No. H097/11
For release - October 17, 2011
OTTAWA — Changes to the Air Canada Public Participation Act (ACPPA) were introduced in the House of Commons today.
Under the proposed amendments, introduced by the Honourable Denis Lebel, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, Air Canada's contracted carrier partners will be held directly accountable to the Commissioner of Official Languages and will be subject to recourse in the event of non-compliance under the Official Languages Act. In addition, ACE Aviation Holdings Inc., Air Canada's parent company, will be required to maintain its head office in the greater Montreal area and provide bilingual services to the public.
"The amendments to the ACPPA demonstrate the Government of Canada's commitment to the protection and promotion of both official languages," said Minister Lebel. "These amendments will ensure that these contracted carriers continue to provide quality customer service in both English and French."
Air Canada has been subject to the Official Languages Act since 1969. Following Air Canada's privatization in 1988-1989, official languages obligations were imposed on Air Canada through the ACPPA in order to protect language rights for the Canadian public and the airline's employees.
Airlines carrying passengers and freight under contract with Air Canada on routes that are designated bilingual are currently subject to official languages obligations through their contractual relationship. The amendments will allow the Commissioner of Official Languages to investigate complaints about, and audit the performance of, these contracted carrier partners directly.
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Vanessa Schneider
Director of Communications
Office of the Honourable Denis Lebel
Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, Ottawa
613-991-0700
Media Relations
Transport Canada, Ottawa
613-993-0055
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Air Canada (at the time Trans-Canada Airlines) was established by Parliament as a Crown corporation in 1937 and has been subject to the Official Languages Act (OLA) since 1969. In 1988-1989, as part of the government's deregulation of the air transport industry, Air Canada became a private company through the Air Canada Public Participation Act (ACPPA). The ACPPA made sure that Air Canada would continue to operate in both English and French by making the new private company subject to the Official Languages Act. In addition, the ACPPA included provisions requiring Air Canada to maintain its head office in Montreal, and to maintain operational and overhaul centres in Winnipeg, Montreal and Mississauga.
Air Canada established a new company structure in 2004 that turned some of its internal operations into separate private companies. As a result, the ACPPA continued to apply to Air Canada, but not to Chorus Aviation (formerly Jazz airlines) or Air Canada's holding company, ACE.
The government tabled amendments to the ACPPA in the House of Commons on October 17, 2011, that will allow the Commissioner of Official Languages to investigate complaints and audit the performance in providing services to the public in English and French of airlines carrying passengers and/or freight under contract with Air Canada on bilingual-designated routes. The amendments will also require Air Canada's holding company, ACE, to offer service to the public in both English and French, and to maintain its head office in the greater Montreal area.
