Canada has developed a plan to support and promote the French language
Its implementation involves a record investment.
On April 26, Minister of Official Languages Ginette Petitpas Taylor presented the "Action Plan for Official Languages 2023–2028: Protection – Promotion – Collaboration". This five-year plan aims to prevent the decline of the French language and to support French-speaking communities.
Canada has two official languages, French and English, and they are both national symbols. A government committed to inclusiveness and the protection of its symbols will direct its efforts to strengthening the French language in the country.
The plan also includes the largest investment in the development and promotion of national languages, totaling more than CAD 4.1 billion. Never before has Canada invested so much money in support and promotion of French.
"“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," said Ginette Petitpas Taylor.
Main directions:
- 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.
The promotion of French will dominate the whole country: from supporting scientific production in French, to the vitality of French-speaking communities, to key sectors including health, justice and pre-school education, to the learning of French by newcomers.
The Government of Canada will work with provincial and territorial governments and stakeholders to implement the plan. The plan is inspired by "English and French: Towards Substantial Equality of official languages in Canada."
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.
Today, there are communities speaking the official language in every province and territory of the country, and each of these communities is unique. The plan developed by the government addresses the problems faced by French-speaking communities outside Quebec and by English-speaking communities in Quebec.
