Boost to French services on table

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 20/01/2020 (2232 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

French speakers across Winnipeg may soon be able to take swimming lessons, receive snow bulletins, and even make 911 calls in their primary language, if a new report passes executive policy committee Tuesday.

The report by the City of Winnipeg’s French language services division calls for the public service to “recognize that French language services should be accessible to all residents of the City of Winnipeg,” and when reasonable, provide French language services on request and through active offers.

Coun. Matt Allard (St. Boniface) said the city has a legal obligation to provide French language services to residents of the Riel district, but that level of accommodation doesn’t extend beyond St. Boniface, St. Vital and St. Norbert-Seine River.

“This is really the meat-and-potatoes stuff. We’re talking about the delivery of French language services to members of the public,” Allard said.

“I think if this passes, it will be a historic moment for the City of Winnipeg because we’re inching closer to being a city where people can expect service in French, or English, anywhere in the city.”

The city began reviewing French language service delivery in July 2018, which involved stakeholder consultations and public surveys, and concluded with a series of recommendations, including: the development of a five-year plan to identify the city’s capacity to provide services in French; a legal review of the Official Languages of Municipal Services Bylaw; and a commitment to review and update the bylaw every five years.

“We’re not looking at any immediate change in terms of resourcing, but if this passes it’s understanding that French language service should be delivered where reasonable to residents of Winnipeg, and where there are gaps, we should work towards closing those gaps,” Allard said.

In the public engagement summary filed with the report, some of those gaps are in critical service areas, including communication with 911 and 311, public hearings, and community relations.

In one instance, a school division reported needing a French-speaking police officer to attend a lockdown, but none was available.

Daniel Boucher, executive director of the Societe de la francophonie manitobaine, said the report and the public service’s recommendations are good starting points, but emphasized the need for, and importance of, high quality and frequent French language services.

“We’ve always had issues with services and it’s kind of a work in progress and it always will be,” Boucher said. “In terms of making sure we have the right staffing in place at the right times and the right services, all these things are complicated, we understand that, but at the same time, I think we can find ways to make it work better in terms of providing quality services.”

A recent example of gaps in French language services came during open houses hosted by the city on the potential sale of the former St. Boniface city hall. Boucher said it was difficult to get French services from the city to help the community understand an issue it considers to be of importance.

“We shouldn’t have to say ‘Where is the signage? Where is the person who can answer my question?’” Boucher said. “When services seem to be a second thought or not something that was done with care, it becomes frustrating for the community.”

Boucher said he was pleased to see the public service reference active offers of French language services, which can be as simple as a greeting in both French and English.

“We know that when services are offered actively then people use them,” he said. “When it’s not, and when it’s not clear, we know our community will use English.

“The active part of it for us is critical.”

danielle.dasilva@freepress.mb.ca