ARCHIVED - Audit of Service to the Public in Both Official Languages - Audit Program - Vancouver International Airport - Number 39

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Audit of Service to the Public in Both Official Languages
Vancouver International Airport

March 2001

Table of Contents

1. Introduction

2. Background

3. Audit objectives

4. Scope

5. Approach

6. Findings

7. Summary of recommendations

8. Recommendations to the Treasury Board Secretariat

Appendix - Association consulted in the audit

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 non-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 Vancouver International Airport 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 July 1, 1992, Vancouver Airport has been managed by a non-profit regional corporation, the Vancouver International Airport Authority; we found that the corporation also uses a French version of its title: "l'administration de l'aéroport international de Vancouver". Vancouver International Airport Authority itself provides almost no service to the public. Most of the services to the public are provided (subject to section 25 of the OLA) by third parties with which the airport authority has signed service contracts, and by concessionaires with which it has signed lease contracts (see the section on contract services).

At the time of our visit, Vancouver International Airport Authority had 268 employees. The representative interviewed said that there were five or six persons who served the public directly, and that the employees obtained the help of the customer service counter if they had problems with language. There are no bilingual employees in the customer service unit of the airport authority itself. Also, the annual report sent to the Treasury Board by the airport authority last year states that 97 resources are assigned to the customer service counter and the collection of the airport improvement fees. They include 25 resources that can provide service in French.

6.1.2 Language obligations

The airport authority is responsible for ensuring that the services under its jurisdiction that are provided at the air terminal are available in both English and French, under the OLA and the Official Languages (Communications with and Services to the Public) Regulations. It is mainly responsible for notices and signage inside and outside the air terminal.

One of its responsibilities is to inform the travelling public; that task has been assigned to a third party, which is subject to section 25 of the OLA. Each air terminal has a Customer Service Counter on the departure level. When we visited the counter in the domestic section, there was no employee able to provide service in French. In principle there should always be a bilingual employee at one of these counters (that is written into the contract), but in reality we witnessed situations when there was not; on the other hand, on two occasions there were two bilingual persons on the international side at the same time. Thus service to the public in the official language of its choice was provided on an intermittent basis during our audit. There was no active offer, but there is a sign indicating that service in French is available; part of the documentation available is bilingual, and the staff are very polite.

The authority is also responsible for ensuring that contract services like those described in section 12(1) of the Official Languages Regulations are provided to travellers in both official languages. Vancouver International Airport Authority considers that it enthusiastically supports the Official Languages Program and that the Program is an important factor in the delivery of its services. The airport authority also conducts its own customer service audits, and we were told that one component of those audits concerned service in French. It should be noted that the airport authority has no official languages policy: it refers directly to the OLA and the Regulations.

There is nothing published in the Vancouver telephone directory under "Administration de l'aéroport international de Vancouver", nor is there any reference under that name to where the telephone number can be found. The travelling public must know that the number is to be found under "Vancouver International Airport Authority". The telephone number given for information is 604-207-7077; this is a fully bilingual Call Answer system that offers a number of options (information on arrivals and departures, parking, federal institutions, lost and found, etc.). The verbal instructions at this number are bilingual, but if you want to speak to someone and you are using a dial telephone, the series of instructions (when you are placed on hold) is given in English only. We were not given an active offer when the employee answered, but we were able to obtain information in French within a few minutes.

At the time of the audit, Vancouver International Airport Authority had just sent all those with language obligations a memorandum reminding them of their service to the public obligations. This memorandum refers to section 23(2), Part IV of the Official Languages Act and section 12, Part III of the Regulations. According to the airport authority, this memorandum is intended to show suppliers of contract services that it is fully committed to supporting the Official Languages Program. All lease agreements include a clause related to the two official languages, which reads as follows: [Translation] "The Lessee is aware that the obligations of the Lessor and the Lessee concerning the English and French languages are established and governed by the Official Languages Act of Canada and the Official Languages (Communications with and Services to the Public) Regulations. The Lessee shall comply with the Act and Regulations, and with the Lessor's language policies, as set out in the Rules and Regulations given at the end of this lease".

The Vancouver Airport Internet site is not bilingual; we were told that the Authority wanted to completely revise its site, and that the new site would be bilingual. The representative interviewed was not able to give us a specific timetable for implementing a new site.

We also noted that the Airport's monthly journal "YVR SkyTalk" is unilingual English; its purpose is to inform the community. The airport authority considers that this journal is aimed not at the travelling public, but at the community in general.

Over the past year there were two complaints related to official languages; they concerned notices and the lack of service in French at the customer service counter.

6.1.3 Exterior notices and signage

Motorists arriving at the Vancouver Airport grounds find that the signs announcing the airport are prominently displayed and are bilingual. However, some signs for the parking lots are unilingual: for example, there is a huge sign marked "P Economy Lot (hourly…daily)".

Moving toward the departures area, we note that almost all notices are bilingual, except a pictogram prohibiting parking which states, in English only, "No Waiting Immediate Unloading Only". Some signs relating to the construction projects and the relocation of airlines were also unilingual: "Air Transat, Royal Airlines Domestic Check-in Relocated here". At the entrance to the international flights area, there were temporary notices (8½ x 11 inch sheets of paper) indicating, in English only, the direction to Air Transat and Royal domestic flights: "Air Transat all domestic Air Transat Flights Check-in at International Terminal"; "Royal all Royal Airlines Flights Check-in at International Terminal". These few anomalies were exceptions; in general, the notices and signage are bilingual.

Most of the notices on the arrivals side are bilingual as well, but we did note some unilingual panels; here are examples: --Please call for pick-up"; "Airport Taxi Customers … Nothing but the Best Payment". On some doors was the notice: "Welcome to YVR – IATA Global Airport Monitor Rated # 1 Airport in North America".

On surveying the parking lots we found a number of signs that were in English only; examples are: "Domestic Terminal Building"; "International Terminal Building"; "You are on level P1 Please remember your floor and row"; "paid express exit"; "Canada --Departures", etc. We also noted a number of unilingual notices that could compromise public safety, as in the case of the signs stating, in English only: "Do not enter"; "2.0 M Clearance"; "Moving arm can cause bodily harm or vehicle damage". These could result in an accident if French-speaking travellers do not understand them.

6.1.4 Interior notices and signage

When disembarking from an aircraft, on domestic or international flights, travellers are guided to the baggage areas by pictograms. These are generally provided with bilingual notices, and the signage directing travellers to the areas is also bilingual. Near the conveyers, we noted a few translations that were less than ideal, such as "passenger pick-up" translated as 'passagers d'embarquement' and "courtesy shuttles" as 'navettes gratuités'. In some cases we found errors in French: one sign, for example, states 'pièces en movement'. In the baggage areas, the situation varies from one area to another: at gate B, for example, all the information is available in both official languages, while at gate F there are -cameras ---etc.". The lost and found section is near the customer service counter in the international air terminal; if the employee on duty is not bilingual and there is a request for service in French, he asks the customer service staff to help him.

In general, signage in the corridors to direct travellers is mainly in both official languages, and the use of pictograms makes it easier to find your way around. The representative of the Fédération des francophones de la Colombie-Britannique we spoke to said that there had been a great deal of improvement in notices and signage. However, he confirmed our findings that active offer was deficient in a number of respects.

Notices in only one language are fairly rare: while walking around the first floor (domestic level) we noted some signs in English only, including "All arrivals & Departures Proceed to next level". The few other exceptions concern notices about the construction or renovation; we noted three major areas where repairs were being done. The notices informing the travelling public were in English for all three areas, but information in French was available only for one area, and at that place the letters were smaller in the French version than in the English (the renovations opposite the foreign exchange office on the third floor). On the international side, between gates 90 and 99 we also found a notice in English only: "Sorry for any inconvenience we are building to serve you better YVR". However, it should be pointed out that the Vancouver International Airport Authority has issued a pamphlet on the improvements being made to the air terminal and this document is bilingual.

There is another instance where the signs are in English only - the instructions for paying for parking: "Save time and money -Pay your parking at the 'Pay on Foot' Machine in the Parkade"; however, the authority has issued a multilingual document (including French) on using the automated payment stations. There are some errors in the French, but overall the instructions are comprehensible. The pamphlet advises calling 604-276-6101 for any questions related to parking; the verbal instructions at that number are bilingual, but the instructions for speaking to a person from a dial telephone (when put on hold) are given in English only. At the time of our audit call, we were able to obtain information in French, but we had to wait about five minutes.

In the waiting rooms and other airport areas, the screens announcing flight arrivals and departures are fully bilingual. Evacuation plans and emergency measures are always given in both official languages. The models showing the general layout of the airport are also bilingual. However, the paper version of the plan, entitled "Welcome to the Vancouver International Airport", is available only in English; this document is of great interest to the travelling public, because it has a map of the airport and brief descriptions of about forty services provided for customers, including parking areas, automatic teller machines, the business centre, children's play areas, duty-free shops, customer service information counters, courtesy telephones, volunteer services, etc.

Throughout both air terminals (domestic flights and international flights), the washrooms are indicated by pictograms and the signage is bilingual. The play areas located in the international flight departures and arrivals areas are equipped with bilingual signs. Vancouver International Airport Authority provides travellers with a pamphlet for expressing their comments; this pamphlet is bilingual, and it asks the passengers for their level of satisfaction. Passengers are even invited to make suggestions, and to ask for a written reply if necessary. However, we noted that the results for the satisfaction of the travelling public were posted in English only (on the third floor, opposite the hairdresser's shop). Also, near the results, we found that behind the display windows were medals and trophies related to the airport, but all the explanations were in English only. In the same area we noted that some information concerning the improvement projects and the schedule for the projects, which was addressed to the travelling public, was not available in French.

6.1.5 Self-service machines

In both air terminals are a number of Royal Bank automated teller machines. All transactions at those machines may be made in English or French. Transaction receipts are issued in the official language chosen by the client. We noted that there were also machines for making change, and there also the instructions were bilingual. The information on using the public telephones (Telus) is bilingual, as it is for the calling card dispensers. We noted that there were about fifteen electronic game machines in Stanley's Lounge; as is true across Canada, the instructions on using those games were in English only.

The directions for the potato chip and Coca-Cola dispensers were in English only. The machines for the airport improvement fund (AIF Passenger Service Booth) have instructions in English -Remove card when ejected -etc.", but the description of the airport improvement fees is available in both official languages. The automated payment stations for the parking lots give instructions in both official languages, and the receipts issued are partly bilingual.

6.1.6 Contract services

The foreign exchange offices at the airport are administered by the Royal Bank; the signage is bilingual, but there is no symbol and no documentation in French. We were never able to obtain service in French at those counters. Also, all the documentation on the insurance was available only in English. The attendants we questioned did not know whether this documentation existed in French.

We visited three Spirit of the North duty-free shops; the signage is unilingual English, the cash register receipts are not bilingual, and there are no services in French in these shops.

We visited 32 restaurants or counters serving food; these restaurants were located in both air terminals and on both sides of the security check. We found 8 restaurants where the menus were completely bilingual, 7 restaurants where they were partly bilingual, and 17 restaurants where they were unilingual English. The receipts we examined were all unilingual English; no restaurant indicates that it offers service in French. The only way a Francophone can obtain services is to point out the desired dish with a finger.

At Vancouver Airport there are six car rental agencies located on the ground floor of the Parkade. The notices at Avis, Budget, Hertz and Thrifty were partly bilingual, but those at Alamo and National were unilingual English. Hertz and Thrifty had only contracts in English, while Alamo, Avis, Budget and National could provide us with contracts in French. None of the counters displayed the symbol or a sign stating that services in French were available. None of the rental agencies seemed to know what to do with a request for services in French. The attendants said that they did not speak French, and did not try to find a way to provide the services. On one occasion at the Avis and Budget counters, we were told that sometimes there was an employee there who spoke a little French.

Since October 1999, Vancouver Airport has had a hotel on the site: the Fairmont Vancouver Airport. The signage is not bilingual either inside or outside the hotel. Here are some examples of the signs: "Fairmont Hotel Drop-off", "Gateway Valet & Concierge Customers Drop-off". At the reception counter there is no symbol, no bilingual documentation and no active offer of service. We were told that there were two or three bilingual employees, but we did not meet any of them during our visit. Inside the hotel we noted that the instructions related to safety posted in the corridors, particularly the fire instructions, were unilingual English. In the rooms there is a directory giving some safety-related instructions in French; however, during our stay at the hotel the alarm system was set off, and the verbal instructions from the loud speakers were given only in English. In this directory there is a section of the menu in French, but in the dining room there are no bilingual menus. The hotel has an employee incentive program, to reward those who make a special effort to serve the public; the nomination form is bilingual. However, the hotel has a client satisfaction questionnaire which is available only in English.

Vancouver Airport collects airport improvement fees, and the collection program is subcontracted to the personnel service. There are about one hundred employees in this unit, and at least twenty are able to provide service in both official languages.

Vancouver Airport serves over 15 million passengers per year, and many airlines operate there. Not all of them were open during our audit, but we were able to visit 22 airlines at the check-in and/or ticket counters. We found that four airlines (Air China, Cathay Pacific, China Airlines and Korean Air) did not provide services in French. Those companies mainly serve destinations in Asia, and the employees of the companies we questioned said that they did not have any employees who spoke French, and that they would call on other companies if there were a request for services in French. However, Japan Airlines and Air Pacific have a bilingual capability of about 10%.

The companies that operate flights to European destinations (Air Canada, British Airways, KLM and Lufthansa) have bilingual employees (between 15% and 40%) who can provide service in French. The companies whose flights are mainly to the United States (Air BC, Air Canada, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Horizon Air, SkyWest, Qantas and United Airlines) are also able to provide bilingual services: depending on the company, between 10% and 30% of the employees can speak French. The other companies we visited (Air Transat, Canada 3000, Canjet, Westjet and Royal) have bilingual capability that varies depending on the destinations: Air Transat always has two employees who speak French for all its flights to Montreal. All these companies except Westjet have documentation in French and bilingual Internet sites, but the documentation is not always available at the airport.

Please note that the information related to Air Canada will be dealt with in a separate section.

6.1.7 Health and Security

There are no health services at Vancouver Airport; the only services available are the emergency paramedical services provided by the provincial government, and it does not have any bilingual capability. The person working for this service with whom we met said that he would contact the airport authority customer service attendants if there were an urgent need involving languages. This occurs regularly, but it is not related to French, but rather mainly to other languages, especially Asian languages.

There is a Royal Canadian Mounted Police presence on the airport site, but the office is staffed mainly by volunteers who answer questions from the travelling public. This volunteer office is located in the corridor between the two air terminals; we met a volunteer there who spoke French. There is not always a bilingual capability at this office, and there also we were told that in an emergency they could contact the airport authority's customer service attendants or bilingual RCMP officers who are on duty at the Richmond detachment, which is near the airport. There is a very limited presence of uniformed officers; the RCMP mandate is to respond only in emergencies.

6.1.8 Conclusions

Most of the services provided to the travelling public are assigned to a third party under a service contract. This contract requires bilingual personnel and an active offer of services at the information booths. In fact, although this third party has the bilingual capacity, bilingual service for both documentation and service in person seems to be irregular.

Overall, the signage outside the airport and in the parking lots is bilingual, although some temporary signs are not, and there are unilingual notices about safety and security posted in these parking lots. Inside the air terminal, signage and postings to direct the public are mostly bilingual; the British Columbia French-speaking community has noted a clear improvement in this respect. Basic information such as evacuation plans, the model of the general layout of the air terminal and the arrivals and departures screens are bilingual.

For the documentation provided to the public, the situation seems confused: the publications on the status of the improvement work are bilingual, but the plan of the general airport layout (in brochure form) is available only in English. The pamphlet for collecting traveller comments is bilingual, but the client satisfaction survey results are posted only in English. Also, because of the restrictive definition the airport authority gives for the concept of travelling public, the airport's monthly paper is unilingual English. The airport's Internet site is unilingual, and although it is to be translated, there is no specific timetable for so doing.

The lease contracts with third parties include a language clause referring to the Official Languages Act and Regulations, and the authority has just reminded its tenants of the existence of this clause. Application of this clause varies depending on the third party or is misunderstood, because all postings and documentation for the public, allowing for exceptions, are in English only, and there are no services in French. As to restaurants and car rentals, the existence of bilingual menus and contracts varies widely depending on the third party; also, there is no visual active offer or delivery of services in both official languages.

The hotel on the site has no official languages signage, postings or symbol, inside or outside the building. Here again there seems to be confusion concerning the production of publications or notices in both official languages. The safety and security instructions are unilingual, the ballots for selecting the best employee are bilingual, and the client satisfaction questionnaires are unilingual English.

Health services in French are available only through administrative arrangements.

6.1.9 Recommendations

Following the audit, we recommend that the airport authority:

• set up a mechanism for monitoring postings inside and outside the air terminal, and for the self-service equipment;
• establish a specific schedule for creating an Internet site in both official languages, and ensure that additions to this new site are made simultaneously in both official languages;
• establish a monitoring mechanism to ensure that third parties working under contracts respect the language clauses in their contracts;
• ensure that the hotel on the airport site respects its language obligations;
• hold regular information sessions for tenants (airlines, restaurants, hotel, duty-free shops and foreign exchange counters, etc.) that provide services covered by the Regulations, to remind them of the scope of their obligations.

6.2 Air Canada

Vancouver International Airport
Burolis #: 93077
October 23, 2000

Audit results

A) Active Offer

Active offer on the telephone outside business hours

The telephone numbers used to reach Air Canada are toll-free numbers: 1-800-813-9237 (customer service), 1-888-422-7533 (general number) and 1-888-247-2262, and in all three cases there was a completely bilingual Call Answer system. This 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, and the services provided are available in both official languages.

Active offer on the telephone during business hours

Calls to any of 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. In that case, the calls are automatically transferred to a call centre in New Brunswick.

Active offer in person

There was no active offer at the domestic flight counters, but it was possible to obtain services in French, because a third of the staff on duty was bilingual at the time of the audit.

However, in the international section (counters 164 to 174) there were no bilingual employees on duty; we were told that is was because these were flights to Asia, and there was practically no demand for services in French for those flights. The attendants offered to bring us a bilingual employee if necessary.

Visibility of a symbol or sign announcing that services can be obtained in both official languages

We did not note any pictograms at the Air Canada counters.

Postings in both official languages at all times

The postings are generally in both official languages. Most notices are available in both official languages, but sometimes the notices in French are not visible. For example, a number of signs are in English on one side and French on the other, but they are arranged to show only the English version; it is necessary to look behind the sign to discover that the French version is on it. In some cases the English version was used on both sides of the sign.

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.

Distribution of publications in both official languages

All the documentation 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 page: "Welcome aboard - English/ Bienvenue à bord - Français". There is no separate Internet site for the Air Canada offices at Vancouver Airport.

B) Service

Nature of the services provided by Air Canada at the airport visited

The services provided to the travelling public at Toronto Airport are those generally found at airports, including ticket offices, check-in counters, access to the boarding and disembarking areas, baggage check and pick-up, etc.

The services provided in the Maple Leaf Lounges (computer services, entertainment, relaxation, etc.) were available in both official languages; we noted that the documentation in French was rather, and the staff on duty were not bilingual. Postings were almost non-existent in these lounges, which are reserved for a specific clientele.

Existence of bilingual capacity required to provide continuous service in both official languages

The counters or wickets that can provide bilingual service are not identified. When a traveller requests services in French and the attendant receiving the request is not bilingual, the attendant must find a bilingual employee to provide the service. Management considers staff mobility too high to permanently maintain counters identified as bilingual in the check-in areas for either domestic or international flights.

There are 320 Air Canada employees likely to be in contact with the public; 57 of them are bilingual. There are four levels of bilingualism at Air Canada: level four is the highest level, corresponding overall to language exemption in the public service. Employees who do not have level four must take a test every two years to determine whether they have maintained their level of bilingualism. New employees must be bilingual even before they are hired. Considering the low demand for services in French, management clearly told us that there were enough bilingual personnel to meet the demand. We were able to obtain services in French at the time of our audit.

Presence of work tools required for provision of service in both official languages

The Air Canada administration at Vancouver Airport is able to respond to all correspondence received in French. We noted that some business cards were not bilingual, even in the case of employees attached to customer service. However, the boarding cards and flight schedules were bilingual.

Comparability of services to the public in both official languages, and availability of administrative arrangements as necessary

For domestic flights it can be said that the services are comparable, but for international flights there is about five minutes' waiting time to obtain in-person bilingual services.

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 and are concerned about the challenges they must face in this respect because of the integration of Canadian.

Existence of controls to ensure service is always provided in both official languages

There are no control mechanisms to check whether service to the public is being provided in both official languages. Each week management carries out spot checks on the flight announcements, but this component is not part of this audit, and therefore we did not request any statistics to that effect.

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 on official languages in connection with services. Air Canada is about to develop a charter of client rights, which will clearly define the service standards it is committed to meeting. It will be interesting to determine the place of service in both official languages in these service standards.

Use of the media

The managers we met told us that the advertisements placed in newspapers by Air Canada were bilingual.

Complaints concerning official languages

Last year there were no complaints concerning official languages and the services provided by Air Canada at Vancouver air terminal.

6.2.1 Conclusions

In Vancouver, Air Canada is fulfilling its obligations for telephone service very well. Postings and documentation are bilingual, but in reality the signs are set up in such a way that sometimes only the English version is visible. There is no counter identified as being able to provide services in both official languages, and there is no active offer in person. Furthermore, service in French is not immediately available in the international flights section. There are clearly not enough bilingual personnel, but the new policy of hiring only bilingual staff could correct the situation in the long term.

6.2.2 Recommendations

Following the audit, we recommend that Air Canada:

• identify the check-in counters that provide services in both official languages, and ensure that it has bilingual capacity at them at all times;
• remind the employees that there must be an active offer of services at the wickets (check-in, tickets, baggage, etc.);
• set up a mechanism to measure the level of client satisfaction (in the air terminals) with the delivery of services in both official languages.

6.3 Canada Customs and Revenue Agency (CCRA)

Vancouver International Airport
Burolis #: 2328
October 23, 2000

Audit results 

A) Active Offer

Active offer on the telephone outside business hours

For the services provided by Canada Customs and Revenue Agency at Vancouver Airport, the telephone number listed in the city telephone directory is 666-1802 (604). Since the office is open 24 hours a day, it is not possible to telephone outside business hours to see whether the Call Answer system is bilingual. However, when all the agents are busy, the calls are routed to a fully bilingual Call Answer system.

Active offer on the telephone during business hours

The employee answering at 666-1802 (604) made an active offer and was able to provide services in French.

Active offer in person

Travellers arriving on international flights cannot identify a booth where there is a written or visual active offer. At Vancouver Airport there is no wicket identified as providing bilingual service. The wicket attendants sometimes make an active offer and if necessary direct people wishing service in French to bilingual officers. After the audit we were told that CCRA is looking into the possibility of using large overhead signs, which are programmable, to show in French and English that the service is available in both official languages.

Non-travellers can access the Agency office on the arrivals floor of the international air terminal. We did not obtain an active offer when we visited it.

Visibility of the official languages symbol at all times

The official languages symbol is displayed at the reception counter in the waiting room on the arrivals floor, and in the primary and secondary search rooms.

Postings in both official languages at all times

All postings related to Canadian customs are fully bilingual, in the waiting rooms for travellers arriving on both domestic and international flights. The signage is entirely bilingual. On the arrivals floor, the office is also identified in both official languages.

Distribution of publications in both official languages

All the documentation is available in both official languages, on display racks in the waiting rooms for travellers. At the time of our visit, some pamphlets were available in English only.

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. It is easy to move from one language to the other by clicking on English or French in the main menu. That enables one to switch directly from the content in one language to the same content in the other, without having to go through all the search stages to find it. It does not go back to the first page, but directly to the corresponding page in the other language. There is no separate site for Vancouver 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. Most international flights are from the United States; there are also a number of flights from Asia and some from Europe and the South Pacific. There are practically no international flights from French-speaking countries, so the demand for services in French is very low. However, we were assured that the services were available in both official languages and that they were aware that Canadians returning to the country had the right to obtain services in the language of their choice.

Existence of bilingual capacity required to provide continuous service in both official languages

The bilingual service is provided by 22 inspectors occupying bilingual positions, out of a total of 160 employees. The bilingual employees are generally assigned to primary inspection, since about 97% of the passengers are not asked to go to secondary inspection. If there is a need for bilingual personnel at secondary inspection, they call on an employee from primary inspection; this may lead to short delays in service.

The Agency generally operates using a rotation system with nine work teams of seven to nine employees each. They try to have bilingual employees in each of the teams. On summer days, the time between 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. is a very busy period; sometimes there are 55 inspectors on duty, and the Agency makes certain that there are always bilingual employees on hand. The incumbents of bilingual positions have at least level B.

If there is a request for services in French and there are no bilingual staff on duty, they ask for help from Citizenship and Immigration Canada or telephone the regional office. We were told that in general the Agency is able to provide the service without too much difficulty.

The situation is quite different when the time comes to fill the bilingual positions. The turnover rate is very high (about 25%), and some 35 persons must be recruited every year. The bilingual positions are harder to fill than the others, and the rate of retention for bilingual employees is harder to maintain, because many employment opportunities are available for people who are already bilingual.

Presence of work tools required for provision of services in both official languages

There is practically no correspondence in French. The managers told us that there were no bilingual keyboards in their offices, but that they could respond properly to requests for services. If necessary the Agency uses the Public Works and Government Services Canada translation service. The business cards were fully bilingual.

Comparability of the service to the public in both official languages, and availability of administrative arrangements as necessary

We consider that the Agency provides services to the public in both official languages in a manner that is more or less comparable. Most of the bilingual services are provided by employees who have the same level of skill in both official languages, but the continuous presence of these employees is compromised because the offices are open 24 hours a day and there are not enough bilingual officers available, at all times of year, to provide the service. However, it must be mentioned that the Agency has made administrative arrangements for times when the availability of bilingual services is compromised.

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. They were greatly interested in improving the quality of their services. The Agency hopes that audits like the one now in progress will enable it to obtain comments in order to improve its service delivery in both official languages. There are currently some five employees in language training. They are registered in evening courses offered by the Public Service Commission.

Existence of controls to ensure service is always provided in both official languages

All employees have been reminded regarding the requirement to provide and active offer and the manager has personally instructed all management at Vancouver Airport to be vigilant and to ensure active offers are made on the telephone and in person, but there are no language monitoring mechanisms. Some managers know that a number of employees are not comfortable with the idea of making an active offer, because in their minds that conveys false information to the traveller, who thinks the person is bilingual.

Existence of mechanisms to assess client satisfaction

There are no formal mechanisms to assess client satisfaction. The Regional Advisor Official Languages gets in touch with representatives of the official language minority to collect their feedback with regards to satisfaction of services provided. The Agency also thinks that headquarters may conduct surveys on occasion, but it had no data to that effect.

Meetings with the representatives of the official language minority community

There is no formal mechanism for contact with the official language minority associations, but the managers told us that they had good relations with Société Radio-Canada and with some community groups interested in visiting the Agency and seeing the work of the Agency's dogs; some classes of French-speaking students had taken part in those visits.

Use of the media

The office does not use the media, because that task is up to the regional office.

Complaints regarding official languages

In 2000 there was only one complaint regarding official languages. It concerned the fact that a customs officer at the airport was wearing a black vest with yellow lettering on the -Canada Customs". When there is a complaint CCRA establishes corrective and follow-up measures.

6.3.1 Conclusions

The Agency is completely fulfilling its telephone services obligations. Postings and documentation are bilingual. Active offer in person is not general practice, although the employees are given reminders about it. Employee bilingualism is a factor considered in setting up the work shifts, and the Agency is generally able to provide its services in both official languages. However, the rate of turnover among its bilingual personnel is high.

6.3.2 Recommendations

Following the audit, we recommend that the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency:

• identify the counters that can provide services in both official languages;
• remind all employees of the importance of making an active offer of services in both official languages at all times.

6.4 Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC)

Vancouver International Airport
Burolis #: 15207
October 20, 2000

Audit results 

A) Active Offer

Active offer on the telephone outside business hours

The Citizenship and Immigration office at Vancouver Airport has a telephone number in the Vancouver telephone directory: 666-2171 (604). When we called the number outside business hours, the telephone messages were fully bilingual and identical.

Active offer on the telephone during business hours

When we called the above number, we were given an active offer and services in French.

Active offer in person

The Citizenship and Immigration offices are on the arrivals floor in the international terminal. There is no active offer at the reception counter. If a client speaks French and the reception counter employee is not bilingual, the employee makes certain to find a bilingual person to provide the service in the client's language.

Visibility of the official languages symbol at all times

We noted that there was an official languages symbol at the reception counter. There are also symbols at the wickets to which travellers referred by Canada Customs and Revenue Agency must report.

Postings in both official languages at all times

The postings and signage are completely bilingual.

Distribution of publications in both official languages

All publications used come from headquarters and are available in both official languages. They include all types of brochure on various subjects, such as information for visitors, students and people thinking of working temporarily in Canada.

Use of both official languages on the Internet site

The Citizenship and Immigration Canada 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 Vancouver Airport.

B) Service

Nature of the services provided by the office visited

The office provides a great many services, including services to U.S. travellers, students with visa problems, and many travellers arriving from Asiatic countries. It also provides services to Canadians requesting information on citizenship and dual citizenship, and answers questions about permanent residents. Most clients who come to this office are referred by Canada Customs and Revenue Agency.

Existence of bilingual capacity required to provide continuous service in both official languages

This office has approximately 51 positions, seven of them bilingual. The employees in the bilingual positions have at least level BBB, and their bilingualism tests are still valid. Citizenship and Immigration makes certain that there is at least one bilingual person on each of the three teams that are on duty in rotation. Thus there is always a bilingual person on duty, and if necessary that person can be reached by pager or by telephone to obtain services in French. We were also told that the demand for services in French was not very great.

Presence of work tools required for provision of service in both official languages

According to the manager we met, the office does not receive much correspondence in French. The office does not have bilingual keyboards, but it is equipped with computers on which accents can be used. The office will be buying some bilingual keyboards in the next few months. The business cards and the fax cover sheets are bilingual.

Comparability of the service to the public in both official languages, and availability of administrative arrangements as necessary

The services provided are essentially comparable and equal in quality, because there is always at least one bilingual employee on duty to provide the service in both official languages.

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. However, she explained that there was no active offer at the wicket, even by the bilingual employees. She considers that the notices and the symbol indicating that services in French are available are a form of visual active offer for those who want to speak French. The manager also told us that the demand for services in French was very low, and that most of the requests for services in languages other than English were for such languages as Japanese, Cantonese, Mandarin, Korean, Punjabi, etc. The office uses an interpreter service to handle this demand.

Regardless of the demand for services in French, the manager told us that it was hard to recruit bilingual candidates, and that above all the process was very slow, because the candidates took their language tests after the selection interviews, and the wait for these tests and the results was far too long.

Existence of controls to ensure service is always provided in both official languages

There are no controls to ensure that the service is always provided in both official languages. The manager considers that the lack of complaints is a form of control.

Existence of mechanisms to assess client satisfaction

There are no mechanisms to assess client satisfaction.

Meetings with the representatives for the official language minority community

There are no formal meetings with the official language minority community.

Use of the media

The airport office does not use the media.

Complaints regarding official languages

The manager could not recall receiving any complaints related to official languages in recent years.

6.4.1 Conclusions

CIC is fulfilling its telephone services obligations very well. The wickets are clearly identified with the official languages symbol; the postings and documentation are bilingual. Employee bilingualism is one of the essential components in setting up the work shifts, and the services are comparable in both official languages.

6.4.2 Recommendations

No recommendations are necessary.

6.5 Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA)

Vancouver International Airport
Burolis #: 30294
October 20, 2000

Audit results 

A) Active Offer

Active offer on the telephone outside business hours

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency office at Vancouver Airport is listed in the Vancouver telephone directory in both official languages. The number is 666-7042 (604); this is also the number listed in Burolis, and there is also 666-6513 (604) for general information. The Agency's Internet site gives the number 666-7073 (604). We found that outside business hours, the general information number was the only one that gave a message; it was fully bilingual. The other two numbers called did not have Call Answer systems.

Active offer on the telephone during business hours

During business hours there is no active offer, but services in French are available.

Active offer in person

There was no attendant at the reception counter when we visited this office. When Canada Customs and Revenue Agency refers travellers to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, they do not receive an active offer. The inspector examines the card, and if it is completed in French, he will provide service in French or else find a bilingual inspector if he cannot provide the service himself.

Visibility of the official languages symbol at all times

The official languages symbol is posted on the CFIA public entrance door. Travellers asked to go to the Agency office discover that there is a symbol in the office and that they can request to be served in French.

Postings in both official languages at all times

The notice announcing the location of the site is in both official languages. There are very few postings and signs related to this office.

Distribution of publications in both official languages

All publications used come from headquarters. The local administration does not have any publications. Some brochures offered to the travelling public were not available in French at the time of our audit. For example, the little traveller's manual entitled Don't Bring It Back was available only in English. The French version exists; it is entitled N'en rapportez pas! We found that in this little manual there is no indication that the French version is available. Generally, when a publication is not bilingual, there is a note stating that the text is also available in the other official language. However, the pamphlet Il faut s'informer et déclarer [Be Aware You Must Declare] was available in a bilingual version. Since our audit the manager told us that CFIA restocked its rack for publications which does now include pamphlets in both official languages.

Use of both official languages on the Internet site

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency 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 the CFIA office at Vancouver Airport.

B) Service

Nature of the services provided by the office visited

The inspectors monitor and inspect animals and plants entering the country to prevent the introduction of diseases and parasites that can threaten health, wildlife, pets and other things. Sometimes they must place animals or plants being imported in quarantine to ensure that they are free of disease and parasites. At Vancouver Airport the inspectors have a dog available to help them perform some of their duties.

Existence of bilingual capacity required to provide continuous service in both official languages

There are 12 employees working at this office, three of them in bilingual positions. Two employees have B level, and the third is exempted. There are not enough bilingual personnel to guarantee that there will always be a bilingual employee on duty. If there is no bilingual employee on duty and there is a request for services in French, the Agency asks a bilingual customs officer to come and help out. The import specialist we met said that this situation almost never arises.

Presence of work tools required for provision of service in both official languages

The office receives almost no correspondence in French. The office does not have a bilingual keyboard, but it is equipped with computers on which accents can be used. The office's fax cover sheets and business cards are also bilingual.

Comparability of the service to the public in both official languages, and availability of administrative arrangements as necessary

The services provided are not fully comparable or equal in quality, because there is not always a bilingual employee on duty to provide the service in both official languages. However, we were told that the demand for services in French is very low, and that those situations were exceptional.

C) Managers' Responsibilities

Knowledge of requirements regarding service to the public in both official languages

The person we met was well aware of the office's language obligations. However, she [he?] explained that there was no active offer at the wicket: the language used is the one used by the client in completing the card. The person interviewed considers that the postings and the symbol indicating that service in French is available is a form of visual active offer for those wishing to speak French. She also pointed out that the demand for services in French is low, and that most visitors come from the United States and from Asiatic countries.

Existence of controls to ensure service is always provided in both official languages

There are no controls to ensure that the service is always provided in both official languages.

Existence of mechanisms to assess client satisfaction

There are no mechanisms for assessing client satisfaction. The Agency representative thought that there might be mechanisms at the departmental level, but did not know whether they had been applied at Vancouver Airport.

Meetings with the representatives of the official language minority community

There are no formal meetings with the official language minority community.

Use of the media

The airport office does not use the media. If certain announcements prove necessary to protect the health of Canadians, they will come from headquarters or the regional office.

Complaints related to official languages

There were no complaints related to official languages last year.

6.5.1 Conclusions

The Agency is only partially fulfilling its obligations for telephone services, since there is no active offer during business hours. At the counter there is a visual active offer, and the language of service is based on the language used in the customs declaration. Some documents given to travellers are not available in French, although they are available in both official languages at the head office. The bilingual capacity is somewhat lacking, since they cannot guarantee bilingual services at all times, and occasionally (but rarely, according to them) they must use administrative arrangements.

6.5.2 Recommendations

Following the audit, we recommend that the Canadian Food Inspection Agency:

• ensure that an active offer of services is provided on the telephone, in both official languages;
• obtain from the regional office bilingual copies of all documentation available;
• acquire sufficient bilingual capacity to be able to provide service in both official languages at all times.

7. Summary of recommendations

Following the audit, we recommend that the airport authority:

• set up a mechanism for monitoring postings inside and outside the air terminal, and for the self-service equipment;
• establish a specific schedule for creating an Internet site in both official languages, and ensure that additions to this new site are made simultaneously in both official languages;
• establish a monitoring mechanism to ensure that third parties working under contracts respect the language clauses in their contracts;
• ensure that the hotel on the airport site respects its language obligations;
• hold regular information sessions for tenants (airlines, restaurants, hotel, duty-free shops and foreign exchange counters, etc.) that provide services covered by the Regulations, to remind them of the scope of their obligations.

Following the audit, we recommend that Air Canada:

• identify the check-in counters that provide services in both official languages, and ensure that it has bilingual capacity at them at all times;
• remind the employees that there must be an active offer of services at the wickets (check-in, tickets, baggage, etc.);
• set up a mechanism to measure the level of client satisfaction (in the air terminals) with the delivery of services in both official languages.

Following the audit, we recommend that the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency:

• identify the counters that can provide services in both official languages;

• remind all employees of the importance of making an active offer of services in both official languages at all times.

Following the audit of Citizenship and Immigration Canada, no recommendations are necessary.

Following the audit, we recommend that the Canadian Food Inspection Agency:

• ensure that an active offer of services is provided on the telephone, in both official languages;

• obtain from the regional office bilingual copies of all documentation available;
• acquire sufficient bilingual capacity to be able to provide service in both official languages at all times.

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.

Appendix

Association consulted in the audit

• Fédération des francophones de la Colombie-britannique
  1575-7th Avenue West, Vancouver, B.C.