadian Foundation for Cross-Cultural Dialogue (Fondation Dialogue) have been informed of the results of our study.
1.3. Scope of the Study
1.3.1. Legislative context
Part IV of the Official Languages Act requires federal institutions to communicate with and provide service to the public in both official languages. Part VII of the Act also requires federal institutions to support the development of official language communities and to advance the use of English and French in Canadian society. The Act also serves as the foundation for federal policies aimed at promoting its effective implementation.
Canadian Heritage’s federal policy for hosting international sport events4 states in its section on conditions that “Federal standards pursuant to the Official Languages Act and the Fair Communication Practices: Treasury Board Manual must be followed.”5
Based on this policy, the federal government required that compliance with the Official Languages Act be included in the Multiparty Agreement. Paragraph 8.1 of the Agreement states the following: “The OCOG6 acknowledges that the official languages of the Games are English and French and will, in that light, undertake to serve the members of the public in both official languages, and communicate with and provide services to the public in both official languages. Without limiting the foregoing, the OCOG will comply with Canada’s Official Languages Requirements set out in Annex A.” Thus, Canadian Heritage must, as a federal institution, comply with the Act, and VANOC must comply with the requirements of the Multiparty Agreement.
1.3.2. Other partners
Although no formal official languages requirements have been established for other partners involved in organizing the Games, we looked into the roles of some of them (such as the COC and the CPC). As members of VANOC’s board of directors, they are called upon to adopt policies, provide direction and exert controls. Certain partners, such as the Province of British Columbia, the City of Vancouver and the Municipality of Whistler, are also called upon to cooperate with VANOC in the provision of services, such as signage and transportation, and in the organization of events during the Games.
To ensure the presence of Canada’s French-speaking communities and thereby reflect the country’s linguistic duality, Francophone organizations such as the FFCB and the Fondation Dialogue, as well as provincial governments (particularly those of Quebec and New Brunswick) are working with VANOC.
1.3.3. Other federal institutions
A large number of other federal institutions, such as the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Citizenship and Immigration Canada, the Canada Border Services Agency, the Canadian Tourism Commission and Air Canada, are also playing an important role in organizing the Games and must provide their services in an exemplary manner in both languages. Over the coming months, the Office of the Commissioner will be reaching out to these institutions to raise awareness as to the importance of this issue.
1.3.4. Television broadcasting
Television broadcasting of the Games in both languages is an issue of great importance. The television broadcasting rights for this event in Canada have been awarded to a consortium consisting of Bell, Globemedia and Rogers for the English-language portion, and TQS, RDS and RIS for the French-language portion. The TQS, RDS and RIS networks are not, unfortunately, broadcast on basic channels throughout Canada and, as a result, a significant number of Francophones and Francophiles in many regions of Canada may not have the opportunity to watch the Games in French. As this is a complex issue involving many stakeholders, it is not addressed in this study. However, the Office of the Commissioner is monitoring this file very closely and is continuing its dialogue with the various players.
This issue was not on the agenda for discussions with the people we met, but a number of individuals, and particularly those in VANOC and the Francophone communities, independently emphasized the importance of this problem, and maintained that it must be satisfactorily resolved.
1.4. Context of the Study
1.4.1. Factual and prospective study
This study was conducted two years prior to the Games, and pertains to both past and future activities. Looking forward, the study focuses on VANOC’s plans to comply with the requirements of the Multiparty Agreement—a component of the study that is thus prospective in nature. Although the consultants were, for example, able to assess the programming of the Cultural Olympiad 2008, they could only examine the planning of the cultural Olympiads for 2009 and 2010, as the organizers were at the tendering stage at the time of this study.
The operational context is a determining factor for the organizing committee of the Games. The Games are a highly complex and far-reaching project that progresse at a rapid pace. In other words, time for decision making decreases as the Games approach, and becomes almost non-existent once they begin. The growth of the organization is exponential, climbing from just a few employees to tens of thousands, including volunteers, in less than seven years. As a result, any organizational chart becomes obsolete soon after it is established. The following chart does, however, show VANOC’s stakeholders:7
Because various VANOC activities are confidential (particularly those relating to tickets, ceremonies, signs, contracts with sponsors, etc.), the authors of this study were unable to consult documents pertaining to these matters. They merely received assurances from the study participants that the requirements are being met.
1.4.2. Official languages of the Olympic Movement
Certain plans and requirements are pre-determined by the IOC and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC). The IOC’s two official languages are French and English. The French text is considered authoritative should a difference between two versions of a document arise.8 Canada, of course, shares the same two official languages as the IOC. Most participants who are not part of VANOC believe that this situation makes it easier for VANOC to ensure respect for the use of French in its activities, even though its working language is English. The IPC’s official language, on the other hand, is English, while German is used as the language of governance.9 Consequently, while the IOC requires the presence of French at the Olympic Games, this is not the case for the Paralympic Games. However, the Government of Canada has required that both of the country’s official languages be present and used in the two components of the 2010 Games.
1.4.3. Location of the Games
The location of the Games affects the degree to which each official language is represented and the facility with which organizers can recruit human resources. The host region has a high concentration of Mandarin- and Punjabi-speakers, and according to Statistics Canada’s 2006 census, there are 61,735 Francophones out of a total population of 4,074,385 (1.5%) in British Columbia. The total number of people who speak both English and French is 295,645, or 7.3% of the population. These proportions to some extent reduce the organization’s ability to recruit Francophones and bilingual individuals as employees or volunteers.
VANOC must, under such circumstances, turn to other provinces with large numbers of bilingual residents, such as Quebec, New Brunswick, Ontario and Manitoba. However, geographical distance and the rising cost of living in Vancouver due the region’s economic growth are other factors that complicate the recruitment of bilingual people. VANOC must, nonetheless, make every effort to deal with this situation.
1.4.4. Limits
VANOC is facing certain funding constraints that affect the organization’s ability to meet its language obligations. To begin with, the Multiparty Agreement sets out funding parameters and responsibilities. More specifically, the federal government contributes financially to the following elements: capital investments; essential services of the federal government (security and non-security); legacy investments; strategic opportunities related to the Games; the Federal Games Secretariat; community involvement in the Olympic and Paralympic torch relays; support for the Four Host First Nations Society; support for First Nations’ legacies; the promotion of international tourism; the Winter Games Live Sites Initiative; the Paralympic Games; the planning and presentation of the opening ceremonies; and horizontal management, coordination and horizontal communications within the federal government.10
In other words, no federal funding has been earmarked for operational activities, such as translation and interpretation, for the Olympic Games. VANOC must draw on other sources, such as sponsors (see Appendix 3 for further information on VANOC’s sponsors and partners), to finance operating expenses.
The Government of British Columbia contributes financially to venue construction, staffing and legacies, while the municipalities assume the cost of services that typically fall under their jurisdiction (such as garbage collection, snow removal and fire and police services).11 VANOC is, in short, responsible for the funding required to meet its official languages obligations, even though the main policies in question (the Official Languages Act and the Federal Policy for Hosting International Sport Events) allow the federal government to place conditions on VANOC.
In addition to the Official Languages Act and the Federal Policy for Hosting International Sport Events, the federal government has also adopted An Act respecting the protection of marks related to the Olympic Games and the Paralympic Games and protection against certain misleading business associations and making a related amendment to the Trade-marks Act. This act permits authorities associated with the 2010 Winter Games (namely, VANOC, the federal government, the COC and the CPC) and license holders to use Games trademarks and related terms, such as Olympiads, Olympic(s), Vancouver Games, Games City, etc. (particularly for purposes of promotion).12 However, organizations that are not licence holders, such as the Francophone communities that have agreements with VANOC, cannot, under the Act, refer to the Olympics in their attempt to publicize, for example, the need for Francophone and bilingual volunteers at the Games. Because of this act, such organizations must make submissions to VANOC before being given the right to use words relating to the
Games. According to some individuals who were interviewed for this study, the slowness of this process is causing such organizations to miss out on promotional opportunities.
1.4.5. Need for prompt action
Given the rapidly approaching date for the opening of the Games, a number of participants who were interviewed stressed the importance of promptly forwarding this report to the appropriate authorities and of the need to quickly implement its recommendations. The operational planning period for the Games concludes with the final business plan, which must be presented in the fall of 2008. In February 2009, VANOC will proceed with the implementation of the plan, which will continue, with adjustments as needed, until the Games themselves in February 2010. Essential considerations, such as rules for applying the requirements of the Multiparty Agreement, must be included in this plan, as subsequent changes will prove difficult and expensive.
Notes
1. The Olympic Games will be held from February 12 to 28, 2010, and the Paralympic Games from March 12 to 21, 2008.
2. M.B. Miles and A.M. Huberman, Qualitative Data Analysis: An Expanded Sourcebook, 2nd ed., Thousand Oaks, CA, SAGE Publications, 1994.
R.K. Yin, Case Study Research: Design and Methods, 3rd ed., Thousand Oaks, CA, SAGE Publications, 2003.
3. For more information, see K.G. Corley and D.A. Gioia, “Identity ambiguity and change in the wake of a corporate spin-off,” Administrative Science Quarterly, 49, 2004, p. 173-208.
4. The Federal Policy for Hosting International Sport Events was revised in 2008, but the 2000 version was used as a reference for the 2002 Multiparty Agreement.
5. Multiparty Agreement for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, Annex B: Federal Hosting Policy, November 14, 2002, p. 28.
6. “OCOG” was the generic term for the organizing committee for the 2010 Winter Games. The committee was later incorporated as VANOC when it was awarded the Games.
7. M.M. Parent, “Evolution and Issue Patterns for Major-Sport-Event Organizing Committees and their Stakeholders,” Journal of Sport Management, 22 (2), 2008, p. 135–164.
8. IOC, Olympic Charter, July 7, 2007. On-line version (http://multimedia.olympic.org/pdf/fr_report_122.pdf
) consulted on April 20, 2008.
9. IPC, IPC Handbook: IPC Constitution, November 24, 2007. On-line version (www.paralympic.org/release/Main_Sections_Menu/IPC/IPC_Handbook/Section_1/
2008_02_01_IPC_Constitution_as_amended_by_GA_Nov_2007_final.pdf) consulted on April 20, 2008.
10. Canada 2010, “Funding,” February 26, 2008. On-line version (www.canada2010.gc.ca/finance_e.cfm
) consulted on April 21, 2008.
11. Multiparty Agreement, November 14, 2002. On-line version (www.canada2010.gc.ca/pubs/mpa/MPA-e.pdf) consulted on April 21, 2008.
12. House of Commons of Canada, Bill C-47, March 2, 2007. On-line version (http://www2.parl.gc.ca/content/hoc/Bills/391/Government/C-47/C-47_1/C-47_1.PDF) consulted on April 21, 2008.
