Investing in Our Future: A report on Canada’s official language commitments 

OCOL of Canada Twitter account

Canada’s Commissioner of Official Languages Raymond Théberge has released a new report on Canada’s implementation of the Action Plan for Official Languages 2018-2023: Investing in Our Future

The report was informed by meetings with 130 stakeholders, including 5 federal institutions: Canadian Heritage; Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada; the Public Health Agency of Canada; Employment and Social Development Canada; and the Department of Justice Canada. Théberge and his office focused their comments on key factors that contribute to the vitality of official language minority communities. These included immigration, minority language media, and education. 

Canada’s Official Language Commissioner says he is satisfied with progress on most of the initiatives in the Action Plan. He suggested 14 areas of improvement and also emphasised that the government must make sure it is preparing for the next action plan, scheduled to begin in April 2023.

The recommendations include more consultations with stakeholders when designing programs and initiatives, minimising funding delays and promoting multi-year and intermediary funding, and expanding the range of specialised French-language reception services.   

 

Image: OCOL of Canada Twitter account

Catherine Fisher, blogger