CANADA | Tabling of the 2022–2023 annual report: Official languages issues still very much present

Commissioner of Official Languages of Canada Raymond Théberge tabled his 2022–2023 annual report in Parliament on 30 May 2023.

After more than two years of the pandemic, Canadians have finally been able to return to a certain degree of normalcy and resume activities that were put on hold due to pandemic-related health restrictions.

This normalcy has, however, highlighted official languages issues that the Commissioner has repeatedly raised in the past but that are still very much present, such as the lack of respect for the language rights of the travelling public and of federal public servants.

In his annual report, the Commissioner has made recommendations that, when implemented, will help address the shortcomings he has identified and foster greater respect for the language rights of the public and of federal public servants.

Once again, the past fiscal year has shown that the future of official languages across Canada’s provinces and territories is not set in stone. Along with a modernized Official Languages Act, a strong and well-designed Action Plan for Official Languages is essential to ensure that our official language communities stay strong and vibrant.

"As efforts to modernize the Official Languages Act continue, it is crucial that we once again prioritize our official languages and give them the distinct importance they deserve on an ongoing basis. This is a duty that falls primarily to our leaders and is necessary to achieve the vision of a Canada where it is possible, wherever the Act applies, to travel, to obtain services, to work and to thrive in the official language of your choice," says Raymond Théberge, Commissioner of Official Languages. 

You can read about the highlights of the report by clicking here. 

Kindly find the full report in the download section below. 

Source: The Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages, Canada