Unprecedented collaboration: Essential services support the
vitality of official language minority communities.
HALIFAX,
NS, Aug. 8, 2024 /CNW/ - The Government of
Canada recognizes the importance
of Canada's linguistic wealth and
is committed to helping ensure that all Canadians can thrive in the
official language of their choice.
Today, the Honourable Randy Boissonnault, Minister of
Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages, announced
$227.9-million investment over five
years to support the health of services offered in official
language minority communities. The investment was made through
bilateral agreements with provincial and territorial
governments.
It covers a number of key areas including health care, judicial
services, newcomer integration and other essential services.
French-language services provided by government departments and
agencies are critical in promoting bilingualism and the equality of
status of both official languages. Bilateral agreements have
recently been signed with Nova
Scotia, Prince Edward
Island, Newfoundland and
Labrador, New Brunswick, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British
Columbia and the Northwest
Territories.
This collaborative approach reinforces the crucial role that
provincial and territorial governments play as essential partners
in helping develop fulfilling living environments in minority
communities.
This investment reaffirms the federal government's
commitment to working with the provinces and territories to ensure
that official language minority communities can receive the
services they need in their official language
Quotes
"Canadians across the country deserve and expect access to
services in both official languages. Our investment today ensures
this and confirms our support for the vitality of official language
minority communities throughout Canada.
– The Honourable Randy Boissonnault, Minister of Employment,
Workforce Development and Official Languages
Quick Facts
The federal government has made $142.4
million available over five years (2023–2028) to provincial
governments through bilateral agreements for minority language
services. Each agreement is based on equitable cost
sharing.
This means that the province assumes half the eligible expenses
while the federal government commits to providing the other half.
The federal government will also devote $85.5 million over five years to the territorial
governments for French-language services.
This funding includes the historic Action Plan for Official
Languages 2023–2028 investment, which provides provinces with a
funding increase of as much as $98.2
million over five years.
We continue to work with all provinces and territories,
including jurisdictions that do not have an agreement in place to
support the provision of minority language services.
The Action Plan for Official Languages 2023–2028:
Protection-Promotion-Collaboration provides $4.1 billion to support seven departments and 33
new or enhanced initiatives aimed at protecting and promoting the
country's official languages.
On June 20, 2023, An Act for the
Substantive Equality of Canada's
Official Languages received Royal Assent. Among other things, the
Act aims to address the decline of French in Canada and to clarify and strengthen the
promotion of the official languages and bilingualism while
supporting official language minority communities.
Associated Links
Action Plan for Official Languages 2023–2028:
Protection-Promotion-Collaboration
Supporting services in the minority language and promoting
the Canadian Francophonie
Intergovernmental Cooperation on Minority-Language
Services
SOURCE Canadian Heritage