CRTC to investigate lack of French 911 service

The CRTC has sent letters on Jan. 22 to interested parties to try to get to the bottom of two incidents where people in distress could not get 911 service in French. The stories were first reported in the Montreal news outlet La Presse. “The Canadian public and the commission place a high degree of importance on being able to access timely and effective 911 services, including the ability for Canadians to be answered and communicate details related to their emergency in their preferred official language,” the letter to Rogers Communications Inc. stated. On Dec. 29, a person’s call on the network of Rogers was passed on to third-party call centre Northern911. Although the caller wished to be served in French, the call taker at Northern911 was unable to accommodate the request. "A telephone operator responded fairly quickly, but in English. I told the story in French. She asks me: 'I don’t understand. Do you need a translation?' I didn't understand the situation at the time," Julie Boudreault, the caller, told La Presse, according to translation. She then told the operator it was unnecessary and proceeded to communicate in English. Now the regulator is asking Rogers and Northern911 to answer a series of questions about the incident and to explain how French services fell through the cracks. Responses must be received by the CRTC by Feb. 2. Rogers is being asked 13 questions by the commission. One asks for an explanation of why the service agreement may not contain provisions for bilingual services. The Toronto telecom is also requested to turn over any recordings or transcripts on the December incident. Transat is being asked how it is told that a caller wishes to use a particular language when dialing 911. It is further requested to ensure that the situation is not repeated in the future. The second case occurred on Jan. 9. A call over the VoIP service of Transat Telecom of Montreal was also routed to Northern911. Again, the caller was unable to access service in French. Transat and Northern911 are also expected to answer the dozen questions by Feb. 2. Many of the questions posed to Transat are similar to the ones delivered to Rogers and Northern911. On Jan. 19 the commission sent a letter to its distribution list about the issue. “The CRTC is very concerned with Canadians’ ability to access critical 911 services in the official language of their choice,” Liela Wright, executive director of the telecommunications sector wrote. “As telecommunications service providers, your customers expect you to ensure access to these services.” Last year, Conservative MP Joël Godin told the House of Commons someone in the St. Lawrence region of Quebec was unable to get service in French. Innovation, Science and Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne vowed to look into the situation. –Reporting by Paul Park at ppark@thewirereport.ca and editing by Jenna Cocullo at jcocullo@thewirereport.ca. This story has been updated to clarify that while the 911 call taker could not speak French, translation services were offered to the caller.

CRTC to investigate lack of French 911 service

News | January 23, 2024

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CRTC to investigate lack of French 911 service

News | January 23, 2024

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