Latest news with #RaymondThéberge
Ottawa Citizen
an hour ago
- Business
- Ottawa Citizen
NCC pulls freedom-of-information records from website after language watchdog says they must be in French and English
Official Languages Commissioner Raymond Théberge (right) ruled that the NCC, led by CEO Tobi Nussbaum (left), must post access-to-information documents in both official languages. Photo by Tony Caldwell and Adrian Wyld / Post Media/Canadian Press The National Capital Commission has disabled part of its website that was home to documents released in response to access-to-information requests. The move, which has raised concerns from transparency advocates, came after Canada's languages commissioner criticized the crown corporation for not posting the records in both official languages. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles from Elizabeth Payne, David Pugliese, Andrew Duffy, Bruce Deachman and others. Plus, food reviews and event listings in the weekly newsletter, Ottawa, Out of Office. Unlimited online access to Ottawa Citizen and 15 news sites with one account. Ottawa Citizen ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles from Elizabeth Payne, David Pugliese, Andrew Duffy, Bruce Deachman and others. Plus, food reviews and event listings in the weekly newsletter, Ottawa, Out of Office. Unlimited online access to Ottawa Citizen and 15 news sites with one account. Ottawa Citizen ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors The government doesn't typically release records requested as part of an access request in both official languages, as they are provided in whatever language they were originally produced. But in a February report, Official Languages Commissioner Raymond Théberge recommended that the NCC's records on its website should be in both French and English, as they fell under the Official Languages Act. The NCC had been publishing all released records on its website in an effort to make them available to the wider public without having to put in a request to see them. The Ottawa Citizen's best journalism, delivered directly to your inbox by 7 p.m. on weekdays. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again However, Théberge found that once an access-to-information request is published on a federal institution's website, then it is subject to the Official Languages Act, which requires government communications to be published in both official languages. Théberge recommended that all the unilingual requests be translated by August, six months after he published the report, which outlined an investigation into the NCC's records. Transparency advocates fear the episode may bog down a federal access-to-information regime they say is already broken. Access-to-information expert Ken Rubin said that the language commissioner's decision was reasonable from a language perspective, but 'from an access to information viewpoint, it will cut off a lot of documents for a long time.' Rubin estimated that around 75 per cent of the documents were in English. He said that it can sometimes take years before requested documents are released, adding he recently received records from the NCC he asked for four years ago. Rubin said this was 'good compared to some other government agencies.' In a statement to the Ottawa Citizen, Théberge said he's concerned that documents published through access-to-information requests are 'often published in English only.' The commissioner said it was the NCC's decision to remove the documents from its website 'instead of making them available in both official languages as I had recommended.' Théberge said he recognizes the need for federal institutions to be transparent, which includes accessibility, and so they 'must publish access to information requests, so that Canadians can be fully informed.'
Ottawa Citizen
6 days ago
- Politics
- Ottawa Citizen
Languages commissioner concerned about supervisors' language use after survey results
The official languages commissioner is 'particularly concerned' that so many public servants say their senior managers don't always use both official languages. Article content In the 2024 Public Service Employee Survey, which was released on June 23, 20 per cent of non-supervisor public servants reported that senior managers sometimes, rarely or never use both official languages in their interactions with staff. Article content Article content Article content In response, Official Languages Commissioner Raymond Théberge called on senior leaders in the public service to make 'the necessary changes' to ensure language rights of public servants are respected. Article content Article content 'I'd like to remind supervisors that the right to work in the official language of one's choice belongs to the employee,' he said in an emailed statement. 'It's the supervisor's duty to respect that right.' Article content The survey also found that more than a quarter of public servants said their career advancement over the previous year had suffered due to a lack of access to training in their second official language. Article content Martin Potvin, a spokesperson for the Treasury Board, said the government is 'committed to strengthening bilingualism in the public service, not only to better serve Canadians, but also to foster a work environment where employees in bilingual regions feel truly comfortable working in the official language of their choice.' Article content Article content The survey results were released a few days after new language requirements came into effect for supervisors on June 20. New supervisors in bilingual regions will now be required to have the highest proficiencies in reading and oral conversation in their second language, while maintaining an intermediate level in writing. Article content Article content Prior to June 20, supervisors required an intermediate proficiency in reading, writing and oral conversation. Article content Those who were already in supervisor roles before that date will be 'grandfathered in' and will only need to improve their second language skills to meet the new requirements if and when they change positions. Article content In a recent report, the commissioner said the new requirements don't go far enough. Article content 'I applaud this initiative as a step in the right direction, but I am concerned about what might happen to employees who are supervised by incumbents of unilingual supervisory positions or by incumbents of bilingual positions who do not meet the CBC second-language requirement,' Théberge wrote in the report.
Cision Canada
6 days ago
- Politics
- Cision Canada
Communications in emergency situations and official languages: The job's not finished yet Français
GATINEAU, QC, June 26, 2025 /CNW/ - Commissioner of Official Languages of Canada Raymond Théberge released today his report on the follow-up to the recommendations made in the report A Matter of Respect and Safety: The Impact of Emergency Situations on Official Languages, which was published in October 2020. A follow-up report was necessary to assess the progress made in implementing the three recommendations issued by the Commissioner in 2020. The report applies to the following federal institutions and organizations that deal with communications in emergency situations: the Translation Bureau, the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, the Privy Council Office and Public Safety Canada. The report highlights major breakthroughs made by certain federal institutions in planning tools and structures to facilitate the drafting and simultaneous dissemination of emergency communications of equal quality in both official languages for an internal audience. However, the follow-up established that only one of the three recommendations issued in 2020 has been fully implemented and that much remains to be done with regard to external and wide‑reaching emergency communications. The Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages has received almost 200 complaints since 2020 regarding communications in emergency situations, demonstrating that this is a very real concern in our country. The importance of this issue was also established during consultations conducted by the Office of the Commissioner. It is important to note that during times of crisis, it is imperative that both official languages be treated equally at all times and that Canadians be informed and reassured in a timely manner in the official language of their choice. Quote "It's essential that our leaders and federal institutions demonstrate leadership and commitment to official languages in emergency situations and that they act before the next crisis to address the issues raised in my 2020 report and in my follow-up report. I therefore urge them to continue their work to fully implement my recommendations. The lives, health and safety of Canadians are at stake." Follow-up to the recommendations made in the report . Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, X and LinkedIn SOURCE Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages
Cision Canada
20-06-2025
- Politics
- Cision Canada
Statement from the Commissioner of Official Languages on the coming into force of changes to increase the language requirements for supervisory positions and on the right of federal public servants to work in the official language of their choice Français
GATINEAU, QC, June 20, 2025 /CNW/ - Commissioner of Official Languages of Canada Raymond Théberge made the following statement today regarding the coming into force of changes to increase the language requirements for supervisory positions and on the right of all federal public servants who work in designated bilingual regions to work in the official language of their choice: "I'm very pleased that amendments to the Official Languages Act have come into force that now confirm federal public servants' right to work in the official language of their choice in regions designated as bilingual for language-of-work purposes, regardless of the linguistic identification of their position. This means that even federal public servants who are in a unilingual position identified as English Essential or French Essential still have the right to be supervised in the official language of their choice. "In another highly anticipated change, effective today, the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat has raised the language requirements for bilingual positions that involve supervising staff in regions designated as bilingual for language-of-work purposes. The minimum second language proficiency level for these positions has been raised from BBB to CBC. "My predecessors and I have made repeated recommendations on the need to raise the minimum bilingualism requirements for supervisors and to strengthen the language rights of all federal public servants in designated bilingual regions. After all these years, these are two major gains in terms of recognizing public servants' language-of-work rights. "That said, I'm still concerned about what might happen to employees who are supervised by incumbents of unilingual supervisory positions or by incumbents of bilingual positions who do not meet the CBC second-language requirement. It's important to note that the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat is leaving it up to federal institutions to identify and implement administrative measures to protect public servants' language-of-work rights. "In my 2024–2025 annual report, which I tabled in Parliament earlier this week, I've recommended that by September 30, 2026, the President of the Treasury Board implement a monitoring mechanism for federal institutions to ensure that they take and maintain measures to protect the language rights of public employees in designated bilingual regions who are supervised by incumbents of unilingual positions or by incumbents of bilingual positions who do not meet the CBC second-language requirements. "I'd also like to mention that many public servants are still reluctant to file a complaint when their language rights are infringed for fear of damaging their work relationships. We therefore need to continue to monitor the situation closely to ensure that these new changes are fully implemented throughout the federal public service. I'm counting on all public service executives and managers to make the necessary changes and help to ensure full respect for their employees' language rights."
Ottawa Citizen
18-06-2025
- Politics
- Ottawa Citizen
Five things public servants need to know about new language requirements
For federal public servants, workplace language rights have been a decades long struggle. Article content New language requirements for supervisors in bilingual areas will go into effect on June 20. The changes, which apply to supervisors with positions deemed bilingual, are meant to ensure workers can comfortably use their language of choice with their supervisor. Article content Article content In an interview with the Ottawa Citizen, Official Languages Comissioner Raymond Théberge called the changes 'a very positive move on the part of government to ensure that the language rights of public servants are respected.' Article content Article content He added that the policy has something his predecessors 'have asked for many, many times.' Article content Article content The requirements, Théberge said, will help language rights within the public service, as well as bilingual service delivery. Article content So what are the changes and how will they impact public servants? Here's everything you need to know. Article content For the public service, the language requirements for supervisors in bilingual regions has been BBB, which means intermediate levels in reading, writing and oral conversation. Article content On June 20, those requirements will increase to CBC, meaning proficient levels in reading and oral conversation, with only intermediate levels in writing. Article content Bilingual regions for the federal government include parts of Quebec and Ontario, New Brunswick and the National Capital Region. Article content To limit the operational impact of the changes, the Treasury Board Secretariat said that the new rules will only apply to new appointments. Article content Article content Supervisors that currently do not meet the new language requirements will be grandfathered in won't be mandated to take language training. Article content Article content However, the Treasury Board Secretariat said that if one of these supervisors changes roles they will be required to meet the new language requirements. Article content Supervisors that do not meet the new requirements 'are also encouraged to work towards CBC (or equivalent) proficiency to assist them in their current role and in their career progression,' Rola Salem, a spokesperson for the Treasury Board Secretariat, said in an emailed statement.
