Transition material 2021 — Minister of Official Languages

Table of Contents

A – Overview of the Department of Canadian Heritage

1. Overview of the Department of Canadian Heritage
2. Infographic
3. Legislative responsibilities under the Department of Canadian Heritage Act
4. Senior Management Biographies

B – Strategic Advice (Key Policy & Program Files)

Strategic Context

1. Canadian Heritage Strategic Overview
2. Liberal Party of Canada’s Electoral Platform Summary – PCH-Official Languages Perspective

Official Languages

3. Modernization of the Official Languages Act
4. Action Plan for Official Languages

Liberal Party of Canada’s Electoral Platform Summary – Canadian Heritage Perspective –Official Languages

Official Languages

• Propose an Act for the Substantive Equality of French and English and to Strengthen the Official Languages Act (first 100 days).
• Invest in education for children in both official languages.
• Support the maintenance and vitality of official language minority communities by helping build, renovate, and develop educational and community spaces that serve official language minority communities.
• Permanently increase funding for post-secondary institutions in OLMCs.
• Create a strategy to support entrepreneurs in official language minority communities to ensure their vitality through the Regional Development Agencies (RDAs).
• Protect the institutions of Quebec’s English-speaking community and support the creation of new organizations in support of this community through initiatives such as the Leadership Institute.
• Continue to support the Court Challenges Program by doubling the program’s funding and increase Canadians’ support for legal cases of national significance that clarify official languages rights and human rights.

Modernization of the Official Languages Act

A. Issue

• This briefing note is an update on the status of the Official Languages Act (OLA) modernization project.

B. Background and Current Status

• The first Official Languages Act (OLA), which dates from 1969, recognized two official languages for the Parliament and the Government of Canada. It ensured that Canadians could communicate with federal institutions in the official language of their choice. In 1988, following the 1982 adoption of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, a new OLA was adopted. This new OLA now incorporated the use of the official languages as languages of work and included a commitment by the Government of Canada to support the development of official language minority communities (OLMCs) and to foster the recognition and use of the two official languages in Canadian society. The OLA was updated in 2005 to create an obligation for federal institutions to take positive measures to implement the government’s commitment to supporting the development and enhancing the vitality of OLMCs and to promoting the use of the two official languages.
• The linguistic obligations of all federal institutions are enshrined in the OLA. These obligations relate to the duties in the provision of services to the public, language of work, equitable participation of English-speaking and French-speaking Canadians in the federal public service, support for OLMCs, and the promotion of the full recognition and use of English and French in Canadian society.
• In Part VII of the OLA, section 43 specifies the measures that the Minister of Canadian Heritage may take to fulfill its obligations. The current Act confers the responsibility to encourage federal institutions to coordinate the implementation of their obligations (under section 42) to take positive measures to advance English and French.
• The modernization project began with the Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages’ 2018 mandate letter, which set out the commitment to modernize and strengthen the OLA. The Minister first presented the public document on February 19, 2021, which outlined the Government of Canada’s vision and intentions for the Official Languages reform and the plan to modernize the OLA. On June 15, 2021, the Minister tabled Bill C-32 which amends the OLA and its related instruments.

Liberal Party Platform Commitment

• During the 2021 federal election campaign, the Liberal Party of Canada made this commitment to modernize the OLA:
  • Fully implement the legislative and administrative measures outlined in the reform document and work with OLMCs to introduce, within 100 days, the bill to achieve substantive equality of English and French and to strengthen the OLA.

C. Proposed Action and Rationale

• Bill C-32 sought to amend the preamble of the Act to recognize the linguistic dynamics in provinces and territories, and to acknowledge that they have their own linguistic regimes. It sought to recognize the predominant use of the English language in Canada and North America and the fact that the French language requires increased protection and promotion given this context. In this respect, it recognized that the Act’s purpose is to promote substantive equality between the two official languages and in the protection of OLMCs. The bill also proposed to recognize the important role of CBC/Radio-Canada in protecting and promoting official languages.
• Regarding the administration of justice, the modernization project proposed to include a bilingualism requirement for judges of the Supreme Court of Canada and to ensure simultaneous access in both languages to federal court decisions that are in the public interest or that set a precedent.
• The modernization project of the OLA proposed substantial structural changes to Part VII of the Act (promotion of English and French) to provide, among other things, that the Government and federal institutions may make more sustained commitments to strengthen official languages in Canada and support OLMCs. These revisions and amendments also sought to provide more clearly—and in a more prescriptive manner—examples of positive measures that the Government of Canada and its approximately 200 federal institutions can take to implement certain federal official languages commitments. More specific areas were mentioned as essential to the development and vitality of the country’s linguistic minorities, such as education, health, immigration, culture, justice, and the education continuum.
• Bill C-32 proposed amendments to the OLA to provide the Commissioner with new powers such as the following: permission to publish recommendations during an investigation, the ability to enter into binding agreements with federal institutions, and the ability to issue orders related to Part IV and V of the Act.
• Bill C-32 proposed entrusting the Minister of Canadian Heritage with the responsibility for horizontal coordination of federal official languages activities in order to ensure effective governance and implementation. Moreover, the bill would have strengthened and expanded the Treasury Board’s powers, notably the power to monitor compliance with Part VII of the Act and assume the role of a central body responsible for ensuring the compliance of federal institutions.
• The bill also proposed to subject private enterprises under federal jurisdiction to the OLA. It proposed to grant citizens the right to receive services and grant workers the right to carry out their activities in French in federally regulated private businesses (FRPB) established in Québec and in other regions of the country with a strong Francophone presence. Details around the application of this new part would be determined by regulations. The proposed modernization of the OLA divided oversight of these new responsibilities between the Commissioner of Official Languages and the Canada Industrial Relations Board, depending on whether the provisions were directed to Canadians or employees. FRPBs in Québec could also select to be subject to the Charter of the French Language.
• Stakeholders from Francophone minority communities welcomed the introduction of Bill C-32. However, they highlighted certain aspects of the bill that they would like to see amended. For example, the Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne (FCFA) would like a single central entity to be responsible for the overall coordination of the implementation of the OLA. They would also like the Commissioner of Official Languages to be given the power to issue monetary penalties, as well as the power to issue orders which would also be extended to Part VII of the OLA. The FCFA wants the principle of “positive measures” to be clarified in the wording of the Act, as well as certain Part VII interpretation principles.
• The Québec Community Groups Network (QCGN) considered Bill C-32’s legislative proposals as a threat to the rights of English-speaking Quebecers in that they would grant more protection to French than to English. QCGN opposes an asymmetric approach in the protection of OLMCs.
• Option 1: Bill C-32 can be used as a basis for the introduction of a new bill that would reiterate the provisions of Bill C-32. The use of Bill C-32 would therefore facilitate the fulfillment of this commitment and allow the Government to rely on existing mechanisms that allow it to reintroduce a bill within the 100 days.
• Option 2: It would also be possible for the Minister responsible for official languages to table an amended version of the bill. However, an amended version of Bill C-32 would risk compromising the commitment to table a bill within 100 days. The complexity, resources, and time spent on the steps leading to the introduction of a bill can vary considerably and depend on the operational capabilities of involved departments, political will, the priority of the initiative, and the extent of the proposed changes.

D. Strategic Considerations

GBA+ Considerations

• The Official Languages Act is a quasi-constitutional law that confers language rights on all Canadians. This includes Canadians whose first official language is French, and who live in Québec or in a minority language situation elsewhere in the country. It also includes English-speaking Canadians who live in a minority language situation in Québec or elsewhere in Canada. Furthermore, this includes First Nations, whose mother tongue may be an Indigenous language though they address the government in either of the two official languages, and Canadians born outside the country for whom English and French are second or third languages learned.
• Censuses show that the level and rate of bilingualism varies among English and French Canadians. This is equally true for men and women of all ages. The proposed modernization of the OLA aims to achieve substantive equality of official languages for all Canadians. Canadians have a positive view of bilingualism, especially young people. More than ever, English-speaking parents across the country want to enroll their children in French immersion classes.
• For regions with a strong Francophone presence outside Québec, the creation of new rights to support the enhancement of French, notably through new obligations regarding language of service and language of work in federally regulated private enterprises, could be perceived as a loss for Anglophone employees.
• Language communities have unique characteristics, and the comprehensive Gender-based Analysis Plus (GBA+) assessments of the Official Languages Branch of Canadian Heritage include the relevant disaggregated data to inform the development of multiple modernization options. The evolution of specific options to modernize and strengthen the OLA will allow for the ongoing evolution and refinement of the related GBA+.

FPT Considerations

• Provinces and territories generally welcome the modernization project and agree with its broad intent but have questions about certain implementation elements. In their correspondence, the provinces which responded to the publication of the public document (British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Québec, and Newfoundland and Labrador) are open to modernizing the Act and to the idea that more needs to be done to support official languages in Canada. They also presented issues of concern to them, unanimously stating that they expect respect for their constitutional jurisdictions and an investment by the federal government that is commensurate with its ambitions for this reform.
• The Québec Government was pleased to see the reform focus on greater support for the French language in its minority context in pursuit of real equality, all the while defending its “special responsibilities” to protect French in Québec and Canada and to protect its English-speaking minority communities. Québec thus put forward a position of defending its competencies, its “distinctiveness,” by mentioning issues such as support for OLMCs, federally regulated private businesses, and intergovernmental consultation.
• The Ontario Government welcomed the proposed reform, stating that it was likely to improve the lot of its Francophone minority communities, and emphasizing such elements as the “education continuum,” improved data collection, and its intention to modernize its own French Language Services Act. However, Ontario has cautioned that it does not want federal intervention to be an administrative burden on the province, while also calling for intergovernmental consultations.
• The strengthening of formal obligations under Part VII of the Act could therefore lead to discussions with provinces and territories on potential investments in areas that affect their jurisdictions.

International Considerations

• Modernization of the OLA contained measures relating to the promotion of French at the international level. Some stakeholders stressed the importance of cultural diplomacy with countries of the Francophonie for the vitality of official language communities in Canada.

Indigenous Peoples Considerations

• Although the Indigenous Languages Act and the OLA have different objectives, they are complementary and promote a Canada respectful of its origins. The OLA modernization project indicated that its provisions would not affect the status, maintenance, and strengthening of Indigenous languages.

Stakeholder Perspectives

• Negative reactions from Francophone stakeholders could arise if key elements of Bill C-32, or proposals made following its tabling, are not included. The Commissioner, for his part, wants the new government to table a bill as soon as possible. The Québec Community Groups Network (QCGN) saw Bill C-32’s legislative proposals as a threat to the rights of English-speaking Quebecers in that they would grant more protection to French than to English.
• Regarding the development of a part VII regulation, several key official languages stakeholders (FCFA, QCGN) have been advocating for several years the need to clarify the concept of positive measures through regulations. Stakeholders perceive the Gascon decision as weakening Part VII of the Act. The Commissioner of Official Languages has also raised the importance of clarifying and providing more precise application parameters to the concept of “positive measures,” calling for the development and implementation of regulations related to Part VII.

Urban, Rural and Regional Considerations

• Application of the OLA to FRPBs outside Québec in regions with a strong Francophone presence could receive less support in other Canadian provinces. FRPBs outside Québec may find it challenging to hire bilingual workers to meet new linguistic obligations.

Timing

• The timeline will depend on the extent to which the Government decides to reuse Bill C-32 or to amend it (i.e., 100 days if there are no changes; otherwise, it depends on the changes).
• The political announcement about the making of new regulations reinforcing Part VII could be made quickly within 100 days. This approach would allow to respond publicly to urgent needs identified by OLMCs and could be done either in parallel or independently from the modernization of the Act. According to the current regulatory process, new regulations could be published in Canada Gazette, Part II around two years after such an announcement.

Cost Implications

• The commitment concerning the powers of the Commissioner of Official Languages would have an impact on his operations, particularly the human resources capacity to continue to exercise his mandate of investigating complaints in addition to the new powers that would be granted to him. In addition, if FRPBs are made subject to the OLA, an increase in the capacity of the Commissioner of Official Languages to monitor implementation may be necessary. The increased responsibility of the Treasury Board in overseeing the application of the OLA would also have an impact on its ability to assume its new responsibilities. According to the schedule associated with the tabling of a bill, the next federal official languages strategy would be the designated opportunity to plan for this type of investment.

The Action Plan for Official Languages

A. Issue

• The Action Plan for Official Languages is a five-year government-wide strategy that serves as a showcase for existing and new flagship federal efforts to support the vitality of official language minority communities (OLMCs) and the promotion of official languages (OL). It represents significant federal investments, but not all federal actions in support of OL.
• The 2018–2023 Action Plan expires on March 31, 2023. Consultations for the next five-year strategy have been requested and are expected by stakeholders. These consultations are scheduled to begin in the winter of 2022, and they will inform the implementation of the next strategy, which is expected to be launched at the beginning of the 2023–2024 fiscal year.

B. Background and Current Status

• Since 2003, five-year strategies (Action plans or Roadmaps) have become the main vehicle through which the Government of Canada has deployed and implemented its strategies for the promotion of official languages and the protection and development of official language minority communities. These strategies respond to the quasi-constitutional obligations imposed on the government by the Official Languages Act.
• The Government of Canada relies on established programs, such as the Official Languages Support Programs (OLSP), with established collaboration with the provinces and territories, and well-structured networks of organizations and community partners, to deliver the funds and achieve the objectives targeted in its five-year plan.
• On March 28, 2018, the Government of Canada unveiled the Action Plan for Official Languages 2018–2023: Investing in Our Future (Action Plan). This government-wide Action Plan represents nearly $500 million in new funding over five years, which is in addition to ongoing program funding, including those under the 2013–2018 Roadmap, for an unprecedented total investment of $2.7 billion over five years. The funding is focused on three components: Strengthening Our Communities ($267 million), Strengthening Access to Services ($129 million), and Promoting a Bilingual Canada ($100 million). The implementation of these investments is underway.
  • The federal partners in the government-wide Action Plan, in addition to the Department of Canadian Heritage, are as follows: the Canada Council for the Arts, Employment and Social Development Canada, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, Justice Canada, the National Research Council of Canada, Public Services and Procurement Canada, Health Canada, the Public Health Agency of Canada, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, and Statistics Canada.
• Canadian Heritage recently conducted a mid-term review exercise of the Action Plan, the results of which will be disseminated through a report. An evaluation of the Action Plan is also underway.
• The 2018–2023 Action Plan directs investments for the Department of Canadian Heritage primarily in the community sector. Provinces and territories have called for an increase in the envelopes to support minority language education and second language learning, as well as the provision of provincial government services. As education is a provincial/territorial jurisdiction, the vast majority of the Government of Canada’s investments in education are negotiated with the provinces and territories through a multilateral Protocol for Agreement, in collaboration with the Council of Ministers of Education Canada (CMEC). The Protocol is concluded in parallel with the development of the Action Plan.
• As part of the Budget 2021 announcements, Canadian Heritage was awarded $383.5 million over three years (starting in 2021–2022) to implement three initiatives in support of the vitality of official language minority communities (OLMCs) and bilingualism: $180.4 million over three years to support second language learning; $121.3 million over three years to support high-quality minority-language post-secondary education; and $81.8 million over two years to support the construction, renovation, and expansion of educational and community spaces in official language minority communities. These initiatives will be implemented through existing components of the OLSPs. Rapid implementation is required to ensure the planned activities and supports are carried out in the current fiscal year.
• As part of the 2019 Budget, Canadian Heritage also secured $60 million over four years (starting in 2019–2020) to increase support for minority-language education in Canada. The funds were distributed among provincial and territorial governments through bilateral education agreements.
• Relevant commitments from the Liberal Party of Canada (LPC) platform that relate to the Action Plan:
  • Increase funding for post-secondary institutions in official language minority communities to $80 million per year. This permanent funding will be used to protect public post-secondary institutions from restructuring.
  • Invest $120 million to ensure that federal funding is sustainable and directed towards improving access to French immersion and French second-language programs across the country. In addition, the party proposes to protect the institutions of Quebec’s English-speaking community and encourage the creation of new organizations in support of this community.

C. Proposed Action and Rationale

The Action Plan for Official Languages and the Protocol of Agreement on Education expire in 2022–2023. The following actions are proposed to fulfill the current commitments and to begin planning for the next cycle of the federal strategy and the Memorandum of Understanding on Education:

• Implement new investments announced in Budget 2021.
  • The Department has secured new funding for grants and contributions in support of official languages in education starting in 2021–2022. Funds planned for this year must be committed by March 31, 2022. Although calls for projects for most funds were launched in the summer of 2021, decisions on a portion of the funds will need to be made quickly.
  • The Department must negotiate with the provinces and territories for the distribution of funds to support second-language learning before winter 2021, to ensure that agreements are reached.
  • The Department also proposes to launch a targeted call for proposals, as soon as possible, to support initiatives by not-for-profit organizations to support post-secondary education in the minority language.
• Conduct national consultations to inform the next federal strategy.
  • The Government of Canada plays a leading role in the promotion of English and French and in the vitality of official language minority communities. Despite the success of government actions over the past 50 years, there are concerning trends: a decline in the relative weight of Francophones in Canada, particularly outside Quebec, and a stagnation in the bilingualism rate of Anglophones outside Quebec. Overall, there has been a weakening of the French language, which justifies its increased protection and promotion.
  • The Department proposes to conduct national consultations in 2022 for the next federal strategy, adapted to the evolving context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Conduct parallel consultations in education.
  • Education is a key sector for the vitality and sustainability of official language minorities (education in the minority official language) and for the promotion of French and English-French bilingualism. Since education is a provincial responsibility, the Government of Canada has supported the provinces and territories for over 50 years in providing official language minority education in their own language, and in providing opportunities for all to learn English and French as a second official language, through periodic bilateral agreements.
  • These agreements are framed by a Protocol of Agreement on Minority-Language Education and Second-Language Instruction between the Government of Canada and the provincial and territorial governments, in collaboration with the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada. The Protocol establishes the main principles of federal-provincial/territorial cooperation in education and is the primary mechanism for supporting official languages in education.
  • The current Protocol (to which Quebec is not a signatory) expires in 2022–2023 and foresees that the negotiations for the next Protocol will begin no later than March 31, 2022. The department proposes to begin consultations with provinces and territories and key education stakeholders in a timely manner to establish the Government of Canada’s priorities. This proposed approach will run parallel to the development of the Government of Canada’s next five-year strategy for 2023–2028.
• Develop the next federal strategy, in collaboration with federal partners.
  • Based on the needs of Canadians and communities, as expressed through the consultations, and the Government’s priorities, the department proposes to work with partner federal institutions to develop the next federal strategy.
  • This next strategy could allow, among other things, the Government of Canada to continue to address concerning demographic trends, and to put in place measures to respond to the weakening of the French language.
  • Depending on the Government’s priorities and directions, the next federal strategy would be the designated opportunity for the implementation of a modernized Official Languages Act, if appropriate. The administrative measures proposed in the reform document, English and French: Towards Substantive Equality of Official Languages in Canada, could be integrated into the next federal strategy.

D. Strategic Considerations

GBA+ Considerations

• In order for official language communities to flourish in the years to come, official language communities, institutions, community spaces, and services must be inclusive, welcoming and responsive to the needs of community members, including those belonging to historically excluded groups such as racialized persons, newcomers and Indigenous people. In addition, all Canadians, in all their diversity, must be able to communicate in their official languages and have access to opportunities to learn their second official language.
• Canadian Heritage has recently completed an updated Gender-based Plus Analysis (GBA+) for official languages. This analysis served as the basis for the considerations presented below.
• In Canada, women represent 51% of the population; the percentages of women are very similar for Anglophones and Francophones. In the Francophone population outside Quebec, women represent 51% of the population, while in the English-speaking population in Quebec, they represent 50% of the population. The situation is different in the population that speaks neither English nor French. Although it represents less than 2% of the population of Canada, women are over-represented in this population (59%).
• Regarding knowledge of both official languages, there is almost no difference between rates of bilingualism for women and for men at the national level (approximately 18%). However, these rates can vary significantly depending on other socio-demographic variables. Among the language groups, the highest rates of bilingualism are found in Francophone communities outside Quebec (89%), followed by English-speaking communities in Quebec (66%), the Francophone majority in Quebec (42%) and, finally, Anglophone majorities outside Quebec (7%). In the Francophone majority in Quebec, the rate of bilingualism for men (45%) is higher than the rate for women (39%), while in the English-speaking majority in the rest of Canada, the rate for women (8%) is higher than the rate for men (6%). In terms of age, young adults are much more likely to be able to conduct a conversation in both official languages than older Canadians. In addition, immigrants and members of visible minorities are less likely than the Canadian-born population and people who are not members of visible minorities, respectively, to be able to conduct a conversation in both official languages.
• Certain demographic characteristics distinguish Francophone communities outside Quebec from the majority English-speaking population. For example, Francophone communities outside Quebec have a larger proportion of seniors aged 65 and over (39% versus 31%); a smaller proportion of children under 15 years old (13% versus 17%); a smaller proportion of immigrants (13% versus 24%); a smaller proportion of members of visible minorities (12% versus 24%); a larger proportion of people without a certificate or diploma (20% versus 17%); a lower labour force participation rate (63% versus 67%); and a larger proportion of people living in rural or small communities (27% versus 16%).
• Certain characteristics distinguish English-speaking communities in Quebec from the majority Francophone population. For example, English-speaking communities in Quebec have a smaller proportion of children under 15 years old (15% versus 17%); a smaller proportion of seniors aged 65 and over (28% versus 31%); a larger proportion of immigrants (33% versus 10%); a larger proportion of members of visible minorities (30% versus 10%); a larger proportion of people who self-identify as Indigenous (4% versus 2%); a smaller proportion of people without a certificate or diploma (16% versus 20%); and a larger proportion of unemployed people (9% versus 7%).
• The development of the next federal strategy will integrate GBA+ considerations, as well as considerations based on accessibility, diversity and inclusion.

FPT Considerations

• Some measures in the 2018–2023 Action Plan fall under provincial/territorial or shared jurisdiction. Provinces and territories, including Quebec, had the opportunity to present their perspectives as part of the 2016 consultations. Action Plan measures in areas of provincial/territorial jurisdiction are achieved through Government of Canada funding to provinces and territories or through ongoing collaboration between levels of government.
  • Provincial and territorial governments were dissatisfied that the 2018–2023 Action Plan directs its investments primarily to communities and Canadians, calling for additional funding for their bilateral agreements on minority-language education and services.
  • In the area of French-language services, funding to provincial governments has not been indexed for over 30 years. The needs have been particularly pressing in the health and public safety sectors due to the ongoing pandemic.
• For the next federal strategy, we can anticipate that provincial and territorial expectations will be high, and that they will be sensitive to the decisions made by the Government regarding the modernization of the Official Languages Act.
• In addition, the new five-year strategy presents an opportunity to reframe the dialogue about the two linguistic communities, minority and majority, by reassessing the public discourse on communities, with a greater focus on inclusion and coming together. In other words, by referring more to the two major linguistic communities, rather than to official language minorities in/outside Quebec, the Government will be able to build a better sense of belonging to the Canadian Francophonie among Quebec’s Francophone population (which struggles to situate itself in the minority-majority discourse).
• The Government of Quebec claims an asymmetrical relationship with the Government of Canada. For any support from the Government of Canada to the provinces and territories, Quebec asks for unconditional support equivalent to its proportion of the population (23%).

International Considerations

• The Action Plan reflects Canada’s approach to official languages, institutional bilingualism and the development of official language minority communities. As such, it provides an opportunity for the Government to present to the international community a concrete example of the implementation of its vision based on inclusion, diversity and social cohesion.

Indigenous Peoples Considerations

• In the event that an activity is implemented in an area where a modern treaty applies, the Government of Canada will work with the signatory parties to ensure that the program is delivered in a manner that respects areas under the jurisdiction of the treaty, in accordance with Indigenous and treaty rights, the Legal Duty to Consult with the Crown and the Duty to Consult Indigenous Peoples, the implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and the implementation of the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada.

Stakeholder Perspectives

• The development of the 2018–2023 Action Plan was based on cross-country consultations, which included 22 roundtables across the country (350 participants), an online questionnaire (6,375 respondents), meetings with key stakeholders, and exchanges with provincial and territorial governments.
• The implementation of the Action Plan was supported by an unprecedented collaboration with stakeholders from the community and other levels of government. From June 2018 to March 2019, several dialogue sessions were held to establish the parameters for the implementation of about a dozen measures of the Action Plan. The “by and for” approach was central to the discussions during these work sessions. The approach was recognized by key stakeholders as a best practice.
• The implementation of the Action Plan is one of the three priority areas of intervention that the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages will focus on between now and 2025.

Urban/Rural and Regional Considerations

• Some initiatives are direct responses to the concerns of rural, regional, remote and northern populations. Other initiatives consider the needs of rural communities in their implementation.

Cost Implications

• By comparison, the consultations of the last Action Plan were conducted in 2016 at a total cost of nearly $320,000. Canadian Heritage anticipates that, despite the current pandemic and the hybrid format (face-to-face and virtual), that some consultations will take, the estimated cost for the next five-year strategy is $400,000, particularly due to additional technological and logistical resources (planning, organization, virtual moderation and interpretation, travel expenses) that may be required.
• In terms of the anticipated amount of funding to implement a future federal strategy, in addition to the funds for ongoing programs, the total budget of the 2018–2023 Action Plan included nearly $500 million in new funding, for a total investment of $2.7 billion. Through the mid-term review of the Action Plan, Official Language communities and organizations expressed the desire to see the funding of the 2018–2023 Action Plan become permanent. Therefore, if the Government wishes to maintain at least the current level of funding for official languages and continue with the planned reforms to Canada’s language regime as a whole, it is plausible that the next strategy will cost about $3 billion.