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The Commissioner of Official Languages of Canada is an agent of Parliament whose duty is to promote Canada’s official languages and protect the language rights of Canadians. A critical component of the Commissioner’s job is to report to parliamentary committees in both the House of Commons and the Senate of Canada. The Commissioner of Official Languages also travels from coast to coast, participating in panel discussions, meeting key partners and delivering speeches on official languages to young Canadians, researchers, public service employees and community leaders. You will find many of his speeches here.
2019
Officially 50! A Conference Marking 50 Years of Linguistic Duality and Education in Canada - Youth component
Friday, November 22, 2019
I am delighted to be here with you this morning as we kick off the youth component of our summit. We have a busy day ahead of us! This conference marks half a century of the Official Languages Act, the evolution of linguistic duality and the advancement of education in both of Canada’s official...
Officially 50! A Conference Marking 50 Years of Linguistic Duality and Education in Canada
Thursday, November 21, 2019
I’m very happy to be a part of the Officially 50 conference, which marks half a century of the Official Languages Act, the evolution of linguistic duality and the advancement of education in both of Canada’s official languages
Notes for an address on Linguistic Duality Day and the 50th Anniversary of the Official Languages Act at Public Services and Procurement Canada
Monday, September 16, 2019
It is a real pleasure for me to speak here today and to celebrate Linguistic Duality Day with you. I would like to thank Public Services and Procurement Canada for this invitation.
Notes for an address at the 71st annual conference of the Institute of Public Administration of Canada
Tuesday, August 20, 2019
I am delighted to be a part of this panel and to discuss issues arising from the Official Languages Act, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. Many questions remain on this subject. For example, what does this mean for respect for language rights across the country in 2019? Has the...
Notes for an Address on the Occasion of the Rendez-vous du Réseau des villes francophones et francophiles d’Amérique
Thursday, August 15, 2019
It’s a great pleasure for me to speak today at the Rendez-vous des villes francophones et francophiles d'Amérique. I’m happy to be back in the Atlantic region, which I’m very fond of. It means a lot to me to celebrate Acadia's national holiday with you and attend this symposium today.
Notes for an Address on the Occasion of the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie
Monday, August 12, 2019
Today, I will be talking about the theme of the 50th anniversary of the Official Languages Act, and about linguistic duality and the cultural contributions of the Francophonie.
Notes for an address at the Round Table on French Immersion during the Annual General Meeting of the Société de l'Acadie du Nouveau-Brunswick
Saturday, June 15, 2019
Before I get to the subject of French immersion, which is the focus of this afternoon's discussions, I’d like to thank New Brunswick Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development Dominic Cardy, and my counterpart, Michel Carrier, Commissioner of Official Languages for New Brunswick, for...
Notes for an address at the annual general meeting of the Quebec Community Groups Network
Friday, June 14, 2019
As most of you know, I lived in Montréal 30‑odd years ago when I was a PhD student at McGill. As Commissioner of Official Languages, I have a mandate to ensure that official language minority communities not only survive, but thrive, and to oversee compliance with the Official Languages Act. I ...
Notes for an address to members of the Atlantic Federal Council
Thursday, June 13, 2019
This morning, I’ll be talking about the three priorities I set in my first year as Commissioner. First, I’ll be urging federal institutions to develop an understanding of the factors for success so that they can break down the barriers that are preventing the objectives of the Official Languages...
Notes for an address at the 4th Congress of the Réseau francophone de sociolinguistique
Thursday, June 13, 2019
Whether linguists, teachers, translators or researchers, we’re all language professionals, and I’m honoured to be here with you. I think the theme of this year’s congress is very apropos, considering what’s been happening lately. “Languages of value and the value of languages.” What are the...
Notes for an appearance before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Official Languages regarding the Annual Report and the Position Paper on the Modernization of the Official Languages Act
Thursday, May 30, 2019
I am here today to present my 2018–2019 annual report and my position paper on the modernization of the Official Languages Act.
Notes for an address at the 87th Congress of the Association francophone pour le savoir: Engaging the knowledge–societies dialogue
Wednesday, May 29, 2019
Allow me to start with some words of wisdom. Montesquieu once said, “A thing is not right because it’s law; it must be law because it’s right.” It is perfectly reasonable for English speaking Canadians and French speaking Canadians to work in their own language and according to their cultural...
Notes for an appearance before the Standing Senate Committee on Official Languages concerning the Annual Report and the Position Paper on the Modernization of the Official Languages Act
Monday, May 27, 2019
I am here today to present my 2018–2019 annual report and my position paper on the modernization of the Official Languages Act. Joining me today are my two assistant commissioners—Ghislaine Saikaley and Pierre Leduc—and my general counsel, Pascale Giguère.
Address for the Launch of the Annual Report and the Position Paper on the Modernization of the Official Languages Act
Thursday, May 09, 2019
Today marks the launch of my 2018–2019 annual report and my position paper on the modernization of the Official Languages Act. My goal in presenting these documents—both of which are vital to the modernization of the Act—is to influence the government’s decision-making process and to recommend how...
Notes for an address on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of New Brunswick’s Official Languages Act
Thursday, April 18, 2019
Those who know me know that I grew up in a Francophone community on the Prairies and that I’ve worked and lived in Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick. I therefore consider myself lucky to have been able to live the Canadian experience in a variety of ways, each with its own unique character and...
Notes for an appearance before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Official Languages regarding the 2019–2020 Main Estimates
Tuesday, April 02, 2019
I’m appearing before your committee to present the highlights of the Main Estimates for my office and to talk about a possible federal-provincial-territorial summit.
Address at the launch of the study on challenges in French-as-a-second-language education teacher supply and demand in Canada
Wednesday, February 13, 2019
I am delighted to be here with you today to present my Accessing Opportunity study, which looks at challenges in French-as-a-second-language (FSL) education teacher supply and demand in Canada.
Notes for an address at a round table hosted by Laurentian University’s Institut franco-ontarien
Friday, February 01, 2019
I’m very pleased to be taking part in this round table today and am honoured to be among such distinguished panel members. I would like to begin by acknowledging that we are in Robinson-Huron Treaty territory and the land on which we gather is the traditional territory of the Atikameksheng...
Notes for an address at an ICC community citizenship ceremony
Thursday, January 31, 2019
It is a great privilege for me to be standing here before you today. I was moved by your stories, and I am honoured to be part of such a solemn ceremony. Citizenship is an important bond that unites all Canadians. Our two official languages, English and French, are at the heart of who we are as...
