Language selection

Government of Canada / Gouvernement du Canada

Search

Official Language Minority Communities

The LAC Official Language Minority Communities Network (OLMC) brings together documentary heritage organizations from official language minority communities across the country. The network aims to promote the growth and development of documentary heritage within these communities; facilitate exchanges and collaboration between member organizations, LAC, and interested parties; and strengthen the capacity of these organizations by facilitating the sharing of expertise and the promotion of their activities.

On this page

About the network

The Official Languages Act requires federal departments and government organizations to support the full recognition and use of English and French in Canadian society, notably by adopting positive measures that promote the vitality and development of OLMCs.

In 2019, to better meet this requirement and to strengthen its commitment to documentary heritage organizations from OLMCs, LAC established two networks: the OLMC Archival Network and the OLMC Library Network.

These two networks have enabled LAC to consult with key players in the documentary heritage sector, foster exchanges between various stakeholders, and develop collaborative projects. In addition to organizing regular meetings and workshops on targeted themes, LAC helped members access training and mentoring. Through these networks, LAC contributed to creating the synergy needed for greater collaboration.

A newsletter compiling activities related to documentary heritage in OLMCs was shared with OLMC members and supporters for several years. Research in this field was also conducted by LAC with network members. These studies led to the development of the concept of “memory vitality”Footnote 1 as a conceptual foundation, as well as to the creation of provincial and territorial measures addressing official languages in Canadian libraries.

In May 2021, LAC organized a national online conference on the role and challenges of archives and libraries serving OLMCs. These discussions led to the publication of Bibliothèques et archives dans les communautés de langue officielle en situation minoritaire : enjeux et devenir (available in French only), on November 6, 2025. Edited by Alain Roy, Lucie Hotte, Hélène Carrier, and Linda Savoie, the book brings together contributions from several experts and specialists. Published by the University of Ottawa Press, it is available online thanks to the support of the University of Ottawa Library.

In 2025, the two networks were merged to create the LAC OLMC Network.

Meeting summaries

Two virtual meetings are held each year, in the spring and in the fall.

Fall 2025
  • Information sharing about activities related to OLMCs, including the publication of the mid-term assessment by the Commissioner of Official Languages (2023–2028 Action Plan) and the launch of Bibliothèques et archives dans les communautés de langue officielle en situation minoritaire : enjeux et devenir (available in French only), published by the University of Ottawa Press.
  • Presentations on UNESCO’s Memory of the World Program, on LAC’s public programming activities, and on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to accelerate access to handwritten content at LAC. These presentations were followed by a discussion on opportunities to showcase the documentary heritage of OLMCs, as well as another discussion on collaboration and learning opportunities in AI.
Spring 2025
  • The spring 2025 meeting was an opportunity to reconnect with members and discuss restructuring the network to foster collaboration and communication. Topics included the creation of communities of interest, new communication tools, and ways to strengthen collaboration.
  • Both LAC and members had the chance to provide updates on their activities. LAC presented the latest developments in its digital transformation, the upcoming opening of the shared Ādisōke building, and recent additions to its collections.
  • Members shared feedback on the spring 2025 roundtables “Donner la parole aux archives de la Francophonie,” organized by BAnQ. LAC introduced its renewed acquisition strategy, which promotes a proactive approach focused on diversity, reconciliation, and representativeness, including that of OLMCs. LAC also introduced the draft Regulation on Progress Toward Equal Status and Use of French and English (Part VII) of the Official Languages Act. Finally, the Quebec English-Speaking Communities Research Network at Concordia University presented its project People’s History of English-Speaking Quebec, which aims to document and promote the history of Quebec’s English-speaking communities.

Members

The OLMC network is made up of representatives from documentary heritage organizations (libraries, archives, historical societies, etc.) that are part of official language minority communities across Canada. Meetings are chaired by LAC's official languages champion. The Secretariat manages the network’s activities and communications.

Alberta

British Columbia

Manitoba

New Brunswick

Nova Scotia

Ontario

Quebec

Saskatchewan

Yukon

Contact us

For more information, please contact the LAC OLMC Network Secretariat at closm-olmc@bac-lac.gc.ca.

Page details

2026-01-28