Telecom - Staff Letter addressed to Ryan Anstey (CISC Emergency Services Working Group)
Gatineau, 6 May 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 Official Language Access at Intermediary 9-1-1 Call Centres
Dear Ryan Anstey,
Thank you for your response to our letter of 11 March 2025. The information you provided has been helpful in considering your 12 February 2025 request to extend the timelines for the Emergency Services Working Group (ESWG) to provide a report with recommendations on how to improve access to 9-1-1 services in both official languages across Canada.
Through our 11 March 2025 letter, CRTC staff sought to better understand the impact of the extension request. Staff also wanted to ensure, following our 11 July 2024 invitation to Official Language Minority Communities (OLMCs), that all OLMC representatives participating in the ESWG’s work concur with an extension. In your response, you noted:
- it has taken significant time to bring the OLMC representatives—who represent their communities but are not technical experts—up to speed with the details on how 9-1-1 systems, the ESWG, and the CRTC operate;
- adhering to shorter timelines would result in recommendations from the ESWG that would be less comprehensive, well-informed, and reflective of the diverse needs of Canadians; and
- representatives of the OLMCs that have been involved in the ESWG’s work are aware of the extension request.
CRTC staff subsequently confirmed with those OLMC representatives that they support the proposed extension.
We want to re-iterate the importance of moving quickly to find workable solutions that ensure Canadians can receive 9-1-1 services in the official language of their choice from intermediary call centres. This is a serious and urgent issue that can cause delay when help is needed, with negative consequences for public safety.
CRTC staff recognizes the significant effort that the ESWG has taken to advance this matter, as outlined in the monthly reports that you have been providing. We also recognize that an extension will provide more meaningful participation from the OLMCs, who represent communities that are directly affected by the issues you are studying. Therefore, while we remain eager to take action, we agree with the ESWG and the participating OLMC communities that more time is both necessary and in the public interest. Accordingly, CRTC staff is setting a new deadline of 12 September 2025 for the ESWG to provide its report in full.
Please let us know if there is anything that the CRTC can do to help accelerate the ESWG’s work. In particular, the ESWG should 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.
Sincerely,
Original signed by
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
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