Bilingual Service at Canada's Airports: A Traveller's Odyssey
Aug 7, 2012, 11:42 pm
#1
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Bilingual Service at Canada's Airports: A Traveller's Odyssey
http://www.marketwire.com/press-rele...ey-1688386.htm
OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Aug. 8, 2012) - Commissioner of Official Languages Graham Fraser announced today that he will conduct observations at major airports across the country to help determine how readily Canadians can be served in both official languages.
Over 1,500 anonymous observations will be conducted in the fall of 2012 at bilingual points of service at eight major airports in Halifax, Québec City, Montréal, Ottawa, Toronto, Winnipeg, Edmonton and Vancouver. All airports that serve more than one million passengers per year are required to provide services in both English and French.
The project will include observations of Air Canada's services on the ground and in the air on flights designated as bilingual, as well as the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority's third-party services in security areas.
The visual active offer (bilingual signage), the in-person active offer (bilingual greeting) and the availability of service in the minority official language will all be examined as part of this exercise.
The Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages is committed to a fair, open and transparent tendering process, which will be conducted through the Government Electronic Tendering Service (MERX).
OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Aug. 8, 2012) - Commissioner of Official Languages Graham Fraser announced today that he will conduct observations at major airports across the country to help determine how readily Canadians can be served in both official languages.
Over 1,500 anonymous observations will be conducted in the fall of 2012 at bilingual points of service at eight major airports in Halifax, Québec City, Montréal, Ottawa, Toronto, Winnipeg, Edmonton and Vancouver. All airports that serve more than one million passengers per year are required to provide services in both English and French.
The project will include observations of Air Canada's services on the ground and in the air on flights designated as bilingual, as well as the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority's third-party services in security areas.
The visual active offer (bilingual signage), the in-person active offer (bilingual greeting) and the availability of service in the minority official language will all be examined as part of this exercise.
The Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages is committed to a fair, open and transparent tendering process, which will be conducted through the Government Electronic Tendering Service (MERX).
Aug 8, 2012, 12:48 pm
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Feds hiring ‘mystery clients’ to visit airports
http://www.obj.ca/Local/2012-08-08/a...sit-airports/1
Contractors will fly round-trip between two airports to observe Air Canada's self-serve kiosks, as well as its ground and in-flight services, according to a solicitation notice published to the online contracting site Merx. Security services and well as airport signage will also be anonymously examined.
The Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages estimates the contract will be worth approximately $90,000 and says contractors performed similar work in 2009–10, 2010–11 and 2011–12.
A press release published separately says more than 1,500 anonymous observations will be conducted this fall.
Contractors will fly round-trip between two airports to observe Air Canada's self-serve kiosks, as well as its ground and in-flight services, according to a solicitation notice published to the online contracting site Merx. Security services and well as airport signage will also be anonymously examined.
The Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages estimates the contract will be worth approximately $90,000 and says contractors performed similar work in 2009–10, 2010–11 and 2011–12.
A press release published separately says more than 1,500 anonymous observations will be conducted this fall.
Aug 8, 2012, 12:58 pm
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http://www.obj.ca/Local/2012-08-08/a...sit-airports/1
Contractors will fly round-trip between two airports to observe Air Canada's self-serve kiosks, as well as its ground and in-flight services, according to a solicitation notice published to the online contracting site Merx. Security services and well as airport signage will also be anonymously examined.
The Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages estimates the contract will be worth approximately $90,000 and says contractors performed similar work in 2009–10, 2010–11 and 2011–12.
A press release published separately says more than 1,500 anonymous observations will be conducted this fall.
Contractors will fly round-trip between two airports to observe Air Canada's self-serve kiosks, as well as its ground and in-flight services, according to a solicitation notice published to the online contracting site Merx. Security services and well as airport signage will also be anonymously examined.
The Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages estimates the contract will be worth approximately $90,000 and says contractors performed similar work in 2009–10, 2010–11 and 2011–12.
A press release published separately says more than 1,500 anonymous observations will be conducted this fall.
Aug 8, 2012, 8:59 pm
#6
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CBSA agents in English-essential provinces have been given standard training of phrases to read out for French speakers. Pretty much consists of reading out the questions on the back of the Customs card.
I know this because of a diatribe from my French teacher (at the time) and her constant lamenting of French services in Vancouver. Seems to be an affliction for all Frenchies in Vancouver.
No idea if CATSA agents have the same training.
I know this because of a diatribe from my French teacher (at the time) and her constant lamenting of French services in Vancouver. Seems to be an affliction for all Frenchies in Vancouver.
No idea if CATSA agents have the same training.
Aug 8, 2012, 10:14 pm
#7
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CBSA agents in English-essential provinces have been given standard training of phrases to read out for French speakers. Pretty much consists of reading out the questions on the back of the Customs card.
I know this because of a diatribe from my French teacher (at the time) and her constant lamenting of French services in Vancouver. Seems to be an affliction for all Frenchies in Vancouver.
No idea if CATSA agents have the same training.
I know this because of a diatribe from my French teacher (at the time) and her constant lamenting of French services in Vancouver. Seems to be an affliction for all Frenchies in Vancouver.
No idea if CATSA agents have the same training.
Aug 9, 2012, 12:22 pm
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While not air travel, this is CBSA related. When driving across the border at major crossings not near eastern Ontario or Quebec (e.g. Windsor or Sarnia), I love going to the ''Bilingual" line and speaking French to the ''bilingual'' agent, who in reality usually has difficulty stringing together a sentence in French. It sure makes for an easy crossing and it's quite amusing to catch them off guard like that. 
On the airports side, YUL and YOW won't have any major issues, even YQB will be pretty good. YYZ is fine for AC agents as many of them are bilingual, but for everyone else not so much. I've heard a fair amount of French at YHZ. YYC, YEG and YVR will likely be where the most 'infractions' will be. Not sure about YWG. I'm assuming these are the 8 airports being looked at?
On the airports side, YUL and YOW won't have any major issues, even YQB will be pretty good. YYZ is fine for AC agents as many of them are bilingual, but for everyone else not so much. I've heard a fair amount of French at YHZ. YYC, YEG and YVR will likely be where the most 'infractions' will be. Not sure about YWG. I'm assuming these are the 8 airports being looked at?
Aug 9, 2012, 10:11 pm
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No, I don't think there will be "infractions". They're not testing whether you can debate the latest QC election. They're just seeing if a traveller can be provided essential services in French. It's not that hard.
Personally, I think Graham Fraser is off his rocker. For the Vancouver 2010 Games, he was making all sort of crazy demands and comments. Tons of criticism without a lot of solutions.
Personally, I think Graham Fraser is off his rocker. For the Vancouver 2010 Games, he was making all sort of crazy demands and comments. Tons of criticism without a lot of solutions.
Aug 9, 2012, 11:28 pm
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Aug 11, 2012, 7:39 pm
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Aug 12, 2012, 4:28 pm
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Aug 12, 2012, 6:36 pm
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Business will still gladly serve you in Anglais and Canadian federal services are still bilingue.
Last edited by tentseller; Aug 12, 2012 at 6:43 pm
Aug 12, 2012, 6:53 pm
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Bill 101 of Quebec basically made QC a uni-lingual province exempted from Canadian bilingualism under the "not-withstanding" and "distinct society exemption" for provincial and local governmental service.
Business will still gladly serve you in Anglais and Canadian federal services are still bilingue.
Business will still gladly serve you in Anglais and Canadian federal services are still bilingue.
when you respond en francais. The only (minor) issue being that Quebecois French sounds different than French French (some words evolved differently, too, just as they did in US English as opposed to British English), so it can take awhile for the ear to get attuned to the rhythms and cadences.
Aug 12, 2012, 7:36 pm
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Business will gladly serve you in English, although they are much when you respond en francais. The only (minor) issue being that Quebecois French sounds different than French French (some words evolved differently, too, just as they did in US English as opposed to British English), so it can take awhile for the ear to get attuned to the rhythms and cadences.
when you respond en francais. The only (minor) issue being that Quebecois French sounds different than French French (some words evolved differently, too, just as they did in US English as opposed to British English), so it can take awhile for the ear to get attuned to the rhythms and cadences.