PRODUCING REGULATIONS FOR PART VII OF THE OFFICIAL LANGUAGES ACT: ENGLISH-SPEAKING QUEBEC’S STAKE IN THE PROCESS
Part VII of Canada’s Official Languages Act ‘breathes life’ into Section 16(3) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, that permits Parliament “to advance the equality of status or use of English and French”. It outlines the Government of Canada’s commitments to this aim and lays out the duties of institutions subject to the Act to ensure these commitments are implemented.
Part VII is critical legislative lifeline between the federal government and Canada’s English and French linguistic minority communities. It is also the principal Act through which federal resources are provided to the provinces and territories to fund services in the minority language. Among other things, these investments by the federal government help fund community sector organizations and support the Government of Quebec’s funding of our school system, and the provision of health and social services in English.