Roadmap for Canada's Linguistic Duality 2008-2013: Acting for the Future

The signposts

• The environment
• Canadians' viewpoints

Canadians' lives, ideas, expectations and means of expression are rapidly evolving – and the Government of Canada has been listening, so that our actions yield concrete results where it counts. Public opinion, demographic trends and the viewpoints expressed by Canadians are the signposts that guided the Roadmap's development.

The environment

Canadians' support for bilingualism is progressing and has reached a level of 80 percent, as shown by many surveys. More than two-thirds of Canadian adults believe that linguistic duality is a characteristic of the country and a source of cultural enrichment. Surveys also confirm that there is increased interest in learning the second official language. Support is particularly strong among young people, a majority of whom believe that it is important for their children and the children in their communities to learn a second language, and that doing so will increase their chances of finding jobs. A majority want to learn more about the culture of those who speak the other official language.

The 2006 Census showed that Canada's population is growing and aging – with higher levels of immigration over the past few years primarily driving this growth. The results of the 2006 Census and the Survey on the Vitality of Official Language Minorities paint a portrait of official-language minority communities in diverse economic and social situations – and with equally diverse needs. The Survey also showed that members of these communities have a strong commitment to their language and to receiving services in that language. Nationwide, both official languages remain the languages used most often by the large majority of Canadians.

The provinces and territories recognize the importance of ensuring the vitality and development of official-language minority communities – and collaborate with the Government of Canada to support them. Over the past few years, they have demonstrated a renewed commitment to linguistic duality in several ways. For example, the Ministerial Conference for the Canadian Francophonie, which brings together the federal, provincial and territorial ministers responsible for the Canadian Francophonie, produced in 2006 the Canadian Francophonie: Issues, Challenges and Future Directions report, which takes stock of the main roadblocks facing Francophones and proposes possible avenues for the future.

Canadians' viewpoints

The Government of Canada's nationwide consultations, facilitated by Mr. Bernard Lord, allowed Canadians to offer their viewpoints on linguistic duality and official languages. These consultations highlighted the importance of taking regional issues into account in any government action, along with the dynamics of Anglophone and Francophone minority communities. Participants also expressed their support for official languages and their commitment to promoting them. They also spoke about their lives: the importance of working in their own language; the importance of seeing that their language is taught to their children and grandchildren; the importance of having access to services in their language, when and where they need them; and the central role of arts and culture in the building of their identity.

Several of the community forums – such as the 2007 Sommet des communautés francophones et acadiennes and the 2008 Community Revitalization: Trends and Opportunities for the English-speaking Communities of Quebec – brought the needs of official-language minority communities into sharper focus. Some of these needs require increased investment, to better integrate newcomers, increase community members' capacity to live in their own language, support their economic and social development, and build the capacities of their community networks.

The planning of this Roadmap took into consideration the work done by parliamentary committees on official languages, the contributions of the Commissioner of Official Languages and intergovernmental forums, and the ongoing dialogue between federal departments and key stakeholders. The insights drawn from these stakeholders have illuminated the road toward strengthening the country's linguistic duality. The results of these endeavours reflect the needs expressed by the communities and include other suggestions, such as ensuring horizontal governance and coordination, and instituting effective accountability mechanisms for all federal institutions.

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