Government Response to the Fifth Report of the Standing Senate Committee on Official Languages

Reflecting Canada's Linguistic Duality at the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games: A Golden Opportunity

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On March 21, 2007, the Senate approved a motion introduced by Senator Maria Chaput requesting the Government of Canada (Canada) to provide a complete and detailed response to the Report of the Standing Senate Committee on Official Languages (Committee), entitled Reflecting Canada's Linguistic Duality at the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games: A Golden Opportunity. In accordance with the mandate of the Committee, the Report examines the strategies established by the key partners of the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (2010 Winter Games) to ensure an efficient and equitable use of both official languages in every aspect of the planning, organization and hosting of the 2010 Winter Games.

In its Report, the Committee mentions that it has already heard from the majority of the partners involved in the hosting of the Games. It notes that the preparations for the 2010 Winter Games are well under way and wishes to recognize the good will of the partners with respect to the place accorded to both official languages and the official aspects of the organization (e.g. Opening and Closing Ceremonies, signage in the host cities, security services, emergency services, etc.). According to the Committee, the commitment of the Government and of the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) bodes “quite well”.

However, the Committee feels that, notwithstanding this promising outlook on the situation, many challenges still need to be faced in order for the 2010 Winter Games to fully reflect the linguistic duality of Canada. The Committee concludes that concrete measures must be taken immediately to guarantee the following, among others: respect of the language criteria for the choice of the host cities; adequate financing of the Francophone organizations for the implementation of projects pertaining to the 2010 Winter Games, representation of the Francophone communities in VANOC and in the cultural celebrations associated with the Games; broadcasting of the Games for the Francophone and Anglophone public across Canada, and bilingual signage outside the host cities.

The Government wishes to thank the Committee for its comments, observations and recommendations. The conclusions of the Committee already bring a positive contribution to the success of the 2010 Winter Games, an event that the Government and VANOC wish to make accessible to each and every Canadian, and one that both parties wish to serve as a model for its recognition of both official languages.

This commitment to organize the 2010 Winter Games for the population of Canada from coast to coast to coast demands more than just good will. A proactive, focused and methodical approach, based on the dedication of all the partners involved, is required. It is such an approach that these partners – the governments of Canada and British Columbia, Vancouver and Whistler, the Canadian Olympic and Paralympic committees, and the Vancouver Whistler 2010 Bid Corporation – deliberately chose to adopt as soon as the Multiparty Agreement for the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games was signed, in November 2002.

The signing of the Multiparty Agreement before Vancouver Whistler even won the bid is an Olympic world first. This early collective effort of the key partners of the Games made, and still makes the general organization of the Games, including the consideration of both official languages by VANOC, much easier. Conditional to the hosting of the 2010 Winter Games by Vancouver and Whistler, the Multiparty Agreement established VANOC and contained, for the first time in Olympic and Paralympic history, a statement on the commitment of the organizing committee towards official languages. In accordance with the Olympic Charter and the Federal Policy for Hosting International Sport Events, the Agreement recognizes both English and French as the official languages of the 2010 Winter Games. VANOC is bound, by this Agreement, to communicate with the public in English and French, and to offer services in both languages. The Agreement states that VANOC will abide by the provisions of the Official Languages Act and all related policies. A description of these requirements is provided in Annex A of the Multiparty Agreement.

As the department responsible for securing the support and involvement of the Government for the 2010 Winter Games, the Department of Canadian Heritage established a coordination structure, the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Federal Secretariat (Secretariat). The Secretariat is specifically responsible for the protection and promotion of the interests of the Government in the hosting of the Games, the coordination of the federal support and the liaison with VANOC. A Secretariat Manager is dedicated to the promotion of the official languages and involvement of the Francophone communities in the hosting of the 2010 Winter Games, and the coordination of the actions of federal departments and agencies in this field. The Secretariat has held consultation meetings with Francophone and Acadian communities in order to determine the most appropriate mechanisms for enhancing their participation in the hosting of the Games and promoting their rich heritage. It supported the negotiation of the collaborative protocol between VANOC and the community advocates. It supported and counselled VANOC in the development of a bilingual organizational culture and of its language policy. The Secretariat will ensure that the recommendations of the Committee are taken into consideration by the partners in charge of the planning, organizing and hosting of the 2010 Winter Games.

VANOC intends to meet all of its commitments and obligations with regard to official languages. To this end, it included the official languages in its strategic planning and has developed indicators to measure its performance and progress in this matter. VANOC aims to develop an organizational culture which values the learning and use of both English and French. It encourages the hiring of bilingual employees and uses the same approach in the recruitment of volunteers. VANOC ensures that communication and marketing material destined for the public is bilingual. It ensures that the client, athlete and specialized services, the emergency measures and the on-site signage are available in both official languages. The Opening and Closing Ceremonies will also be representative of Canada's linguistic duality.

To meet these objectives, VANOC actively seeks the collaboration and involvement of the entire Canadian Francophonie, from Quebec as well as from the rest of Canada. It has already signed a Collaborative Protocol with the Fondation canadienne pour le dialogue des cultures (Fondation), which is acting as a catalyst and as the lead organization for reporting the observations made by the Francophone and Acadian communities of the country, and the Fédération des francophones de la Colombie-Britannique (FFCB), which represents specifically the Francophone community of British Columbia. The Protocol makes provisions for the creation of a National Coordinating Committee whose main objective will be to seize the opportunities offered to rally the Francophone and Acadian communities of Canada for the 2010 Winter Games and to help VANOC proudly represent Canada's linguistic duality and rich cultural diversity. VANOC has also signed a Framework Cooperation Agreement with the Government of Quebec. This Agreement should lead to the negotiation of sectoral agreements in various domains, such as the promotion of the French language, linguistic and terminology services, sport, communications, culture and employment. With this Agreement, VANOC intends to leverage Quebec's expertise, mainly in the French language, in various domains associated with the achievement of its mandate and vision.

Like the Committee, the Government believes that the measures taken up to this point by the different partners to implement the commitments and requirements of the Olympic Charter and the Official Languages Act at every stage of the 2010 Winter Games, pursuant to the Multiparty Agreement, are quite promising. The Government also feels that it is too early to claim success, because many challenges still lie ahead.

The Government's Response to the Report of the Committee, found below, provides specific answers to each of the Committee's recommendations.

Recommendation 1

That the federal government ensure that the COC, in selecting Canadian cities to bid on hosting the Games, require an official commitment from applicant cities to meet official languages requirements.

Response

The Government recognizes the importance and benefits, for the cities who bid for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, of an early awareness of their responsibilities with regards to official languages, as shown by the identification and inclusion of these responsibilities in the Multiparty Agreement signed by the key partners of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games more than seven years before the Games. The Government will inform the COC of the necessity of communicating these responsibilities to the cities chosen to host the Games, in accordance with the Federal Policy for Hosting International Sport Events, as well as any related responsibility which could be described in detail in a possible funding agreement with the Government.

Recommendation 2

That the federal government clarify the roles that VANOC, the Fondation, the FFCB and the Government of Quebec are to play in connection with the Games in order to promote linguistic duality and the representation of the various components of the Canadian Francophonie.

Response

The Government plays no part in the Framework Cooperation Agreement with the Government of Quebec, signed by VANOC in October 2005, and the Collaborative Protocol signed in June 2006 by VANOC, the Fondation and the FFCB. The former is a bilateral agreement between VANOC and a provincial government. Up to Games time, VANOC wishes to sign similar agreements with as many provincial and territorial governments as possible. The latter is a non legally binding expression of intention and good will between VANOC and two Francophone organizations.

The Government of Canada is very pleased with the initiatives taken by VANOC to structure, this early in the planning and organization process of the 2010 Winter Games, its relationships with the key institutional components of the Canadian Francophonie. The Framework Cooperation Agreement with the Government of Quebec includes specific commitments made by Quebec and VANOC in a variety of domains. It remains open, with both parties agreeing to set up, if and as needed, work groups in each of the areas of cooperation included in the Agreement and, if necessary, formalize the work of these groups in specific agreements. The scope of the Framework Cooperation Agreement may evolve as talks between the province of Quebec and VANOC progress.

The Collaborative Protocol between VANOC, the Fondation and the FFCB, which is the result of consultations with the Francophone and Acadian communities made in 2005 by the Government, clearly identifies the Fondation as the key interface between VANOC and the Francophone and Acadian communities of Canada (with the exception of British Columbia), with the FFCB playing this role for the Francophones of British Colombia. The identification of these two key stakeholders will greatly assist the Francophone and Acadian communities of the country to take part in a more structured and strategic manner in the preparations for the Games. The Fondation and the FFCB have contributed, with VANOC, to the development of a National Action Plan for the involvement of the Francophone and Acadian communities in the planning, organizing and hosting of the 2010 Winter Games.

Overlaps or convergences with regard to the objectives and areas of cooperation covered by the Collaboration Framework Agreement between VANOC and the Government of Quebec and the Collaborative Protocol between VANOC, the Fondation and the FFCB can be found. For example, both agreements state that the parties involved will collaborate with VANOC to build the bilingual capacity of the organization, notably through the recruitment of new employees and volunteers. Such overlapping or convergences may also occur in the future or in existing agreements between VANOC and its partners or sponsors. It should be noted that, on one hand, the Framework Cooperation Agreement with the Government of Quebec commits Quebec and VANOC to promote cooperation between Quebec's civil society and Francophone community organizations across Canada. On the other hand, the mandate of the Fondation is to encourage the dialogue between Francophones in Quebec and in the rest of Canada, among other things. In all instances, these agreements, as well as any similar agreement to be signed by VANOC in the future, have a single objective: to direct the maximum amount of expertise and resources towards VANOC to contribute to the full representation of the linguistic duality and of the various components of the Canadian Francophonie in the 2010 Winter Games. It is up to VANOC, according to its commitments, to orchestrate the contributions of every stakeholder and to get the most value from them. The Government will support VANOC's efforts in this area.

Recommendation 3

That the Department of Canadian Heritage recognize that there are Francophone organizations in British Columbia and that it recognize these groups and ensure that there is sufficient funding for their legitimate projects for the 2010 Games.

Response

The Department of Canadian Heritage remains firmly committed to fulfilling its responsibilities under the Official Languages Act and to taking any measure necessary to encourage the development of Francophone and Anglophone minority communities all over the country, therefore it supports the associative network of Official-language minority communities across Canada. In British Columbia, a Collaborative Agreement has been signed by Canadian Heritage and the local contact organization of the Francophone community, the FFCB. The Agreement has been given a budget allowance which may be of benefit to several organizations in the community.

Specifically, with regard to the support of the 2010 Winter Games, Canadian Heritage fully recognizes the unique visibility and development opportunities provided by this world class event to the Francophones in British Columbia, and the importance of giving them access to such promotional opportunities. This recognition has been made official by the support that Canadian Heritage has shown to the FFCB, mainly through its Official Languages Support Programs, allowing the FFCB to create a coordinator position for all Games related matters. This should allow the FFCB to work in conjunction with the various key stakeholders groups of the Francophone community of British Columbia. Canadian Heritage will carefully examine every project proposal submitted by one of those organizations that is deemed more specific.

The support shown to the Fondation by Canadian Heritage through the Official Languages Support Programs represents an important component of the federal strategy for the support and promotion of the Canadian Francophonie at the 2010 Winter Games. Thanks to this support, the Fondation has been able to develop a Strategic Plan, followed by a National Action Plan, whose implementation should contribute to the maximization of the benefits of the Games for Francophone communities in British Columbia and the rest of Canada. Canadian Heritage encourages the development and maintenance of an active and close partnership between the Fondation and the FFCB.

Recommendation 4

That the federal government provides information about the strategies VANOC plans to implement in order to ensure the representation of Francophone communities within the organization by June 2007.

Response

VANOC has informed the Government about the strategies it has developed under its Official Languages Strategic Action Plan to effectively meet the challenge of ensuring the representation of Francophone communities within the organization. These strategies stem from its overall strategy concerning the hiring of bilingual employees and the recruiting of bilingual volunteers. As stipulated by that strategy, VANOC will be paying particular attention to the bilingual capacity of candidates in its procedures for hiring employees and recruiting volunteers. In accordance with the provisions of the Protocol for Collaboration between VANOC, the Fondation and the FFCB, VANOC will request the assistance of Francophone organizations to meet its needs for bilingual employees. VANOC will hold information sessions in the minority Francophone communities throughout the country to encourage their members to offer their services as employees or volunteers. In addition, the Collaboration Framework Agreement between VANOC and the Government of Quebec calls for Quebec to assist VANOC in hiring bilingual employees and in applying and developing the language component for certain services offered by VANOC.

All of VANOC's employment offers are simultaneously accessible throughout the country, in French and English, on the website of Workopolis, an on-line job recruitment and job search company in Canada. At present, nearly 15 percent of VANOC's employees are bilingual. VANOC is planning to significantly increase this proportion by the time the Games are held in 2010, in particular through its hiring strategy and employee training activities. The Francophone and Acadian communities in Canada and the Francophone communities of British Columbia appear to be especially well positioned to give VANOC the bilingual capacity it needs for its work in organizing the 2010 Winter Games.

Recommendation 5

That the federal government, in cooperation with the other partners, immediately begin to work toward the appointment of a representative from the French-language communities to the VANOC board of directors.

Response

The provisions governing the composition of the Board of Directors of VANOC are set out in the Multiparty Agreement signed in 2002 between the main partners for the Games. Under this agreement, the board is to have a maximum of 20 members.

The decision to limit the number of board members to 20 is based on the need for effective management. Increasing its size for the benefit of a particular group would set a precedent that an unlimited number of other interest groups may wish to take advantage of as well. In addition, adding a new member would alter the relative weighting for each entity as represented on the board, whose membership is based on a negotiated balance that engages the responsibility of the IOC. These entities have named all of their representatives and all board positions are now held. These board appointments run for four years and are in effect until November 2010, just after the completion of the 2010 Winter Games. To modify the composition of VANOC's Board of Directors three years before the event would be a highly complex undertaking that would likely prove detrimental to the work already done to ensure the harmonious organization of the Games.

However, because there is an awareness that the Francophone and Acadian communities in Canada do not have a representative on VANOC's Board of Directors, the Government organized, in collaboration with VANOC, two consultation sessions for representatives of the Francophone communities in British Columbia and the rest of the country. The purpose of these sessions was to initiate a dialogue and to identify appropriate mechanisms for promoting the participation and influence of Canada's Francophone and Acadian communities in the 2010 Winter Games.

The participants at the first of these consultations identified the Fondation as a catalyst and the lead organization for reporting to VANOC the observations made by the Francophone and Acadian communities. The second consultation confirmed the liaison role to be played by the FFCB with VANOC on behalf of the Francophone communities in British Columbia. This work led to the signing, on June 10, 2006, of a Protocol for Collaboration between the Fondation, the FFCB and VANOC. The purpose of this protocol is to promote the use of Canada's two official languages in the preparation and staging of the 2010 Winter Games. For that purpose, a National Coordination Committee was created under the protocol. This Committee's objectives are to take advantage of opportunities for mobilizing the Francophone and Acadian communities in Canada, and the Francophone communities of British Columbia in particular, for the 2010 Winter Games. Collaborative action is being considered for numerous areas, such as sports, culture, communications and the recruitment of volunteers. These examples well illustrate the proactive approach being taken by the Government and VANOC in their efforts to include and ensure the participation of the Francophone and Acadian communities in the preparation and hosting of the 2010 Winter Games.

Recommendation 6

That the federal government urge VANOC to ensure that all facets of Canada's French-language community are represented in the programs for cultural celebrations that are held before, during and after the Games.

Response

The Government is aware of the importance that the 2010 Winter Games have for all of Canada's Francophonie and for the Francophone communities in British Columbia in particular. That is why it has developed a mechanism for inter-departmental collaboration and an official languages strategy made up of three components, one of which deals specifically with the participation of the Francophone communities in the hosting of the 2010 Winter Games. The Official Languages Issue Cluster, created under the Framework for Federal Coordination established for the Games, has the mandate to maximize the possibilities for enhancing the development and capacities of Canada's Francophonie and to formulate recommendations concerning the proposed programming and strategic policies for the 2010 Winter Games, including cultural programming.

An important step was taken in 2005 when, following the consultations organized by the Government, the Fondation and the FFCB were identified as the liaison organizations for the Francophone communities in Canada with VANOC. These consultations also led to the signing of a Collaborative Protocol between VANOC, the Fondation and the FCCB. The purpose of this protocol is to showcase and promote the French language and the various aspects making up the culture and identity of Canada's Francophone and Acadian communities, including those in British Columbia. Culture is one of the areas specifically targeted by the protocol, given that VANOC has indicated on several occasions its intention to offer cultural programming that reflects Canada's linguistic duality and cultural diversity. To reach this objective, VANOC is counting on its partnership with the Francophone communities and is maintaining an ongoing dialogue with them. With the support of the Government, the Fondation and the FFCB have developed a National Action Plan, in consultation with VANOC, in order to clearly identify priority activities that will ensure the representation of Canada's Francophonie in all its diversity in the programming and cultural celebrations to be held before, during and after the Games.

Backed by this progress, the Government will continue its work with VANOC and the communities to maintain and strengthen the dialogue that has begun, thereby ensuring the full and fair representation of the Francophone and Acadian communities in the cultural programming for the 2010 Winter Games.

Recommendation 7

That the federal government and VANOC work together with the Bell Globemedia/Rogers Media consortium to find, before 31 December 2007, a solution that guarantees equitable access that is of equal quality to 2010 Olympic Games programming for all Canadians.

Response

This issue of access to broadcasting signals must be considered in the wider context of the recent evolution of the broadcasting sector as a whole. Indeed, the vast majority of Canadians subscribe to cable or satellite services to receive the range and quality of television which they want. During the past decade, access to free over-the-air (OTA) reception in Canada has been experiencing a steady decline. Today, fewer than ten percent of households rely on over-the-air transmission. Broadcasters themselves question whether they should be requested to provide complete OTA coverage, particularly in the context of transition to digital transmission.

To ensure that almost all French-speaking Canadians will have the 2010 Winter Games available to them in French, Bell Globemedia/Rogers Media has announced that it will provide its Réseau des Sports (RDS), Réseau Info Sports (RIS), and Télévision Quatre Saisons (TQS) signals free of charge to cable and satellite providers throughout the 2010 Winter Games. Bell Globemedia/Rogers Media estimate that they will thereby make signals available to the vast majority of Francophone households.

The Government recognizes that access to OTA coverage in French of the 2010 Winter Games might be incomplete, just as it might in English. The Government notes however that the Committee's Report does not call for identical but rather equitable access, and that the Broadcasting Act, 3(1)(c), acknowledges that "English and French language broadcasting, while sharing common aspects, operate under different conditions and may have different requirements". The Government is of the view that incomplete OTA coverage does not constitute an equitable access issue and that the existing legislative framework does not necessarily require free universal access to broadcasting signals. Consumers, including those in minority language communities, do have the opportunity to obtain coverage of the 2010 Winter Games in French via direct-to-home satellite services, who offer TQS, RDS or RIS for a fee, as do a majority of cable services across Canada. Therefore, the government is of the view that the situation is consistent with the broadcasting policy for Canada set out in the Broadcasting Act.

The Government recognizes the efforts to date of the Consortium to expand its coverage in French across Canada. Furthermore, it expects Bell Globemedia/Rogers Media to continue to work with its partners and to explore all technologies with a view to providing access to the 2010 Winter Games for all Canadians in the official language of their choice.

To alleviate the concerns expressed by the Committee regarding the quality of the French programming, the Government wishes to emphasize the commitment made by Bell Globemedia before the Committee to provide the Francophones across Canada with very high quality coverage of the 2010 Winter Games. The President of Bell Globemedia stated that “It is important to note that all coverage on TQS, RDS and RIS will be original French-language broadcasting, prepared and carried out by French-speaking teams including over 100 journalists, technicians, producers and directors on location in Vancouver”.

Recommendation 8

That the federal government, in cooperation with VANOC and the municipal governments, urge hotels in Vancouver and Whistler to offer their clients access to the signal from at least one of the three French private networks (TQS, RDS or RIS) during the Games.

Response

In certain cases, hotels simply subscribe to, and offer clients, the services of existing cable or satellite providers. Those hotels are not, in that respect, regulated by the CRTC. Where a hotel provides its own distinct broadcasting service to clients (e.g. movies), the CRTC has issued exemption orders, which allow, under certain conditions, companies to offer broadcasting services without having to obtain a licence. Under the existing regime therefore, there does not appear to be a practical and efficient way to ensure that all hotels would offer the French language signal of one of the three private networks during the 2010 Winter Games.

The Government will encourage VANOC and the municipal governments to identify non regulatory solutions to incite hotels and broadcasting distribution undertaking to make TQS, RDS or RIS available to their clients during the 2010 Winter Games.

Recommendation 9

That the federal government urge VANOC to install bilingual signs on the major roads linking the Vancouver International Airport, the Vancouver train station and the host cities.

Response

The Government of Canada recognizes the importance of bilingual signs at all Games sites. That is why Annex A of the Multiparty Agreement for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, which sets out Canada's requirements concerning the official languages, specifically stipulates that all signs installed by VANOC or authorized by VANOC for all Games sites during the period of the Games must be bilingual. These signs include those of the Government, the Government of British Columbia, Vancouver and Whistler, and all official Games sponsors and suppliers. This obligation applies in particular to the Athletes' Villages and all areas reserved for athletes at the competition sites, as well as the stadiums, the media centre and the Games headquarters.

VANOC recognizes its obligations in this regard and reports that it has already taken action to ensure that all signs related to the Games and bearing the Games logo are bilingual. These signs include traffic as well as other types of signs. VANOC will work in collaboration with the municipalities of Vancouver and Whistler to determine the implications of this obligation and the ways in which Vancouver and Whistler can assist VANOC in ensuring full compliance with it. It should be noted that the signs at the Vancouver airport, which come under federal jurisdiction, are already bilingual, as required by the Official Languages Act.

Recommendation 10

That the federal government urge VANOC to make public the strategies it plans to use to encourage sponsors and private firms to provide services in both official languages by June 2007.

Response

Under the Multiparty Agreement between the main partners for the 2010 Winter Games, VANOC has the responsibility for encouraging sponsors and private businesses to offer services for the Games in the two official languages. To achieve this goal, VANOC has indicated that its strategy is to work in close collaboration with sponsors on the planning and delivery of services and events, including signs, that they organize for activities related to the Games. VANOC has also informed its staff about its official languages plans and objectives and about the role that sponsors can play to help it meet its obligations under the Multiparty Agreement. If needed, VANOC will provide active support to the Games' sponsors. VANOC has in particular made the commitment to provide sponsors with a directory of bilingual resources (masters of ceremonies, translation firms, etc.), which they can use in order to offer bilingual services. It is important to stress that several national sponsors are already familiar with Canada's bilingualism requirements and are conducting their activities with regard to services and advertising in the two official languages.

For its part, the Government is determined to continue to support VANOC in its work to fulfill its official languages obligations. The Government has provided support and advice to VANOC, thereby enabling it to acquire the management tools necessary for the rigorous and effective planning of its activities, and for measuring and evaluating the results on an ongoing basis before, during and after the Games. More specifically, the Government and VANOC have agreed to periodically evaluate VANOC's progress concerning its strategic official languages objectives, including those for ensuring bilingual signs at Games sites, bilingual communications, and bilingual marketing material intended for the public. The Government and VANOC are maintaining an ongoing dialogue to remain up-to-date on developments with regard to the official languages and to take corrective actions where necessary. In order to be transparent, VANOC has agreed to include, as part of its Business Plan, an evaluation framework setting out the expected results and next steps. The Government will continue to advise VANOC to ensure as wide a distribution as possible, particularly through its website, of its Business Plan, progress reports and all other relevant strategic documents.