Action Plan for Official Languages 2023–2028: A historic federal investment in official languages

From: Canadian Heritage

News release

OTTAWA, April 26, 2023

The Government of Canada is committed to defending and promoting our two official languages as an important symbol of our diverse and inclusive society. The government is determined to present a clear and ambitious vision for official languages that demonstrates its commitment to ensuring the vitality of official-language minority communities and working with various key partners.

Today, the Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Official Languages and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, unveiled the Action Plan for Official Languages 2023–2028: Protection – Promotion – Collaboration. It is a five-year plan to reverse the decline of French and promote the vitality of our official-language minority communities.

The Action Plan includes investments totalling more than $4.1 billion over the next five years, the largest amount ever provided by a government in the area of official languages. This unprecedented figure reflects the Government of Canada’s firm commitment to bilingualism and the protection of our two official languages.

The investments specified in the Action Plan for Official Languages 2023–2028: Protection – Promotion – Collaboration are based on the following themes:

·        Accelerate the restoration of the demographic weight of Francophones through Francophone immigration

·        Promote lifelong learning opportunities for our two official languages

·        Support the vitality of official-language minority communities

·        Build on positive government action to support communities

The more than 30 measures that arise from this range from support for scientific production in French, to the vitality of official-language minority communities through key sectors (including health, justice and early childhood education), to French-language learning for newcomers, to Francophone cultural production.

The Action Plan, inspired by the document English and French: Towards a substantive equality of official languages in Canada and the cross-Canada consultations on official languages, is in effect from April 1, 2023 to March 31, 2028. The Government of Canada will work with provincial and territorial governments and stakeholders to implement the Action Plan.

Quotes

“I am proud to unveil the new Action Plan for Official Languages 2023–2028, a plan that reflects priorities and the vision of Canadians consulted over the past year. It differs in its stronger commitment to reverse the decline of French and support our official-language minority communities with more ambitious funding than ever. These historic investments will allow us to establish the conditions to ensure real equality of our two official languages in Canada and vibrant and thriving communities.”

—The Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Official Languages and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency

Quick facts

  • Budget 2023 provides for new investments in official languages of $1.4 billion over five years. This new funding is in addition to the cumulative and ongoing funding of some $2.7 billion in the previous action plan.

  • The Action Plan for Official Languages 2023–2028 is the result of the analysis of the cross-Canada consultations on official languages conducted by Canadian Heritage from May 24 to August 31, 2022. More than 6,500 Canadian individuals and organizations participated in the consultations, and a report was tabled on the subject.

  • There are official-language minority communities in every province and territory in the country. Each of these communities has unique circumstances and needs. This plan aims to address the unique challenges faced by Francophone communities outside Quebec and Anglophone communities in Quebec.

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Contacts

For more information (media only), please contact:

Marianne Blondin
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Official Languages and Minister responsible for Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
marianne.blondin@acoa-apeca.gc.ca

Media Relations
Canadian Heritage
819-994-9101
1-866-569-6155
media@pch.gc.ca

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