:
Good morning, Mr. Chairman and members of the committee.
[Translation]
Allow me to introduce myself once again. My name is Paul Benoit. I am President and Chief Executive Officer of the Ottawa International Airport Authority.
[English]
I'd like to thank the committee for inviting me here today to discuss this matter that, like you, we believe is of major importance. I welcome the opportunity to update the committee on our activities as they relate to the Official Languages Act.
In just eight weeks Canada will welcome the world to Vancouver and the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Although it is highly unlikely that someone from outside Canada who is travelling to the Olympics would pass through our airport in Ottawa, serving Canadians in both official languages is still extremely important to us. We are the nation's capital, and with that comes a responsibility of setting the standard in everything we do.
[Translation]
First, I would like to say that we always strive to offer our services in French and English. The same is true of announcements and signage. It goes without saying that this invitation to appear before the committee urged us to take a closer look at our activities in this regard. First, we reviewed airport authority staff, that is to say our own employees. All our employees who are in direct contact with the public, our front-line employees, are fluently bilingual. This in fact is a condition for promotion to a front-line position.
Do front-line staff welcome customers in both official languages? Most of the time, that is the case, but they are sometimes welcomed in only one language. We continue to inform our staff of their obligation and commitment to serve our customers in both official languages. Our employees are able to welcome passengers in both official languages. We must ensure they do so systematically.
However, we have neglected one aspect of our obligations, which we are quickly correcting at this time. We discovered that messages in voice-mail boxes had not been recorded in French and English. This omission on our part is about to be corrected. However, I want to assure you that we always call back people who have left telephone messages in the requested language.
[English]
We also make it mandatory for all announcements within the terminal to be done in both French and English, and also all of our signage, with few exceptions. They're very few, I might add. We have made sure that all signage that we directly control is bilingual.
[Translation]
We have carefully reviewed the report of the Commissioner of Official Languages concerning our operations. That report clearly shows that, for all aspects that we control directly, we are doing a very good job of delivering services in the official languages chosen by our clientele.
[English]
In fact, in the first three months of this year, the time covered by the most recent report, we received just three complaints.
[Translation]
In the first quarter of 2009, which the most recent report of the Commissioner of Official Languages concerns, and during which 1.5 million persons went through our airport, there were only three complaints, one complaint for every 500,000 passengers.
[English]
We would prefer no complaints, of course, but in the context of knowing that we are audited more than any other airport in the country, we believe that we are doing well in this regard. As I said a moment ago, we are doing very well where we have direct control.
[Translation]
I repeat, we are doing well in areas where we have direct control.
When the authority was given responsibility for the airport in 1997, that responsibility was accompanied by the obligation to ensure that tenants operating franchises in the airport, such as Second Cup, Harvey's, D'Arcy McGee's, Budget, Hertz and others, complied with the Official Languages Act.
[English]
Can we ask our vendors to change a unilateral sign? Absolutely, and we do. Can we ask them to ensure that all front line employees are fluently bilingual? Absolutely, but compliance is another matter.
[Translation]
It is true that we could terminate the contracts of franchise operators that do not comply with the act. However, if we excluded all suppliers that did not comply 100%, and if I focused on that issue at greater length, the airport would be deserted. Not only would passengers not be served in the language of their choice, there would be no service in the airport at all.
[English]
I'm sure the committee has heard just how difficult it is for retailers to fill these low-wage positions. Please allow me to give you a brief insight into what retailers are facing every day, not just at our airport, but across the country.
[Translation]
In the past decade, the Canadian retail sector has been expanding and annual sales are about to reach $1 billion. To operate properly, this sector depends on a very large number of employees. In a recent survey by the Retail Council of Canada, 70% of respondent merchants stated that staff recruitment was their biggest challenge.
We see that challenge in our airport. A number of franchises among our tenants offer their employees a full plan including health care, dental care, eye care, free parking, sick leave and paid vacation leave, a pension plan paid for by the employer, uniforms, shoes and meals. All these benefits are offered for them to serve coffee and hamburgers. That is not the norm.
However, their staff turnover rate is nearly 60% for 2009, and the year isn't over yet. Another fact should also be taken into consideration. We are currently witnessing a demographic change in the retail sector. Statistics Canada predicts that, in the next five years, the vast majority of new jobs in the retail industry, 75%, will be filled by immigrants, including many from countries where neither English nor French are spoken.
[English]
Companies such as Home Depot and Walmart are now offering English as a second language training courses to their employees. While we want our vendors' employees to speak French and English, as we do, it is often difficult finding employees who can speak either language.
In an ideal world, we would offer language training to all our vendors and all their staff, but this is not an ideal world. While we are held to the same standards as federal government departments, we do not have access to the same funding opportunities for language training, and we certainly can't afford it within our current budgets.
[Translation]
We applied to the Federal Innovation Fund for funding to provide language training. Our application was rejected because the Treasury Board does not consider the airport authority a federal institution, and we were politely asked to refrain from renewing our application. If we are required to meet the same standards as the federal institutions, we should be able to have access to the same resources so that we can meet them. If we admit that the airport and concession operators are in a position to offer language training, if it costs $2,000 to hire and train an employee and the employee leaves after a few months, those costs would have disastrous impact. It is increasingly difficult to find workers who are ready to fill these positions and who have the desired skills, that is mastery of both official languages, which we greatly need.
[English]
We need to put this issue into perspective. Every single one of the airport authority's front line staff is bilingual, but they are not the only ones who serve the public. When we factor in the concessions, the rent-a-car companies, and the airlines, more than 57% of our front line workers speak both official languages. This is 20% higher than the bilingual composition of the City of Ottawa.
[Translation]
It is true that we could replace our franchise operators with other tenants, but the new tenants would be faced with the same problem and would have as much difficulty recruiting sufficient numbers of bilingual staff.
[English]
If it sounds as if I'm defending these businesses, I don't deny it. The challenge for them is huge, and nobody understands the issue better than they do. They would prefer to be able to serve the public in both official languages every single time. It would be good for their business, and they know it.
[Translation]
Ensuring that franchise operators at the airport comply with the Official Languages Act is a problem, and we know it. We are aware that this is our problem. We are doing our best to try to work with the franchisees to find a solution.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
In the commissioner's report, he acknowledged that we've made a valuable contribution, but he also said that we need to increase our efforts to be fully bilingual. We agree.
As Danielle alluded to, the commissioner made three separate and specific recommendations as to how Vancouver International Airport can make progress with regard to hosting a bilingual games. I'm here to report on what I believe is substantial progress in this regard.
The commissioner provided us with a helpful road map in his report. Let me summarize what the commissioner has recommended we do, then highlight a few of the 24 action items we have identified. I'd like to point out that this is in fact a progress report. Our goal is constant improvement.
The commissioner recommended that Vancouver Airport Authority integrate official languages into its planning and activities for the 2010 games. One of the key actions taken by the airport authority is the appointment of the official languages liaison, who just spoke.
We've also included a segment on “active offer” in a course that targets over 26,000 people who work at YVR, and we are actively recruiting French-speaking volunteers and paid staff. The commissioner also recommended that we work with Air Canada, the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority, Canada Border Services Agency and Toronto Pearson International Airport on a coherent official languages experience for all travellers.
We have met with all of these agencies and have worked to develop tools and reporting structures that will be used by all the players involved. We are also implementing a “mystery traveller” program to measure our performance.
Finally, the commissioner recommended that we take measures to ensure that front line personnel who will be working during the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games will make an active offer of service in both official languages. I am pleased to report that there will be either a verbal or visual active offer of French and English service at all points of contact throughout the airport where the travelling public may request services or information.
The airport authority will make available our Language Line service to all tenants and companies operating in the terminal, whether or not these business partners have an obligation to provide services in French and English. We have met with the management of all these companies to seek their commitment and we will continue to work with them and their corporate headquarters to ensure compliance.
I have provided you with a copy of our official languages initiatives that are completed, planned, and ongoing for the 2010 games. These have been developed in order to live up to our responsibility to welcome the world to Canada in both official languages. As you will see from that submission, we are implementing a number of initiatives during the games period, in addition to those that have been in place for many years.
We also welcome any other suggestions that you or other honourable members may bring to the forefront.
Clearly, the government has made the question of official languages and the games a priority, and it's a priority we share.
Is there still work to be done? Absolutely, but I have no doubt that when visitors arrive or depart from YVR—Vancouver International Airport—they will know they are in Canada and that we are a country of two official languages.
Employees of the airport are very proud of their airport and are excited and united with a common goal: to provide a positive and memorable experience to all airport users. The work that is happening now will create a lasting legacy at YVR.
Mr. Chair and honourable members, I would invite each and every one of you here today to join us in Vancouver in February and March of 2010 to see the pride in how we represent Canada to the world.
Merci.
:
Good morning, Mr. Chairman, honourable senators.
My name is Toby Lennox, Vice-President of Corporate Affairs and Communications for the Greater Toronto Airports Authority. Thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today to provide committee members with an overview of the efforts that the GTAA has made to ensure that appropriate levels of bilingual service are available in our facilities, particularly in relation to the upcoming Olympic and Paralympic Games in Vancouver next year.
[English]
As you may know, the GTAA is the private not-for-profit corporation that manages and operates Toronto Pearson International Airport. As Canada's busiest airport, Toronto Pearson is a vital component of our national transportation infrastructure, connecting businesses, families, and visitors from all corners of the world.
We handle approximately one-third of all passenger traffic in the country, and on an average day, more than 85,000 passengers travel through our airport. For many of these travellers, Toronto Pearson is their first impression of Canada, and this is a responsibility we take very seriously.
[Translation]
As a major point of entry into Canada and a primary hub of domestic flights within Canada, the GTAA makes every effort to ensure that bilingual service is available to the travelling public. As such, it is our policy to ensure that the public is aware that service is available in both official languages through the use of signage, information literature and active offers of service in either English or French.
As an airport authority our responsibilities include provision of appropriate facilities and as such we ensure that all signage in the terminal buildings is bilingual. While we do not manage the individual operations of government agencies, airlines, tenants and concessionaires, we provide front-line operations staff who interact with these groups as required.
The GTAA front-line staff includes uniformed terminals specialists and information representatives in addition to management personnel and 75% of the GTAA's front-line staff in the terminals is bilingual. Non-bilingual GTAA staff are provided with tools, such as translation cards, and also have access to bilingual assistance via radio communications. When staff are not available, courtesy phones, located throughout the public areas of the terminal buildings, are available to connect to GTAA's fully bilingual call centre.
[English]
To ensure active offer of service is consistently provided, GTAA staff are reminded of their obligations through regular training, and we randomly monitor staff interactions with the public, both on phone calls and at information counters in the terminals. As well, we recognize the importance of health, safety, and security issues, and therefore provide standardized bilingual public announcements and signage regarding these matters within the airport terminal buildings.
[Translation]
We recognize that there is room for improvement in provision of bilingual services at Toronto Pearson. In the Commissioner of Official Languages' follow-up report on the 2010 games, it was noted that the GTAA must take further measures to improve results for active offer and for availability of service in both official languages. In particular, in recommendation 9, we were asked to take concrete measures to ensure that front-line personnel who will be working specifically during the Vancouver games. We have heard this message and have taken action to ensure that appropriate corrective measures are in place for the Olympics and beyond.
[English]
To highlight the importance of bilingual services during the games, the GTAA met a year ago on November 27 with the official languages personnel in the Toronto office to begin discussions on the roles of airports and other agencies on official languages and the Vancouver Olympic Games. The office sought our assistance in bringing together parties at Toronto Pearson International Airport, and we outlined opportunities to raise awareness at the airport.
We have subsequently coordinated with the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages to provide information sessions for retail operators and other tenants in the terminals. We will expand this program to other groups in the terminal buildings over the next two months. The GTAA holds regular committee meetings with the airline and tenant communities, and these forums will offer opportunities to carry forward the message of our commitment to offering services in English and in French.
[Translation]
The GTAA is in the process of preparing materials for our front-line employees as well as third-party contracted services that have specific interaction with passengers. We are aiming to raise awareness of the Official Languages Act and of our obligations to provide an active offer and to offer non-bilingual employees tools to assist in an active offer. All of our information counters will be equipped with enhanced signage highlighting the availability of bilingual services, and our staff will be provided with buttons, offering service in French.
[English]
We'll be working with our tenants to ensure that training is available and translation sheets with common phrases are provided to their front line airport personnel. We have also developed a card for non-bilingual staff of our contracted services. It is affixed to the airport pass and identifies that the agent is not bilingual but that they will access a bilingual colleague to assist.
It has long been a practice to provide our contracted services with a card for those agents who do not speak French. This card states:
[Translation]
“Un instant, j'appelle un agent qui parle français pour vous aider.”
Further, we will offer our tenants and concessionaires the opportunity to connect directly with bilingual GTAA personnel by telephone or radio for assistance during the expected increased demand for bilingual services during the games.
[English]
In accordance with recommendation 8 of the commissioner's report, we have worked closely with our colleagues at the Canada Border Services Agency, the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority, Air Canada, and the Vancouver International Airport Authority to bolster the bilingual experience at our airports. Together, we have identified and are sharing a number of initiatives to ensure that the experience of travellers through our facilities reflects both the spirit of the Official Languages Act and the adoption of concrete measures to ensure the active offer of bilingual services.
[Translation]
We have met with these other organizations to identify best practices, including sharing monitoring mechanisms, training tools, information sessions, brochures demonstrating the Francophone community's cultural activities and various strategies that have been put in place to increase the bilingual capacity. As a result of this partnership, we are now using common tools, for example, laminated cards and computer wallpaper with key phrases to assist in the active offer of services in both official languages.
[English]
We will continue to share information and identify opportunities to prepare for the Vancouver Olympics. We will take advantage of this momentum and commit to work together to ensure a successful customer experience in both official languages beyond the 2010 games.
[Translation]
In conclusion, let me state clearly that we believe that Toronto Pearson has a role to play in promoting a bilingual Canada. With the world soon at our door for the Olympics, we will ensure our facilities reflect the spirit of Canadians, nationwide. We look forward to it.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
:
Mr. Levy, you'll understand that we only have five minutes for my questions and your answers.
I am very disappointed. I went to Vancouver. I was well served by the CATSA people when I requested service in French. They sent me someone and I got the necessary service. Since your web site, which is built in a professional manner and is a global reference point, is not yet up to date, you wouldn't pass the test. I've said what I had to say on that and I'm very disappointed about it.
Ms. Moore, you have to know that, with respect to the people you will be welcoming at the airport, 34 francophone countries will be taking part in the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, but there are also approximately 10 million Canadians and Quebeckers whose first or second language is French. These people are also entitled to service in their language. The Official Languages Act has been around for 40 years. The fact that you tell me today that you are in the process of putting something in place for the games disappoints me enormously. Under the Official Languages Act, you are a major airport that receives more than one million visitors a year. You should always be able to provide service in French. You mustn't hide behind the cover of the Olympic Games and say that you're starting to take action. This has to be in perspective. I don't know whether I'm speaking for no purpose, but one thing is certain: for a francophone living in Quebec or Canada right now, I'm being told that it is fortunate that the 2010 Winter Olympic Games are being held in Vancouver so that the Vancouver Airport can start taking action.
Mr. Benoit, I want to talk about the issue of third parties, whom you call tenants and concessionnaires. They have obligations under the act. If I get caught speeding, I get a ticket and I deserve it. Under the Official Languages Act, the federal government is responsible for airports. You manage the airport and you are required to comply with the Official Languages Act. The same is true for the people who lease services at that airport, whether it be Tim Hortons, the book store or the duty free stores. So this is an obligation. Where there's an obligation, you must not complain and say that you are in a bad way because you have to manage the act.
I regularly go to Ottawa Airport. I don't go there as often as others who live farther away because I live in Gatineau. Some go there more often than I do because they live farther away. I had a quite unfortunate adventure with CATSA in October. I agree that's not you, but you'll notice that, at Ottawa Airport, some public announcements are still made in English only. If we can't develop a bilingual character for an institution directly related to the federal government to comply with the Official Languages Act, you can be sure that third parties, whether it be CATSA, Tim Hortons or other franchisees or partners or the absolute delinquent Air Canada and others, won't consider you a model. You must understand that situation.
There's one other thing. In the same vein as what I mentioned to Ms. Moore, you should not just respect the French language for foreign countries, you must also do it for people from here, who pay their taxes and who make it so this airport exists.
:
So we'll have them in about 10 weeks.
[Translation]
You just hired someone four weeks ago to solve the official languages problem, whereas the games were to be held 14 weeks after your decision to hire someone. You mentioned that you have been aware you will have to meet certain obligations since 2003. However, 14 weeks before the Olympic Games, you're ultimately trying to hoodwink us into believing that the official languages problems will be solved. That's roughly what you're telling us today. We don't call that being proactive; we call that being reactive to the pressures of, among others, the commissioner or of the parliamentarians on the official languages committee.
Those are precisely the fears that I have previously mentioned. We will have to criticize more, once the games are over, because someone, somewhere won't have done his job. That's what we're seeing today, and we're talking about Vancouver, where the Olympic Games are going to be held.
I think this is a matter of responsibility at some point. You have to be proactive and stop being reactive all the time. In this case, I must admit to you that it is very disappointing to hear that this hiring took place four weeks ago, 14 weeks before the start of the Olympic Games.
I'm now going to go back to what is going on in Ottawa. Mr. Benoit, you were the first person to speak. You tried to justify the retail industry's problems and this general problem in Canada of finding francophones or bilingual persons. Regardless of the reasons, I'm disappointed about that as well because, while you were telling us that, people from Toronto, among others, were saying they were communicating actively to make it understood that concrete efforts had to be made to achieve real bilingualism among franchisees. I even think that, for Vancouver, you mentioned that you were approaching franchisees.
It would be nice not to hear excuses for not being able to push too hard so that they don't all close down, while others seem to want to make an effort to get involved with franchisees and their parent companies.
Earlier I was listening to you try to explain why this can't be done, while others were trying to say that they were there and were at least trying.
Let me mention a couple of things about what will be happening at Pearson airport, first of all.
We do 85,000 passengers a day. We anticipate that during the Olympics the level of traffic might go up to about 100,000 a day, which really is not that much for us; it's not that busy a day. In fact, what we are doing is building on our existing programs. As I said, our front line staff are 75% bilingual, so we are making sure that we are redeploying them.
We are taking the opportunity of the Olympic Games to use them as a vehicle to remind people of their French-language obligations under the Official Languages Act. As I said, we are working with the official languages office to tailor the training appropriately.
In fact, in November of last year, they came to us and asked, “What is the best way to approach the government agencies?”. One of the things that is difficult for airport authorities is to go to the government agencies, CATSA and CBSA, to explain to them their obligations, because they already have so many responsibilities to the federal government.
One of the things that I think is important for us—and, please, I don't offer this by way of excuse—is that the issue of official languages shifts, so we need to use every opportunity we can to remind people. In previous years, for example, we had a very virulent complaint from a passenger that we used as the example for our retailers to say, “This is exactly how somebody should not be treated”. Then the staff turns over and we have to do it again.
We would anticipate a staff turnover of between 20% and 30% between now and the time the Olympics happen, so we're tailoring our training. We're also trying to use this as a lever for longer-term sustainable French-language and official-languages programming at Pearson. Will it be difficult? Absolutely. Will it be a challenge? Absolutely.
Will we be 100% perfect and compliant? That's going to be a challenge. All I can give you now is our absolute commitment that we will make the best effort we can and that we'll continue with those efforts.
:
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Good morning and welcome. Each of your airports plays an important role in the country and, in particular, with respect to the Olympic Games.
In your case, Mr. Benoit, you represent the airport of the national capital. The official and formal face of Canada is Parliament, where we are right now, and that's your airport.
In your case, Mr. Lennox, you said that, roughly one-third of passengers transited through Toronto, the economic capital, which is of major importance.
In Vancouver, there's the airport that is welcoming the Olympic Games. We obviously realize that a lot of work remains to be done in each case. In the case of Vancouver, there's quite a bit. I read the memo that you submitted, where it states:
Ever since Vancouver won the bid to host the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, the Vancouver Airport Authority has been working hard to ensure that every passenger who comes through our airport has a great experience, whether they are part of the Olympic family or a member of the regular travelling public.
When you say that Vancouver won the bid to host the Olympics, you're referring to the decision that was made six years ago. That's not entirely true in the case of the official languages. I get the impression you're skating a bit in order to catch up, particularly as regards the somewhat late appointment of Ms. Moore.
Was the official languages issue addressed right at the outset, or did someone say, at some point, that you had to do something about it?
:
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Lennox, you let it slip that English-speaking Quebeckers are having problems in Quebec. There is an excellent document that you should read: the report of the Commissioner of Official Languages. On page 93, it states that one in two employees at Montreal airport actually offers bilingual service actively, or 47%. In Toronto, the percentage is 2.7%: one employee out of 33, or out of 50, offer bilingual service actively. So don't compare the situation of Franco-Ontarians with that of English-speaking Quebeckers because you aren't really in your field. You should stick to making Toronto a place where every francophone, Canadian or Quebecker, can feel comfortable going and receiving service in French.
In Vancouver, Ms. Moore, I would like you to know that the percentage, according to the report of the Commissioner of Official Languages, is 0.0%. You don't need a doctorate to actively offer bilingual service; it's “Hello, bonjour.” You're telling me that people have been doing that for some time, that they have learned. It's about time. So much the better; it's improving. However, I hope that you refer them to people who speak French.
At Ottawa Airport in October, I was asked, “Don't you speak any English?” That was CATSA, I admit, but nevertheless there was the old triangle stating “English/Français”. There were young people there, a man and a woman, and another, and they called the security officers. And yet it wasn't complicated. It isn't true that I was taking an extra step if I didn't get service in French: it's a right. So we still have to fight, with boxing gloves on. You experienced the situation as a Franco-Columbian, so you know. I've lived in Saskatchewan. I'm originally Franco-Ontarian, and, as a Quebecker, I still have the same job to do. There's nothing official. Institutions like yours should be allies. It's too bad, but I don't sense that.
Ladies and gentlemen from the airports, you have the long end of the stick. When a passenger arrives at your airport, you can deny him access to his flight, you can search him, and rightly so. The law is on your side and, in view of all the paranoia that there can be internationally, as though we were all bad guys, from the outset, before boarding an aircraft, you can do a lot of things. If you also put pressure on francophones, if we don't even feel at home in an airport and get the impression that the trip is starting there, you see all the difficulty involved in the situation. And that comes as much from the security people as from franchisees, once you're in the aircraft, or when announcements are made in French, or not, depending on the approach.
Telling us that a lot of new Canadians who were born elsewhere are working in Canada and don't understand French isn't a good answer. Active offer is simple. You just have to be able to say, “Hello, bonjour” and, if passengers want to be served in French, to refer them to a person who speaks French. This has to be an automatic reflex.
Going back to what Mr. Petit said, it's not true that we're going to single people out. However, we are going to criticize the situation, as we're doing now. Ms. Moore, you've occupied this specific position for four weeks. Although you've given the airport excellent service for 32 years, the fact nevertheless remains that this entire situation should have been resolved 300 weeks ago, as soon as the Olympic Games were awarded.
These are not good answers, when you tell us that English-speaking Quebeckers are suffering, that everything is being done and that you have been thinking about this for four weeks, or that it isn't your fault that new Canadians have arrived at Ottawa Airport. There is an act; there are rights. Make your recommendations to the federal government to get more money to train your staff. Do it. Come and see us; we'll work with you. The Official Languages Act has been around for 40 years. Assimilation has been going on in Canada since perhaps 1763, if you want to specify a date. So you have to come here with proactive measures and not tell us that you're in a bad way, stuck. It is your responsibility to be highly critical with us parliamentarians, and to tell us that what you need for the act to be complied with.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
:
We'd be quite happy to provide our plans both for the Olympic Games and for the long term.
In terms of tools we could use, we could always use additional funding, but that's really not the solution. One of the things that we have found to be particularly helpful is working with the local office of the official languages commissioner, in Toronto. They're no longer doing audits to try to catch us. What they're trying to do is work with us in order to continue to try to refresh the program they have. I have always thought that the resources of the official languages commissioner could in fact be expanded.
One of the challenges you've heard about is that we have turnover and a first languages problem. One thing that could be very helpful would be to strengthen the role of the official languages commissioner by way of providing resources to airport authorities, by way of providing standardized training so that they understand what they're dealing with, and by creating within the official languages commissioner's office an expertise in doing the type of training that would be appropriate at all airports and therefore consistent across the country.
Frankly, if we are going to be dedicating funds to assist with this problem, we will continue to do what we want, but it seems to me that there's a very strong role for the very good work that the official languages commissioner's office is doing in providing assistance and guidance and in standardizing this across the country. So in fact, in what they term a change from being a type of police officer or a check, as you indicated, they can actually be a full resource. We've been working with them in that style now.
We recognize that it's a new style for them, but it really is paying off, because they're actually assisting with our training. If I could ask for a tool, that would be, over the long term--forget the Olympics, but over the long term--a really excellent opportunity for us. Then I would know that the training being used in Toronto is the same as the training being used in Winnipeg, Edmonton, and Calgary.