Additional distress

We were contacted by a mother who found it difficult to obtain services in French from the Office of the Chief Coroner and one of its regional offices   after her son died in a car accident. She had a very difficult time trying to understand the explanations and reports in English provided by the Coroner's office. Even though interpreters were sometimes present during some conversations, she found the process very trying. She told us: "It's not easy to translate all the words. I speak a little English, but in situations like that, I have a lot of trouble being able to really express myself, because it's very emotional. [...] It also affects the other members of the family who are put aside because we can't have letters in French."

Result: After we intervened in this case, the coroner’s office made sure all communications with this mother were in French. In addition, the organization conducted an analysis of the bilingual capacity of its staff across the province and reviewed its offer of services in French for families and the general public.