CNOLC-newsletter-no3/news

NEWS IN BRIEF ABOUT OFFICIAL LANGUAGES

 

MODERNIZATION OF THE OFFICIAL LANGUAGES ACT

Bill C-13 is currently being studied by the House of Commons Standing Committee on Official Languages. The Committee has heard testimony from many witnesses and is now in clause-by-clause consideration of the bill. The Standing Senate Committee on Official Languages is conducting a preliminary study of the bill at the same time.

ACTION PLAN FOR OFFICIAL LANGUAGES

A report on the consultations regarding the next Action Plan for Official Languages was released by Minister Petitpas Taylor. The plan will be based on four pillars: Francophone immigration, official languages as a tool for economic development, Canadian identity and bilingualism, and government leadership.

REPORT TO THE PRIME MINISTER

The 29th Annual Report to the Prime Minister on the Public Service of Canada mentioned actions taken by the official languages community:

“The Council of the Network of Official Languages Champions in collaboration with the Department of Canadian Heritage, the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat and the Canada School of Public Service organized the Best Practices Forum on Official Languages to bring together public servants to explore a range of topics celebrating Canada’s official languages.”

OFFICIAL LANGUAGES DAY

On the recommendation of the Council of the Network of Official Languages Champions (Council), Janice Charette, Clerk of the Privy Council, , renamed Linguistic Duality Day “Official Languages Day” last July. This change is intended to make the event more current, inclusive and unifying.

The Council intends to promote the designation of Official Languages Day so that the event is celebrated throughout Canadian society.

STRATEGIC PLAN

Last October, the Council launched an online consultation regarding its next three-year strategic plan. The proposed key elements of the plan were validated at the Conference of Official Languages Champions held on November 17, 2022. We have prepared a synopsis for this issue of the newsletter.

CONFERENCE OF OFFICIAL LANGUAGES CHAMPIONS

The Conference of Official Languages Champions took place on November 17, 2022, under the theme “Dare to Act.” This year’s event, held in hybrid format, was attended by 124 official languages champions from across Canada. They had an opportunity to learn about recent developments in official languages, discuss current issues and share their knowledge and best practices.