- No, according to the Charter of the French language: only the facilities on the Lower North Shore can display signs in English. English signage must always be accompanied by a French version.
- All other CISSS facilities must display signs in French only.
The CISSS must respect the standards of the OQLF and the Charter of the French Language while ensuring access to services for English-speaking persons.
It is an official plan that identifies the services available in English and the methods implemented to provide them.
- Read a
summary of the CISSS de la Côte-Nord access program. - Read the
official version of the CISSS de la Côte-Nord access program.
Yes, they have a legal obligation under the Act respecting the governance of the health and social services system (LGSSSS), section 18: "English-speaking persons are entitled to receive health services and social services in the English language, in keeping with the organizational structure and human, material and financial resources of the institutions providing such services and to the extent provided by the access program."
This access program is therefore the official framework determining which services can be offered in English, which facilities can offer them and under what conditions.
A designated and recognized facility in health or social services is under legal obligation to provide its services in French and in English. This means that persons who currently use English as their given language can receive the same services as French-speaking persons, but in their own language.
For a facility to be designated, more than 50 % of the population it serves must be English speaking. This designation aims at guaranteeing equal access to services for English-speaking communities.
Currently, all facilities on the Lower North Shore are designated and recognized because the majority of people in this region are English speaking.
An indicated facility (like a hospital or CLSC) can offer some services in English, without it being mandatory for all services.
The services offered are based on:
- their human resources (the available personnel)
- their material resources (equipment)
- their financial resources (budget)
- and what is prescribed under its program of access to services in English.
Therefore, English services are offered whenever possible. All CISSS facilities are indicated with the exception of the Lower North Shore.
The North Shore covers a vast territory which makes its access to services more difficult for some English-speaking persons, particularly those who live outside of the Lower North Shore. In addition, the population must sometimes travel a great distance by airplane (like to Sept-Îles) in order to receive specialized care.
- There are no roads between the Lower North Shore and the rest of the Côte-Nord. Patients must travel by airplane to receive specialized health services and social services. A great deal of logistics is involved to plan the travelling arrangement of these users.
- Furthermore, an English-speaking patient who lives in Baie-Comeau, for example, cannot go to the Lower North Shore to receive services in English because it is too far.
That is why the situation on the Côte-Nord is very different from the one in Montréal, where services are more accessible.
Yes, in the province of Québec, the law requires employees from the health and social services network to speak French in order to work.
But no worries! French courses are offered to employees to help them speak and understand French better.