Telecom - Staff Letter addressed to Ryan Anstey (CISC Emergency Services Working Group)
Gatineau, March 11, 2025
Reference: 8000-C12-202306407
BY EMAIL
Ryan Anstey
Chair
CISC Emergency Services Working Group
eswg911@wrps.on.ca
Subject : Request for Extension on Recommendations for OL Access at Intermediary 9-1-1 Call Centres
Dear Ryan Anstey,
We are following up on your letter dated 12 February 2025. In that letter, you asked for an extension to the timelines that Commission staff set for the Emergency Services Working Group (the ESWG) to provide a report with recommendations on how to improve access to 9-1-1 services in both official languages across Canada.
Thank you for the significant effort that the ESWG has taken to advance this matter, as outlined in the monthly reports that you have been providing. Canadians need access to 9-1-1 services in the official language of their choice, and this remains an urgent issue for both Canadians and the CRTC. With the ESWG’s input, the CRTC is eager to take action to help find solutions that fall within its mandate under the Telecommunications Act.
As outlined in both our initial request of 31 May 2024 and our follow-up letter of 11 July 2024, the CRTC believes that the best solutions will come in consultation with the Official Language Minority Communities (OLMCs). We are encouraged by your efforts to include the OLMCs in the ESWG’s work. As representatives of Canadians whose preferred official language is not the language of majority in their province or territory, the OLMCs will provide a critical perspective in understanding how proposed solutions can assist their communities. Given the urgency and importance of this matter, we would ask for the OLMCs’ concurrence, in writing, with any revised timelines you propose.
Additionally, to help us in considering your request, we would like to better understand: (i) the possibility of providing a shorter extension; and (ii) the impact of not providing an extension. The ESWG is requested to provide this additional information no later than March 25, 2025.
Please let us know if there is anything that the CRTC can do to help accelerate the ESWG’s work. In particular, do not hesitate to inform us of any interim or nearer-term actions that the CRTC could take to help ensure that 9-1-1 calls routed to intermediary call centres are handled in the caller’s preferred official language.
Again, I thank you for your work on this critical matter. If you wish to discuss further, please reach out to Noah Moser at noah.moser@crtc.gc.ca.
Yours sincerely,
Leila Wright
Vice-President, Telecommunications Sector
Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC)
c. c. Suneil Kanjeekal, CRTC, suneil.kanjeekal@crtc.gc.ca
Étienne Robelin, CRTC, etienne.robelin@crtc.gc.ca
Anne-Elisabeth Noppens, Assemblée de la Francophonie du l’Ontario, aenoppens@monassemblee.ca
Gael Corbinneau, Fédération des francophones de Terre-Neuve et du Labrador Gael.Corbineau@fftnl.ca
Mathew Goncalves, Association canadienne-française de l'Alberta, m.goncalves@acfa.ab.ca
Serge Quinty, Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne du Canada, communications@fcfa.ca
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