The Official Languages Act: Canada’s Living Document

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Originally published in TEACH Magazine, 50th Anniversary of the Official Languages Act Special Issue, 2019

By Carolyn Gruske

Canada is a very different country than it was in 1969 when the Official Languages Act was first enacted. That’s why some people are working to update the Act.

“The 50th anniversary of the Act is here. And with all the changes in our society—in terms of new technologies, in terms of demography, with all of the immigration and the changes that are happening in our communities across Canada—the point is after 50 years, it’s time to reinforce the Act,” says Senator René Cormier, chair of the Senate’s standing committee on official languages.

For the past two years, the Senate committee has been hearing testimony from Canadians across the country—including young Canadians who offered the first series of presentations—and looking at ways to strengthen and improve the legal rights and protections granted to French or English speakers, no matter where they live in the country.

Additionally, the federal department of Canadian Heritage, under Minister of Tourism, Official Languages and La Francophonie of Canada Mélanie Joly, is also undertaking efforts to study the modernization of the act, and has been accepting submissions from Canadians about how to best improve it.

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Carolyn Gruske is an award-winning reporter and magazine editor. She often writes about the intersection of business, technology, and the law, but she also has a deep interest in educational topics.

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Carolyn Gruske
Carolyn Gruske
Carolyn Gruske is an award-winning reporter and magazine editor. She often writes about the intersection of business, technology, and the law, but she also has a deep interest in educational topics.

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