Problem extinguished

A man working at a French-language school board contacted us because he wanted to obtain the French version of the Fire Code (Regulation 213/07 of the Fire Protection and Prevention Act) in order to know the provisions that apply to school facilities. The regulation is only available in English. He told us that since many provincial government regulations are already bilingual, this one should also be available to French-speaking people. It should be noted that there is no obligation under the French Language Services Act to translate regulations. However, the Act indicates that this is a decision for the Attorney General.

We raised the issue with the Office of the Fire Marshal of Ontario, which reports to the Ministry of the Solicitor General. As a result of our intervention, the Fire Marshal committed to translating the regulation by 2023, when a new version will be drafted once the ongoing harmonization of the various provincial, territorial and federal codes is completed. In the meantime, Francophones can contact their local fire department to obtain a translation of certain sections of the regulation.

Learn more about the French Language Services Unit which answers questions and takes complaints about services in French.