Leigh: City of Ottawa must boost its services in French

The city’s bilingualism policy needs strengthening to serve all citizens of Ottawa. POSTMEDIAArticle content

The Francophone community, at 150,000 strong, brings a deep cultural and linguistic richness to our city. This community, both longstanding residents and the newly arrived, enhances our social, cultural and economic fabric.

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Ottawa is home to a growing number of bilingual Francophones, many of whom navigate both English and French, alongside newcomers from French-speaking countries for whom French is their only official language. Francophones in our city bring an invaluable diversity and richness through multitude journeys and stories.

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But Francophones seeking services from City Hall are often served by English-only city workers. This fails our Francophones and pushes French-speaking newcomers to learn English to secure services, undermining the bilingual nature of our city.

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Can you imagine, as an English speaker, when facing life’s most challenging moments — such as gender-based violence or violence against women — seeking help in a language other than your own? Trying to navigate the complexities of trauma while being compelled to speak in a different language can feel like an insurmountable barrier. For someone in the throes of abuse, the trauma of violence is compounded by feelings of shame, fear and vulnerability. In such a critical time, the ability to communicate and seek support in French is not a luxury for Francophones; it is a necessity.

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In this context, the City of Ottawa must reaffirm its commitment to providing services in French and English by renewing its bilingualism policy, adopted in 2001 and last reviewed in 2015. The current policy makes a commitment that the “majority” of staff in front-line service delivery be bilingual.

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The city needs to be more ambitious and commit to the standard that ALL community-facing staff who deliver key services — such as social services, housing, emergency and public safety services — be bilingual. The French Language Services Committee should be transformed into a council committee, while retaining external public representation, like the Ottawa Police Services Board. The committee should have oversight and accountability powers for the Bilingualism Policy to meet its commitments. Let’s aim for the bilingual city we want, not the nice-to-have-when-convenient bilingual city we have.

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I urge fellow anglophone readers to recognize the fundamental right of every Francophone to receive services in French. It is not just a matter of language; it’s a matter of access to care and services without language barriers, which promotes equity and flourishing communities. Together, let’s ensure that no one is made to suffer in silence or navigate a system not designed for them. Let’s make a commitment to building a more inclusive and accessible future for all residents of Ottawa with a sustainable system of Francophone services for survivors of violence.

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Erin Leigh (she/her/elle) serves as the executive director of Counselling and Family Service Ottawa, a bilingual organization that includes French-language designated services for Francophone women survivors of violence. She also sits on the steering committee of the Comité réseau, a network of service providers offering Francophone services to survivors of violence in Ottawa.

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