Carl Bouchard will occupy the position of French Language Services Commissioner of Ontario “permanently,” the Ontario Ombudsman announced Monday. He has held this position on an interim basis since March 2023, replacing Kelly Burke.
The native Quebecer has “in-depth knowledge of the French Language Services Act and demonstrates great dedication to the Franco-Ontarian community,” declared ombudsman Paul Dubé in a press release. According to him, the “ solid experience” of Mr. Bouchard qualifies him “uniquely for this position”.
The federal Minister of Official Languages, Randy Boissonnault, and the Commissioner of Official Languages of Canada, Raymond Théberge, congratulated Mr. Bouchard on X.
The former director of policies at the Ministry of Francophone Affairs must present his first annual report and his recommendations to the provincial government on Thursday morning. In particular, he should follow up on the recommendations made by his team as part of an investigation into cuts to French-speaking programs at Laurentian University.
In March 2022, Kelly Burke determined that the establishment had violated the French Language Services Act by slashing French-language programs and that the Ministry of Francophone Affairs had failed in its role in enforcing the law.
Mr. Bouchard also opened an investigation “into the lack of French in outdoor advertising in the province.”
Since his interim appointment, the former journalist has worked to “raise awareness throughout the province on various aspects of the Ontario Francophonie” to improve services. It also worked to popularize its services, in order to encourage Franco-Ontarians to file complaints.
In 2019, the French Language Services Commissioner was transferred to the Office of the Ombudsman. A change which, according to several French-speaking associations, caused it to lose its independence.
In March 2023, the sudden departure of Kelly Burke was another blow to the reputation of the profession. The surprise resignation of the trained lawyer, whose work was praised by several Franco-Ontarians, remains unexplained nine months after the event.
This report is supported by the Local Journalism Initiative, funded by the Government of Canada.