Official Languages Commissioner Raymond Théberge would like the President of the Treasury Board, Anita Anand, to publish her regulations on Part VII of the Act “sooner rather than later”, in a context where “full respect for linguistic rights and obligations is overdue in several respects.
Several federal institutions “do not take their linguistic obligations seriously”, almost a year after the adoption of the new Official Languages Act, deplores Mr. Théberge, in his report for the year 2023-2024.
According to him, the Treasury Secretariat and the Department of Canadian Heritage have a role to play “in monitoring and promoting Part VII of the Act among federal institutions.” It also recommends “to all deputy ministers and general administrators of the federal public service” to put in place a “plan to achieve full implementation” of this part of the text of the Act, and this, here on May 31, 2025.
Mr. Théberge also recommends that the Minister of Canadian Heritage create “indicators” by June 2026 to evaluate the application of the Act. The new version of the legislative text provides that the ministry “conducts a review of the provisions and application of the Act every 10 years from the perspective of the development of French-speaking and English-speaking minorities and the protection and promotion of French in Canada.
In its 2024-2025 budget, presented in April, Ottawa reserved $26 million to “support the implementation” of the new Official Languages Act. These funds will be paid from 2024 to 2029 to the Department of Canadian Heritage, the Treasury Board Secretariat and the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages.
More details will follow.
This report is supported by the Local Journalism Initiative, funded by the Government of Canada.
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