Members of the public have easy and confidential access to the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages for New Brunswick through various means that are free of charge. Click on Contact Us for our coordinates.
The Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages for New Brunswick accepts complaints in the following formats:
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in person (walk-ins or via scheduled meetings)
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in writing
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by telephone
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by fax
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and by all of the above means in the case of a third party acting on behalf of a minor or an incapacitated individual.
Access to the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages for New Brunswick is not limited to New Brunswickers. Persons residing outside the province may also file complaints if and when warranted.
At any point in time, the Commissioner reserves the right to insist that the complainant formulate his or her complaint in writing before proceeding any further. Upon request, the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages will, whenever and wherever possible, assist the complainant in the written formulation of his or her complaint. If a complaint does not fall within the mandate of the Commissioner, the Commissioner or one of the Commissioner's officials will refer the complainant to the appropriate government department.
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Tips on Filing a Complaint
Here are some helpful hints:
First, is the complaint about a service received or not received in English or French? Second, is the complaint aimed at:
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a provincial government institution?
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a third party delivering services to the public on behalf of a provincial government institution?
a Crown corporation?
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a court, court service or other administrative tribunal in the province?
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a policing service?
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a hospital corporation?
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a city or a specific municipality whose official language minority group exceeds 20% of the population base - or a municipality that has declared itself bound by the obligations under the Official Languages Act (OLA)?
a planning commission or solid waste commission of a geographical area where the official language minority group exceeds 20% of the population base?
If the answer is "yes" in any of these cases, the odds are quite good that your complaint falls within the Commissioner's mandate. Please note that the OLA does not apply to the private sector except in the case of private sector companies that deliver services on the province's behalf.
