Partners

By its very nature, the structure of the federal government presupposes close cooperation among various partners to make headway for a common policy. This is especially true with regard to the official languages program.

A concerted effort between the different levels of government, in addition to the involvement of targeted communities, are key factors of success in the implementation of the Action Plan and for the future of linguistic duality in Canada.

Departmental Partners

Canada School of Public Service

Canadian Heritage 

Citizenship and Immigration Canada

Health Canada

Human Resources and Skills Development Canada

Industry Canada

Justice Canada

Public Service Human Resources Management Agency of Canada

Social Development Canada

Other Governmental Partners

Champions' Network

Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages

Parliamentary Committee: House of Commons and Senate

Community Partners Involved in 2004 Consultations

Anglophone Community Representation

Francophone Community Representation

Departmental Partners

Canada School of Public Service

The Canada School of Public Service is the common learning service provider for the Public Service of Canada. It was created to better serve the common learning and development needs of the public service and to help ensure that all Public Service employees throughout Canada have the knowledge and skills they need to better serve Canadians.

The School is expected to contribute, through learning, to building and maintaining a modern, high-quality, professional public service. Among other things, the School provides language training services to federal public servants in accordance with relevant Treasury Board policies and directives in support of the objectives set out in Parts IV (services to the public) and V (language of work) of the Official Languages Act (OLA). The School also carries out the language training activities assigned to the Public Service Commission in the Action Plan, under the section "Improve the bilingual capacity of the public service." To that end, $38.6 million over five years is allocated to the objective of rebuilding the bilingual capacity of the public service.

The Language Training Centre (LTC), through the School of Public Service, is mandated and funded by the Treasury Board Secretariat to meet the "statutory" language training needs of federal departments in Canada. The LTC provides language training services in the National Capital Region and other regions throughout Canada, to enable federal public servants to satisfy the language requirements of federal government positions, as well as meeting other "non-statutory" requirements, mostly in the regions.

The different facets of Canadian Heritage’s (PCH’s) mandate make it a key partner in implementing the Action Plan for Official Languages.

Under the Official Languages Act (OLA), the Government of Canada is committed to enhancing the vitality of the English and French linguistic minority communities in Canada and supporting and assisting their development, and fostering the full recognition and use of both English and French in Canadian society (section 41 of the OLA). Accordingly, the Minister of Canadian Heritage, in consultation with other ministers of the Crown, encourages and promotes a coordinated approach to the implementation by federal institutions of the commitments set out in section 41 (section 42 of the OLA.)

In that regard, the Department of Canadian Heritage takes such measures as it considers appropriate to advance the equality of status and use of English and French in Canadian society, and ensures public consultation on developing principles for implementing and reviewing official languages programs (section 43 of the OLA).

In education and other fields, the Department concludes agreements with the provinces and territories to improve service delivery to communities in their official language of choice. The Action Plan provides for a $381.5 million investment over five years in the education field. In addition, 33 and a half million dollars will be allocated to community support, specifically in a number of key sectors such as community centres, leadership, cultural distribution and community radio stations.

In the field of education PCH cooperates with provinces and territories. The Action Plan provides for the creation of two new funds: one for Anglophone or Francophone Minority-Language Education ($209 million) and one for Second-Language Instruction ($137 million). These two new funds will help the provinces and territories to propose initiatives they feel are best suited to their respective situations. The Action Plan also provides for continued support to existing programs with ongoing resource requirements.

Coordination Strategies

Under the Action Plan, the Government of Canada plans to conduct pilot projects to promote immigration in Francophone communities outside Quebec. The new Immigration and Refugee Protection Act now places a greater emphasis on knowledge of one or the other official language in selecting the best candidates. Under the Action Plan, the Government, in concert with its provincial, territorial and community partners, will conduct market studies and design promotional materials for distribution abroad. It will also support information centre projects for French-speaking immigrants and distance education French courses sensitive to newcomers’ needs.

Through $9 million in Citizenship and Immigration Canada funding over 5 years, the Action Plan will help meet a demographic need of minority official-language communities.

The Action Plan for Official Languages seeks to make minority official-language health services more accessible. Health Canada will invest $119 million over five years in the community health sector. Of this amount, a total of $75 million will go toward training, recruitment and retention of health professionals.

The pan-Canadian consortium for the training of Francophone professionals (an outgrowth of the current Centre national de formation en santé) will seek to increase the number of French-speaking professionals in the communities by making existing training programs more accessible. By the year 2008, over 1,000 new health professionals will have been trained.

Thanks to an investment of $14 million spread over the five-year span of the Action Plan, networking will make possible the establishment of units fostering joint action in each province and territory. The established networks will facilitate the flow of information on health, communication among partners within the local communities, the development of a shared vision of core services, the efficient use of resources in the field and discussions with the institutions serving the population. A national coordinating body is already up and running for the Francophone communities: the Société Santé en français. Another could be created for Quebec’s Anglophone communities.

Finally, as part of the Primary Health Care Transition Fund, the Government will earmark $30 million for official language communities, which is to say it will double the federal funding which the First Ministers agreed to in 2000.

The responsibilities assigned to the Department of Human Resources Development in the Action Plan have been divided between the Department of Social Development (SDC) and the Department of Human Resources and Skills Development (HRSDC).

To enhance the vitality of the English and French linguistic minority communities in Canada and establish an ongoing learning culture, HRSDC is responsible for providing all Canadians with the tools they need to develop and prosper in their workplaces and communities.

To fulfil HRSDC’s mandate, the Official-Language Minority Communities Secretariat supports community development and the promotion of full recognition and use of English and French. To apply these provisions of the Official Languages Act (OLA), HRSDC established a Support Fund in 1999 to assist official-language minority communities (OLMCs) facing high unemployment rates and assimilation problems. The objectives of the Support Fund are to develop priority planning and foster the emergence of strategic sectors, networking and capacity-building within communities, and play a role in human resources and community development planning.

In addition, in partnership with literacy organizations and other groups, including some parent-teacher associations, HRSDC will expand access to family literacy services for minority Francophone households, investing $7.4 million over five years.

Finally, in cooperation with Industry Canada, HRSDC will give special attention to community youth, by organizing internships in business management, engineering, business administration, information technology, and research assistantships in colleges and universities. Up to 800 internships will be organized by 2008, based on an investment of $7.28 million from HRSDC's existing budgets and $500,000 in new funding.

The federal government’s contribution via Industry Canada, as set out in the Action Plan, has two components : economic development, to which the Department will allocate $33 million over 5 years, and language industries, which will receive $20 million over the same period.

In the area of economic development, the Government plans to increase official-language minority communities’ capacity to participate in the knowledge economy. Because the viability of community economic development largely depends on the ability to utilize cutting-edge technologies, the Government, through the program Francommunautés virtuelles, will help enable individuals, organizations and communities to share information as well as community development experiences over the Internet. Industry Canada hopes to help implement 200 projects over five years, representing an investment of $13 million.

In cooperation with the Department of Human Resources and Skills Development (HRSDC) and regional development agencies, Industry Canada plans to put in place 800 business internships by 2008, using a total of $7.28 million taken from existing HRSDC budgets, as well as $500,000 in new funds allocated to each of the four development agencies. Industry Canada and the agencies also plan to provide another $10 million for pilot projects aimed at providing the necessary technological infrastructure for service delivery, for example access to libraries and health information, and on-line training.

Industry Canada and the agencies will receive $8 million in new funds to help communities access the government programs and services which respond best to their needs.

The Action Plan also provides for substantial measures to help strengthen ties between language industries and increase their visibility. To help language industries, the Government will be providing $5 million between now and 2008 to help establish a representative organization and fund coordination activities. A further Government investment of $5 million will help start up market promotion and branding initiatives in Canada and internationally.

Finally, the Government wants to help remedy insufficient research and produce new technologies, by increasing investments in the area of research and development. By dedicating $10 million to this area, and in cooperation with the National Research Council, it will help establish a research centre in Gatineau, Quebec, where specialists will pool their resources and will be able to build on the cutting-edge skills necessary to ensure the development of language industries.

The Justice Department’s Official Languages Law Group identifies and addresses files with an impact on the Government’s constitutional and legal obligations on official languages. It monitors policies, programs, initiatives and government documents, ensures that they are compliant with the Official Languages Act and the Constitution, and reviews government documents from the viewpoint of risk management and legal implications.

From 2003 to 2008, Justice Canada will invest a total of $45.5 million in new funds toward access to justice in both official languages. Of this amount, $27 million will go toward meeting the legal obligations stemming from the implementation of the Legislative Instruments Re-enactment Act and the Federal Court ruling relating to the Contraventions Act. In addition, Justice Canada will invest $18.5 million in targeted measures aimed at improving access to the justice system in both official languages.

Treasury Board’s official languages obligations now fall in part under the purview of the Public Service Human Resources Management Agency of Canada. The Agency is responsible for implementing the Public Service Modernization Act (PSMA) and for a number of internal human resources functions for the federal government (e.g., classification, compensation, employment equity, official languages, ethics).

In fulfilling its duties, the Agency works to foster a culture of excellence within the public service; one which is based on people-oriented democratic, professional and ethical values. To do so, it provides dynamic leadership and helps converge the efforts of departments and agencies, to ensure results-based, effective and efficient human resources modernization within the public service.

As the lead agency for Part VIII of the Official Languages Act (OLA), the Agency seeks to create and foster conditions conducive to :

• better integration of both official languages in communications and service delivery to Canadians and in their workplace;

• English- and French-speaking Canadians having equal employment and promotion opportunities within government institutions, and

• those institutions’ workforce reflecting the presence of both official-language communities in the country.

In particular, the Agency is tasked with the general development and coordination of federal policies and programs in the areas of communications with the public and service delivery, language of work and participation of English- and French-speaking Canadians in federal institutions.

The Agency also plays a role in implementing the Action Plan, with respect to developing and maintaining an exemplary public service. Specifically, it seeks to :

• Make official languages a priority and change the organizational culture of the public service;

• Recruit more bilingual staff, improve language training.

• Invest in innovation;

• Strengthen the Agency’s expertise and capacity for monitoring the performance of institutions subject to the Act;

• In the context of the Accountability Framework, ensure overall coordination of Parts IV, V and VI of the Act, which includes monitoring institutions subject to the Act and assessing policy and program effectiveness.

Under the Action Plan, $64.6 million will be allocated to the Treasury Board Secretariat over five years, including $26 million to the Agency for implementing the "Invest in Innovation" and "Centres of Excellence" programs.

The responsibilities assigned to the Department of Human Resources Development in the Action Plan have been divided between the Department of Social Development (SDC) and the Department of Human Resources and Skills Development (HRSDC).

In the social development sector, the assistance provided by the Government of Canada is chiefly designed to support early childhood development in minority official-language communities.

SDC will carry out research to gain a better understanding of how child care services in French influence the cultural and linguistic development of young children in Francophone minority communities. With $10.8 million over five years, SDC will carry out five pilot projects offering child care services to 100 children in these communities. The data will be gathered through the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth and then compared with other sets of data.

In addition, SDC will invest $3.8 million in capacity-building for non-governmental and non-profit organizations in the early childhood sector within those communities. DSC will also encourage the provinces to take into account the needs of official-language minority families.

Champions' Network

The Council of the Network of Departmental Official Languages Champions was created on August 28, 2003, and its secretariat has been up and running as of October 14, 2003. The Council comprises 21 official languages champions, including 3 representatives of the Councils of Senior Federal Officials of New Brunswick, Quebec and Manitoba, and 4 representatives from the Public Service Human Resources Management Agency of Canada, the Privy Council Office and Canadian Heritage and Justice Canada, respectively .

The Council’s mandate is to be a leader and an agent of influence to promote linguistic duality within an exemplary public service, the vitality of minority official-language communities, and compliance with the Accountability and Coordination Framework of the Government of Canada’s Action Plan for Official Languages.

Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages

Under Part IX of the Official Languages Act, the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages monitors compliance with the commitment set out in Part VII on the promotion of English and French. The Commissioner can investigate complaints, issue recommendations, and submit investigation reports to affected institutions and the Governor in Council. If adequate measures are not taken in response to the Commissioner’s recommendations, she can table a report in Parliament. She can also table a special report in Parliament on any matter under her purview. Parliamentary committees on official languages also have an important role to play in monitoring compliance with this government commitment.

Parliamentary Committee: House of Commons and Senate

"The administration of this Act [Official Languages Act], any regulations and directives made under this Act and the reports of the Commissioner, the President of the Treasury Board and the Minister of Canadian Heritage made under this Act shall be reviewed on a permanent basis by such committee of the Senate, of the House of Commons or of both Houses of Parliament as may be designated or established for that purpose." (Section 88 of the Official Languages Act.)

Community Partners Involved in 2004 Consultations

Note that the websites below may not be available in both official languages.

Anglophone Community Organization

Alliance Quebec

1980 Sherbrooke St. W., Suite 830

Montreal, QC, H3H 1E8

6767 Côte-des-Neiges Road, # 440

Montreal, QC, H3S 2T6

Telephone: (514) 342-2247

Fax: (514) 342-2283

www.blackyouthproject.org

460 Ste Catherine West, suite 610

Montreal, Qc., H3B 1A7

Telephone: (514) 939-3342

Email: crarr@sympatico.ca

(Website is being developed)

1493 Rte 138, P.O. Box 1357

Huntingdon, QC., J0S 1H0

Telephone: (450) 264-5386

Fax: (450) 264-5387

www.cvespa.qc.ca

P.O. Box 188

St. Paul’s River

Cté Duplessis, QC, G0G 2P0

Telephone: (418) 379-2356

Fax: (418) 379-2621

lns.htmlweb.com

208 Gerald D. Lévesque Blvd.

P.O. Box 219

New Carlisle, QC., G0C 1Z0

Telephone: (418) 752-2127

Fax: (418) 752-6864

www.geocities.com/c_a_s_a_1999.geo

P.O. Box 1414

JonquiPre, QC., G7S 4L1

Telephone: (418) 548-5333

Fax: (418) 548-5333

www.casl.ca

2005 St-Marc

Montreal, QC., H3H 2G8

Telephone: (514) 369-2811

Fax: (514) 369-8417

www.chssn.org

P.O. Box 1309

Grosse Île

QC., G4T 6E5

Telephone: (418) 985-2116

Fax: (418) 985-2113

www.ilesdelamadeleine.com/cami/

2005 St-Marc

Montreal, QC., H3H 2G8

Telephone: (514) 937-2301

Fax: (514) 907-5010

www.catholiccentre.ca/escc

EPOC-Montreal

420 St Eloi

Montreal, QC., H2Y 2S5

Telephone: (514) 877-7810

Fax: (514) 877-8559

www.epoc-montreal.ca

216 Beach Road

Metis sur Mer, QC G0J 1W0

Telephone: (418) 936-3239

Fax: (418) 775-6201

P.O. Box 163

Baie Comeau, QC., G4Z 2G9

Telephone: (418) 296-2832

Fax: (418) 296-4883

www.quebec-nsca.com

257 Queen St., Suite 400

Lennoxville, QC., J1M 1K7

Telephone: (819) 564-9595

Fax: (819) 564-6872

Toll free: (877) 964-0409

www.qahn.org

1455 de Maisonneuve Blvd W

Room LB 614-B

Montreal, QC., H3G 1M8

Telephone: (514) 848-2424 ext. 2036

Fax: (514) 848-4520

doe.concordia.ca/qaal

1040 Belvedere Avenue, Suite 219

Quebec, QC., G1S 3G3

Telephone: (418) 681-2112

Fax: (418) 681-8995

www.qcgn.ca

P.O. Box 195, Macdonald Campus

Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC., H9X 3V9

Telephone: (514) 398-7706

Fax: (514) 398-7972

www.qcna.org

460 St. Catherine St. West, Suite 807

(Metro Place-des-Arts)

Montreal, QC., H3B 1A7

Telephone: (514) 875-8698

Fax: (514) 875-8873

Hotline: (877) 448-8264

www.quebecdrama.org

P.O. Box 80

Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC., H9X 3L4

Telephone: (514) 398-7844

Fax: (514) 398-7972

www.qfaqyf.org

(Website is being developed)

3285 Cavendish Blvd., Suite 560

Montreal, QC., H4B 2L9

Telephone: (514) 481-5619

Fax: (514) 481-5610

www.qfhsa.org

53 rue Principale

Aylmer, QC., J9H 3L4

Telephone: (819) 682-9602

Fax: (819) 682-4033

Toll free: (877) 733-0177

www.westquebecers.com

220 Chateauguay Street

P.O. Box 1911

Huntingdon, QC., J0S 1H0

Telephone: (450) 264-5510

Fax: (450) 264-4504

www.buildingcommunities.ca/ct

257 Queen St, Bureau 100

Lennoxville, QC., J1M 1K7

Telephone: (819) 566-5717

Fax: (819) 566-0271

Toll free: (866) 566-5717

www.townshippers.qc.ca

55 Ramsay Road

Chelsea, QC J9B 2J1

Telephone: (819) 827-8038

www.qln.ca

Pavillon Jeffrey Hale

1270 chemin Ste-Foy, Suite 2141

Quebec, QC., G1S 2M4

Telephone: (418) 683-2366

Fax: (418) 688-3273

www.veq.qc.ca

630 René Lévesque Blvd. West, Suite 185

Montreal, QC H3B 1S6

Telephone: (514) 878-9788

Fax: (514) 878-9950

www.yesmontreal.ca

Francophone Community Organizations

Affaires francophones intergouvernementales

Organization which regroups federal, provincial and territorial government representatives

440, King St., King Tower, Office 646

Fredericton (Nouveau-Brunswick) E3B 5H8

Telephone: (506) 453-7434

Fax: (506) 444-4456

www.afi-ifa.ca

325, Dalhousie St., 2nd Floor

Ottawa (Ontario) K1N 7G2

Telephone: (613) 562-0000

Fax: (613) 562-2182

www.radiorfa.com

3850, Hillsdale St., Office 220

Regina (Sask.) S4S 7J5

Telephone: (306) 569-1912

Fax: (306) 781-7916

www.fransaskois.sk.ca

Place de la francophonie
450, Rideau St., Office 300
Ottawa (Ontario) K1N 5Z4
Telephone: (613) 564-0212
Email: aafc@videotron.ca
franco.ca/aafc/

(Previously the Association canadienne-française de l’Ontario)

66, Isabella St., Office 104

Toronto (Ontario) M4Y 1N3

Telephone: (416) 595-5585

Fax: (416) 595-0202

www.acfo.ca

8627, Marie-Anne Gaboury St.; Office 303

Edmonton (Alberta) T6C 3N1

Telephone: (780) 466-1680

Fax: (780) 465-6773

www.acfa.ab.ca

P.O. Box 880

Iqaluit (Nunavut) X0A 0H0

Telephone: (867) 979-4606

Fax: (867) 979-0800

www.franco-nunavut.ca

P.O. Box  5205

302, rue Strickland, Whitehorse (Yukon) X0A 0H0

Telephone: (867) 668-2663

Fax: (867) 668-3511

www.afy.yk.ca

267, Dalhousie St.

Ottawa (Ontario) K1N 7E3

Telephone: (613) 241-1017

Fax: (613) 241-6313

apf.ca

Université de Moncton

Moncton (NB) E1A 3E9

Telephone: (506) 858-4111

Fax: (506) 858-4538

www.aufc.ca

www.auf.org/actualites/actualite.html?id=1438

11526, 77th North West Ave.

Edmonton (Alberta) T6G 0M1

Telephone: (780) 719-7249

Fax: (780) 465-8760
www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/francophone.html

1173, Cyrville Rd.- bureau 310

Ottawa (Ontario) K1J 7S6

Telephone: (613) 744-6649

Fax: (613) 744-8861

450, Rideau St., bureau 402

Ottawa (Ontario) K1N 5Z4

Telephone: (613) 288-0958

Fax: (613) 562-3995

cnpf.ca

450, Rideau St. - bureau 201

Ottawa (Ontario) K1N 5Z4

Telephone: (613) 789-5492

Fax: (613) 789-0743

www.ccc.coop

260, rue Dalhousie

Ottawa (Ontario) K1N 7E4

Telephone: (613) 244-7837

Fax: (613) 244-0283

www.cnfs.ca

1102-136, Bay St., South

Hamilton (Ontario) L8P 3H5

Telephone: (905) 521-1337

Fax: (905) 523-4229

54, Queen St.

Dartmouth (N.-É.) B2Y 1G3

Telephone: (902) 433-0065

Fax: (902) 433-0066

www.federationacadienne.ca

235, Montréal Rd. - Office 205

Ottawa (Ontario) K1L 6C7

Telephone: (613) 749-5333

Fax: (613) 749-2252

www.fcaf.net

450,Rideau St., bureau 405

Ottawa (Ontario) K1N 5Z4

Telephone: (613) 241-8770

Fax: (613) 241-6064

www.fccf.ca

450, Rideau St., bureau 403

Ottawa (Ontario) K1N 5Z4

Telephone: (613) 562-4624

Fax: (613) 562-3995

www.fjcf.ca

200, Avenue de la Cathédrale, Office 2122

Saint-Boniface (Manitoba) N6H 5L4

Telephone: (204) 237-1818

Fax: (204) 233-0245

accesjustice.ca

Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne

450, Rideau St., Bureau 300

Ottawa, ON. K1N 5Z4

Telephone: (613) 241-7600

Fax: (613) 241-6046

fcfa.ca

1575, 7th Avenue Ouest

Vancouver (C.-B.) V6J 1S1

Telephone: (604) 732-1420

Fax: (604) 732-3236

www.ffcb.bc.ca

265, Duckworth St.

St. John’s (T.-N.-L.) A1C 1G9

Telephone: (709) 722-0627

Fax: (709) 722-9904

www.francophonie.nfld.net/fftnl/

P.O. Box  1325

Yellowknife (T.N.-O.) X1A 2N9

Telephone: (867) 920-2919

Fax: (867) 873-2158

www.franco-nord.com

435, Donald St., Office 203

Ottawa (Ontario) K1K 4X5

Telephone: (613) 744-3443

Fax: (613)744-1685

www.fncsf.ca

450, Rideau St., Office 302

Ottawa (Ontario) K1N 5Z4

Telephone: (613) 241-3500

Fax: (613) 241-6676

franco.ca/fnfcf/

450, Rideau St., Office 401

Ottawa (Ontario) K1N 5Z4

Telephone: (613) 244-7308

Fax: (613) 244-3934

702, Principale St., Office 204

Petit-Rocher (N.-B.) E8J 1V1

Telephone: (506) 783-4205

Fax: (506) 783-0629

www.saanb.org

383, Provencher Bld, Office 212

Saint-Boniface (Manitoba) R2H 0G9

Telephone: (204) 233-4915

Fax: (204) 233-1017

www.sfm-mb.ca

415, Notre Dame St.

Dieppe (N.-B.) E1A 2A8

Telephone: (506) 863-0404

Fax: (506) 853-0400

www.snacadie.org

5, Maris Stella Ave.

Summerside (Î.-P.-É.) C1N 6M9

Telephone: (902) 436-4881

Fax: (902) 436-6936

www.ssta.org

260 Dalhousie, Suite 400

Ottawa (Ontario) K1N 7E4

Telephone: (613) 244-1889

Fax: (613) 244-0283

forumsante.ca