Regulations for Advancing the Equality of Status and Use of English and French (Part VII Regulations)
The modernized Official Languages Act confers certain powers on the Treasury Board of Canada (TB), such as the authority to make regulations for the application of Part VII of the act, in consultation with the Minister of Canadian Heritage.
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What are the Part VII regulations?
The Part VII regulations will specify how federal institutions will fulfill their obligations in order to advance the equality of status and use of English and French in Canadian society, and to meet the commitments of the Government of Canada.
The process
The process for developing regulations involves a series of prescribed steps.
Stage 1: Statutory pre-consultations and consultations
- The Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS) conducts pre-consultations with federal institutions and stakeholders in order to draft regulatory proposals.
- Consultations with English- and French-speaking minority communities are then held on the regulatory proposals that have been developed.
Stage 2: Parliamentary process and consultations
- Submission of draft regulations to Treasury Board
- Tabling of draft regulations in the House of Commons at least 30 days before publication in the Canada Gazette (only sitting days of the House of Commons are taken into account).
- Publication of draft regulations in the Canada Gazette at least 30 days before the regulations are due to come into force (only days on which both Houses of Parliament are sitting are taken into account).
- Statutory consultations with stakeholders and the general public
- Analysis of feedback received
Stage 3: Approval and publication of final regulations
- Drafting of final regulations by the Department of Justice Canada
- Approval of final regulations by Governor in Council and coming into force of regulations
- Publication of approved regulations
Roles and responsibilities
The work is carried out in consultation with federal institutions and stakeholders, in order to fully understand their needs.
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Federal partner institutions
- Canadian Heritage
- Department of Justice Canada
- Federal partner institutions of the Action Plan for Official Languages 2023–2028: Protection-Promotion-Collaboration
- Persons responsible for the implementation of section 41 (Part VII)
Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages
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Community stakeholders
- Organizations representing Francophone minority communities:
- Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne (FCFA)
- Assemblée communautaire fransaskoise
- Association canadienne-française de l’Alberta
- Association des francophones du Nunavut
- Assemblée de la francophonie de l’Ontario
- Association franco-yukonnaise
- Fédération acadienne de la Nouvelle-Écosse
- Fédération des francophones de la Colombie-Britannique
- Fédération franco-ténoise
- Fédération des francophones de Terre-Neuve et du Labrador
- Société de l’Acadie du Nouveau-Brunswick
- Société de la francophonie manitobaine
- Société acadienne et francophone de l’Île-du-Prince-Édouard
- Alliance des femmes de la francophonie canadienne (AFFC)
- Commission nationale des parents francophones (CNPF)
- Fédération des associations de juristes d’expression française de common law
- Fédération culturelle canadienne-française (FCCF)
- Fédération des aînées et aînés francophones du Canada (FAAFC)
- Fédération de la jeunesse canadienne-française (FCJF)
- Association des collèges et universités de la francophonie canadienne (ACUFC)
- Réseau pour le développement de l’alphabétisme et des compétences
- Société santé en français
- Réseau de développement économique et d’employabilité
- Organizations representing English-speaking communities in Quebec:
- Quebec Community Groups Network (QCGN)
- Townshippers Association
- Community Health and Social Services Network (CHSSN)
- Regional Development Network (RDN)
- Consortium of English-language CEGEPs, Colleges and Universities of Quebec
- English Language Arts Network (ELAN)
- English-speaking Catholic Council (ESCC)
- English Parents' Committee Association (EPCA)
- Provincial Employment Roundtable (PERT)
- Quebec English Schoolboards Association (QESBA)
- Quebec Federation of Home and School Associations (QFHSA)
- Seniors Action Quebec
- YES Montreal
- Coasters Association
- Voice of English-speaking Québec (VEQ)
- Black Community Resource Centre (BCRC)
- Community Economic Development and Employability Corporation (CEDEC)
- Organizations whose mandate supports the equal status and use of both official languages:
- Canadian Parents for French (CPF)
- French for the Future
- Canadian Association of Second Language Teachers
- Canadian Association of Immersion Professionals
- Canadian Foundation for Cross-Cultural Dialogue
- Organizations representing Francophone minority communities:
Important milestones
TBS, in collaboration with multiple partners and stakeholders, works to establish regulations for the application of Part VII of the Official Languages Act.
Fall 2023–Winter 2024
- Stakeholder mobilization
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