Minister Petitpas Taylor launches national consultations for the next Action Plan for Official Languages

VANCOUVER: Our two official languages are central to our history. They are part of our identity as Canadians. The Government of Canada is committed to creating a new action plan for official languages to enhance the vitality of official language minority communities and promote our two official languages for all Canadians.

Today, the Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Official Languages and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, kicked off cross-Canada consultations on official languages, which will be held until August 2022. She was accompanied by Taleeb Noormohamed, Member of Parliament (Vancouver Granville). In launching these consultation, Minister Petitpas Taylor would like to learn about the realities, challenges and priorities of Canadians regarding official languages to inform the measures that will highlight the Action Plan for Official Languages 2023-2028.

Consultations will be offered in many formats, including in-person forums (by invitation) in Vancouver, Winnipeg, Regina, Edmonton, Montréal, Sherbrooke, Sudbury, Whitehorse, Moncton, Halifax, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador and in the Northwest Territories, Nunavut and Yukon. Information about dates and times will be regularly updated on the consultations website.

Online consultations are open to all Canadians and accessible. Participants are encouraged to share their opinions or concerns about the place of English and French in Canadian society. In addition, consultations will take place with provincial and territorial governments, and virtual topical consultations will be held to discuss topics including Francophone immigration, diversity and inclusion, government leading by example. The consultations will conclude with a summit in Ottawa focusing on summarizing and reviewing the information collected.