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From left: Cynthia Garneau, president, Bell Helicopter Textron Limited and Robert Vézina, president and CEO of the Office québécois de la langue française. Bell Helicopter Photo
Bell Helicopter Textron Canada Limited (BHTCL), a Textron Inc. company, has announced that it has obtained its francization certification from the Office québécois de la langue française (OQLF), attesting that BHTCL meets the criteria of the Charter of the French Language regarding the use of French as the language of work.
A ceremony was held at the Mirabel facility on Tuesday, May 10, to make the awarding of the certification official. It was attended by Robert Vézina, president and CEO of the Office québécois de la langue française, as well as by members of BHTCL senior management and the francization committee consisting of employees across various areas of the organization.
“It’s an extremely important and symbolic day for us all at Bell, and I am honoured to receive this certification on behalf of all the employees,” said Cynthia Garneau, president of Bell Helicopter Textron Canada. “BHTCL becomes the second major company in the Quebec aerospace sector to obtain this certification. This is exceptional in an industry where, more often, the language of use is English.”
BHTCL had set its sights on obtaining the OQLF certification for some years. In this regard, a number of initiatives and best language practices were implemented over time within the company, so that widespread use of French is advocated both in the plant and in the offices.
“Making French the normal and usual language of work is a collective effort, one that requires a strong commitment from everyone across the board,” said Vézina. “BHTCL showed a great deal of ingenuity and willingness to attain its francization objectives.”
This francization certification and Tuesday’s celebration reflect the commitment of BHTCL and its employees to maintain achievements and continuously improve the situation and the quality of French at work.
