{"id":16003,"date":"2014-10-27T11:59:14","date_gmt":"2014-10-27T15:59:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/traceyarial.com\/blog\/?p=16003"},"modified":"2020-04-26T17:32:39","modified_gmt":"2020-04-26T21:32:39","slug":"language-tension-verdun","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/traceyarial.com\/blog\/en\/language-tension-verdun\/","title":{"rendered":"Language tension in Verdun"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Community groups serving English-speaking residents in Verdun have been feeling more language tension in the borough recently.<\/p>\n

The borough\u2019s reluctance to mirror their website in English and bilingual brochures were among the key subjects at One-Stop Shopping, a gathering organized by the Southwest United Church and Mission a few weeks ago.<\/p>\n

Some of the groups who participated were concerned about the high cost of recreating French and English brochures instead of the many bilingual pamphlets on offer at the event. They described a situation in which English was treated like pornography at the local CLSC because English information can\u2019t be seen publicly but only handed out discreetly to people who ask.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s no requirement whatsoever for community groups to have two brochures,\u201d said Jean-Pierre Le Blanc, a spokesperson for the Office qu\u00e9b\u00e9cois de la langue fran\u00e7aise (OQLF)<\/em>.\u00a0 \u201cAs long as French is there, there can be other languages as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

The CLSC situation is complicated because the health ministry operates separately from us, but I would think that brochures would fall under our mandate,\u201d he continued. \u201cWe do suggest that other government organizations have two brochures, one in English, another in French, but that\u2019s not even the law, it\u2019s just a suggestion. Perhaps that\u2019s where someone somewhere has misunderstood our instructions.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Leblanc also confirmed that the Verdun borough has every right to mirror their website in English as long as the main one is available solely in French. The question came up because borough communications officer Francine Morin recently claimed that the borough is waiting for instructions from the OQLF<\/em> before acting on the issue.<\/p>\n

As far as a website is concerned, there is nothing that prevents another version in English,\u201d said Leblanc. \u201cThey have to have one in French, but that doesn\u2019t prevent them also from having one in English too.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Leblanc did confirm that posters on the CLSC walls must be unilingually-French, unless a health crisis is involved.<\/p>\n

That requirement frustrates English community groups working hard to get news about their services more widely known.<\/p>\n

We are very inclusive and welcome Francophone neighbours at all of our events, but our key market is Anglophone families,\u201d said Reverand David Lefneski, who heads the United Church and Mission. \u201cWe will not do unilingual posters. That would be a lie about who we are: a community that\u2019s English-speaking and open to the wider community.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The CLSC has since confirmed that community groups can continue providing bilingual brochures for counsellors to give out, but that posters must be solely in French.<\/p>\n

Note 1: This article appeared on page 3 of the City edition of the Suburban on October 22, 2014. As of April 26, 2020, the borough of Verdun still has not mirrored its website in English.<\/p>\n

Note 2: After this article went out on Twitter in 2014, Ken Quinn responded.
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@TraceyArial<\/a> it’s been two years since the borough website story surfaced. It’s time for the borough to right the wrong & mirror E & F info.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Ken Quinn (@kwquinn) October 27, 2014<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n