Brief – Expert Panel on Language of Work and Service in Federally Regulated Private Businesses
By The Honourable Marlene Jennings, P.C. President, and Kevin Shaar, Vice-President
Canada has two official languages and two official language minorities.
In its recent paper on official languages, English and French: Towards a Substantive Equality of Official Languages in Canada, the Government of Canada makes a legislative proposal to increase the use of French in federally regulated private enterprises. The paper outlines specific proposals to provide rights to work and rights to services in French – but not in English – in federally regulated private businesses in Quebec and in regions with a strong Francophone presence.
