N.B. town to review language policy after complaints about French-only notices

A New Brunswick municipality is taking a second look at its language policy after complaints by residents about its decision to post public notices in French only.

Belle-Baie was officially created on Jan. 1, when the northern communities of Beresford, Nigadoo, Petit-Rocher and Pointe-Verte were merged as part of sweeping local government reforms across New Brunswick.

Mayor Daniel Guitard said the new community is 92 per cent French-speaking, and under the Official Languages Act is therefore not required to provide services or communication in English.

However, he said, two councillors are now establishing a committee to explore the possibility of having the municipality opt into the requirement to do so.

Up to committee

"I'm leaving the door open to everything," Guitard said.

"So they will form their committee; they'll be citizens of the community, and they'll decide what they want to do," he said, adding that a recommendation is expected before council by the spring.

The move comes as residents have launched complaints, both informally on social media and with the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages for New Brunswick, about Belle-Baie's practice of issuing public notices only in French.

The commissioner's office "has received complaints regarding the matter" in Belle-Baie, said Patricia Parent, a manager with the office.

However, she said, the office does not comment on complaints that are currently being considered.

Ashley Aube said she called the language commissioner's office after first noticing the French-only notices that started getting posted on the town's Facebook page after Jan. 1.

A 13-year-resident of an area formerly under the Town of Beresford, Aube said the old municipality never had an obligation to issue notices in English either but still did so out of courtesy to its English-speaking residents.

"I have never had an issue until the amalgamation to Belle-Baie happened," Aube said.

"Beresford always did any posts [bilingually]. On the town sign, it was bilingual. Notices came in the mail bilingual, so it had never been an issue until now."

Aube said for anglophones like her and her family, the move puts them at risk of misunderstanding important updates around construction, road closures, or boil water advisories issued by the municipality.

"I understand with technology nowadays, it could probably be translated, but that's not the point. The point is, it's supposed to be inclusive. I pay taxes here."

Hannah Langlais, who also lives in what used to be the Town of Beresford, said she worries the decision to only issue notices in French is creating a rift between the two linguistic communities.

"In a community, you want it to be based on inclusivity, and by excluding from the get-go the anglophone community that already existed here and that was supported before that, they're causing a divide right there," she said.

According to the Official Languages Act, a municipality whose official language minority population represents at least 20 per cent of its total population is required to adopt and publish its bylaws in both official languages, and must also offer services and communications in both languages.

For example, as of the 2021 Statistics Canada census, 17.5 per cent of Beresford residents spoke English as their first language — putting it a few percentage points below the 20 per cent threshold.

Parent said the language commissioner's office is now waiting for new, updated Statistics Canada data regarding any changes that might affect the linguistic obligations of any municipalities.

"Our office has been advised that the Department of Local Government has not yet received these statistics, and they will be providing this information to us in due course," Parent said.

CBC News asked the department for an interview with Daniel Allain, but one wasn't granted by Tuesday eveniing.

Some services still offered in English, says mayor

Guitard said the practice now in Belle-Baie was set by the transition committee, which was formed last fall with the task of laying out how the amalgamated community would work.

Guitard, who was only sworn in as mayor in January, said he wasn't part of the committee but understands it decided Belle-Baie would be a "French community" given its linguistic makeup.

Despite the stance on French-only public notices, Guitard said, the municipality does serve residents in both languages at its office, and is able to respond personally to residents in English.

But he understands the concerns raised by Belle-Baie residents about the public notices, he said.

"I take them seriously," Guitard said. "That's why we've appointed two councillors to look at the language policy of Belle-Baie.

"That's why we will bring this this subject back to the table at one point between now and the spring and vote on a new language policy for Belle-Baie."