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Office of the French Language Services Commissioner

Reporting to the Legislative Assembly, the French Language Services Commissioner is responsible for investigating whether the Act is being complied with, at his or her own initiative or in response to complaints; reporting on the results of investigations; and monitoring the progress of government agencies in providing French-language from Government of Ontario ministries and agencies in 25 designated areas

History of the Commissioner’s Office
The French Language Services Act in 1986 was introduced in the Legislative Assembly by then Member of Provincial Parliament, Bernard Grandmaître of bilingual premier David Peterson’s government. It was adopted unanimously on November 18, 1986, after close to one year of work behind the scenes, protracted negotiations with all parties in the Legislative Assembly, and a tumultuous debate. It came into force in 1989.

In 2007, the FLSA is amended to authorize the creation of the French Language Services Commissioner (FSC) to ensure that the population receives quality French-language services from the Government of Ontario. With this, the Commissioner then reported directly to the Minister responsible for Francophone Affairs. His duties are set out in the French Language Services Act and they, in turn, define the Office’s mandate.

December 12, 2013 marked a newhistoric step forward in recognizing and safeguarding the rights of Ontario’s Francophone citizens with the unanimous adoption of Bill 106, French Language Services Amendment Act (French Language Services Commissioner).This amendment of the Act made the French Language Services Commissioner an officer of the Legislature as of January 1, 2014.Through the independence of the French Language Services Commissioner, Ontario’s Francophonie is being given a permanent presence in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario

The French Languages Services Act
The French Language Services Act (FLSA) was adopted unanimously on November 18, 1986 It guarantees an individual's right to receive services in French from Government of Ontario ministries and agencies in 25 designated areas. The preamble of the FLSA recognizes the contribution of the cultural heritage of the French-speaking population and wishes to preserve it for future generations. The francophone presence in Ontario dates back more than 400 years.

Thanks to the French Language Services Act, all of the services that are provided to the public by a ministry or agency of the Government of Ontario (driver's licence, birth certificate, information, etc.) are available in French in the government offices located in or serving a designated area.

This framework law – reinforced throughout the years – has not only enabled a substantial and tangible improvement in terms of French services offered by the Government of Ontario’s ministries and agencies, but also contributed to the blossoming of the Francophonecommunity.

This conference is going to be an opportunity to celebrate the progress made to date and to explore different avenues for the future so that Ontario’s Francophones continue to actively participate in the province’s development.

Role
Listening to the Francophone community, as well as those who support its development, the Commissioner’s primary roles are:
 * To receive and handle complaints and to follow up on them;
 * To increase the public service’s awareness of the public’s expectations;
 * To exercise its powers of investigation and to make recommendations with respect to the delivery of French-language services;
 * To advise parliamentarians and make recommendations to them.

Biography of the Commissioner
His role is to receive complaints from members of the public and present recommendations regarding the application of the French Language Services Act.Prior to beginning his mandate as Commissioner in August 2007, Mr. Boileau acted as legal counsel for the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages, with responsibility for such landmark cases as the Casimir-Solski case and the Gosselin case, which went before the Supreme Court of Canada.

The Commissioner also worked for 10 years with the Fédération des (FCFA). Between 1993 and 2003, he was the director of its Quebec City office, its political and legal liaison officer, and its legal counsel. One of his most important achievements during this time was to represent the FCFA before the Ontario Court of Appeal in the Montfort case. For this case, he established strategies and provided legal coordination for each of the intervenors, including the Commissioner of Official Languages of Canada, the Association canadienne-française de l’Ontario, and the FCFA.

From 1995 to 1997, Mr. Boileau was the first Executive Director of the Winnipeg-based Court Challenges Program of Canada. There, he developed strategic priorities and operational plans. He headed up the language rights component of the program and acted as its official spokesperson. Mr. Boileau is regularly invited as a public speaker to share his expertise in the area of language rights.

In 2011, François Boileau was awarded the Order of Merit of the Association des juristes d’expression française de l’Ontario. Since his appointment, Commissioner Boileau has worked to improve the quality of French-language services in Ontario in order to meet the needs of the Francophone community, ensure its full development, and preserve its culture. Ontario’s French Language Services Commissioner reports directly to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. He has the power to make recommendations on matters pertaining to the application of the French Language Services Act. The Commissioner shall hold office for a term of five years and may be reappointed for one further term of five years. In addition to a Law Degree (LL.L.) from the University of Ottawa (1991), Mr. Boileau holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science (1988) and a Certificate in History (1985) from the Université de Montréal.

Mandate
The French Language Services Commissioner has a mandate to conduct independent investigations under the French Language Services Act, either in response to complaints or on his own initiative, to prepare reports on his investigations, and to monitor the progress made by government agencies in the delivery of French-language services in Ontario. The French Language Services Commissioner reports directly to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. He advises parliamentarians and makes recommendations to them with respect to the application of the act.

The Commissioner shall hold office for a term of five years and may be reappointed for one further term of five years. Commissioner Francois Boileau, who was in office immediately before the French Language Services Amendment Act (French Languages Services Commissioner), 2013 comes in force, shall continue to hold office until confirmed in office.

Complaints
In Ontario, Francophones have the right to be served in French by the central offices of government institutions and agencies and in the designated areas. Complaints are a direct way in which you, as a member of the public, can express your dissatisfaction or concern over a failure to provide French-language services or over the provision of poor-quality French-language services Every complaint or comment received will be acknowledged. Information is then collected to determine whether the complaint is admissible. The Office of the French Language Services Commissioner will follow its procedure to determine whether or not the complaint is founded. After an in-depth investigation, the Commissioner may make recommendations in his investigation report.

Publications and Reports
Investigation Report – Cancellation of the Fellowships for Studying in French: It pays to do your homework

Study Access to Justice in Both Official Languages: Improving the Bilingual Capacity of the Superior Court Judiciary

2012-2013 Annual Report: A New Approach

2012-2013 ODA Accessibility Plan

Conference on 25 Years of the French Language Services Act: Summary of Panel Discussions

Investigation Report – The State of French-Language Postsecondary Education in Central-Southwestern Ontario: No access, no future

2011-2012 Annual Report: Straight forward

2011-2012 ODA Accessibility Plan

Investigation Report — French-language schools in the Greater Toronto Area: When the most elementary becomes secondary

2010-2011 Annual Report: Message to the media

An Investigation Report Regarding an English-Only H1N1 Flyer: From communication crash to communication coup

Study on French-Language Community Radio

2010-2011 ODA Accessibility Plan

Letter to the Mayor and the City of Ottawa Council about the redevelopment of the Lansdowne Park

2009-2010 Annual Report: Open for solutions

Investigation Report: Peel-Halton French-language health services

2008-2009 Annual Report: One Voice, Many Changes

Special Report on French Language Health Services Planning in Ontario

The first annual report of the French Language Services Commissioner, Paving the Way, 2007-2008

Externals links

 * http://www.csf.gouv.on.ca/en
 * http://www.ocol-clo.gc.ca/en/demo
 * http://www.ofa.gov.on.ca/en/