London (Ontario): French-language services are so scarce at city hall and other organizations, advocates fear Francophones will avoid locating in the Forest City.

[Harold Schiffman]

Foreign tongue

French-language services are so scarce at city hall and other
organizations, advocates fear Francophones will avoid locating in the
Forest City.
By JENNIFER O'BRIEN, SUN MEDIA



Ayan Aden is the London-Sarnia language services co-ordinator for the
French-Canadian association of Ontario. (Sue Reeve, Sun Media)

It didn't take Ayan Aden long to realize her Francais wasn't going to
take her far in this city. In 2003, the city's lack of French language
services came as a depressing surprise for the Francophone immigrant
from Djibouti, Africa, who moved to Canada with a dream and confidence
that her language would help her. "I thought Canada was bilingual
until I got to London," she says. "I noticed right away, they don't
speak French here . . . this is not really bilingual." For Aden,
things worked out. She soon got help, then a job at the Association
canadienne-francaise de l'Ontario (ACFO), an agency that helps
Francophones. But for others, it's not so easy and London is at risk
of losing Francophones because of the lack of services, says Aden,
ACFO's language services co-ordinator and head of a committee that
advocates for French-speaking Londoners.

Already this year, the French Services Committee has received 15
complaints, mostly from citizens who have been unable to access public
services in Canada's other official language, says Aden.  The
complaints include London's Better Business Bureau, social services
and city hall projects such as London's immigration portal. "This is a
big problem. The city is not offering French services in the
community," Aden says. "Federal and provincial agencies are obliged to
offer them, but it is difficult with the City of London because they
are not obliged." With a more than 6,000-strong Francophone
population, the city is designated as one of 25 areas in Ontario where
provincial offices must provide service in French. But the
designation, set out by the province's French Language Services Act,
does not require the city to provide service in French.

"The law is very weak for the municipalities," says Gaston Mabaya,
executive director of ACFO, which yesterday received more than
$155,000 in federal funding to help settle Francophone immigrants.

"And London is at risk of losing Francophones who move here, but then
realize they can't get by because of a lack of French services."

Even the city's immigration portal, meant to attract immigrants and
serve newcomers already here, is written in English only. The
committee asked for a French translation, but was denied.

The portal does have a languages page that links readers to ACFO and
other language-specific services.

According to the 2006 Census, English is still the mother tongue --
the first language learned -- for 80.4 per cent of people in the
London region.

After English, Spanish, Arabic and Polish were ahead of French as a
mother tongue.

Though city council has been exploring ways to reach out to diverse
communities the last year, there is no official city policy on French-
language services, says city spokesperson Elaine Gamble.

"We are concerned about various languages throughout the city," she said.

But Mabaya says French should be a higher priority.

"French is one of the official languages," he said.

The Francophone community is expected to continue growing as newcomers
arrive from French-speaking countries in Africa, the Caribbean and
Europe.

"I would like to be sure everyone who comes here can receive services
in one of the two official languages," Mabaya said.

In her frontline research, Aden has been dismayed at several places,
including St. Joseph's Hospital, she said, where she was told at
reception she would have to return in two days when an interpreter
could be obtained.

"If you are very sick, you cannot wait," she said.

---

FRENCH LANGUAGE SERVICES ACT

- Says any municipality that has a Francophone population of more than
10 per cent or 5,000 people is considered a designated area in which
provincial government services must be available in French.

- Municipalities don't have to provide French-language services. The
Act doesn't cover all public agencies, such as hospitals.

- In Canada, all federal services must be available in both official languages.

---

PARLEZ VOUS?

To survey the French-language services situation in London, The Free
Press requested French service at public offices in London Thursday
afternoon. Here's what we found:

CITY HALL

No obvious French-language signs in public areas. One of five customer
service representatives on the second floor speaks French. Chantal
Maxwell happens to be from Welland, where she says, "it's so
Francophone, it's not even funny." At city hall, she says, she deals
with only about one Francophone a month. "But who knows? People don't
see any signs that tell them there is a French-speaking representative
here, so maybe a lot of them just struggle along," she says. A phone
call to city hall requesting service in French results in a transfer
to Allison Cook, who is co-ordinator of Transportation Demand, but
knows how to speak French and can help translate.

LONDON POLICE

Officers at front desk didn't speak French, but said if necessary,
they could ask if any French-speaking officers were on duty who could
come in to headquarters to interpret.

ONTARIO WORKS

No one in the office could provide service in French. When Francophone
clients book appointments, the case worker will call in an
interpreter.

SERVICE ONTARIO

All posters, signs and brochures available in both official languages,
but no one in the office could offer French services. A customer
service representative said one temporary worker who is at a
conference knows French, as does someone who works in the Aylmer
office.

TRANSPORTATION MINISTRY

French service available.

SERVICE CANADA

Posters, signs and brochures presented in both languages and three
people on site could provide service in French.

REVENUE CANADA

No one in customer service area could provide service in French, but
someone could be called from another department upstairs to interpret.

 http://lfpress.ca/newsstand/CityandRegion/2008/03/01/pf-4885965.html
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