Province to improve access to services in French at the North Bay courthouse

The Ontario government is partnering with the Superior and Ontario Courts of Justice to improve access to services in French at the North Bay courthouse.

The enhancements will make it easier for French-speaking Ontarians to access court services and court proceedings according to a news release from the Attorney General.

"The North Bay French Language Action Plan will identify barriers to accessing justice in French throughout the court system in North Bay and will take a collaborative approach to creating and testing new approaches for improvement," said Attorney General Doug Downey. "The plan will also enhance the active offer of French-language court services, with an emphasis on ensuring the offer is visible, accessible, and publicized."

"I am glad to see the North Bay French Language Action Plan go forward," added Caroline Mulroney, Minister of Francophone Affairs."Access to French-language services in the justice sector is a critical issue for Ontario's Francophone community and similar initiatives in Ottawa and Sudbury have had a remarkable impact."

"We hope this project will provide insights to enable us to improve access to justice services for the Francophone community in North Bay," said the Honourable Geoffrey B. Morawetz, Chief Justice of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice.

"If the justice system is to function as it needs to function to serve all Ontarians, there must be effective and meaningful access to justice in French in Ontario. This goal was reinforced by the Access to Justice in French report. I see the implementation of the North Bay Action Plan to Enhance Access to Justice in French as a significant step toward the goal of providing access to justice in French in Ontario," said the Honourable Lise Maisonneuve, Chief Justice of the Ontario Court of Justice.

A total of 1.5 million Ontarians speak French and more than 620,000 Ontarians identify as Francophones. Ontario has the largest French-speaking community in Canada outside of Quebec.

The district of Nipissing, which includes the city of North Bay, is a designated area under both the French Language Services Act and the Courts of Justice Act. A designated area is where Francophones make up at least 10 per cent of the population