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LE FRANÇAIS CHEZ LES GEE-GEES, OTTAWA

Le texte suivant suivant, en anglais, dénonce le sort que l’Université d’Ottawa, « l’université canadienne », fait subir au français.

LE FRANÇAIS CHEZ LES GEE-GEES, OTTAWA

Monsieur Patry
Recteur de l’Université d’Ottawa
patry@uOttawa.ca

I am writing you today to complain about the apparent disregard of the linguistic standards within the University of Ottawa’s Sport Services. As you know, I am the University’s former Coordinator of Public Affairs and as such, I have a unique insight into the workings of the service and the university. I know that it is not a simple job for one person to do, however, after much reflection I can no longer remain silent on this topic.

As Canada’s bilingual University, my predecessors, colleagues and myself worked hard to ensure that the linguistic standards of the University of Ottawa were maintained when it came to Sport Services. We were by no means perfect, however, our press releases and our website were of a solid standard, with us using professional sports writers and translators to make sure that we minimized the number of errors in our communications in English and French.

Last June, after I left the University, Sport Services hired a unilingual Anglophone to do media relations for the Gee-Gees. His then French speaking student assistant (my assistant last year) was released from her position in October prior to the football playoffs because she could not do page design. As opposed to using her as was done a year ago when she handled media relations with the Québec and national French media (Football national semi-final, CIS Soccer and CIS men’s basketball championship) she has been replaced by a student who’s writing skills I will publicly question and whose translation skills are non-existent.

Please review the following hockey story from this weekend.
(http://www.geegees.uottawa.ca/news/VConten.asp?lang=FR&articleid=760)

It is full of inaccuracies, Anglicism and errors. If you compare it to the English, you will notice the difference and come to the same conclusion as I have that the translation must have gone from English to French given that the person who is the Sports Information Coordinator is unilingual. (English version:
http://www.geegees.uottawa.ca/news/VConten.asp?lang=EN&articleid=760)

I would have expected more from uOttawa.

Three years of efforts beginning with the hiring of a francophone Sports Information Officer has gone all for naught. I had the pleasure of working with a qualified team of full-time staff and translators that went beyond the call of duty, often working until the wee hours of the morning to ensure that the linguist standards of uOttawa were maintained and that the organization were truly bilingual.

As a quasi-alumni member, a donor to the University and as a member of the general community I enjoy following my teams in English and French and cannot allow the direction of the service to continue to make a mockery of la langue de Molière.

I respectfully draw this to your attention on behalf of myself, my former colleagues and all Francophones who are interested in following the Gee-Gees in French.

Sincerely,

John Bower
Gatineau (Québec)
john_bower@sympatico.ca

C.C. rmajor@uottawa.ca; victor.simon@uottawa.ca

Nous avons besoin de vous

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