6.3.1 Canada Customs and Revenue Agency
1821 Wellington Avenue, Winnipeg
Burolis #: 10225
November 16, 2000
Audit results
A) Active Offer
Active offer on the telephone outside business hours
There is a telephone number for this office in the Winnipeg telephone
directory:
883-6004 (204). This is the same number as the one in Burolis. Outside
business hours there is a telephone message indicating that this number is not
in service at the time of the call, but this message is in English only.
Active offer on the telephone during business hours
We were given an active offer and obtained services in French when we did our
telephone audit.
Active offer in person
When we made our visit we were greeted in both official languages and the
employee asked us (in French) to take a seat while he went to get the manager.
The manager told us that there was no active offer when clients are known to the
employees. This is an office with a clientele of assiduous clients.
Visibility of the official languages symbol at all times
At the reception counter, there is a symbol and a sign indicating that one
can be served in both official languages.
Postings in both official languages at all times
Postings outside and inside the building are in both official languages; this
is also the case with respect to signage.
Availability of publications in both official languages
All the documentation we examined was available in both official languages.
This was mainly forms and pamphlets.
Use of both official languages on the Internet site
The Agency Internet site (http://www.ccra-adrc.gc.ca/) is fully bilingual and
very user-friendly. It describes the full range of services provided by the
Agency.
B) Service
Nature of the services provided by the office visited
This office often does business with importers, agents and insurance brokers
who may be salaried employees of an insurance company or brokerage firm, or
self-employed. They often come to the office to look after their clients'
importations. This office has a good knowledge of its clientele. Registration of
boats in the spring represents a very busy time for this office.
Existence of bilingual capacity required to provide continuous
service in both official languages
The office has some thirty employees, 17 of whom serve the public. There are
six bilingual positions. Most of the bilingual positions are occupied by
Francophones and they exceed the linguistic profile of their positions. The
office considers that it has no problem being able to provide service to the
public in both official languages, especially since all the employees are
experienced; indeed, the bilingual employee with the least seniority has been
there since 1994. The manager told us that there was always a bilingual employee
on duty and that he took bilingualism into account in approving his employees'
vacations.
Presence of work tools required for provision of service in both
official languages
The manager feels that correspondence in French is fairly rare. Nevertheless,
he has available everything required (bilingual keyboards, bilingual business
cards, letterhead, fax cover sheets, etc.) should the need arise.
Comparability of the service to the public in both official
languages, and availability of administrative arrangements as necessary
The manager says that service to the public is of equal quality in both
official languages; all his staff assigned to service to the public is very
experienced. In his fourteen years of experience at this office he has never
needed to resort to administrative arrangements to offer service in both
official languages.
C) Managers' Responsibilities
Knowledge of requirements regarding service to the public in both
official languages
The manager is well aware of his responsibilities and says the same is true
for his employees. He adds that he no longer needs to remind them of their
obligations, and that this is now part of their daily routine.
Existence of controls to ensure service is always provided in both
official languages
The manager thinks that the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages
conducts specific audits and that he must be getting good results since he has
heard nothing about it.
Existence of mechanisms to assess client satisfaction
The manager sometimes uses the form Your Opinion Counts; this
contains questions on language of service. The manager does not recall receiving
any negative comments in this regard. The complaints have to do mainly with the
parking lot and the length of the wait before being served.
Meetings with the representatives of the official language minority
community
The office maintains informal relations with members of the minority
Francophone community. The manager says that his office sometimes takes part in
workshops offered by small businesses, and that he also takes part in ceremonies
honouring certain members of the Francophone community. The manager also
mentions that he welcomes French-language schools that wish to visit or obtain
information on customs.
Use of the media
The office does not use the media but would use La Liberté if it
wanted to reach the Francophone community.
Complaint relating to official languages
In recent years this office has not received any complaint relating to
official languages.
Changes since the last audit
The last audit goes back to 1996; the office has a new address but the
situation is basically the same with respect to the linguistic capacity of
employees and the quality of services offered in French.
Recommendations
No recommendations are necessary.
344 Edmonton Street, Winnipeg, MacDonald Building
Burolis #: 10202
November 19, 2000
Audit results
A) Active Offer
Active offer on the telephone outside business hours
The number 983-2486 (204) is published in the Winnipeg telephone directory
and pre-recorded messages are provided in both official languages.
Active offer on the telephone during business hours
We were given an active offer and services in both official languages when we
made our audit call.
Active offer in person
When we visited the Winnipeg office, the reception clerk greeted us in both
official languages. She was new to the job and she was bilingual.
Visibility of the official languages symbol at all times
The symbol is clearly visible at the reception counter.
Postings in both official languages at all times
All signage and postings are in both official languages.
Availability of publications in both official languages
All publications are available in both official languages. They come from
headquarters. The PSC has established, in partnership with the City of Winnipeg
and the provincial government, a type of single window called Access 123; this
system provides information on employment opportunities in Canada, the
Government of Manitoba and the City of Winnipeg. Documentation related to Access
123 is available in both official languages. Access 123 is reached by dialling
984-4636 (204); services are available in both official languages.
Use of both official languages on the Internet site
The PSC Internet site http://www.psc-cfp.gc.ca/ is fully bilingual and there
is a section related to Manitoba; this section is also available in both
official languages.
B) Service
Nature of the services provided by the office visited
The office visited is the regional office for the central Prairies region,
and serves Manitoba and Saskatchewan. The services offered are related mainly to
staffing, training, language training, appeals and investigations, finance, etc.
The services that the public uses mostly are those that come from the Internet
site and telephone enquiries; an estimated 4000 transactions are carried out
each month in one of these services.
Existence of bilingual capacity required to provide continuous
service in both official languages.
There are only three employees who provide services to the public; these
positions are designated bilingual, and they are all occupied by incumbents who
are bilingual to level CCC. The PSC is therefore able to provide service to the
public in both official languages.
Presence of work tools required for provision of service in both
official languages
The PSC has all the work tools required to be able to provide the public with
service in both official languages.
Comparability of the service to the public in both official
languages, and availability of administrative arrangements as necessary
Service in both official languages is comparable, given that all employees
who serve the public are bilingual. Also, the PSC has on site 10 other employees
who are bilingual; they do not serve the public directly, but provide their
services in other departments. Thus there is a more than adequate reserve of
employees capable of dealing with an urgent situation, if one were to arise.
C) Managers' Responsibilities
Knowledge of requirements regarding service to the public in both
official languages
The managers are very well aware of their official languages responsibilities
and are very proud of the quality of their services in this regard.
Existence of controls to ensure service is always provided in both
official languages
There is no formal control mechanism for ensuring that service is always
provided both official languages. The manager feels, however, that in his role
as supervisor he is able to observe that the services provided are appropriate.
Existence of mechanisms to assess client satisfaction
There are no mechanisms to assess client satisfaction apart from an
electronic survey dealing with the Web site (navigation, use, speed,
accessibility, etc.). The survey is available in both official languages but
does not contain any questions relating to official languages; the manager
thinks that in the comments section, there has never been anything at all
related to official languages.
Meetings with the representatives of the official language minority
community
PSC management maintains frequent contacts with the official language
minority communities, mainly with the Collège St-Boniface, the Chambre de
commerce and the community radio station.
Use of the media
Use of the media is minimal, but the manager assured us that when the media
had been used (for recruitment purposes) in recent years, the French-language
press had been used on the same basis at the English-language press.
Complaint relating to official languages
There have not been any complaints about official languages in recent years.
Changes since the last inspection
The last inspection dates back to 1994. The situation has not really changed
with respect to the capacity to provide services to the public in both official
languages. The services are still provided in a manner comparable to the
situation in 1994.
Recommendations
No recommendations are necessary.
6.3.3 Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP)
Headquarters, "D" Division
10091 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg
Burolis #: 10302A
November 21, 2000
Audit results
A) Active Offer
Active offer on the telephone outside business hours
There are several telephone numbers in the city telephone directory. Since
the office is open 24 hours a day, it is impossible to check whether there is an
active offer outside of working hours.
Active offer on the telephone during business hours
At the general information number 983-5420 (204), which is the same as the
number in Burolis, there is no active offer or service in French. Upon hearing
the auditor speak French, the person who answered the telephone transferred the
call to the communication unit, where there was also neither a greeting nor
service in French.
Active offer in person
There was no active offer of service at the information counter located at
the entrance to the building.
Visibility of the official languages symbol at all times
The official languages pictogram is prominently displayed at the reception
counter.
Postings in both official languages at all times
All signage and postings at the entrance to the building are bilingual.
Availability of publications in both official languages
There is no display rack in the lobby of the building, but all postings are
in both official languages.
Use of both official languages on the Internet site
The RCMP Internet site (http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/) is fully bilingual. It
describes the full range of services provided by this federal national police
force. In the Important Notices on the first page of the site, the Royal
Canadian Mounted Police states the following about official languages: it
"is bound by the Official Languages Act and relevant Treasury
Board policies and all Royal Canadian Mounted Police Site information is
available in both French and English. However, users should be aware that some
information on external sites to which we link is available only in the language
in which it was provided." There is no separate site for the Winnipeg
office.
B) Service
Nature of the services provided by the office visited
A panoply of services is offered by the office: besides native policing
services and air services, which do not deal with the public, the RCMP consists
of the Customs and Excise sector and the commercial crime sector, which work
mainly at the border, the community policing sector, which works with the
general public, the drug awareness sector, which provides training to other
police forces, the major crimes sector and the recruitment sector.
Existence of bilingual capacity required to provide continuous
service in both official languages
Out of a total of 400 positions, there are 18 bilingual positions which are
spread among the sectors that have contacts with the public: three bilingual
positions in the major crime sector, two bilingual positions in the Customs and
Excise sector, a number in the Drugs section and two bilingual positions in the
commercial crime sector. In the community policing sector there are currently no
bilingual positions, but the impact of the Chartier report means that some will
have to be identified. There are two bilingual positions in the recruitment
sector.
Presence of work tools required for provision of service in both
official languages
Translation services are used to reply to correspondence in French. There
were no other work tools except dictionaries and reference manuals in French
available to employees. Business cards are bilingual.
Comparability of the service to the public in both official
languages, and availability of administrative arrangements as necessary
Unilingual employees have a small card stating "je ne parle pas
français" but only very rarely is it necessary to refer someone to a
bilingual employee. When there are specific requests, such as a presentation to
be made at a school, a bilingual person is sent, regardless of whether that
person's position is bilingual. There are a number of bilingual persons who are
not necessarily in bilingual positions. No specific audit is done to determine
whether services are comparable in both official languages.
C) Managers' Responsibilities
Knowledge of requirements regarding service to the public in both
official languages
Management can use the services of an official languages co-ordinator, whose
primary duty is to ensure the proper identification of positions. This person is
also responsible for reminding staff of their language obligations on visits to
the various detachments, and for ensuring that third parties whose contracts
contain language clauses fulfil their obligations. Management provides language
training to some 30 employees, three to four hours a week.
Existence of controls to ensure service is always provided in both
official languages
The person responsible for official languages works in conjunction with the
detachment commanders on an informal basis.
Existence of mechanisms to assess client satisfaction
In view of the RCMP's field of activities, there is no mechanism to assess
client satisfaction.
Meetings with the representatives of the official language minority
community
The official languages co-ordinator of the Division knows the representatives
of the community, and more formal meetings are held in connection with meetings
with provincial representatives regarding the Saint-Pierre-Jolys project. Also,
the RCMP has an entry in the community directory.
Use of the media
The office publishes in the Société franco-manitobaine (SFM) directory, and
recruitment campaigns are advertised in both the Winnipeg Free Press
and La Liberté.
Complaint relating to official languages
There have been no complaints since 1999, although some earlier complaints
have yet to be fully resolved, such as the complaints about traffic violations.
Changes since the last audit
In the 1996 audit there was an active offer on the telephone at the major
service points, including the communication centre, during working hours; only
an 800 number was identified in the Blue Pages of the telephone directory. The
auditors at that time expressed concern about the comparability of services in
both official languages, fearing that there was some delay in the provision of
services in French. In light of the observations in this audit, we share these
concerns, and we noted some deterioration in active offer.
Recommendations
Following the audit, it is recommended:
- -for -be reminded as soon as possible to provide an active offer
of services in both official languages;
- that the office always ensure that bilingual employees are present
at service points in sectors that are accessible to the public;
- that the language designation of positions in each sector be
reviewed to ensure that sufficient bilingual positions are available to
provide service in both official languages.
6.3.4 Western Economic Diversification (WD)
250 Graham Avenue, Winnipeg
Rooms 250 and 712
Burolis #: 88523
November 20, 2000
Audit results
A) Active Offer
Active offer on the telephone outside business hours
The recorded message at (204) 983-4472 is in both official languages and
gives exactly the same information.
Active offer on the telephone during business hours
There is an active offer and an offer of service in the language of the
caller's choice.
Active offer in person
The receptionist working in room 250 makes an active offer of services in
both official languages. This is also the main entrance for visitors to the
Manitoba Business Services Centre.
Visibility of the official languages symbol at all times
The pictogram is prominently displayed.
Postings in both official languages at all times
All postings, either in the corridors or in the reception area, are in both
official languages. The only exception is the training course calendar, which is
in English only; on it there is a note in French indicating where to go to
obtain a calendar of sessions in French.
Availability of publications in both official languages
All documents on the display racks are in both official languages.
Use of both official languages on the Internet site
The new Internet site (http://www.wd.gc.ca/eng/default.htm) is fully
bilingual. It describes WD's mandate, activities and major events, and provides
information on the Infrastructure Canada Program.
B) Service
Nature of the services provided by the office visited
The office provides professional business consulting services to small and
medium-sized businesses. For example, it works with women who have businesses,
and it very recently started offered training sessions for these businesses, in
conjunction with the Business Services Centre. The office works
together with the Manitoba Federal Council and the province's business centres.
It works very closely with the federal minister responsible for the West.
Existence of bilingual capacity required to provide continuous
service in both official languages
The office has 75 employees, to which must be added the 12 employees who work
at the Business Service Centre. Among the 75 employees in the office per
se, about 70 have contacts with the public, including 25 officers
responsible for portfolios. There are 27 bilingual positions for all services
and there are 22 bilingual incumbents; there are no unilingual incumbents; and
five bilingual positions are vacant.
Presence of work tools required for provision of service in both
official languages
Business cards and fax cover sheets are bilingual. Keyboards can be used in
either official language. Unilingual employees who need to reply to
correspondence in French can use translation services. All documentation to be
given to clients is bilingual.
Comparability of the service to the public in both official
languages, and availability of administrative arrangements as necessary
There are no specific mechanisms for monitoring the comparability of
services, but the managers have ensured that all employees in each specialty
know the persons who can provide services in the minority language. Also,
portfolios are assigned on the basis of the client's language.
C) Managers' Responsibilities
Knowledge of requirements regarding service to the public in both
official languages
There is no internal policy on official languages. Use is made of the
Treasury Board Secretariat policies, which managers and employees can access
through the Intranet. As well, in order to fulfil its obligations, management
offers language proficiency upgrading at the workplace: two and a half hours,
one day a week. Currently there are 12 to 15 staff taking training. Management
is aware of its linguistic responsibilities and has taken the necessary steps to
meet them.
Existence of controls to ensure service is always provided in both
official languages
Internal monitoring of the provision of services in French is the
responsibility of the regional official languages co-ordinator, who monitors
postings and active offer.
Existence of mechanisms to assess client satisfaction
There are no specific mechanisms to assess client satisfaction. It is assumed
that persons who are not satisfied will contact the manager.
Meetings with the representatives of the official language minority
community
The staff of the office is involved in implementing Part VII of the Act, and
in this connection there are frequent meetings with representatives of the
official language minority community.
Use of the media
Though it was not possible to indicate the extent to which the staff uses the
minority language press, it was confirmed to us that officials of the office
held press conferences for both linguistic communities and that the person who
organized these conferences (as well as the support staff of the communications
branch) was completely bilingual. We were also told that all articles,
advertisements, news releases, publications, etc. were presented in bilingual
format or placed in an equivalent French publication.
Complaint relating to official languages
The manager contacted had not heard of any complaints relating to official
languages.
Changes since the last inspection
In the 1994 inspection, the office had 50 employees, 5 of whom were
bilingual. There was only one bilingual portfolio officer. The situation has
thus improved in terms of linguistic capacity as well as relations with the
official language minority communities.
Recommendations
No recommendations are necessary.
6.3.5 Human Resources Development Canada (HRDC)
1031 Autumnwood Drive, Winnipeg
Burolis #: 88073
November 21, 2000
Audit results:
A) Active Offer
Active offer on the telephone signage
In the Winnipeg telephone directory there are several telephone numbers for
this HRDC office. We dialled two at random: 983-4663 (204) which gives a fully
bilingual message on employment insurance (on a Call Answer system). We also
dialled 984-0900 (204); at this number there is a Call Answer system on
employment; this system is fully bilingual and is offered both by the Manitoba
provincial government and the federal government.
Active offer on the telephone during business hours
There are several telephone numbers in the directory, often one number for
each area of federal responsibility. The numbers are properly identified as to
whether service is available in French or in English. Everywhere there is an
active offer.
Active offer in person
The reception office provides a greeting in both official languages to
visitors seeking information on both provincial and federal services.
Visibility of the official languages symbol at all times
The Treasury Board official languages pictogram is highly visible.
Postings in both official languages at all times
All outside and inside postings are bilingual.
Availability of publications in both official languages
Display racks present documentation from the federal department in both
official languages equally. It was pointed out to us that the provincial
documentation on topics covered at the time of devolution was bilingual;
however, there is unilingual documentation when the documentation from the
province covers other subjects not covered at the time of devolution.
Use of both official languages on the Internet site
The HRDC Internet site (http://www.hrdc-drhc.gc.ca/) is fully bilingual and
contains a note stating that some hyperlinks are available only in their
original language. The site lists the full range of services offered by the
department. We also noted that there was no separate site for this Winnipeg
office. The Internet site does, however, make reference to other offices, the
ones located on Henderson Highway, Portage Avenue and Manitoba Avenue.
B) Service
Nature of the services provided by the office visited
Following devolution, the office provides both federal and provincial
services. However, front-line service is provided by federal employees; this
includes the reception service, which makes appointments with employment
counsellors who are under provincial jurisdiction. The office serves the entire
Francophone population of the City of Winnipeg; the department's other three
offices do not have a linguistic obligation, but the forms they have are
bilingual. Hence, if a form is filled out in French, the client is referred to
the office visited, which follows up.
One of the programs offered by the office is the youth labour market
awareness program. This program was initially developed by the provincial
Department of Education and was offered only in English. The HRDC office has
therefore provided a French-language counterpart: in co-operation with the
Collège de Saint Boniface and with the help of contract staff, the Centre has
created an interactive program on CD-ROM which provides, in French, the same
services as those offered by the province in English. The office is also
especially active at career fairs where is provides a Francophone presence; for
example, a "health in French" booth was set up which described the
various career opportunities in both the city and the country. The office's main
role is to receive employers' requests for workers and to refer to them persons
who are seeking work. Employment insurance-related work is also significant.
Existence of bilingual capacity required to provide continuous
service in both official languages
The office has 45 employees, 25 of whom work for the federal government.
Twenty-two (22) of these 25 employees have bilingual positions at level C, and
the employees meet or exceed the language requirements of their position. The
two unilingual employees do not deal with the public, and work either in
information technology or in administration.
Presence of work tools required for provision of service in both
official languages
All the federal documentation distributed to the public is bilingual, as are
the internal procedures manuals used by departmental officers. The officers have
access to a bilingual keyboard, and business cards and fax cover sheets are in
both official languages.
Comparability of the service to the public in both official
languages, and availability of administrative arrangements as necessary
In view of the number of bilingual employees, no administrative arrangements
have been required. Client service is monitored continually. Since all services
are available in both languages, it is considered that services are comparable
and of equal quality.
C) Managers' Responsibilities
Knowledge of requirements regarding service to the public in both
official languages
The managers in the office visited are very well aware of their official
languages responsibilities for both active offer and delivery of services.
Moreover, since this office for all practical purposes serves the province's
entire Francophone population, the other offices seem to have acquired the habit
of consulting it. They thereby ensure that the services provided in English are
also provided in French. A case in point is a Web site that advertised a career
symposium sponsored by the Rotary Club; the head office that published this site
consulted the Saint-Boniface office so that the site would also be in French.
The managers keep well abreast of what is happening in the work environment in
the province and ensure that what goes on in English also goes on in French.
Existence of controls to ensure service is always provided in both
official languages
All employees have been notified to make an active offer both on the
telephone and in person. The only exception tolerated is when the officer knows
the client's preferred language, in which case he or she speaks to the client in
his/her language. There are no official language monitoring mechanisms;
supervisors monitor the situation as part of their duties and, since they are
fluently bilingual, they are able to properly evaluate the situation.
Existence of mechanisms to assess client satisfaction
There is a box for comments at the reception counter, but there is no
specific question on the linguistic quality of services. However, there has
never been a negative comment about the comparability of services in French or
in English.
Meetings with the representatives of the official language minority
community
Since devolution, the office has been managing fewer programs, and there are
fewer opportunities for formal meetings with the community, but the staff of the
office has close contacts with minority community organizations (like the
Collège de Saint-Boniface) for organizing specific events.
It should be noted that the managers at the office were congratulated on
their dedication during the flood that struck the area in 1999. At that time
HRDC opened a temporary office on the site of the emergency centre. All
departmental offices supplied employees seven days a week, 12 hours a day. Since
most of the citizens affected were Francophones, the work schedule was
rearranged to ensure the ongoing presence of bilingual employees.
Use of the media
The regional office looks after communications with the media. For matters of
general interest, the majority-language newspapers are used, along with La
Liberté and Radio-Canada. For information concerning only the office
visited, the managers ensure that both the French-language and English-language
media are used.
Complaint concerning official languages
There were no complaints about the office visited. However, the managers did
have to resolve two complaints about 1-800 numbers. They were responsible for
this even though they were not the source of these numbers; they are deemed to
have responsibility for everything to do with official languages.
Changes since the last audit
The audit done in 1996 reported only one deficiency: the quality of French in
job offers in French. In our visual audit of the data banks available at the
entrance to the office, we did not find any anomalies. The situation is now
praiseworthy.
Recommendations
No recommendations are necessary.
6.3.6 VIA Rail Inc
123 Main Street, Winnipeg
Burolis #: 1468
November 20, 2000
Audit results
A) Active Offer
Active offer on the telephone outside business hours
For the train station, the city telephone directory gives only a 1-800 number
and the number (949-7481) for baggage. At the number for baggage there is no
service in French outside normal working hours, but there is an active offer at
the 1-800 number; if the call is routed to a Call Answer system, the recorded
message is available in both official languages.
Active offer on the telephone during business hours
There is an active offer at the two numbers shown in the directory.
Active offer in person
There is no verbal active offer by the commissionaire on duty at the
information booth, and there is also no verbal active offer at the ticket
counter.
Visibility of the official languages symbol at all times
At the entrance to the train station, there is no pictogram at the
information booth, though there is one at the ticket sales counter.
Postings in both official languages at all times
Outside postings are bilingual; however, we noted that the site plan posted
in the lobby of the train station was unilingual. Elsewhere postings are
bilingual, or pictograms are used. The sign explaining how to use the carts is
unilingual.
Availability of publications in both official languages
There were no publications to be seen when we made our visit. We saw only
timetables, and these were bilingual.
Use of both official languages on the Internet site
The VIA Rail Canada Internet site (http://www.viarail.ca/) is fully
bilingual.. It lists the full range of services provided by VIA. There is no
separate site for the Winnipeg train station.
B) Service
Nature of the services provided by the office visited
VIA manages the train station services and provides services to travellers:
train timetable, ticket sales and baggage management. There is also a snack bar
managed by a concessionnaire. The contract between the concessionnaire and VIA
contains a clause stating that all documentation intended for the public must be
bilingual.
The train station snack bar complies with this clause since all menus are
posted in both official languages. The service is unilingual
English.
Existence of bilingual capacity required to provide continuous
service in both official languages
Aside from the large number of employees who work on board the trains, the
train station has 26 employees, 11 of whom are in direct contact with the
public. Only one of the employees who are in direct contact with the public is
bilingual. He is generally assigned to the ticket sales counter. During peak
season, bilingual students are hired.
Presence of work tools required for provision of service in both
official languages
The train timetable is bilingual, as are the tickets. There is no other
documentation. Business cards are bilingual also.
Comparability of the service to the public in both official
languages, and availability of administrative arrangements as necessary
The service provided to the public in both official languages is not fully
comparable or equal in quality, as there is no active offer and also no
continuous service. When the person at the wicket is unilingual, there is an
administrative arrangement whereby he can request help from one of two bilingual
clerks, but there is a waiting time. Note that VIA has been providing language
training since last year through an arrangement with a local language school:
cyclical courses offered at two weeks per cycle. Two persons are currently on
language training.
C) Managers' Responsibilities
Knowledge of requirements regarding service to the public in both
official languages
While there is high awareness of linguistic obligations on board the trains
and at the ticket counter, as well as obligations relating to postings in the
train station, we had to issue a reminder about the obligation of active offer
at the information booth and the ticket counter. The manager feels, however,
that the staff at the information counter are hired for security purposes and
not to provide the public with information about train station activities. They
were also unable to tell us whether the service contract contained a language
clause. Nevertheless, the fact remains that these persons are often the first
point of contact with the travelling public.
Existence of controls to ensure service is always provided in both
official languages
There is no formal control system.
Existence of mechanisms to assess client satisfaction.
VIA has a comments card to monitor client satisfaction with the services
provided on the telephone in connection with reserving tickets, train station
services, and services on board the trains. This questionnaire includes specific
questions on the language of service.
Meetings with the representatives of the official language minority
community
There are no meeting with minority language associations. However, some
schools request visits, and VIA is able to accommodate them in both French and
English: two employees are able to provide these services in French.
Use of the media
All advertising is from head office, including the wording of job offers. Job
offers are published in the newspapers by the local office; the English-language
media and La Liberté would be used, but this has not happened
recently.
Complaint related to official languages
There had been no complaint relating to official languages for the train
station. The manager ascribes this situation to use of the 1-800 number and to
the effectiveness of the administrative arrangements.
Changes since the last audit
The audit done in 1996 dealt only with the train station's concessionnaires.
At that time it was noted that the interim contract did not contain a language
clause.
Recommendations
Following the audit, it is recommended:
- that an official languages symbol or sign be posted at the station
entrance indicating the possibility of obtaining services in both official
languages;
- that the office ensure that the service contract with the Canadian
Corps of Commissionaires includes a language clause and that it is
respected;
- that all employees who work at the ticket counter be reminded of
the importance of making an active offer of services in both official
languages;
- that the office ensure that enough bilingual employees are
available to provide services in both official languages (wickets, luggage,
etc.);
- that the office ensure that all postings intended for the public
are correctly written in both official languages, over the next year.
List of associations consulted in the audit
- Association canadienne française de l'Alberta
régionale de Calgary, Banff et Red Deer, 2981 Battleford Ave, Calgary
- Fédération des Francophones de la Colombie-britannique
1575-7th Ave. West, Vancouver, B.C.
- Société Franco-manitobaine, Suite 212
383 Provencher Blvd., St-Boniface, Manitoba
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