Modernize and reinforce the Official Languages Act. As part of these modernization efforts, you will protect CBC/Radio-Canada’s role in better reflecting Canada’s linguistic duality and minority language communities across the country
Message: As we modernize the Broadcasting Act and the Official Languages Act, we will consider how best to ensure that our national public broadcaster reflects official-language-minority communities.
Facts: The Broadcasting Act stipulates that the programming provided by CBC/Radio-Canada should reflect “the different needs and circumstances of each official language community, including the particular needs and circumstances of English and French linguistic minorities.” The Broadcasting Act also requires CBC/Radio-Canada to “have regard to the principles and purposes of the Official Languages Act” in planning any “extensions” of its broadcasting services.
Ensure that Air Canada provides fully bilingual services to its customers, and review and strengthen the powers of the Commissioner of Official Languages.
Message: Canadians expect that all federal institutions offer services to the public in the official language of their choice. This expectation also applies to Air Canada.
Facts: Following extensive consultations, the amended Regulations were registered on June 25, 2019. The 2019 Regulations include several substantial amendments, including one that ensures that airports and stations subject to the Official Languages Act that are located in provincial or territorial capitals, as well as the federal offices located at these airports, are automatically designated bilingual.
Undertake an enumeration of rights-holders and a thorough post-census survey to better account for and better serve minority language communities.
Message: The Government of Canada is committed to carrying out a post-censal survey of official language minority communities. The results of this survey will contribute to a data ecosystem that will enable the enumeration of rights-holders.
Facts: The Government of Canada has asked Statistics Canada proceed with a new post-censal survey on the vitality of OLMCs, based on the results of the 2021 Census. The Standing Committee on Official Languages also recommends that Statistics Canada put in place a consultative committee including representatives of OLMCs.
Enhance the vitality of minority language communities, protect their institutions and support and increase bilingualism across the country and within the Public Service
Message: On March 28, 2018, the Government of Canada unveiled its 2018-2023 Action Plan for Official Languages: Investing in Our Future (Action Plan). The Action Plan represents close to $500 million in new funds over five years, and focuses on three pillars: Strengthening our Communities ($267 million); Strengthening Access to Services ($129 million); and Promoting a Bilingual Canada ($100 million).
Facts: Other federal departments and agencies are partners of the Action Plan. These federal partners remain responsible for the implementation of their activities and for their reporting.
Second Official Language Programs
Work with the provinces and territories to ensure that all Canadians can access second Official Language programs, like immersion, in their local schools if they choose to do so, and make new investments to help train, recruit and attract teachers in both immersion and second Official Language programs.
Message: A new Protocol for agreements with the provinces and territories is now concluded and we will sign new bilateral agreements that include new targets set by the provinces and territories.
Facts: The Speech from the Throne presented on September 23, 2020, reaffirmed that the “defence of the rights of Francophone minorities outside Quebec, and the defence of the rights of the Anglophone minority within Quebec, are a priority for the Government.” The Protocol for Agreements for Minority-Language Education and Second-Language Instruction 2019-2020 to 2022-2023 between the Government of Canada (GoC) and the Provinces and Territories (P/T) was concluded in February 2020. This multilateral framework sets the key parameters for collaboration between the two orders of government on official languages in education, and provides a mechanism through which the GoC contributes to the costs incurred by the provinces and territories in the delivery of minority-language education and second-language instruction.
Promotion of the Official Languages
Based on new targets set by the provinces and territories, develop and promote new opportunities for language and cultural exchanges and invest in building infrastructure that supports strong Official Language minority communities, including schools and cultural centres.
Message: With the conclusion of the new agreements, the provinces and territories will have access to funding for infrastructure initiatives that support official language minority communities (including schools and cultural centres), and to funding for the recruitment and retention of teachers both for minority-language schools and immersion and second-language programs.
Facts: Pursuant to the bilateral education agreements, the Government of Canada provides 235.5 million dollars annually to provinces and territories. This includes 148.7 million dollars per year for education in the language of the minority and 86.8 million dollars for second-language instruction. To this amount, an additional 15 million dollars per year was set aside from 2019-2020 to 2022-2023 to increase support for minority-language education. This additional support, announced in Budget 2019, is conditional upon provinces and territories committing to improved consultation with stakeholders and transparency in reporting.
Université de l’Ontario français
Work with the province of Ontario to establish the Université de l’Ontario français.
Message: The governments of Canada and Ontario signed a historic funding agreement for the establishment of the Université de l’Ontario français on January 22, 2020. This new French-language postsecondary institution will enable more young Francophones in Ontario to study and thrive in their own language, in their own community. The Government of Canada will work with the Province of Ontario to ensure that the public funds committed to this project are used in an accountable and transparent way as we move forward.
Facts: In January 2019, Canadian Heritage entered into an agreement with the Université de l’Ontario français, as a non-profit organization, for 1.9 million dollars in funding for 2018-2020 to ensure that the team responsible for setting-up the institution could continue its work.
The Université de l’Ontario français submitted a funding request to the Government of Ontario totaling 126 million dollars over eight years (2019-2027) to establish the new post-secondary institution with the expectation that the governments of Canada and Ontario would invest 50/50 into the project.
For its part, the Université de l’Ontario français has committed to contributing 43 million dollars over eight years (2019-2027) to the project thanks to the income generated from students and other sources, bringing the total cost of the project to 169 million dollars over eight years.
The Mauril
Complete the launch of “Mauril”, the free, online, easy-to-use tool to help Canadians improve their Official Languages capacity.
Messages: In May 2019, we announced the creation of an online learning program called The Mauril, in tribute to the Honourable Mauril Bélanger, a strong advocate for official languages in Canada.
The Mauril, which is being developed by CBC/Radio-Canada, will be 100 percent Canadian. This new learning platform will provide access to a virtual learning environment, to material based on Canadian news from across the country, to Canadian cultural and artistic content, and to educational resources to advance from beginner to advanced levels. The Mauril will also offer stimulating teaching tools to develop the understanding and expression of English and French as a second language.
Facts: The Mauril will be available free of charge online or via mobile applications, and will be available to all Canadians starting in the fall of 2020.
French-Language Training for new Canadians
Continue to support French-language training for new Canadians, while respecting provincial jurisdiction and complementing existing measures.
Messages: A new Protocol for Agreements in education has been reached with the provinces and territories and we are working toward multi-year bilateral agreements that include new targets set by the province/territory.
Facts: The government of Canada is collaborating with p/t to support minority-language education and second-language instruction, while respecting areas of jurisdiction.
