Official Languages Act (1969)

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Official Languages Act (1969), federal statute that declares French and English to be the official languages of Canada, and under which all federal institutions must provide their services in English or French at the customer's choice. The Act (passed following the recommendation of the Royal Commission on BILINGUALISM AND BICULTURALISM) created the office of Commissioner of Official Languages to oversee its implementation. Politically, the Act has been supported by all federal parties, but the public's understanding and acceptance of it has been mixed. In June 1987 the Conservative government introduced an amended Official Languages Act to promote official language minority rights.

See also LANGUAGE POLICY: OFFICIAL LANGUAGES ACT (1988).

Author MAX YALDEN Revised: OFFICE OF THE COMMISSIONER OF OFFICIAL LANGUAGES


Links to Other Sites
Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages
The website for the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages.

History of Bilingualism in Canada
A history of bilingualism in Canada from the website for Canadian Heritage.

Laurendeau and Dunton
A CBC Television video clip featuring André Laurendeau and A. Davidson Dunton discussing their Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism.

For Graham Fraser: Canada’s Commissioner of Official Languages
An interview with Graham Fraser, Canada’s Commissioner of Official Languages. From the McGill University website.

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