Since 1867
Official Languages in Canada
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 result(s)
1877
An amendment to the Northwest Territories Act gives English and French equal status in the Legislative Assembly and before the courts
This means that English and French are on equal footing.
1891
In the Northwest Territories, the territorial legislature is empowered to regulate its proceedings
It promptly discards the official use of French.
1892
English becomes the sole official language of the Northwest Territories
An ordinance and a resolution make English the only language permitted in schools and in the legislative assembly.
February 3, 1898
Alberta’s first weekly French-language newspaper is published
The four-page L’Ouest canadien features local and provincial news on pages 2 and 3.
1905
The Saskatchewan Act and the Alberta Act allow the limited use of French as a language of public instruction
Francophones of various origins settle in the newly created province of Saskatchewan, establishing numerous small villages.
September 1, 1905
Alberta and Saskatchewan join Confederation
Alberta becomes a province due in large part to the efforts of Sir Frederick William Alpin Gordon Haultain, a lawyer and member of the Council of the Northwest Territories and the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories.
1908
The Juniorat Saint-Jean is founded in Pincher Creek
The Juniorat Saint-Jean in Pincher Creek, Alberta, is a school run by Oblate priests for young men studying theology in French.
December 13, 1925
The Association canadienne-française de l’Alberta is founded
More than 400 people from all over Alberta lay the foundation for a new association.
October 22, 1926
The first meeting of the secret society of the Commandeurs de l’Ordre de Jacques-Cartier is held in Ontario
The society is a reflection of a certain amount of frustration among French Canadians who feel that their rights are being ignored.
1935
Franco-Albertans establish the Association des commissaires d’écoles de langue française de l’Alberta
The Association des commissaires d’écoles de langue française de l’Alberta elect Joseph-Oreux Pilon, a businessman involved in the community, as its first president.
1964
The Alberta School Act is amended
The amendment permits at least one hour of French instruction a day.
1977
The Alberta branch of Canadian Parents for French is founded
It is one of the first three provincial branches of the Canadian Parents for French network.
1977
The Collège universitaire Saint-Jean becomes a faculty at the University of Alberta
After decades as an independent post-secondary educational institution, Collège Saint-Jean is granted faculty status at the University of Alberta.
1982
An Alberta winter festival celebrates French-Canadian culture and tradition
The Carnaval de St-Isidore is a unique opportunity for English- and French-speaking residents and visitors to celebrate Franco-Albertan culture.
March 6, 1982
The Franco-Albertan flag flies for the first time
Jean-Pierre Grenier wins the design competition organized by Francophonie jeunesse de l’Alberta.
1989
The Fête franco-albertaine makes its debut
It starts with a group of young Francophones who organize a family camping trip.
1990
The Supreme Court of Canada ruling in the Mahe case recognizes the right of parents belonging to the linguistic minority to manage their own educational institutions, where numbers warrant
The Court stipulates that section 23 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms was “designed to correct, on a national scale, the progressive erosion of minority official language groups” and to “remedy past injustices.”
1993
Franco-Albertans regain control of their schools
Alberta’s School Act is amended to recognize the right of Francophones to manage their own schools.
1999
Alberta creates the Francophone Secretariat
The provincial government creates the Secretariat in recognition of its French-speaking citizens and its commitment to them.
2003
A French language health services network takes root in Alberta
Through an agreement with the Association canadienne-française de l’Alberta, Alberta’s Francophone community gives the Réseau santé albertain a mandate to develop the delivery of French language health services in the province.
June 28, 2007
L’empreinte francophone is unveiled in Alberta
The monument is created in honour of Franco-Albertans.
2015
The Federal Court examines the reasonableness of the measures taken by the Canada Revenue Agency in relation to language of work
The Federal Court determined that the right of members of the public to communicate with and receive services from the Canada Revenue Agency in their preferred official language takes precedence over the constitutional language-of-work rights of employees of that institution—in this case, Luc Tailleur.
2015
The Supreme Court of Canada upholds the validity of Alberta’s unilingual statutes
The Supreme Court of Canada upheld the constitutionality of the Languages Act of 2000, which provides that Alberta laws may be enacted in English only.
2017
The Government of Alberta adopts its French Policy
After years of lobbying by the Franco-Albertan community, the provincial government establishes a policy that recognizes Alberta’s French-speaking population.