Advancement of English and French

About Part VII of the Official Languages Act

Section 41 of Part VII of the Official Languages Act (OLA) sets out the Government of Canada’s commitment to:

  • enhancing the vitality of the English and French linguistic minority communities in Canada and supporting and assisting their development; and
  • fostering the full recognition and use of both English and French in Canadian society.

What are the Department's responsibilities with respect to Part VII (Section 41)?

Under Part VII of the OLA, the Department has the duty to ensure that positive measures are taken for the implementation of the commitments under Section 41. This is done by ensuring that policies and programs take into account the needs and priorities of Official Language Minority Communities (OLMCs) throughout their life cycles.

How does Part VII translate into the Department's daily activities?

  • Consult OLMCs as required, in connection with the development and/or implementation of policies and programs;
  • Raise employees' awareness of the needs and priorities of the OLMCs and the federal government's commitments under Part VII;
  • Ensure policies and programs take into account the needs and priorities of OLMCs;
  • Analyze the impacts on the OLMCs and on the advancement of English and French of proposals in Memoranda to Cabinet and Treasury Board submissions;
  • Provide services to Canadians in their official language of choice; and
  • Purchase space and time in the media outlets serving OLMCs, as necessary.

Official Languages Part VII Centre of Expertise

The Official Languages Act (OLA) Part VII Centre of Expertise, a division under the Strategy and Horizontal Policy Directorate in the Strategic and Service Policy Branch, is the departmental focal point for the implementation of Part VII of the Act. The Centre of Expertise is responsible for:

  • providing strategic advice to employees on the application of Part VII, e.g. when reviewing Memoranda to Cabinet and Treasury Board submissions;
  • organizing activities for employees to raise awareness of Part VII of the OLA;
  • leading the development of the departmental Action Plan for Implementation of Part VII (Section 41) of the Act;
  • ensuring accountability in official languages through the annual departmental Report on Results for Implementation of Part VII (Section 41);
  • coordinating the implementation of ESDC’s initiatives that are included in the Action Plan for Official Languages 2018-2023: Investing in Our Future;
  • coordinating the development of the Part VII section of the Annual Report on Official Languages for the Department; and
  • maintaining productive relations with OLMCs and consulting them through networking events and an annual dialogue session.

Policies and Directives

Tools and Resources

Contact Us

If you need any help or have any questions, please contact the Part VII Centre of Expertise at : esdc.sspb.olpartvii-lopartievii.dgpss.edsc@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca.