Report to/Rapport au :
Corporate Services and Economic Development
Committee
Comité des services organisationnels et du
développement économique
and Council/et au Conseil
10 April 2006/le 10 avril 2006
Submitted by/Soumis par : French Language Services Advisory Committee
Comité consultatif sur les services en français
Contact/Personne-ressource : Diane Blais, Coordinator/Coordonnatrice
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Ref N°: ACS2006-CCV-FLS-0001 |
SUBJECT: FRENCH
LANGUAGE SERVICES ADVISORY COMMITTEE – 2005 ANNUAL REPORT AND 2006 WORKPLAN
OBJET: COMITÉ
CONSULTATIF SUR LES SERVICES EN FRANÇAIS – RAPPORT ANNUEL DE 2005 ET PLAN DE
TRAVAIL POUR 2006
REPORT
RECOMMENDATIONS
That the Corporate
Services and Economic Development Committee recommend Council:
1. Receive the 2005 Annual
Report of the French Language Services Advisory Committee, as detailed in
Attachment 1; and
2. Approve the 2006 Workplan
for the French Language Services Advisory Committee, as detailed in Attachment
2.
Que le Comité des services organisationnels et
du développement économique recommande que le Conseil municipal :
1. prenne
connaissance du Rapport annuel de 2005 du Comité consultatif sur les services
en français, tel que décrit à la pièce jointe no 1; et
2. approuve
le Plan de travail de 2006 du Comité consultatif sur les services en français,
tel que décrit à la pièce jointe no 2.
Pursuant to their
Terms of Reference, all City of Ottawa Advisory Committees are required to
submit an annual report outlining their activities and accomplishments over the
past year as well as a workplan describing the projects and activities proposed
for the coming year.
The French Language Services Advisory Committee finalized its 2005
Workplan at its 4 November 2004 meeting and its 2004 Annual Report at its 3
February 2005 meeting. These documents
are hereby submitted for the information and/or approval of the Corporate
Services and Economic Development Committee and Council.
The mandate of the French Language Services Advisory Committee is to
provide advice to Ottawa City Council and its Departments on issues that impact
official languages in the City. Its
responsibilities, as outlined in its Terms of Reference, include:
·
Providing a forum
for citizens to raise issues and concerns;
·
Providing advice
and guidance to Ottawa City Council, through the Corporate Services and
Economic Development Committee, on matters pertaining to policies, programs and
practices involving the use of official languages and services in the City;
·
Reviewing the
policies and procedures governing the use of the French language in City of
Ottawa material and dissemination of such information to residents;
·
Advising on
appropriate policies and procedures on services provided in French;
·
Reviewing and
commenting on policies such as language training, or translation.
The FLSAC consulted with Lead Department staff in preparing this report.
The French Language Services Division (FLSD) sought to support the FLSAC
in preparing the 2005 Annual Report and the 2006 Workplan, two documents that
are a clear reflection of the FLSAC activities.
FINANCIAL
IMPLICATIONS
There are no financial implications associated with
this report.
Attachment 1
– 2005 Annual Report of the French
Language Services Advisory Committee
Attachment 2
– 2006 Workplan of the French Language
Services Advisory Committee
Attachment 3 Terms of Reference of the French Language
Services Advisory Committee (held on file with the City Clerk)
The Corporate Services and Economic Development
Committee and Council to receive the Advisory Committee’s Annual Report for
information and to approve the Advisory Committee’s workplan as presented.
ATTACHMENT 1
Annual
Report 2005
During the period of this report, the French Language Services Advisory
Committee (FLSAC) held five (5) regular meetings to discuss matters relative to
its mandate, intervene on issues relative to its mandate, receive public
delegations, and make recommendations to City Council and or City departments.
EMERGING ISSUES
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Subject |
Description of project |
Results |
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Bill 163 |
During the period of this report, an Ad Hoc Sub-Committee of the FLSAC drafted a report proposing amendments to Bill 163. |
Bill
163 was enacted by the Province before the FLSAC report could rise to
Standing Committee and Council. |
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Ottawa’s 150th Anniversary Celebrations |
During the period of this report, the FLSAC formed an Ad Hoc Sub-Committee to work with event organizers on a commemorative project. |
The Ad Hoc Sub-Committee continues to work on this project and to contribute to it in terms of the francophone community’s involvement and contribution to founding the City of Ottawa. |
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Francophone Multi-Service Centre in West Ottawa |
During the period of this report, the FLSAC received information with respect to a proposal for a francophone multi-services centre in West Ottawa. |
On May 5, 2005, members of the FLSAC made presentations to the Health, Recreation and Social Services Committee in support of the proposal for a francophone multi-services centre in West Ottawa. |
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Community Funding Framework |
During the period of this report, the FLSAC was invited to participate in a consultation session with respect to funding priorities, eligibility criteria, reporting requirements and guidelines for future allocations under the Community Funding Framework. |
Members of the FLSAC participated in the consultation session and provided verbal comments to staff. This was followed-up with a memo to staff re-iterated the Committee’s concerns and suggestions with respect to the Community Funding Framework. |
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Subject |
Description of project |
Results |
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French Language Services Division Activities |
During the period of this report, the FLSAC received regular updates on the activities of the French Language Services Division |
Informed the FLSAC with respect to on-going activities as well as emerging issues |
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Process for the Designation of Bilingual Positions at the City of Ottawa |
Through its Designation of Bilingual Positions Sub-Committee, the FLSAC continues to receive updates on the status of the process and to provide input into it. |
During the period of this report, the Committee received formal updates from staff on the status of the process and the Designation of Bilingual Positions Sub-Committee met with the Project Manager to provide input into the process. |
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Complaints Sub-Committee |
Through its Complaints Sub-Committee, the FLSAC continues to review complaints received through the French Language Services Division, to ensure appropriate resolution of said complaints, and to make recommendations for further intervention and/or follow-up as appropriate. |
During the period of this report, the Complaints Sub-Committee reviewed 5 complaints in collaboration with staff of the French Language Services Division and, where appropriate, made recommendations to assist in their resolution. |
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Recreational Programs and Services in French |
During the period of this report, the FLSAC continued to receive updates with respect to the availability of recreational programs and services in French. |
The FLSAC was invited to participate in a working group, formed by the Parks and Recreation Branch after this issue was first raised with the Committee. Representatives of the FLSAC participated in working group meetings throughout the year. |
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Francophone Child Care Spaces |
During the period of this report, the FLSAC continued to receive updates with respect to the availability of francophone child care spaces and to intervene as required. |
On February 17, 2005, one of the FLSAC’s Joint Chairs made a presentation to the Health, Recreation and Social Services Committee. As a result of this intervention, the Standing Committee and Council directed staff to develop a catch-up plan, before the allocation of any new spaces, to address the shortfall and to keep the FLSAC updated on the development of this plan. On November 17, 2005, one of the FLSAC’s Joint Chairs again made a presentation to the Health, Recreation and Social Services Committee when staff brought forward a report recommendation the allocation of new childcare spaces. |
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Public Delegations |
During the period of this report, the FLSAC received six (6) presentations from public delegations and/or community groups. |
This enables the FLSAC to fulfill its mandate to “provide a forum for citizens to raise issues and concerns.” |
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Subject |
Description of project |
Results |
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FLSAC
sub-committee structure |
During
the period of this report, the FLSAC recognized a need to review its
sub-committee structure. |
As a result of this review, the FLSAC decided to maintain the
previously existing sub-committees, which continued to be relevant, and to
create additional sub-committees to work on specific files and/or issues with
which the Committee had become involved: ▪ Child Care Services; ▪ Recreational Services; ▪ Ottawa Public Library; ▪ Ottawa’s 150th Anniversary
Commemorative Project; ▪ Community Funding Framework; and ▪ City of Ottawa Boards |
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2004 Annual Report and 2005 Workplan |
During the period of this report, the French Language Services Advisory Committee (FLSAC) finalized its 2004 Annual Report and 2005 Workplan |
The referenced documents were submitted to the Corporate Services and
Economic Development Committee and rose to Council for final approval in
February 2005 |
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Presentations by other municipal agencies at the request of the FLSAC |
During
the period of this report, the FLSAC received presentations from
representatives of the Ottawa Public Library (OPL). |
As a result of these presentations, the FLSAC was invited to
participate in the development of a Policy on Bilingual Services for the Ottawa
Public Library. This collaboration
with the OPL is on-going. |
ATTACHMENT 2
French
Language Services Advisory Committee
2006 Work Plan
1. Work on
specific files in order to develop service delivery models tailored to the
Francophone community (in all its diversity) and ensure the delivery of
services equal to those delivered in English, in accordance with the City of
Ottawa’s policy:
- Pursue the leisure services file;
- Pursue the child care file;
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Pursue the
community funding file
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Pursue the
French-language services to homeless people file
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Pursue the public
health file
-
Pursue the
paramedic services file
2. Work on
specific files related to municipal agencies in order to develop service
delivery models tailored to the Francophone community (in all its diversity):
- Pursue the City of Ottawa Library file;
- Forge similar links with Hydro Ottawa, the Ottawa Police Service, and housing services.
3. Pursue
the project concerning the Francophone community’s contribution to building the
City of Ottawa (against the backdrop of the project initiated to celebrate the
City of Ottawa’s 150th anniversary)―in collaboration with
community partners.
4. Examine
and evaluate the structures and procedures around implementation of the City of
Ottawa’s bilingualism policy and suggest improvements.
5. Table and discuss reports from the French Language Services Department.
6. Continue to monitor the designation process for bilingual positions.
- That the Advisory Committee continue to be
informed about the main issues involved in implementing designation and that it
continue to closely monitoring the process of designating bilingual positions
7. Continue to monitor the French-language service complaints process.
8. Hear public delegations.
9. Make the activities of the French Language Services Advisory committee more visible:
- Develop a communications plan designed to
measure the coverage that the Committee currently receives and to target
possible interventions in the Francophone community as well as interventions
involving stakeholders, media and others, with the goal of increasing the Committee’s
visibility.
- Pursue
the collaborative community work that the FLSAC has already begun
- Implement
a mechanism to ensure the members are systematically present at community and
City events
- Make
the community aware of the work and activities that the FLSAC’s members perform