Table of Contents
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Six commissioners, four decades
English and French in federal institutions
Promoting the learning of the official languages
Support for official language minority communities
The coherence of government actions and the Olympics
Recommendations
The Quest for Coherence
Promotion of Linguistic Duality
CHAPTER 1: THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE OFFICIAL LANGUAGES ACT
Before the 1969 Official Languages Act:
A country on the verge of crisis
1970–1977 The first commissioner Keith Spicer
Laying the foundations
1977–1984 Commissioner Maxwell Yalden
Constitutional recognition of the equal status of English and French
1984–1991 Commissioner D’Iberville Fortier
A more solid framework
1991–1999 Commissioner Victor Goldbloom
Linguistic duality at the heart of national unity
1999–2006 Commissioner Dyane Adam
A revival founded on communities, duality and diversity
2006 to the present Commissioner Graham Fraser
Linguistic duality, a fundamental part of Canadian identity
Conclusion
CHAPTER 2: VISION, LEADERSHIP AND COMMITMENT: FUNDAMENTALS OF THE FULL IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ACT
1.0 The situation is evolving, but too slowly
2.0 Update on the renewed approach of the Commissioner of Official Languages
3.0 A dynamic vision of linguistic duality
4.0 Communications with the public and delivery of services of equal quality4.1 Active offer of service
4.2 Availability of services
4.3 Institutional transformation: Will the past predict the future?
4.4 Air Canada’s transformations and the erosion of its employees’ and customers’ rights
4.5 The situation in major airports5.0 Towards a workplace that respects both official languages
5.1 Progress that is a long time coming
5.2 Linguistic duality: A question of leadership
5.3 Language training: A key to success6.0 Promotion of English and French and development of official language communities
6.1 Increase promotion of English and French and support the development of official language communities
6.2 Report card results
6.3 Examples of positive measures6.3.1 Farm Credit Canada
6.3.2 CBC/Radio-Canada
6.3.3 Indian and Northern Affairs Canada
6.3.4 The Prince Edward Island Federal Council7.0 Governance: Essential to supporting leadership
8.0 Conclusion: We must stay on course for linguistic equality
Recommendations
CHAPTER 3: PROMOTING THE LEARNING OF OUR TWO OFFICIAL LANGUAGES: SEEKING A TRUE LANGUAGE CONTINUUM
1.0 Bilingualism: From the 1960s to the present
2.0 Bilingualism gives an edge
3.0 The vision of bilingualism in Canada
4.0 Obstacles to bilingualism4.1 Misperceptions limit the demand for second-language school programs
4.2 Too many students lack the opportunity to effectively learn the other official language
4.3 Too few courses are offered to students at the post-secondary level in their second language
4.4 Too few post-secondary institutions actively promote the importance of bilingualism to their students
4.5 There are too few links between students and official language communities
4.6 Students lack language exchange opportunities in Canada
4.7 Too few Canadians have an opportunity to acquire second-language skills outside the school system5.0 The federal government: An essential player
6.0 Conclusion: Language issues are economic issues
Recommendation
1.0 The evolution of official language minority communities since the 1960s
1.1 The evolution of French-speaking communities outside Quebec
1.2 The evolution of English-speaking communities in Quebec2.0 The new environment of official language communities
3.0 A vision of official language communities focused on their vitality
4.0 The Roadmap for Canada’s Linguistic Duality 2008–2013: Acting for the Future and the communities
5.0 Analysis of the situation of the official language communities in six areas of activity5.1 Education
5.2 Community economic development
5.3 Justice
5.4 Arts and culture
5.5 Health
5.6 Demographic vitality5.6.1 Immigration in minority Francophone communities
5.6.2 Renewal of English-speaking communities in Quebec6.0 Conclusion: Need for vigorous action on the part of the federal government
Recommendation
Appendice A: Complaint resolution process
Appendice B: Complaints – Summary analysis and table
Table 1 – Number of admissible complaints in 2008–2009, by province or territory and by category
Appendice C: Report cards for the airports – Methodology and results
Table 2 – Airport observation results 2008–2009
Appendice D: Report cards for 15 “separate employer” federal institutions – Methodology and results
Table 3 – Comparative ratings table
Table 4 – Observation results on service in 2008–2009
Appendice E: Methodology for collecting data on language of work
Table 5 – Degree of satisfaction of Anglophone and Francophone federal employees in minority settings with regard to the use of their language in the workplace
Table 6 – Language of work survey results
