Your contract might require you to speak and provide bilingual service

_________________________________________________________
The Ottawa Citizen
Wednesday, August 18, 2004

MP Poilievre protests Public Works move to force tenants to follow language rules


Nepean Carleton MP Pierre Poilievre lashed out against a Public Works and Government Services Canada request ordering tenants on the north side of Sparks Street to provide services in both official languages.

In an open letter to Liberal MP Scott Brison, the minister of Public Works, Mr. Poilievre expresses his concerns about the "heavy-handed decision to intrude into the language policies of independent entrepreneurs who lease property from the government of Canada."

"While this decision may be politically correct and may pacify the political demands of your government, it constitutes direct interference into the commercial affairs of independent businesses," Mr. Poilievre wrote.

In his letter, Mr. Poilievre argues that if Sparks Street consumers really demanded business be conducted in both English and French, Sparks Street business owners would provide their services in both languages of their own accord.

In a letter sent to its business owners last week, Public Works said officials will meet with tenants to ensure their "signage, menus, notices and other advertising material" (including websites) is offered in both official languages.

In yesterday's letter, Mr. Poilievre asked Mr. Brison to intervene and put a halt to the Public Works request.

© The Ottawa Citizen 2004
======================================================================================================
The Ottawa Citizen
Friday, August 20, 2004

We are not 'heavy-handed' about bilingualism
Re: MP Poilievre protests Public Works move to force tenants to follow language rules, Aug. 19.

The Department of Public Works and Government Services (PWGSC) has no intention of being "heavy-handed" on language policies as alleged by MP Pierre Poilievre. There is no desire whatsoever to impose costly demands on independent entrepreneurs who lease government property.

There is no doubt that as a federal department, PWGSC is committed to a leadership role in trying to enhance and foster bilingualism. One approach being used in recent years is to add clauses into new or renewed commercial leases in the national capital region asking for signs and notices in both English and French, and encouraging tenants to offer bilingual services.

Still, a report from the Commissioner of Official Languages in January criticized PWGSC for not doing enough to ensure that our commercial renters were adhering to these lease provisions. As a result, letters were sent out to these business owners to raise awareness of the issue. This action was not meant to alarm or cause anxiety.

I have now asked my officials to send followup letters to assure commercial tenants that my department will work in collaboration to help them meet the spirit of Canada's official-language policy, without any attempt to interfere with how they run their businesses.

I have also asked my department to explore other means to achieve the laudable goal of promoting official bilingualism within the national capital region.

However, let there be no doubt that under Prime Minister Paul Martin, the Liberal government stands firmly behind the Official Languages Act.

Scott Brison,

Ottawa

Minister of Public Works and Government Services

________________________
'Language police' a figment of Citizen's imagination
Re: Call off the language cops, AUG. 19.

True to form, the Citizen's editorial reflects your ignorance and prejudice in linguistic matters.

Leasing contracts by commercial tenants in federally owned buildings do in fact contain clauses that call for respect of Canada's linguistic duality. These tenants enjoy prestigious spaces in federal buildings and have known since year 2000 that they are required to provide bilingual signage and service in both English and French.

These shop-owners were not "sucked into a bunch of meetings to make sure all their services are available in both French and English," as you state in your editorial. The fact is that Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) invited them to a meeting to review their commercial leases in the national capital region in the hope it could assure full adherence of all commercial tenants to their lease requirements. This was a recommendation of the joint committee of the House of Commons and the Senate in 1998. In her report of March 2004, Official Languages Commissioner Dyane Adam also supported this proposal.

Public Works and Government Services Canada is a federal institution and is committed to enhancing the vitality of the English and French linguistic communities in Canada. Ottawa is the national capital and should reflect our linguistic duality. Fostering full recognition and use of both English and French in federal properties is the law of the land.

The Citizen doesn't do justice to Canadian unity when it misinforms its readers with such uncalled-for insolent persiflage. There are no language cops; they are the figment of your imagination.

Respect, tolerance and understanding in linguistic matters should be the order of the day.

Jean-Robert Gauthier,

Ottawa

Senate of Canada