ARCHIVED - Audit of Services to the Public in Both Official Languages Audit Program - Aéroports de Montréal (Dorval) - Number 31
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Audit of Service to the Public in Both Official Languages
Aéroports de Montréal (Dorval)
March 2001
Table of Contents
8. Recommendations to the Treasury Board Secretariat
1. Introduction
This audit is part of the audit activities conducted by the Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS) to ensure that the Official Languages Act (OLA) and TBS official languages policy are being enforced. The goal of this audit of federal institutions located at the airport and of the airport authority is to determine whether the public can communicate with and receive services from these institutions in the official language of its choice, in accordance with the Official Languages Act and the Official Languages (Communications with and Services to the Public) Regulations.
This section presents the background to the audit and the objectives, scope, approach used, results, conclusions and recommendations.
2. Background
Since 1992, Transport Canada has been leasing to local airport authorities the international airports it owned and operated in such locations as Calgary, Halifax, Moncton, Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver and Winnipeg. These authorities are all not-for-profit corporations. Local airport authorities are responsible for the management, operation and maintenance of the airports they lease, and for capital projects relating to such components as the runways, air terminal buildings, industrial areas, parking lots, ground transportation, emergency response services, personnel management and the financial and administrative functions.
In March 1992, the Airport Transfer (Miscellaneous Matters) Act received Royal assent. Although Aéroports de Montréal (Dorval) is not a federal institution, it remains subject to parts of the Official Languages Act. Section 4(1) of the Airport Transfer (Miscellaneous Matters) Act states that:
Where the Minister has leased an airport to a designated airport authority, on and after the transfer date Parts IV, V, VI, VIII, IX and X of the Official Languages Act apply, with such modifications as the circumstances require, to the authority in relation to the airport as if (a) the authority were a federal institution; and (b) the airport were an office or facility of that institution, other than its head or central office.
3. Audit objectives
The audit objectives were established under Part IV of the Official Languages Act, which deals with the obligations of federal institutions, and third parties acting on their behalf, concerning service to the public. The audit objective was to determine the extent to which the airports in question (services provided by the airport authorities, airlines, concessionaires, and health and safety services), federal institutions subject to the Official Languages Act and located at the airports (Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Canada Customs and Revenue Agency, Citizenship and Immigration Canada) and Air Canada are fulfilling their service to the public obligations under the Official Languages Act, the Official Languages (Communications with and Services to the Public) Regulations and government policy.
4. Scope
The audit covered seven privatized airports: those in Calgary, Halifax, Moncton, Montreal (Dorval), Toronto, Vancouver and Winnipeg. A separate report was prepared for each airport. The auditors studied the airport authorities in each of these cities, the federal institutions at the airports (as mentioned above) and Air Canada.
For each location visited, we carried out three types of audit:
- a telephone audit: a call outside business hours (where they are not continuous) to check whether there is a Call Answer system in both official languages, and (except for the airport authorities) a call during business hours to check whether active offer really exists and whether service can be obtained in both official languages;
- an in-person audit at the site;
- an audit of the Internet sites.
The services related to public security, health and safety were also audited at the sites.
It should be noted that the audit did not cover Transport Canada. At the time of the audit, the Commissioner of Official Languages was carrying out a follow-up to assess the progress made in implementing the recommendations she made following her special study of Transport Canada.
Also, the audit did not cover the verbal announcements related to the flights since they are related to the obligations of the route and that will be audited in another study.
5. Approach
The following steps were completed during the audit:
- Meet with the Treasury Board Secretariat official languages representatives to discuss the audit parameters.
- Identify complaints filed with the Commissioner of Official Languages in the past two years.
- Develop an audit program involving a number of audit questionnaires (by telephone and on-site), for each airport and all institutions covered.
- Determine to what extent the Internet sites of the airports involved give the same information in both official languages, and if necessary determine the extent to which the public can communicate with these airports in both official languages.
- For each airport, examine a sample of contracts with third parties and airlines.
- Make telephone calls to check active offer in the airports and institutions covered.
- Interview those in charge of the airport authorities and federal institutions covered, and interview the representatives of the official language minority communities to obtain the viewpoint of the clients.
- Check active offer, notices and signage in the airports and federal institutions covered.
- Check notices, documentation and availability of service in both official languages on the premises of third parties and airlines.
- Collect all the relevant information, compile the data and analyse the results for the airports and federal institutions covered.
- Group the analyses of the federal institutions and airport authorities by regions, and prepare a separate report for each airport visited.
- Submit the seven draft reports to the TBS representatives to clarify items that are unclear and discuss modifications to each report.
- Send the draft reports to those in charge of the airports and
institutions, to obtain their comments and incorporate them into
the final version of each report as necessary.
6. Findings
6.1 Airport authority
6.1.1 Profile of organization
Since 1992, Aéroports de Montréal (ADM), a not-for-profit regional corporation, has managed two airport sites, one at Dorval and the other at Mirabel. This audit applies only to Dorval Airport. ADM has a total of 589 indeterminate employees. Those who are mainly in contact with the public are the following: 19 reception counter attendants, 15 employees (nine permanent and six part-time) working at the information booths, 11 delegated directors, four ground inspectors, one parking co-ordinator, one parking officer, one commercial vehicles co-ordinator and one receptionist. It is mandatory that all employees who are in contact with the public be bilingual; for that purpose the recruitment agencies are asked to test the candidates, or if the authority hires directly, it subjects the candidates to a test that assesses them according to five skill levels; the highest two skill levels in oral expression are required for persons working with the public.
ADM also contracts with third parties (subject to section 25 of the Official Languages Act) to manage such tasks as collecting baggage, the baggage storage room and the parking lots. The service contracts between the authority and these companies include a clause stating that attendants responsible for communicating with the public must be bilingual.
Since 1993 the authority has used 45 to 60 volunteers at the Dorval site; the volunteers give the travelling public information on the services available at the air terminals. Only bilingual persons are accepted as volunteers.
6.1.2 Language obligations
ADM can be reached by telephone at either of the two numbers in the telephone directory. At both (514) 394-7377 and 1-800-465-1213, an active offer of service was made, and the client could then choose service in French or in English by pressing 1 or 2; clients who do not have tone telephones are offered the services of a bilingual telephone operator.
For the airport authority, complying with the requirements of the Official Languages Act in communications with the public and service delivery is a matter of course and a natural component of the client service requirements.
Those in charge of each key airport management sector – security, management of service or lease contracts, human -are all aware of the obligations for notices and services in both official languages.
ADM goes beyond the obligations in the OLA. In all contracts with lessees, whether or not they provide contract service as described in section 12 of the Regulations, the terms of the lease require the lessees to provide service in both official languages. The contract between the tenants and ADM is based on the contract used earlier by Transport Canada, but has been adapted to the Quebec Civil Code. This contract contains a clause stating that all material that is printed, written or made available to the public, including signs, instructions, directions, cash register and other receipts, tickets, brochures and pamphlets must be printed in both official languages (Clause 7.15). Also, clause 7.16.2 requires the lessee to ensure that at all times it has sufficient staff to immediately provide an adequate level of service in both official languages. These contracts, for a term of five to ten years, are written in the language chosen by the lessee and include a clause providing that the lessee must pay a fine when there is a breach of certain clauses, including the language clauses. These fines run from $500.00 for the first offence to $2,000.00 for the third offence.
To ensure that these clauses in the contracts are respected, ADM in 1998 introduced an audit system. Several times a year, employees make surprise visits to the concessionaires. They check the notices, the cash register receipts, the bilingualism of the staff, and other matters. Following these visits they issue visit reports which are given to the manager of the establishment visited and to the airport manager.
In the area of notices, the administrators we met seemed to be concerned about their obligations under federal and provincial language legislation. They agreed that the federal Act took precedence at the airport, but for active offers of service the -Bonjour -followed by service in the language of the client's choice.
The administrators are well aware of their responsibilities for official languages in the verbal announcements made in the airport. Those issued by ADM are always in both French and English.
For the general information given to the public, and to provide bilingual service, the authority has all the communication tools in both official languages. ADM also uses the media in both official languages for both offers of employment and other airport-related information. ADM addresses itself not only to travellers, but also to the general public.
The Internet site is almost fully bilingual. It contains much the same information in both official languages. However, there are some deficiencies: for example, the home page for the site gives the legal notices disclaiming liability for the site information in French only. Clicking on the notice displays all the related information. This information is not available in English. Also, an examination of the site shows that in the history section one can view an interactive background and travel through time, in French only. This interactive audio and video module is not available in English.
Dorval Airport has been the subject of two complaints regarding official languages in the past year: one concerned the order of the languages in a notice in a duty-free shop, and the other a unilingual cash register receipt in a foreign exchange office.
6.1.3 Exterior notices and signage
The notices announcing Dorval Airport are bilingual and follow the required order for the official languages. The notices for the boarding and disembarking areas and the signage are bilingual. The notices in the parking lots are also bilingual.
6.1.4 Interior notices and signage
For domestic or international flight arrivals, travellers arrive in a bilingual atmosphere: the washrooms, baggage storage rooms and telephones for retrieving baggage, the electronic displays showing arrivals and departures and the evacuation plan all have bilingual instructions. At the information booth, the notices and service are in both official languages. Also, in the domestic arrivals area, the electronic displays announcing ground transportation services to Montreal and the other products give bilingual information. The only unilingual French elements we found are the ADM policy and commitment to the environment located on a column in the international arrivals area (although the English version is found on the floor above) and the notice "Urgence Pompier" in the room beside Café Bon Voyage. This last notice contravenes the safety standards.
Everything is also bilingual in the departures area, including the notices at the counter for collection of the airport charges and the small sheet given to travellers to explain these charges. The notices are also bilingual in the rest areas. The airport provides visitors with a small bilingual plan. The verbal announcements on airport services or the parking lots are bilingual.
6.1.5 Self-service machines
All automated teller machines are fully bilingual, and the machines for paying parking charges found throughout the air terminal display instructions in both languages. The same is true of the automated machines where the airport charges can be paid without going to the counter. The instructions for using the public telephones are in both official languages.
The soft-drink dispensers (Pepsi) are partly bilingual, although we found that one of the dispensers did not have a notice in English about the dangers of shaking the machine, and another dispenser did not give the information about exact change in French. The "Insta Boutique", a compact disk dispenser, displayed bilingual instructions and also gave verbal instructions in both official languages. The Pokemon game in the second-floor rest area is also in both official languages.
6.1.6 Contract services
Dorval Airport has a number of restaurants and snack bars in a food court: MOES, Starbucks, Cheers, Burger King Express, Eggspectation and La Brûlerie Saint-Denis, which has three sites (one in the food court, one in the national arrivals area and the other in the international arrivals area). There is also the Café Bon Voyage in the security area. Notices and menus are bilingual everywhere, and we found that service was available in English and in French; however, we noted that the cash register receipt from La Brûlerie is in French only.
At the duty-free shop Aer Rianta International, the signs and notices are bilingual, and service is available in both languages; the cash register receipt is partly bilingual. The three foreign exchange offices managed by the Ice company, located in the arrivals and departures areas, have bilingual documentation and staff. However, we noted that on the two displays surrounding the staff and listing the countries and corresponding exchange rates, the names of the countries are in French only; that could cause problems for English-speaking travellers.
Six car rental agencies have counters in each arrivals area: Alamo, Avis, Budget, Hertz, National Tilden, and Thrifty. Although none of these companies displayed the official languages symbol, all notices and documentation were bilingual. The staffs of those companies are fully bilingual, and they can explain the contents of the bilingual contracts in the official language of the client's choice.
The space reserved for the counters of the airlines varies depending on the number of daily flights for each company. Thus one company may occupy two counters at one time of day, and five at another time. The airport authority therefore provides a lighted sign marked ADM behind each counter. When the counter is occupied by an airline, the airline adds its own logo to the lighted sign. At the time of our inspection, we counted and met with ten airlines. Everywhere, at the entrance to the waiting lines or on the counters, the documentation and notices were in both official languages. All employees of all these companies told us that bilingualism is a condition of employment. Thus the service is provided in both official languages everywhere. We met personnel working for the following companies: Air France, Air Maroc, Air Transat, American Airlines, British Airways CanJet, Continental, KLM, Northwest, SwissAir and US Airways. We were able to obtain services in both official languages in all cases.
Please note that the information related to Air Canada will be discussed in a separate section.
6.1.7 Health and security
Security at Dorval Airport is provided by the Direction Protection aéroportuaire [airport protection branch], which has an information office open to the public on the second floor above the air terminal. This office provides information on security, issues all sorts of permits. Notices and documentation are completely bilingual, and the attendants at the reception counter provide service in both official languages. The air terminal is monitored by constables who wear a distinctive uniform and are all bilingual. That is a condition of employment.
6.1.8 Conclusions
The Aéroports de Montréal authority has set up all the administrative structures and management and audit practices necessary to ensure respect for the language obligations placed on it. The services are comparable in both official languages.
Bilingualism is a condition of employment for all employees required to provide any service to the public, including communication or delivery of security services. This bilingualism requirement also applies to the volunteers working at the airport site.
The service contracts with third parties acting on the authority's behalf include precise language clauses, and the authority ensures that they are respected. The lease contracts signed with third parties under contract as described in the Official Languages Regulations all include specific language clauses, and the authority has introduced a documented auditing system under which it can correct deviations quickly.
Postings outside the airport are completely bilingual, and the auditors noted only two unilingual notices. There is a self-service machine that has unilingual notices, and that will be corrected. Special attention must also be given to the Internet site, because not all the information is in both official languages.
6.1.9 Recommendations
Following the audit, we recommend that the airport authority:
- continue to check postings in the air terminal to ensure that they are in both official languages;
- ensure that there is a mechanism to make certain that all information posted on its Internet site is in both official languages.
6.2 Air Canada
Dorval Airport
Burolis #: 93023
December 8, 2000
Audit results
A) Active Offer
Active offer on the telephone outside business hours
The telephone number used to reach Air Canada is 393-3333 (514), or the toll-free number 1-888-247-2262. In each case there is a fully automated system offering a number of options, designed to direct the travelling public to the desired service; it is possible to speak to a person in order to obtain further information. The services provided are available in both official languages.
Active offer on the telephone during business hours
Calls to the above numbers are automatically routed to a fully bilingual Call Answer system. Personalized services in both official languages are also available when one speaks to an attendant.
Active offer in person
The administrative offices of the company are located on the third floor of the air terminal, where the greeting is bilingual. At the air terminal, travellers are called to the wicket using "Next-suivant". Once a traveller arrives at the wicket, he or she is greeted with "bonjour"; then service is provided in the client's preferred language.
Visibility of a symbol or sign announcing that services can be obtained in both official languages
There are no official languages symbols in the reception area of Air Canada's administrative offices. Since some travellers might still go to those offices to ask for information, it would be advisable to indicate that services can be obtained in both official languages. No symbols were noticed at the check-in counter either. Air Canada employees at Dorval Airport do not wear pins indicating they are bilingual, since they are all bilingual.
Postings in both official languages at all times
Postings and signage in the air terminal are fully bilingual. We examined the express check-in terminals that Air Canada has made available to the travelling public; they are fully bilingual, and they enable travellers to obtain boarding cards, change seats, request an earlier flight and enter the number of bags to be checked.
Availability of publications in both official languages
The documentation on the counters next to the Air Canada wickets is available in both official languages.
Use of both official languages on the Internet site
Air Canada's Internet site is highly detailed and fully bilingual. However, it is quite difficult to move from one language to another because the generic headings given at the top of the page (Home, Aeroplan, About Air Canada, Traveller Services, Interactive Services, etc.) do not include a "Français" option for moving from one language to the other within the same heading, without going back to the first -English/ Bienvenue à bord -Français". There is no separate Internet site for the Air Canada offices at Dorval Airport.
B) Service
Nature of the services provided by Air Canada at the airport visited
At Dorval, Air Canada provides domestic flights to various Canadian cities as well as international flights. The services include reservations through the call centre (which is located outside of the airport), flight information over the telephone, baggage and passenger check-in, management of three Maple Leaf Lounges as well as management of the passenger search service, which is contracted out. It should be pointed out that Air Canada employees also handle check-ins and boarding for other airlines such as British Airways, Swissair and Sabena. Air Canada has signed service contracts with these companies.
The services provided in the Maple Leaf Lounges (computer services, entertainment, relaxation, etc.) were available in both official languages; we noted that the documentation was available in both official languages and that the staff on duty was bilingual. Postings and signage were also fully bilingual.
Air Canada has also signed a service contract with Colossale, a company that is responsible for searching passengers; employees of this company must be bilingual before they are hired.
Existence of bilingual capacity required to provide continuous service in both official languages
During the audit, Air Canada was in the process of integrating with Canadian; there are 456 Air Canada employees and 195 Canadian employees. Knowledge of both official languages is a hiring condition. Nearly all employees have reached level four of bilingualism, which is the highest level attainable; employees who have not reached this level are tested every two years.
Presence of work tools required for provision of service in both official languages
All work tools such as computer keyboards, fax cover sheets and business cards are in both official languages. All documents given to clients are also in both official languages.
Comparability of the service to the public in both official languages, and availability of administrative arrangements as necessary
Since all employees are bilingual, the service is fully comparable and equal in quality in both official languages.
C) Managers' Responsibilities
Knowledge of requirements regarding service to the public in both official languages
The managers are well aware of and respect their official language responsibilities at all stages of the operations.
Existence of controls to ensure service is always provided in both official languages
This role is assigned to the supervisor as part of regular supervisory procedures.
Existence of mechanisms to assess client satisfaction
Air Canada provides travellers with comment cards. These cards are available in both official languages, but they do not include any questions related to official languages. Air Canada is about to develop a charter of client rights, which will clearly define the service standards it is committed to meet. It will be interesting to determine the place of service in both official languages in these service standards.
Use of the media
General advertising is handled from the head office and uses media in both official languages; bilingual people are designated to meet with the media if an issue specific to Dorval Airport needs to be addressed.
Complaints concerning official languages
Over the last few years there have been no complaints concerning official languages and the services provided by Air Canada at Dorval Airport.
6.2.1 Conclusions
Air Canada is fulfilling its service to the public obligations very well, for both telephone services and in-person services. Everything is in place to provide comparable service to both language groups, especially since bilingualism is a condition of employment.
6.2.2 Recommendations
Following the audit, we recommend that Air Canada:
- set up a mechanism to measure the level of satisfaction of clients in the air terminals with the delivery of services in both official languages.
6.3 Canada Customs and Revenue Agency (CCRA)
Dorval Airport
Burolis #: 12933
December 7, 2000
Audit results
A) Active Offer
Active offer on the telephone outside business hours
The office is open 24 hours a day, so that there is always personalized service at the 633-7700 (514) number and the toll-free number, 1-800-959-2036, listed in the telephone directory. The greeting and the service are bilingual.
Active offer on the telephone during business hours
During regular office hours, we communicated directly with an officer at each of these numbers; an active offer and bilingual services were provided on each occasion.
Active offer in person
We did not have the opportunity to verify active offer at the reception counter. Travellers who go to the customs officers' counters receive an active offer; many customs officers know the travellers and speak to them in their preferred language. For example, we were told that the customs officers speak in English first when certain flights arrive from the United States. The services are always available in both official languages.
Visibility of the official languages symbol at all times
There were no official languages symbols at the reception counter or at the primary and secondary inspection line counters. There is no sign indicating that service is available in both official languages. The only area where one can see that service is available in both official languages is the cashier's station.
Postings in both official languages at all times
The signage and postings are fully bilingual. We also noted a temporary bilingual poster located at the entrance of the offices that leads to confusion. Canada Customs and Immigration – Food Inspection Agency are found on the same sign. Because of the manner in which it is written, the travelling public could have difficulty understanding that these are three separate organizations; the sign suggests that there are only two. Moreover, these organizations now have different names. The French version also has the same discrepancies.
Availability of publications in both official languages
All the documentation at the Agency's office is bilingual and nicely arranged on display racks.
Use of both official languages on the Internet site
The Agency's Internet site (http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/) is fully bilingual and very user-friendly. It describes the full range of services provided by the Agency. There is no separate site for Montreal Airport.
B) Service
Nature of the services provided by the office visited
The office visited mainly provides customs services and programs to travellers or business people arriving in or returning to Canada. The customs inspectors, who are also designated as immigration officers, are the first Canadians travellers meet upon arriving in Canada, and they want to make a good impression, especially since Montreal International Airport is one of the busiest in Canada. Most international flights are from the United States; there are also a number of flights from throughout the world.
Existence of bilingual capacity required to provide continuous service in both official languages
All employees who serve the public are bilingual; they have at least level AAB, and the supervisors have at least level BBB. All the employees' language tests are still valid, and there is a mechanism to notify management when the employees' validity period has expired so they can be re-tested.
Presence of work tools required for provision of services in both official languages
All work tools are available in both official languages.
Comparability of the service to the public in both official languages, and availability of administrative arrangements as necessary
The services provided to the public are comparable and equal in quality in both official languages, because they are provided by the same bilingual employees. There are no administrative arrangements planned, since all employees are bilingual.
C) Managers' Responsibilities
Knowledge of requirements regarding service to the public in both official languages
The managers are well aware of their official languages responsibilities. Bilingualism is a part of everyday life for the management.
Existence of controls to ensure service is always provided in both official languages
All employees are reminded about their obligation to provide active offer on the telephone and in person, and the supervisors observe their employees' work during flight arrivals.
Existence of mechanisms to assess client satisfaction
There are no mechanisms to assess client satisfaction for the travelling public. However, on occasion employees from head office make the questionnaire Your opinion counts available to clients who go to the office so their comments can be compiled. There is a question that specifically deals with the language of service. The completed questionnaires are sent to head office. Management also mentioned that providing service to the public in both official languages was part of the Agency's work standards.
Meetings with the representatives of the official language minority community
There is no formal mechanism for contact with the official language minority associations.
Use of the media
The office does not use the media, because that task is up to Communications Branch of the regional office.
Complaints regarding official languages
The office did not receive any complaints relating to official languages over the past year.
6.3.1 Conclusions
The Agency is fulfilling its language responsibilities very well. Active offer and service are in place, both on the telephone and in person. The postings and documentation are bilingual, and all employees who serve the public are bilingual. These employees are reminded of their language obligations.
6.3.2 Recommendations
Following the audit, no recommendations to the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency are necessary.
6.4 Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC)
975 Roméo-Vachon Boulevard North (Dorval Airport)
Burolis #: 12655
December 7, 2000
Audit results
A) Active Offer
Active offer on the telephone outside business hours
Dorval Airport's Internet site indicates that Citizenship and Immigration Canada can be reached by dialling 633-5235 (514); this is also the number listed in Burolis. The office is open 24 hours a day, and there is no Call Answer system at this number. At all times of day, the telephone is answered by stating the name of the agency in both official languages, and it is possible to receive services in the preferred official language.
Active offer on the telephone during business hours
Calls to the above number during business hours are given an active offer, and the services are provided in both official languages.
Active offer in person
The travelling public can access the CIC offices by using a telephone provided in the international arrivals hall. CIC services, like those of Canada Customs and Revenue Agency, are well indicated in both official languages, and the call is answered with the name of the office in question clearly stated in both official languages. An appointment must then be made, since these offices are in the security area.
Travellers arriving on international flights must first go through customs. A passenger who is referred to CIC by the customs service is greeted in an adjoining room by an attendant who speaks to the passenger in the language indicated on the customs declaration. Since there were no international flights during the audit, we were not able to observe the greeting used.
Visibility of the official languages symbol at all times
We noted that there were official languages symbols at the reception counter, at the entrance to the waiting room, and at the wickets where travellers who are referred to by Canada Customs and Revenue Agency must report. All the officers' closed offices where interviews are conducted displayed the symbol.
Postings in both official languages at all times
Postings and signage are fully bilingual, including the Charter of Rights. It should be pointed out that the postings in the detention room are also bilingual.
Availability of publications in both official languages
All publications used come from head office and are available in both official languages. These publications are prominently arranged on the display racks. The office does not produce specific publications. The documentation in the detention room was also bilingual.
Use of both official languages on the Internet site
The Citizenship and Immigration Internet site (http://www.cic.gc.ca/) is fully bilingual and very user-friendly. It describes the full range of services provided by CIC. There is no specific reference to the office at Montreal Airport.
B) Service
Nature of the services provided by the office visited
The office mainly provides services to foreign workers and visitors. It also provides services to Canadians wanting to act as sponsors and to people requesting information on citizenship and dual citizenship, and answers questions about permanent residents. Most clients who come to this office have been referred to it by Canada Customs and Revenue Agency. When it is necessary to detain someone, the Agency has a service contract with the Canadian Corps of Commissionaires, whose officers are all bilingual.
Existence of bilingual capacity required to provide continuous service in both official languages
This office has thirty-four (34) positions that are all bilingual at BBB level; only one person does not meet the requirements of the position, and that employee is registered for language training.
Presence of work tools required for provision of service in both official languages
All work tools required are bilingual.
Comparability of the service to the public in both official languages, and availability of administrative arrangements as necessary
The services provided are comparable and equal in quality because the same employees provide these services, and they are well aware of their duties and have considerable experience serving the travelling public.
C) Managers' Responsibilities
Knowledge of requirements regarding service to the public in both official languages
The managers we met were well aware of the office's language obligations and were very proud of their performance regarding official languages. The employees are made aware of their obligations during basic training, and the managers issue regular reminders to their employees concerning active offer on the telephone and in person.
Existence of controls to ensure service is always provided in both official languages
The supervising managers make ad hoc checks of telephone greetings and direct service during interviews.
Existence of mechanisms to assess client satisfaction
There are no mechanisms to assess client satisfaction.
Meetings with the representatives of the official language minority community
Those in charge of this office do not have official meetings with the representatives of the official language minority community.
Use of the media
The airport office does not use the media; should the need arise, the regional office would handle it, not the staff at the air terminal.
Complaints relating to official languages
There have been no complaints relating to official languages in the past two years.
6.4.1 Conclusions
CIC is fulfilling its language responsibilities very well. Active offer and service are in place, both on the telephone and in person. The postings and documentation are bilingual, and all employees who serve the public are bilingual. The managers check whether the employees make an active offer, and whether services are provided in both official languages.
6.4.2 Recommendations
Following the audit, no recommendations to Citizenship and Immigration Canada are necessary.
6.5 Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA)
Dorval Airport
975 Roméo-Vachon
Burolis #: 2834
December 7, 2000
Audit results
A) Active Offer
Active offer on the telephone outside business hours
Dorval Airport's Internet site indicates that the Agency can be reached by dialling 633-7755 (514), which is also the number listed in Burolis. The pre-recorded message is bilingual.
Active offer on the telephone during business hours
During business hours, the respondent says the name of the agency in French, adding "Good Afternoon"; an active offer is provided, and it is possible to receive services in both official languages.
Active offer in person
The travelling public can contact the Canadian Food Inspection Agency offices using a telephone provided in the international arrivals hall. The services provided by the CFIA, like those of Canada Customs and Revenue Agency, are well indicated in both official languages, and the call was answered with the name of the office in question clearly stated in both official languages. An appointment must then be made, since these offices are in a security area.
Passengers first go through the customs service, and the customs officers are the ones who tell the officers from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency if there is a possible infraction. Also, the Agency's detector dog can identify suspects who are waiting for customs inspection. Thus there is no specific reception area, but the Agency's inspector speaks to the clients in the language indicated on the customs declaration. Since there were no international flights at the time of the audit, we were not able to observe the greeting used.
Visibility of the official languages symbol at all times
The symbol is posted in the offices of the Agency.
Postings in both official languages
Postings and signage are fully bilingual.
Availability of publications in both official languages
All publications were available in both official languages.
Use of both official languages on the Internet site
The Canadian Food and Inspection Agency's Internet site (http://www.inspection.gc.ca/) is fully bilingual and very user-friendly. It describes the full range of services provided. There is no specific Internet site for Dorval Airport.
B) Service
Nature of the services provided by the office visited
-six inspectors, two dog -serving both Dorval and Mirabel Airports. There is also a veterinary unit that serves the entire Laurentian region, but they do not meet the public. The inspectors meet the owners of the goods in question and collect the fine (paid to the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency cashier) or seize the goods. They are on duty from 8:00 a.m. to midnight on weekdays and from 10:00 a.m. to midnight on weekends.Existence of bilingual capacity required to provide continuous service in both official languages
All employees in contact with the public occupy bilingual positions at BBB level. Only one employee has not reached the level of the position in oral interaction.
Presence of work tools required for provision of service in both official languages
The information sheets provided by head office and the receipts and infraction forms (ACIA1275) given to the public are bilingual. All work tools are available in both official languages.
Comparability of the service to the public in both official languages, and availability of administrative arrangements as necessary
The service is comparable and equal in quality in both official languages because the officers on duty are bilingual and highly experienced. If the officer who does not have the required level of bilingualism has difficulties being understood, his colleagues will take over.
C) Managers' Responsibilities
Knowledge of requirements regarding service to the public in both official languages
The manager we met was well aware of the office's language obligations and was proud of its performance regarding official languages. The employees are regularly reminded of their language obligations.
Existence of controls to ensure service is always provided in both official languages
The manager verifies active offer on the telephone by making spot checks and by observing the inspectors while they are working.
Existence of mechanisms to assess client satisfaction
There are no mechanisms to assess client satisfaction.
Meetings with the representatives of the official language minority community
The airport office does not maintain contact with the official language minority association. However, there are requests to talk with school groups from both language communities and to explain the role of dog handlers. They also make presentations during travel shows. Everything can be done in both official languages.
Use of the media
There is no use of the media.
Complaints related to official languages
There have been no complaints related to official languages at Dorval Airport.
6.5.1 Conclusions
The management is proud of its official languages performance. Postings and documentation are bilingual, and telephone and in-person services are bilingual. It should be noted that all employees occupy bilingual positions. The management regularly monitors the implementation of its language obligations.
6.5.2 Recommendations
Following the audit, no recommendations to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency are necessary.
7. Summary of recommendations
Following the audit, we recommend that the airport authority:
- continue to check postings in the air terminal to ensure that they are in both official languages;
- ensure that there is a mechanism to make certain that all information posted on its Internet site is in both official languages.
Following the audit, we recommend that Air Canada:
- set up a mechanism to measure the level of satisfaction of clients in the air terminals with the delivery of services in both official languages.
- It is not necessary to make recommendations to the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency, Citizenship and Immigration Canada or the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
8. Recommendations to the Treasury Board Secretariat
This audit of service to the public in both official languages has shown us that there are difficulties understanding and interpreting certain sections of the Official Languages Act and its Regulations. To rectify the situation, it is recommended that the Treasury Board Secretariat:
1. Prepare, and send to the airport authorities, guidelines on their language obligations, including:
- a clear definition of the terms travelling public (voyageurs) (section 23 of the Act), emergency services, first aid services, clinic and health care unit (paragraph 8(a) of the Regulations); and restaurant (section 12 of the Regulations);
- encouragement to third parties under contract to provide their services in both official languages, as those services are defined in section 12 of the Regulations (restaurants, cafeterias, car rental and travel insurance agencies, ground transportation dispatch services, foreign exchange offices, self-service equipment, duty free shops, hotels and other services provided by airlines);
- encouragement to include, in the contracts with third parties providing services under contract, language clauses that are detailed enough to be operational;
- reference to the effect that administrative arrangements are temporary measures, including those related to public health, safety and security services (paragraph 24 (1) a) and section 25 of the Act);
- the use of both official languages on signs;
- specific details on the language obligations related to section 25 of the Act, mainly concerning the use of volunteers who provide greeting services on behalf of the airport authority;
2. Encourage, as appropriate, the airport authorities to set up monitoring mechanisms related to the implementation of the language clauses;
3. Implement these recommendations by December 31, 2001;
4. Follow up on their implementation by the airport
authorities by March 31, 2002.