Official Languages Act

Marginal note:Special mandate of Minister of Canadian Heritage

• 43 (1) The Minister of Canadian Heritage shall advance the equality of status and use of English and French in Canadian society, and to that end may take measures to

  • (a) enhance the vitality of the English and French linguistic minority communities in Canada and support and assist their development;

  • (b) support the development and promotion of francophone culture in Canada, including through the activities of entities for which that Minister is responsible and by ensuring that the Government of Canada’s cultural policies are consistent with the purpose of this Act;

  • (c) provide funding to an organization, independent of the Government of Canada, responsible for administering a program whose purpose is to provide funding for test cases of national significance to be brought before the courts to clarify and assert constitutional and quasi-constitutional official language rights;

  • (d) encourage and assist provincial and territorial governments to support the development of English and French linguistic minority communities generally and, in particular, to offer provincial, territorial and municipal services in both English and French and to provide opportunities for members of English or French linguistic minority communities to be educated in their own language;

  • (e) encourage and assist provincial and territorial governments and non-profit organizations to provide opportunities for everyone in Canada to learn both English and French and to foster an acceptance and appreciation of both English and French by members of the public;

  • (f) induce the business community, labour organizations, non-profit organizations and other organizations or institutions to provide services in both English and French and to foster the recognition and use of those languages;

  • (g) implement programs in support of official languages; and

  • (h) with the approval of the Governor in Council, enter into agreements or arrangements that recognize and advance the bilingual character of Canada with the governments of foreign states.

• Marginal note:Consultation and information to public

  (2) The Minister of Canadian Heritage shall take such measures as that Minister considers appropriate to ensure public consultation in the development of policies and review of programs relating to the achievement of the equality of status and use of English and French in Canadian society and shall provide information to the public relating to those policies and programs.