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Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission Results-based achievements report
Implementation of section 41 of the Official Languages Act
2007-2008
For additional copies of the report, please contact:
Documentation Centre
Canadian Radio-television and
Telecommunications Commission (CRTC)
Les Terrasses de la Chaudière
Central Building
1 Promenade du Portage
Gatineau, Quebec
Mailing Address:
CRTC
Ottawa, Ontario
Canada
K1A 0N2
Telephone: 1 (819) 997-2429
1 (877) 249-2782 (toll-free)
TDD: 1 (877) 909-2782 (toll-free)
This publication is available electronically: http://www.crtc.gc.ca
This publication can be made available in alternative format upon request.
Ce document est également disponible en français.
General Information
Federal institution:
Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC)
Address:
Les Terrasses de la Chaudière
Central Building
1 Promenade du Portage
Gatineau, Quebec
J8X 4B1
Web site:
www.crtc.gc.ca
Minister responsible:
The Honourable Josée Verner
Senior official responsible for implementation of Part VII of the OLA:
Konrad von Finckenstein, Chairman
Robert Morin, Secretary General
Renée Fairweather, Director General, Strategic Communications, Official Languages Champion
Mandate of federal institution:
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) was established by Parliament in 1968. It is an independent public authority constituted under the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission Act (R.S.C. 1985, c. C-22, as amended), and it reports to Parliament through the Minister of Canadian Heritage.
The CRTC is vested with the authority to regulate and supervise all aspects of the Canadian broadcasting system, and to regulate telecommunications service providers and common carriers that fall under federal jurisdiction. The CRTC derives its regulatory authority over broadcasting from the Broadcasting Act (S.C. 1991, c. 11, as amended). Its telecommunications regulatory powers stem from the Telecommunications Act (S.C. 1993, c. 38, as amended) and the Bell Canada Act (S.C. 1987, c. 19, as amended).
National coordinator responsible for implementation of section 41:
Annie Laflamme
Director
French Language TV Policy and Applications
CRTC
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0N2
Sectoral coordinators:
Robert Ramsay
Senior Director, Radio Policy and Analysis
CRTC
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0N2
robert.ramsay@crtc.gc.ca
Peter Foster
Manager, Conventional Television Services for English Markets
CRTC
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0N2
peter.foster@crtc.gc.ca
Paul Godin
Director, Competition Implementation and Technology
CRTC
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0N2
paul.godin@crtc.gc.ca
Summary of CRTC's main accomplishments during the reporting year
During 2007-2008, the CRTC achieved, within the limits of its mandate, a number of results in the following categories: awareness, consultation, communications, coordination and liaison, and accountability. As an administrative tribunal, the CRTC neither manages programs or services, nor funds activities; however, several of its activities do contribute to the implementation of section 41 of the Official Languages Act (OLA).
Interactive activities and awareness sessions held over the year allowed CRTC employees, managers and commissioners to better understand their obligations regarding section 41 of the OLA and to better identify the reality and needs of official language minority communities (OLMCs).
In terms of consultations, OLMCs were enabled to inform the CRTC of their needs and priorities, for instance through the CRTC-OLMC discussion group created for this purpose. The group had the opportunity to meet twice in 2007-2008. Two more meetings are planned in 2008.
With regard to communications and transmitting up-to-date information to OLMCs, a dedicated Web page for OLMCs is almost ready to be activated. Among other things, it will cover the discussion group meetings and CRTC activities and processes relevant to the OLMCs. The purpose is to keep the OLMCs up to date on the latest CRTC processes so that they can participate actively in these.
With respect to coordination and liaison, the CRTC participates actively and regularly in the meetings of the national coordinators responsible for implementation of section 41 of the OLA. During 2007-2008, these activities made it possible to improve the coordination, exchange of information and knowledge related to the OLMCs and the implementation of section 41 of the OLA.
In addition, a number of the CRTC's activities carried out under the Broadcasting Act and the Telecommunications Act, such as the issuance, renewal and amendment of licences, the development of policies and regulations, and the supervision of all aspects of the Canadian broadcasting system, contribute to the achievement of objectives set out in section 41 of the OLA. During 2007-2008, the Commission's ongoing activities made it possible to attain the following goals: approve French-language community radio licences, create a Community Radio Fund of Canada and allow a French-language station (RDI) to operate outside Quebec and an another English-language station (News World) in Quebec.
In terms of human resources, the CRTC was able to hire an official languages analyst from February 2008 to March 2009 through funding obtained from the Treasury Board Secretariat.
In accordance with the requirements underlined in its designation under section 41 of the OLA, the CRTC has prepared a detailed status report on CRTC activities in 2007-2008. These activities are grouped into the following categories of action as established by Canadian Heritage:
- Awareness
- Consultation
- Communications
- Coordination and liaison
- Since the CRTC does not have sponsorship, grant or contribution programs, this section is entitled "CRTC activities in connection with implementation of section 41 of the OLA."
- Accountability
Detailed status report
A. Awareness (internal activities)
Training, information, orientation, awareness, communication and other activities carried out in-house in order to educate employees and/or senior managers of the federal institution about linguistic duality and the priorities of OLMCs; senior manager performance contracts and recognition programs; taking the viewpoint of OLMCs into account during research, studies and investigations.]
Expected results:
Creation of lasting changes in the federal institution's organizational culture; all employees and managers are aware of and understand their responsibilities regarding section 41 of the Official Languages Act and OLMCs:
- Employees and senior managers are aware of the importance of promoting the bilingual character of Canada.
- Employees and senior managers are aware of the importance of enhancing the vitality of the English- and French-speaking minority communities, and supporting and assisting their development.
- Communities' priorities are better identified.
| Activities Carried Out to Achieve Targeted Result | Outputs | Results Measurement Indicators |
|---|---|---|
|
Distribute bulletins 41-42 of the OLA Contribute to the bulletin by writing articles about the OLMCs |
- Bulletins distributed - Article about the OLMCs in Vol. 14, No.1, Winter 2008 about the creation of the discussion group entitled "Promising dialogue between the CRTC and communities" |
- 4 bulletins distributed to CRTC managers and the OL Champion - 15 managers, 13 sectoral coordinators and 15 members of the Official Languages Committee were sent the bulletin and the article |
| Distribute information and give presentations on the objectives of section 41 of the OLA and the benefits and best practices related to implementation of section 41 of the OLA |
- Presentations |
- 6 presentations: April 2007 to the Secretary General and the Chairman of the CRTC; June 2007 to all CRTC commissioners and managers; a presentation to each of the three commissioner levels - 100% participation by commissioners and managers at this presentation - High level of understanding by the Chairman, Secretary General and commissioners of the obligations regarding section 41 of the OLA |
| Gather information from the OLMCs to better identify their needs and realities | - Information gathered during meetings with the CRTC-OLMC discussion group; minutes |
- Two meetings with the discussion group: September 2007 and March 2008 - 20% of managers and 20% of employees informed of these meetings and made more aware of the OLMCs, and their realities and needs |
B. Consultation (sharing of ideas and information with OLMCs)
[Activities (e.g., committees, discussions, meetings) allowing the federal institution to consult OLMCs and exchange or dialogue with them to identify their needs and priorities or to understand the possible ramifications of CRTC activities on their development; the discussion group allows the CRTC and OLMCs to identify means for maximizing OLMCs' participation in CRTC public processes as well as it allows a better understanding of the OLMCs' realities.
Expected results:
Creation of lasting relationships between the federal institution and OLMCs; the institution and the OLMCs understand each other's needs and mandates. OLMCs have forums with CRTC representatives in order to communicate their priorities and have opportunities to participate in the CRTC's public policy development and consultation processes leading to decision making.
| Activities Carried Out to Achieve Targeted Result | Outputs | Results Measurement Indicators |
|---|---|---|
| Create a CRTC-OLMC discussion group | - Discussion group created and mandate approved |
- Two meetings: September 2007, Ottawa, and March 2008, Halifax - Participation at the meeting in September: 12 participants from 25 of the organizations invited and members of the OLMCs; 8 CRTC representatives, including the Secretary General and the OL Champion, who both made a speech - Participation at the meeting in March 2008: 16 participants from the 25 organizations invited and members of the OLMCs; 6 CRTC representatives consisting of three employees and three managers including the sectoral coordinators - Great increase in OLMCs' knowledge of the CRTC mandate and processes - Great increase in CRTC managers' and employees' knowledge of OLMC needs |
| Organize a meeting between the CRTC and the Réseau culturel francophone de Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador regarding the creation of a community radio | - Meeting held in February 2008 |
- Participation: the network representative, three managers and two employees from the CRTC
- Great increase in CRTC managers' and employees' knowledge of the realities and needs of the French-language communities in Newfoundland and Labrador - Good increase in the regional representative's knowledge of the CRTC's relevant processes |
| Participate in various meetings with the OLMCs coordinated by the CRTC, Heritage Canada and/or other departments and central and community organizations |
- Activity (February-March 2008) organized by the QCGN "Community revitalisation: trends and opportunities for the English-speaking communities"
- Music working group, January 2008 - Media arts working group, March 2008 |
- Participation by one CRTC employee
- Great increase in knowledge of the realities and needs of English-speaking minority communities - Participation by Robert Ramsay, Senior Director, Radio Policy and Applications, on the music working group, and by Annie Laflamme, Director, French-language TV Policy and Programs, on the media arts working group |
|
Invite OLMC representatives to CRTC to give presentations on the importance of encouraging their growth and supporting their development |
- Presentation by ARC du Canada (Association des radios communautaires du Québec and the National Campus Radio Association) at the Commission meeting in May 2007 |
- 100% participation by commissioners and managers, and 60% by CRTC employees at this meeting
- Great increase in commissioners' and managers' knowledge of the realities and needs of OLMCs |
C. Communications (provision of information to OLMCs)
[External communications activities designed to inform OLMCs of the federal institution's activities and policies and to promote the bilingual character of Canada; the federal institution includes OLMCs on all information and distribution lists; and the federal institution uses its Web site to communicate with OLMCs.]
Expected results:
OLMC culture reflects a broad understanding of the federal institution's mandate; OLMCs receive up-to-date and relevant information about the federal institution's programs and services.
| Activities Carried Out to Achieve Targeted Result | Outputs | Results Measurement Indicators |
|---|---|---|
| Give relevant presentations to the OLMCs during discussion group meetings |
- Presentation on radio broadcasting technologies entitled New Video Distribution Technologies, by Bernard Caron from the Communications Research Centre - Presentations on the CRTC public processes by Annie Laflamme; Process schedule distributed to OLMC members |
- Presentation distributed to 25 organizations representing OLMCs
- 25 organizations representing OLMCs learned about the process schedule and operations relevant to their activities |
D. Coordination and Liaison
(no funding - internal coordination and liaison with other government institutions)
[Coordination activities (research, studies, meetings, etc.) carried out by the federal institution with other federal institutions or other levels of government; participation in activities held by other federal institutions, other levels of government, etc.; participation of official language champions, national and regional coordinators, etc., in various government forums.]
Expected results:
Cooperation with multiple partners to enhance OLMC development and vitality, and to share best practices.
| Activities Carried Out to Achieve Targeted Result | Outputs | Results Measurement Indicators |
|---|---|---|
|
Create and maintain regular contact with other partners for implementing section 41 Participate in
Hold regular meetings between sectoral coordinators within the CRTC to exchange and coordinate meeting results |
- National coordinators meeting |
- 5 meetings: February 2007, May 2007, October 2007, November 2007, February 2008
- Good increase in knowledge of the issues of Francophone communities in the North - Good increase in knowledge of the best practices of federal institutions - Good understanding of the implementation of section 41 of the OLA - Good increase in knowledge of the FCFA's interdepartmental approach and the government's action plan for OL - Better sharing of best practices |
| Meeting with Canadian Heritage concerning the action plan and the status of accomplishments |
- Two meetings: August 2007 and March 2008
- Better understanding of the accountability expectations |
E. Funding and Program Delivery
[Implementation of the federal institution's programs and delivery of its services; funding of OLMC projects by the federal institution alone or in collaboration with other federal institutions; integration of OLMC needs into delivery of the federal institution's programs and services.]
Expected results:
OLMCs are part of the federal institution's regular clientele and have adequate access to its programs and services; OLMC needs (e.g., in relation to geographic dispersion and development opportunities) are taken into account.
| Activities Carried Out to Achieve Targeted Result | Outputs | Results Measurement Indicators |
|---|---|---|
Not applicable. See Section F |
F. CRTC activities related to the implementation of section 41 of the OLA
Note: As an administrative tribunal, the CRTC neither manages programs or services, nor funds activities. However, the CRTC, in the carrying out of its mandate, assigns, renews or amends broadcasting licences, develops policy guidelines, and regulates and oversees all aspects of the Canadian broadcasting system. These activities are carried out under the Broadcasting Act1. A number of these activities contribute to achievement of the objectives set out in section 41 of the OLA. The list that follows is not exhaustive.
G. Accountability
[Activities through which the federal institution integrates its work to implement section 41 of the OLA into its departmental planning and reporting mechanisms (e.g., report on plans and priorities, departmental performance report, departmental business plan and status report for implementation of section 41 of the OLA); evaluations and internal audits of programs and services; regular review of programs, services and policies by the federal institution's senior management to ensure implementation of section 41 of the OLA.]
Expected results:
The OLMCs' perspective and section 41 of the OLA are fully integrated into the federal institution's policies, programs and services. The reporting structure, internal evaluations and policy reviews make it possible to determine how to better integrate the OLMCs' perspective.
| Activities Carried Out to Achieve Targeted Result | Outputs | Results Measurement Indicators |
|---|---|---|
|
- Submit a 2007-2008 achievements report on the official languages detailing how the CRTC fulfills its responsibilities under section 41 of the OLA
- Integrate the activities related to section 41 of the OLA into the RPP and the achievements into the DPR as well as into the CRTC three-year plan |
- Achievements report submitted
- RPP, DPR, CRTC three-year plan |
- Very good understanding by CRTC managers and employees regarding their obligations with respect to section 41 of the OLA
- Good degree of CRTC compliance with the requirements |
Distribution list
Graham Fraser
Commissioner of Official Languages
344 Slater Street
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0T8
Audrey O'Brien
Clerk of the House of Commons
Centre Block
Room 228 N
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A6
Paul Belisle
Clerk of the Senate and Clerk of the Parliaments
Centre Block
Room 185 S
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A4
Jean-Guy Rioux, President
Marielle Beaulieu, Executive Director
Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne du Canada (FCFA)
Place de la francophonie
450 Rideau Street, Suite 300
Ottawa, Ontario K1N 5Z4
Tel.: 613-241-7600
Fax: 613-241-6046
E-mail: info@fcfa.ca
Réné Cormier, President
Pierre Bourbeau, Executive Director
Fédération culturelle canadienne-française (FCCF)
Place de la francophonie
450 Rideau Street, Suite 405
Ottawa, Ontario K1N 5Z4
E-mail: fccf@zof.ca
Web site: www.fccf.ca
Sylviane Lanthier, President
Francis Potié, Executive Director
Association de la presse francophone (APF)
267 Dalhousie Street
Ottawa, Ontario K1N 7E3
Johanne Landry, President
Alliance nationale de l'industrie musicale (ANIM)
4167B Saint-Denis Street
Montreal, Quebec H2W 2M7
Roger Ouellette, President
Alliance des radios communautaires du Canada
109 John Street
Moncton, New Brunswick E1C 3H3
Tel.: 506-858-4978
Fax: 506-858-4508
E-mail: r.ouellette@radiorfa.com
Serge Paquin, Secretary General
Alliance des radios communautaires du Canada (ARC)
325 Dalhousie Street, 2nd Floor
Ottawa, Ontario K1N 7G2
Martin Murphy, President
Quebec Community Groups Network (QCGN)
1040 Belvedere Avenue, Suite 219
Sillery, Quebec G1S 3G3
Serge Quinty
Marielle Beaulieu
Fédération des communautés francophones et acadiennes du Canada (FCFA)
Place de la francophonie
450 Rideau Street, Suite 300
Ottawa, Ontario K1N 5Z4
Tel.: 613-241-7600
Fax: 613-241-6046
E-mail: info@fcfa.ca
Pierre Bourbeau
Sylvie Ross
Fédération culturelle canadienne-française (FCCF)
Place de la francophonie
450 Rideau Street, Suite 405
Ottawa, Ontario K1N 5Z4
E-mail: fccf@zof.ca
Web site: www.fccf.ca
Gilles Haché
Francis Potié
Association de la presse francophone (APF)
267 Dalhousie Street
Ottawa, Ontario K1N 7E3
Benoit Henri
Alliance nationale de l'industrie musicale (ANIM)
4167B Saint-Denis Street
Montreal, Quebec H2W 2M7
François Côté
Alliance des radios communautaires du Canada (ARC)
325 Dalhousie Street, 2nd Floor
Ottawa, Ontario K1N 7G2
Mark Chatel
Suzette Lagacé
Alliance des producteurs francophones du Canada (APFC)
c/o Balestra Productions
375 A St. Laurent Boulevard
Ottawa, Ontario K1K 2Z7
Canada
Keven Dobie
Quebec Community Groups Network (QCGN)
1040 Belvedere Avenue, Suite 219
Sillery, Quebec G1S 3G3
Cyrilda Poirier
Xavier George
Fédération des francophones de Terre-Neuve et du Labrador (FFTNL)
65 Ridge Road, Suite 233
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
A1B 4P5 Canada
Lizanne Thorne
Société Saint-Thomas-d'Aquin (SSTA)
5 Maris Stella Avenue
Summerside, PEI
C1N 6M9
Jean Léger
Fédération acadienne de la Nouvelle-Écosse
La Maison acadienne, 54 Queen Street
Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
B2Y 1G3
Madeleine Faucher
Assemblée de la francophonie de l'Ontario
1173 Cyrville Road, Suite 306
Ottawa, Ontario K1J 7S6
Daniel Boucher
Société franco-manitobaine
383 Provencher Boulevard, Suite 212
Saint-Boniface, Manitoba R2H 0G9
Denis Desgagné, Director General
Denis Desgagné
Geneviève Lapierre
Assemblée communautaire fransaskoise
3850 Hillsdale Street, Suite 220
Regina, Saskatchewan S4S 7J5
Patrick Henri
Association canadienne-française de l'Alberta
303-8627 91 Street NW,
Edmonton, Alberta T6C 3N1
Stéphane Audet
Fédération des francophones de la Colombie-Britannique
1575, 7th Avenue West
Vancouver, BC V6J 1S1
Léo-Paul Provencher
Fédération Franco-TéNOise
5016 48th Street
Yellowknife, NT X1A 2N9
Jeanne Beaudouin
Association Franco-yukonnaise
302 Strickland Street
Whitehorse, Yukon Y1A 2K1
Michael Toppings
Kirwan Cox
English Language Arts Network (ELAN)
309B 4710 Saint-Ambroise Street
Montreal, Quebec
H4C 2C7
CRTC action plan Web address:
http://www.crtc.gc.ca
Note:
1 During 2007-2008, no public telecommunications processes had an impact on OLMCs. [back]
Date Modified: 2008-07-24
