The Official Languages Act requires the Government of Canada to advance English and French in Canadian society.
Commitments
For example, when designing programs and services or implementing agreements, each federal institution must take positive measures to fulfill the following commitments to:
- enhance the vitality of the English and French linguistic minority communities in Canada and to support and assist their development;
- foster the full recognition and use of both English and French in Canadian society;
- protect and promote the French language, taking into account that it is in a minority situation in Canada and North America; and
- advance opportunities for members of English and French linguistic minority communities to pursue quality learning in their own language throughout their lives, including from early childhood through to post-secondary education.
Positive measures
Positive measures taken by federal institutions must:
- be concrete;
- be taken with the intention of helping to fulfill the above commitments;
- respect the need to protect and promote French in each province and territory, taking into account that French is in a minority situation in Canada and North America because of the predominant use of English;
- respect the need to consider the specific needs of both official language communities, taking into account their equal importance in Canada.
Examples of positive measures:
- Promote and support the learning of English and French in Canada
- Foster an acceptance and appreciation of English and French among members of the public
- Encourage and assist organizations and institutions to project and promote Canada’s bilingual character in their activities in Canada and elsewhere
- Restore and increase the demographic weight of French linguistic minority communities
- Support the creation and dissemination of information in French that contributes to the advancement of scientific knowledge in any discipline
- Support sectors that are essential to enhancing the vitality of official language minority communities, including:
- culture;
- education (from early childhood to post-secondary education);
- health;
- justice;
- employment; and
- immigration.
Federal institutions must also establish mechanisms to evaluate and monitor the implementation of their positive measures.
Other elements for the advancement of English and French
The federal government has additional commitments and obligations, including in the following areas:
- Francophone immigration
- The use of both official languages in the conduct of Canada’s external affairs
- Estimating the number of children whose parents have the right to have them educated in the official language of the linguistic minority