Official Languages Administrative Monetary Penalties Regulations

If you operate Air Canada, VIA Rail Canada, Marine Atlantic, or one of the 21 designated airport authorities, you could now face financial penalties — not just recommendations — if your customers can't get service in the official language of their choice. Penalties range up to $25,000 for violations involving contracted-out services, and up to $50,000 for most other bilingual service failures, with a mandatory minimum of $5,000 for health- and safety-related language violations. Smaller organizations with fewer than 100 employees will face lower penalties than larger ones, and factors like how long a violation lasted, how many passengers were affected, and whether you tried to fix the problem will influence the final amount. Businesses already meeting their bilingual service obligations face no new costs — these penalties only kick in after a complaint is investigated, a compliance agreement is refused, and the Commissioner decides a penalty is necessary as a last resort.