Kenora Canada Service Centre hires native language speakers (fwd)

[phil cash cash]

Kenora Canada Service Centre hires native language speakers

By Miner and News Staff
Monday September 10, 2007
http://www.kenoradailyminerandnews.com/News/337287.html

Kenora Services Canada Centre is now extending services to clients in
Ojibway and Oji Cree.

The centre now has two Ojibway speakers on staff to serve clients in their
native language.

“It’s not a translation service but provides the same type of service we
would extend to an English speaker except in Ojibway,” explained Kate
Korycki, director of the Kenora Services Canada Centre located on the
second floor at Market Square.

The staff members are scheduled to be in the Kenora office Mondays and
Friday while travelling mid-week to serve Ojibway speaking clients in
communities across the region.

The Kenora Services Canada Centre is where people go to access more than 60
Government of Canada programs and services ranging such employment
benefits, pensions, social insurance numbers and pleasure boat licenses.
About 30 people are employed at the local office.

The need for Ojibway speaking staff members in the Kenora office was
recognized back in 2000 but according to Korycki, it wasn’t until last year
that Services Canada began looking into ways of providing services that fit
the profile of the centres’ host community.

She explained hiring staff skilled in languages other English follows
initiatives in communities elsewhere in Canada where services are now
provided in Punjabi and Chinese, for example.

Meanwhile, Korycki noted French speakers in Kenora are referred to the
Services Canada office in Thunder Bay as the local centre doesn’t have
anyone on staff to address their requests in Canada’s other official
language.