Inventory – French language services
Department of Tourism, Culture and Heritage
Nova Scotia Archives and Records Management
Tourism Division:
The Tourism Division responds to correspondence originally written in French with translation assistance from the Office of Acadian Affairs. This includes French correspondence from tourism operators, visitors, and Nova Scotia residents.
Verbal requests from the public are handled by bilingual staff, where possible.
The Division has a dedicated Acadian Liaison Officer (bilingual position) to support the Acadian and francophone tourism sector in the Province. This position also serves as the French-language Services Coordinator for the Department.
The Division markets Nova Scotia, and Acadian tourism products in particular, to all target markets. Advertising activities are conducted in French for francophone markets in Québec. Nova Scotia is also marketed in France through the Atlantic Canada Tourism Partnership. The division participates at consumer and travel trade shows in key francophone markets, such as the Summer Celebration in Québec City and Bienvenue Québec. The division also facilitates media familiarization tours in the province with Québec journalists.
A variety of tourism marketing literature and promotional tools are produced in French, including media information kits, a French language display booth, Du rêve à l’aventure Travel Guide, Scenic Travelways Map, the L’Ordre du Bon Temps (Order of Good Times Certificates) and Nova Scotia tourism website www.nouvelle-ecosse.com. English and French versions of the novascotia.com website also feature a new “Acadian Culture” section promoting Acadian tourism products, experiences and regions.
The Division administers the Ici on Parle français program, a program for bilingual Nova Scotia tourism operators providing French-language services.
Sales and advertising campaign activities are conducted in French in French speaking target markets (e.g., sales presentations delivered in French to Québec tour operators, French advertisements in Québec magazines, newspapers, e-marketing, etc.).
The Division contracts out the operation of Nova Scotia’s year-round tourism information and reservation service, Check In Nova Scotia. Visitor information and reservation calls and emails are answered by bilingual travel counsellors at Check In. Calls originating from Québec area codes are answered in French first; French calls received outside Québec are transferred to French speaking Check In travel counsellors.
French-language training is available and promoted for staff, based upon course and budget availability. French-language training opportunities are primarily offered to full-time and returning seasonal staff (e.g., visitor information services staff).
In some areas of operation, French language competency is a requirement and in other areas it is considered an asset. For example, staff at the Halifax Stanfield International Airport Visitor Information Centre are required to be bilingual. Most of the major Visitor Information Centres (Waterfront, Amherst, Port Hastings) provide visitor servicing in French. Commencing in 2007, visitor information services staff will receive an incentive for bilingualism (salary increment).
Consumers who participate in Department-led tourism research initiatives are generally given the option to complete interviews in French.
Culture Division
Information regarding the Prix Grand-Pré is provided in French and English. This prize is intended to recognize the work of Acadian Nova Scotians in the performing arts and film, the visual arts and crafts, and literary arts
The Culture Division responds to communications originally written in French with translation assistance from the Office of Acadian Affairs.
We have one staff person (administrative) who is fully bilingual and able to address verbal requests from the public (if she is available); we also have one other staff person who is somewhat competent in spoken French who may also deal with verbal requests.
French language training has been made available to Culture Division staff via the Office of Acadian Affairs. One staff person attended a 32-hour intermediate-level course to improve capacity.
We currently provide the bilingual logo on our website for downloading. This logo is provided, along with the English-only version, for clients who must acknowledge funding from TCH by use of the logo.
The Culture Division encourages members of diverse communities, including the Acadian and francophone community, to become members of our jury/peer-assessment panels.
While not a provincial agency, board or commission, the Nova Scotia Arts and Culture Partnership Council does encourage members of the Acadian and francophone community to apply to the nominating process. This government-sector partnership strives for a comprehensive sectoral, regional and language-community representation
Nova Scotia Archives and Records Management
NSARM provides onsite services to 15,000 visitors annually and offers onsite Reference Services in French, with the assistance of two bilingual staff (one fluent, one functional). Use of French in response to written inquiries is discretionary, relying on in-house expertise or on assistance from Translation Services at Acadian Affairs.
One additional front-line staff member (since transferred elsewhere in TCH) participated in language training during 2005/06; similar opportunities are currently being explored for other NSARM front-line staff in 2007/08.
Media releases are issued in French for products or events relevant to Nova Scotia’s Acadian community or to French-speaking audiences generally. The most significant opportunity during 2006/07 was the launch of ‘Nova Scotia Historical Vital Statistics Online’ (see NSHVSO below) in March 2007; tight launch deadlines precluded the availability of French text for the media release, but a French version is underway for posting to the new Website, www.novascotiagenealogy.com, early in 2007/08. Media interviews and information clips were provided in French by NSARM staff during the official launch event.
The Archives’ principal print brochure, ‘Genealogical Services at NSARM,’ is available and widely distributed in a French-language version.
On the NSARM Institutional Website at www.gov.ns.ca/nsarm, French-language access is provided for introductions and image-captioning in a total of 17 virtual exhibits, online resource guides and searchable databases.
A French-language template is currently being prepared for ‘Nova Scotia Historical Vital Statistics Online’ at www.novascotiagenealogy.com, to enable full access and service in French, beginning in 2007/08. The third-party agreement with Unisys Canada Inc. (NSHVSO online service provider) encourages delivery of French-language services in continuing partnered online initiatives; and the Unisys Support Desk offers French-language services, both verbal and written, to NSHVSO customers.
Heritage Division
The Heritage Division has French speaking staff available at some museums. For most others, especially the smaller museums, French-speaking interpretive staff and/or tours in French can be arranged if required. French brochures are also available at some museums and some exhibits are translated in French. In some of the larger museums most or all exhibits have bilingual labels. Traveling exhibits are generally bilingual. There are nine French web sites available which link from the Nova Scotia Museum web site (http://museum.gov.ns.ca) and five French “Info Sheets” are available online at http://museum.gov.ns.ca.
Corporate/Department Wide Initiatives
Human Resources:
When a position is advertised that requires a bilingual candidate the competition is completed in both English and French. This includes the job positing being posted in both languages, and, with the assistance of Communications Nova Scotia, if the postings are advertised in the newspaper they are advertised in both languages. Ie- the Chronicle Hearld and in French Language News papers as well (i.e. Le Courrier and l’Acadie Nouvelle). Interviews are completed in both English and French and rejection letters are in both languages, with the assistance of the French Second Language Division.
In addition to this, the Employee Assistance Program brochure are available in both English and French.