Statement made on 08 February 2011 by Senator Maria Chaput
Hon. Maria Chaput:
Honourable senators, my question is for the Leader of the Government in the Senate. Last week, it was announced that five Service Canada offices in Nova Scotia, two of which provide services to Acadians in both official languages, would be closing their doors. Since that time, I have learned that 13 Service Canada offices in Newfoundland and Labrador will be closed. This morning, I learned that some community offices in Ontario will be closed and that changes will be made to the services offered by 50 community offices in remote areas of the country.
Service Canada has over 19,000 employees, nearly 90 percent of whom work in some 300 offices and 14 call centres. Of these, there are 136 designated bilingual service centres in four large regions: Western Canada and Territories, Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic.
Service Canada is a model for providing on-site services to remote rural communities and linguistic minorities. Designated bilingual offices are found in these communities. The Commissioner of Official Languages has already stated that Service Canada has become a key player in the delivery of front-line federal services.
Given that 136 designated bilingual service centres can be found from one end of the country to the other, did the government take into consideration its obligations under the Official Languages Act and Regulations? Did it conduct a study on the impact that these changes would have on official language minority communities? If so, is this study available and can I have a copy?
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