First, I should clarify that this Official Languages Act in the N.W.T. only applies to the G.N.W.T., the Legislative Assembly and institutions of government such as boards, agencies or commissions that are set up by them. It does not apply to private businesses. I do not know if this Assembly wants to amend this legislation to have it apply to private businesses. At this point, I have no jurisdiction to go to a hotel or any other public place and say that their signs are not in the official languages. They have no obligations under this act. What I have done is contact a lot of private, non-government organizations and told them about the Official Languages Act and told them that, although they have no obligations, we would encourage them to provide whatever services are possible. If they needed any help in identifying people who could help them with that or talk about how they could go about providing that service, they were told that they were free to contact my office. I have had a number of private business that have come to me and said, "How do I go about providing safety announcements in aboriginal languages on airlines," or, "How do we provide tourist information in the seat pockets of airplanes? Is there any way we can have that translated so that people can read it?" A number of people from restaurants and stores have said to me, "Is there any way we can get some money to pay somebody to translate the menus or the signs on the shelves for the food?" What I have done is try to find these non-G.N.W.T. sources of funding so that people have some access to other sources of funding that they might be able to get to provide that sort of service. It does not apply to private businesses.
Ms. Harnum on Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
In the Legislative Assembly on December 9th, 1992. See this statement in context.
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
December 8th, 1992
Page 385
Harnum
See context to find out what was said next.