| Location | Ottawa, Ontario | |
| Organization | Regroupement des gens d'affaires de la Capitale nationale (RGA) and City of Ottawa
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| Description | The City of Ottawa created a coordination committee to develop and implement the Business Assistance Project. The first phase consisted of a study commissioned to analyze the perceptions and needs of businesses in the Byward Market and St. Laurent Shopping Centre with respect to provision of services in both official languages. The study revealed that businesses were truly interested in improving their French‑language services, but that they lacked the necessary expertise and resources. Next, a range of services were set up and offered to businesses through promotional campaigns. Over the past two years, two other phases have been completed resulting in an increase in the number of partners, broader intervention areas and more diversified and improved services for businesses. In October 2006, the City of Ottawa, which was responsible for the project, passed the project's co‑ordination on to the RGA.
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| Objectives | • To have Ottawa‑area retailers offer better services in both official languages |
| Activities | | • | Negotiation of agreements with suppliers to offer services identified as priorities by businesses | | • | Creation of kits containing information on services available, practical advice sheets, a glossary of common expressions, a tent-card counter display, a window sticker and a pin to designate bilingual staff | | • | Distribution of promotional kits by project partners and summer student visits to businesses | | • | Promotional events and kiosks to raise awareness about the project and attract media attention | | • | | |
| Partners | | • | City of Ottawa | | • | Business Improvement Areas (BIA's) of targeted zones (e.g. Byward Market BIA) | | • | Ottawa-Gatineau Hotel Association | | • | Ottawa Tourism | | • | L'Amicale francophone | | • | Targeted shopping centres | | • | Canadian Heritage | | • | National Capital Commission | | • | Public Works and Government Services Canada | |
| Funding | • Canadian Heritage
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| Results | | • | In the first two years of project implementation: | | | ► | Language training for 160 participants
| | | ► | Translation of 169,800 words included in 130 translation requests from businesses
| | | ► | Distribution of 3,275 promotional kits | | • | Substantial increase in bilingual displays outside businesses | | • | Increase and improvement of French services in downtown Ottawa
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Ingredients
for success | • Knowing the business community's needs • Providing services that fit with business needs • Good visibility for the project through a widespread, varied advertising campaign • Existing RGA network
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| Challenges | | • | Head offices providing subsidiaries with tools that do not always support the provision of bilingual services (lack of bilingual menus, posters, labels and advertising) | | • | Providing new services to the business community | | • | Responding to a growing need from businesses with limited, uncertain financial resources | | • | Boosting the Francophone community's demand for services in French | | • | Increasing the number of partners involved
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| For additional information | http://www.business-assistance.ca/home.html |
