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.
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"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 .
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