The Hon. James Moore, P.C., M.P. - Celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Official Languages Act and an announcement regarding the Language Rights Support Program

Ottawa, Ontario
September 9, 2009

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Distinguished guests,
Mr. Fraser,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Dear friends,

It is a pleasure for me to be here with you this morning on behalf of Prime Minister Stephen Harper and the Government of Canada. Yesterday evening, at the reception on Parliament Hill, I had the chance to meet some of the participants in the symposium opening today.

I am also pleased to see people from across the country who have come to celebrate the anniversary of the Official Languages Act and to attend this symposium.

I'm 33 years old. I haven't known a Canada without the Official Languages Act and without all the opportunities that our country's official languages present to us. And frankly, I don't want to.

Today, my role as Minister makes me take stock, every day, of just how much our two official languages are at the very core of our Canadian identity.

You surely recall that one year ago, when the Roadmap for Canada's Linguistic Duality was introduced, our Government announced the imminent creation of the Language Rights Support Program. Today, I have some good news on this subject.

I'm pleased to announce that the University of Ottawa has been chosen to manage this program that is key to protecting Canada's official languages.

We made a commitment to implement this program before the end of 2009, and we keep our promises. Over the past few months, we have had numerous discussions and excellent cooperation with members of the communities.

In particular, I would like to highlight the cooperation of the Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne in this regard and give special thanks to their president, Lise Routhier-Boudreau, who is here this morning.

The FCFA is losing an excellent president, who, throughout her mandate, made some difficult decisions, but always for the well-being of the communities. I wish her the best of luck in her projects.

Congratulations to the University of Ottawa, which submitted a solid proposal demonstrating not only its commitment to language rights, but also its ability to conduct highly complex national projects.

The University is currently laying the groundwork that will allow it to guarantee the effective implementation of the program by the end of the year. We will have more news on the announcements to the panel soon.

Forty years allow us to look back far enough to take stock and is still recent enough to call on the memories of those who experienced this chapter of our history:

the members of governments and legislatures who contributed to the evolution of our major language policies

the commissioners of official languages

the men and women in the legal profession who made crucial decisions

everyone within the government who was an agent of change

builders who came together in countless organizations like the Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne, the Quebec Community Groups Network, and Canadian Parents for French

and everyone who is serious about our young people's development in a country strengthened by two official languages.

In 1969, the Official Languages Act granted equal status to French and English--not only in Parliament and before the courts, but also in the federal administration for the first time in Canada's history.

The essence of the law was this: making sure that the Government of Canada serves its citizens equitably, regardless of which of our two major language communities they are part. This was a matter of reflecting the country's reality and perpetuating the conditions necessary for Canada to work as a country.

The Official Languages Act is about serving Canadians in French and English and about making federal institutions a place where French- and English-speaking Canadians can work and feel at home.

But the spirit of official languages goes beyond that. It is about Canada as a country, not simply about the federal government. It is about allowing all Canadians to contribute to their country. It is about minority official-language communities being able to see a future for themselves. It is about allowing an ongoing conversation between English- and French-speaking Canadians. It is about opportunities for our young people.

Our Government is proud to celebrate how far we have come in 40 years. The Act and the spirit it embodied began a series of constitutional, legislative, political, and social changes that placed the recognition of French and English and the development of official-language communities at the very core of our life as a nation and our identity.

Today, Canada defines itself by its two official languages. The contributions of French- and English-speaking Canadians to our life and our prosperity are recognized and appreciated. Francophones and Anglophones from every region of the country can speak to one another about their histories, cultures, and hopes.

Not everything is perfect, but we can observe the profound changes that implementation of the Act has produced.

As we highlight the accomplishments of the last 40 years, it is an honour for me to carry the torch of official languages on behalf of the government and work with you to build the future.

I am proud of our Government's many recent accomplishments, which we have achieved through discussion and cooperation.

Our Roadmap for Canada's Linguistic Duality already allows us to invest unprecedented funds in priority sectors like health, justice, immigration, economic development, culture, and education.

Thanks to the Roadmap, we are meeting some of the needs that communities and stakeholders from every part of the country have expressed and we are continuing to translate the Act's values into concrete actions. And more than half of the funds allocated to the Roadmap's initiatives have been made public.

Let's not forget that the official-language communities have fought to obtain the right to manage their educational institutions and provide their young people with instruction in their own language. Today, this is a given, and we support them in our work with the provinces and territories.

Schools continue to open, like the École Jules-Verne, the very first Francophone high school in Vancouver. Our Government participated in this school's creation and I am honoured by this.

Just this past Friday, I announced the memorandum of understanding between our Government and the provinces and territories. It sets aside more than $1 billion over four years for education in the minority language and for second-language education, as well as for national scholarship and language monitor programs.

Through this cooperation, nearly 107,000 young minority Anglophones and 142,000 young minority Francophones in all of Canada's regions will have the opportunity to study in the official language of their choice, in the schools that they choose. About 2.4 million young Canadians right now are learning English or French as a second language in school, including more than 300,000 in immersion classes.

Everywhere in the country, Canadians from both of our two major language communities have requested care in their language. Today, they are benefiting from our Government's investments in health, through the Consortium national de formation en santé and the Official Languages Health Contribution Program.

Official-language minority communities are a significant economic force for Canada. We support them through our economic development programs all over the country.

Not to mention our continued support through university scholarships in translation and initiatives to strengthen the language sector in Canada.

From a cultural perspective, communities have been able to pass on their traditions and heritage from one generation to the next. They now have access to works and artistic events in their own language, as well as opportunities to make their artists known through programs created by our Government, such as Music Showcases, the National Translation Program for Book Publishing, and the Cultural Development Fund.

We have already announced support totalling more than $100,000 through the Cultural Development Fund. These funds will go toward projects in communities. For example, in Manitoba, the organization "100 Nons" will create performance spaces that will foster an appreciation for Francophone music.

In Prince Edward Island, the Association du Musée acadien will highlight the history of the region's Acadian population through photo collections. The arrival of Georges-Antoine Belcourt in Rustico will also be highlighted through activities that will celebrate the region's culture and hertiage.

Finally, in Summerside and Miscouche, the Belle-Alliance will establish a historic profile of the area's Acadian population. I am certain that these projects will make Acadians proud.

Our Government supports activities in all regions of the country. We support the development of the Coopérative Radio Richmond, a unique platform to promote the French language and culture in Nova Scotia. Thanks to our support, the Association des francophones de Kitchener-Waterloo will be able to expand its programming to Guelph and reach even more Franco-Ontarians.

We just announced an investment of nearly $450,000 in nine organizations that promote the vitality of the Francophone community in Sudbury, as well as close to $227,000 in four Franco-Ontarian organizations in northeastern Ontario. And closer to my home, in British Columbia, we supported the Festival de la francophonie à Victoria and are partners in the centennial celebrations in Maillardville--where I learned to speak French.

Dialogue has also been established over the years among the federal, provincial, and territorial governments on the best ways to promote our official languages. This dialogue is ongoing. In fact, I am preparing to meet with my provincial and territorial counterparts in two weeks as part of the Ministerial Conference on the Canadian Francophonie.

As you can see, our Government is demonstrating leadership in promoting our official languages.

Before concluding, I would like to remind everyone that, in 2010, we will have the unique opportunity to show the entire world the cultural wealth and vitality of our two major language communities.

The 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games will be Canada's Games. Our Government will take advantage of this opportunity to highlight our two official languages and the contribution made by all of our country's communities to the richness of our culture.

Thank you to all of you who work in support of our official languages. I intend to keep on working with you. You are valuable allies for me and our Government, and I've greatly appreciated the round tables and meetings that I've had across the country since last November.

Let us all wish for another 40 years of cooperation in the service of Canadians who live in French and English and who, like us, place great value on their country's official languages.

Thank you.

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