In his 2023-2024 Annual Report, released today, French Language Services Commissioner Carl Bouchard calls on the Ministry of Francophone Affairs to publish a comprehensive digital directory of services covered by the French Language Services Act (FLSA), so Francophones can easily find and access them.

A digital tool would build on the substantial improvements made to services in French in recent years, notes the Commissioner, who oversees compliance with the Act in provision of those services and recommends further improvements each year under the FLSA in his Annual Report.

“When travelling around the province, I have heard from many people who had no idea that the FLSA existed,” he says in the report. “Even Ontarians who had heard of it told me they don’t know which Government of Ontario services were covered by the FLSA or where they could find these services in their communities.”

Commissioner Bouchard’s report summarizes the tangible results achieved by the Office of the Ombudsman and its French Language Services Unit. It presents an increase of 2.3% in the number of cases received compared to last year: 395 cases received between October 1, 2023, and September 30, 2024. This is the highest annual total since the Ombudsman’s Office was tasked with oversight of the application of the French Language Services Actin 2019.

The report presents 27 examples of cases resolved during the past year, which led to the concrete improvement of French-language services in Ontario.

To access the Ontario Ombudsman website