Language bureau does indeed oversee French translation

Regarding Mr. Cuerrier and the desire of the Association des francophones du Nunavut to co-operate with the GN toward the improvement of services available to the French-speaking population of Nunavut, allow me to point out that co-operation involves, among other things, the recognition of what is being done by others toward the achievement of a common goal.

In Jane George’s interview, published Feb. 15, Mr. Cuerrier states that: “…the territory doesn’t produce any information in French… There are no documents available in French… There’s nothing…”

Let me point out that CLEY’s Language Bureau oversees the French translation of numerous official documents and other information products. I translate many of these documents and it keeps me quite busy.

It’s thanks to CLEY’s bureau, I believe, that Mr. Cuerrier was able to obtain the French version of the Language Commissioner of Nunavut’s annual report, quoted, however erroneously, in his interview.

Mr. Cuerrier also says that, “…We could start delivering [the services] as early as tomorrow… or almost.” Oh! I would be delighted to see the association actually deliver on one of the numerous projects it has received funding for over the years.

Given that the association has and likely will again this year receive federal funding for the project, and considering the said total lack of French information and services in Nunavut, how is it that this “ideal and winning solution” as Mr. Cuerrier puts it, has yet to materialize in even the smallest of ways?

I’m left to wonder if it has “almost” materialized or if the association is simply tailoring the “Emperor’s New Clothes?”

Michèle Redmond
Montreal
micheleredmond@rogers.com