The Honourable James Moore, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, today unveiled the Roadmap for Canada’s Official Languages 2013–2018. The new Roadmap will focus on three pillars that will ensure the vitality of English and French in Canada through education, immigration, and communities. As outlined in Economic Action Plan 2013, the Government of Canada is renewing its unprecedented investment in the protection, promotion, and celebration of both official languages for another five years.

“English and French are an integral part of our history, our identity, and our future. They forge links that unite us and allow us to live together in a strong and prosperous society,” said Minister Moore. “The new Roadmap is the most comprehensive investment in official languages in Canadian history.”

The new Roadmap maintains the successful pan-governmental approach in which 30 measures are to be implemented by 15 federal departments and agencies. By building on the progress achieved in the last five years and prioritizing direct services to citizens that affect the lives of Canadians, the Government is ensuring that Canada’s official languages continue to be an advantage for citizens and businesses, both at home and abroad.

Through the extensive consultations on official languages conducted by Minister Moore in 2012 in every province and territory, Canadians defined the three priority areas for effective action: education, immigration, and community support.

“Bilingualism is a unifying force,” said Dan Lamoureux, President of the Quebec Community Groups Network. “The more interaction there is between our minority and majority communities in Quebec and Canada, the better we will understand each other.”

“It’s important that the Roadmap initiatives seek to strengthen our population through immigration and support for families, creation of services that reach Francophones in all aspects of their daily lives, and expansion of our social and economic development,” said Marie-France Kenny, President of the Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne du Canada.

“This balanced approach also supports the majority linguistic groups working on cordial relations between English-speaking and French-speaking Canadians,” said Lisa-Marie Perkins, President of Canadian Parents for French. “It promotes a more cohesive and stronger society.”

“Our Government is proud to invest in key sectors such as official languages, which help strengthen our collective identity and define who we are as Canadians,” added Minister Moore. “As we approach Canada’s 150th birthday in 2017, let us continue to celebrate all the things that make Canada the united, strong, and free country in which we live today.”

The Government of Canada is working together with key partners, including the provincial and territorial governments, to implement the Roadmap so that Canadians from coast to coast to coast can benefit from linguistic duality.

The Government of Canada is investing $1.124 billion in the Roadmap for Canada’s Official Languages 2013–2018: Education, Immigration, Communities for the fiscal year beginning April 1, 2013. The full text of the Roadmap is available online at http://pch.gc.ca/pgm/slo-ols/strat-eng.cfm.

http://www.pch.gc.ca/eng/1364413886335