Harper Government Unveils Canada's New Roadmap for Official Languages
OTTAWA, March 28, 2013 /CNW/ - 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.
FACT SHEET
The new Roadmap will continue to promote the development of Canadians and their communities by supporting second-language instruction in French and English and school systems in minority communities. Findings indicate that English and French are powerful integration tools for immigrants to Canada. The new Roadmap will support language instruction for newcomers to Canada and maintain support for Francophone immigration outside Quebec. Anglophone and Francophone minority communities will continue to benefit from measures designed to improve access to health and justice services in the language of official-language minority communities, and to support arts, culture, and economic development.
The measures identified in the new Roadmap for Canada's Official Languages 2013-2018: Education, Immigration, Communities, including the departments responsible for their implementation and the amount (in millions of dollars) allocated to each measure for the period covered by the Roadmap, are as follows.
| Education | 657.99 | |
| Canadian Heritage | ||
| Support for Minority-Language Education | 265.02 | |
| This measure (the Minority-Language Education component of the Development of Official-Language Communities Program) aims to improve the provincial and territorial supply of programs and activities to provide education in the language of official-language minority communities (Anglophones in Quebec and Francophones outside Quebec), at all levels of education. | ||
| Support for Second-Language Learning | 175.02 | |
| The Second-Language Learning component of the Enhancement of Official Languages Program aims to improve programs and activities offered by the provinces and territories for the instruction of English and French as second official languages at all levels of learning. | ||
| Summer Language Bursaries | 36.6 | |
| This measure supports two programs administered by the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (CMEC), in cooperation with the provinces and territories and various post-secondary institutions: Explore, which offers young Canadians an opportunity to study their second official language, and Destination Clic, an intensive summer French language course and cultural exchange program. | ||
| Official-Language Monitors | 18.6 | |
| This measure provides funding for full-time language assistants (official-language monitors) in rural and suburban schools. It offers young Canadians an opportunity to use their second language on a daily basis through job placements and internships, while promoting linguistic duality and the development of official-language minority communities. | ||
| Exchanges Canada | 11.25 | |
| This program helps fund organizations that deliver youth exchanges and forums that promote language learning and linguistic duality. Each year, it offers thousands of young Canadians an opportunity to develop their second language skills and to discover our country's diversity of cultures and communities. | ||
| Health Canada | ||
| Training, Networks and Access to Health Services (Education component) | 106.5 | |
| This measure supports activities that improve access by residents of official-language minority communities to health services in the language of their choice, through a three-part strategy targeting health partnerships and networks; training and retention of health professionals; and specific projects. | ||
| Justice Canada | ||
| Networks, Training and Access to Justice Services (Education component) | 19 | |
| This measure offers language training for those working in the justice system in order to improve Canadians' access to justice services. It provides funding for projects that make Canadians aware of their rights, and helps strengthen and improve the capacity of the justice system to serve the people of Canada in the official language of their choice. | ||
| Public Works and Government Services Canada | ||
| Language Portal of Canada | 16 | |
| The Language Portal of Canada provides Canadians with free access to a wide range of language tools, including TERMIUM Plus® (the Government of Canada's terminology and linguistic data bank), intended to help people study, work and communicate more effectively in Canada's two official languages. Internet users in Canada (and around the world) can also consult various writing tools and reference works, as well as online games designed to help improve English- and French-language skills. | ||
| National Research Council Canada | ||
| Strengthening the Language Industry and Technologies | 10 | |
| This measure invests in research and development in the field of computer processing of oral and written information in multiple languages for use by Canada's language technologies industry and other industries. | ||
| Immigration | 149.5 | |
| Citizenship and Immigration Canada | ||
| Language Training for Economic Immigrants | 120 | |
| This program provides official-language training for newcomers to Canada in order to facilitate their integration into our country's social, cultural, economic, and civic fabric. | ||
| Immigration to Official-Language Minority Communities (including Support to Francophone Immigration in New Brunswick - $4 million) | 29.5 | |
| This measure encourages immigration and integration of immigrants to official-language minority communities, and includes international promotion and recruitment activities. | ||
| Communities | 316.62 | |
| Canadian Heritage | ||
| Support for Official-Language Minority Communities | 22.26 | |
| This measure enhances the vitality of Canada's English- and French-speaking minority communities and fosters their full participation in Canadian society. | ||
| Intergovernmental Cooperation | 22.26 | |
| The Intergovernmental Cooperation on Minority-Language Services aims to help provincial and territorial governments offer provincial, territorial, and municipal services (aside from education) in the language of the official-language minority community. | ||
| Community Cultural Action Fund | 10 | |
| This measure supports and reinforces artistic and cultural activities that foster the vitality of official-language minority communities. | ||
| Music Showcase Program for Artists from Official-Language Minority Communities | 5.75 | |
| This program is designed to promote the careers of Anglophone and Francophone artists from official-language minority communities through touring and other activities, and to increase opportunities for members of Canada's official-language minority communities to attend music performances in their language. | ||
| National Translation Program for Book Publishing | 4 | |
| This program is designed to broaden access to the cultural wealth of Canada's Anglophone and Francophone communities by helping Canadian publishers translate works by Canadian authors from one official language to the other. | ||
| Market Access Strategy for Artists from Official-Language Minority Communities | 2.75 | |
| This new measure complements the Roadmap's existing cultural components. It will promote the development of the arts and artists in official-language minority communities in all disciplines, including film, literature, theatre, media arts and multidisciplinary arts. | ||
| Health Canada | ||
| Training, Networks and Access to Health Services (Communities component) | 67.8 | |
| This measure supports activities that improve access by residents of official-language minority communities to health services in the language of their choice, through a three-part strategy targeting health partnerships and networks; training and retention of health professionals; and specific projects. | ||
| Justice Canada | ||
| Contraventions Act Fund | 49.6 | |
| This fund provides provinces, territories, and municipalities with funding (in the form of transfer payments) to cover the costs of implementing measures undertaken on behalf of the Government of Canada to permit the use of both official languages in proceedings instituted under the Contraventions Act. | ||
| Networks, Training and Access to Justice Services (Communities component) | 21.2 | |
| This measure offers language training for those working in the justice system in order to improve Canadians' access to justice services. It provides funding for projects that make Canadians aware of their rights, and helps strengthen and improve the capacity of the justice system to serve the people of Canada in the official language of their choice. | ||
| Human Resources and Skills Development Canada | ||
| Enabling Fund for Official-Language Minority Communities | 69 | |
| The main objective of this fund is to enhance the development and vitality of official-language minority communities by strengthening their capacity in the areas of human resources and community economic development, and by promoting partnerships at all levels. | ||
| Official-Language Minority Communities Literacy and Essential Skills Initiative | 7.5 | |
| This measure supports specific projects that promote literacy and essential skills training in the workplace. | ||
| Official-Language Minority Communities Social Partnership Initiative | 4 | |
| This measure supports projects implemented by official-language minority communities in order to address complex social issues. It also fosters cross-sector partnerships that optimize resources and promote the exchange of best practices, knowledge, and research. | ||
| Industry Canada | ||
| Economic Development Initiative for Regional Operations | 1.6 | |
| This measure fosters the development of new commercial skills through innovation, entrepreneurship, partnerships, and diversification of economic activities in specific regions. The Initiative is administered by Industry Canada (research, consultations and evaluation). | ||
| Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario (FedNor) | ||
| Economic Development Initiative (FedNor) | 4.45 | |
| This measure supports Northern Ontario's Francophone communities by promoting the development of new expertise through innovation, diversification of economic activities, partnerships, and increased support of small- and medium-sized businesses. | ||
| Canada Economic Development (CED) for Quebec Regions | ||
| Economic Development Initiative (CED) | 10.2 | |
| This measure supports the economic growth of Quebec's English-speaking communities through various activities that promote innovation, entrepreneurship, partnerships, and diversification of economic activities. | ||
| Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) | ||
| Economic Development Initiative (ACOA) | 6.2 | |
| This measure supports Atlantic Canada's Francophone communities by promoting the development of new expertise through innovation, diversification of economic activities, partnerships, and increased support of small- and medium-sized businesses. | ||
| Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev) | ||
| Economic Development Initiative (FedDev) | 4.45 | |
| This measure supports Southern Ontario's Francophone communities by promoting the development of new expertise through innovation, diversification of economic activities, partnerships, and increased support of small- and medium-sized businesses. | ||
| Western Economic Diversification (WD) Canada | ||
| Economic Development Initiative (WD) | 3.2 | |
| This measure aims to help individuals, businesses, youth, and immigrants to flourish in the language of their choice and in their communities. Funding will be allocated to projects that support business and economic development that encourages sustainable growth in Western Canada's Francophone communities. | ||
| Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency (CanNor) | ||
| Economic Development Initiative (CanNor) | 0.4 | |
| This measure promotes the economic growth of official-language minority communities in Canada's North by promoting the development of new expertise through innovation, diversification of economic activities, partnerships, and increased support of small- and medium-sized businesses. | ||
| Total: | 1,124.11 | |
SOURCE: Canadian Heritage
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