Meeting of the Ministers’ Council on the Canadian Francophonie: Minister Petitpas Taylor commends collaboration with the provinces and territories in protecting and promoting French

VANCOUVER, July 7, 2023

The past year has been an exceptional one for official languages, marked by historic milestones and significant advances in promoting and preserving English and French in Canada. One of the key factors in this success has been collaboration with the provinces and territories, which is crucial to achieving lasting results.

The Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Official Languages and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, took advantage of the annual meeting of the Ministers’ Council on the Canadian Francophonie to reiterate the importance of strengthened intergovernmental cooperation; to discuss the significant progress made possible by the modernized Official Languages Act with her counterparts; and to inform them of the historic investments of the Action Plan for Official Languages 2023–2028: Protection – Promotion – Collaboration.

Adoption of Bill C‑13: A historic step

Minister Petitpas Taylor highlighted that the modernization of the Official Languages Act, adopted on June 20, strengthens the language rights of Canadians and consolidates the federal government’s commitment to official languages, particularly the protection of French. She also pointed out that closer cooperation with the provinces and territories in implementing this strengthened Act will make it possible to promote the Canadian Francophonie across the country and provide greater support for government services in sectors that are essential to the vitality of official-language minority communities, particularly in the fields of health, employment, immigration, culture and education.

Francophone immigration

Another subject of discussion was the importance of Francophone immigration for French-language minority communities. The Minister pointed out that, thanks to the adoption of Bill C-13, a federal policy on Francophone immigration will be implemented to help maintain and increase the demographic weight of these communities. She reiterated the importance of working together at the national level to offset the current demographic downtown.

Unveiling of the Action Plan for Official Languages 2023–2028

Another major achievement in recent months was the launch on April 26 of the Action Plan for Official Languages 2023–2028: Protection – Promotion – Collaboration. The result of close collaboration with provincial and territorial governments, as well as with numerous stakeholders across the country, this strategic plan and the related investments will make it possible to implement concrete measures to strengthen the use of English and French in Canadian society and support an educational continuum from an employability perspective, in order to alleviate the labour shortage and encourage the recruitment and retention of French teachers. Major investments are planned in the areas of education, culture, Francophone immigration, and justice. The Action Plan reflects the government’s firm commitment to the vitality of Canada’s official languages.

This intergovernmental collaboration is part of a renewed commitment, through modernized legislation and additional resources, to take positive measures to support the vitality of official-language minority communities and the promotion of both official languages in Canadian society.