Background
- Constitution Act 1867, Section 133
- 1867 marks the beginning of legislation regarding language inequality in Canada. This predecessor to Bill 101 was largely important for lawmakers and the provinces they represented. In this constitutional amendment, the Canadian legislature recognized the prevalence of francophones in the government. In response, Section 133 gave legislators the right to use French or English in Parliament and the courts at the federal level and in Quebec.
- 1960s
- The 1960s brought an increased awareness in Canada of the problems that francophones in an English speaking country faced. Both culturally and linguistically, francophone Canadians experienced opposition and difficulty in all public arenas. In addition, French speakers at the time were economically underprivileged in Canada specifically when compared to English speakers. This held true even in Quebec, which held a majority of francophones. In an effort to improve the situation of French speakers, the Royal Commission of Bilingualism and Biculturalism (B & B Commission) was established in 1963 under the Lester B. Pearson Government. The establishment of this commission represented and promoted the cultural and linguistic composition of Canada for the first time. This commission confirmed inferior economic position of francophones in Canada. Owing in large part to the results of research and activism by this group, the Official Languages Act was passed in 1969. This act was passed under the government of Elliot Trudeau. With it, a Commissioner of Official Languages was deemed necessary in order to preserve and promote the rights of French speakers.
- Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
- After a decade of changes in language policy during the 1960s in Canada, francophones received even greater assistance in language rights in 1982. Part of the Constitution Act of 1982 gave constitutional status to language rights and guaranteed education rights to provincial minorities. The concept of education rights for minorities had been considered controversial in the past. With the introduction of this new Bill, however, the rights of provincial linguistic minorities were strengthened. This legislation applied to francophone communities in all but one case.
- Recent Legislation
- The effects of multiple languages in one country still require legislation in Canada. The provincial and national governments must constantly work to accommodate changes in language and culture in Montreal and throughout Canada. In 2003, the Five Year Action Plan for Official Languages was established. This plan aimed to promote official languages from 2003 to 2008. The importance of language duality was recognized by officials as not only a part of the Canadian heritage but also as an asset for the future. Furthermore, this plan specified three specific areas of development. These three areas accommodated areas of specific concern for the francophone community: education, community development and public service.
Read more about this topic: Children Of Bill 101
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